The American Football League ( AFL ) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference . The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence. It was more successful than earlier rivals to the NFL with the same name, the 1926 , 1936 and 1940 leagues, and the later All-America Football Conference (which existed between 1944 and 1950 but only played between 1946 and 1949).
225-728: This fourth version of the AFL was the most successful, created by a number of owners who had been refused NFL expansion franchises or had minor shares of NFL franchises. The AFL's original lineup consisted of an Eastern division of the New York Titans , Boston Patriots , Buffalo Bills , and the Houston Oilers , and a Western division of the Los Angeles Chargers , Denver Broncos , Oakland Raiders , and Dallas Texans . The league first gained attention by signing 75% of
450-408: A "NEW YORK" wordmark on the upper chest, and a new sans-serif block-style numeral font. The primary logo reverted to a football shape, and eliminated the background "NY" initials in favor of "NEW YORK" in sans-serif italics above "JETS," which was modified to make the "J" the same height as the other letters and moved slightly downward, with the revised football graphic now covering the lower portion of
675-623: A 12-game schedule since 1947, changed to a 14-game schedule in 1961, a year after the American Football League instituted it. The AFL also introduced the two-point conversion to professional football 34 years before the NFL instituted it in 1994 (college football had adopted the two-point conversion in the late 1950s). All of these innovations pioneered by the AFL, including its more exciting style of play and colorful uniforms, have essentially made today's professional football more like
900-563: A 50% share of the venue. The rivalry regained much of its tension in the 2011 NFL season when the Jets and Giants met in Week 16. Both teams needed a victory to keep their playoffs hope alive and there was significant trash talk between Rex Ryan and his players and many of the Giants in the weeks leading up to the game. Ryan and Giants running back Brandon Jacobs reportedly came close to blows after
1125-498: A 8–8 season in 2013. After a 4–12 season in 2014, Sanchez was released, while Ryan and general manager John Idzik were fired. Prior to the 2015 season, Todd Bowles was hired to replace Ryan as head coach. In his first season, he led the Jets to a 10–6 record that finished second in the AFC East but failed to qualify for the postseason. However, the Jets followed up the 2015 season with three consecutive last place finishes in
1350-689: A campaign to undermine the new league. AFL owners were approached with promises of new NFL franchises or ownership stakes in existing ones. Only the party from Minneapolis-Saint Paul accepted, and with the addition of Ole Haugsrud and Bernie Ridder the Minnesota group joined the NFL in 1961 as the Minnesota Vikings . The older league also announced on August 29 that it had conveniently reversed its position against expansion, and planned to bring new NFL teams to Houston and Dallas, to start play in 1961. (The NFL did not expand to Houston at that time;
1575-727: A conference championship since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970, along with the Cleveland Browns , Detroit Lions , and two expansion franchises, the Jacksonville Jaguars (who began play in 1995) and the Houston Texans (2002). Since 1970 the Jets have won the AFC Eastern Division only twice, in 1998 and 2002 , the fewest division titles among NFL teams in the post-merger era. They have qualified for
1800-639: A darker hunter green replacing the bright kelly green, and the primary logo now oval rather than football-shaped and updated with starker lines. Green pants and striped white socks were added in 2002, and were worn with both the white and green jerseys. In 2007 , the Jets introduced a new "throwback" uniform evoking the original Titans of New York and combining elements of the 1960 and 1961–62 uniforms, with navy blue helmets and jerseys, old gold numerals and helmet stripes, gold and white shoulder stripes, and gold pants with blue and white stripes on each side. These uniforms appeared again in 2008 , 2009 and 2011 , with
2025-741: A fact that has precluded any other competing league from gaining traction since the merger; failed attempts to mimic the AFL's success included the World Football League (1974–75), United States Football League (1983–85), the United Football League (2009–2012) and the AAF (2019), and two iterations of the XFL ( 2001 and 2020 ), in addition to the NFL-backed and created World League of American Football (1991–92). The AFL
2250-604: A five-man syndicate headed by Sonny Werblin of the Gotham Football Club, Inc., in February 1963. Sonny Werblin graduated from Rutgers University and was employed by the Music Corporation of America , eventually becoming president of the company's television division. With a vast knowledge of media, Werblin was determined to put the spotlight on the team. His first order of business, after changing
2475-524: A flashier style of play (just like the ABA in basketball), compared to the more conservative game of the NFL. Long passes ("bombs") were commonplace in AFL offenses, led by such talented quarterbacks as John Hadl , Daryle Lamonica and Len Dawson . Despite having a national television contract, the AFL often found itself trying to gain a foothold, only to come up against roadblocks. For example, CBS, which broadcast NFL games, ignored and did not report scores from
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#17327658038852700-643: A group of French Socialists established La Réunion , a short-lived community, along the Trinity River in what is now West Dallas. With the construction of railroads, Dallas became a business and trading center and was booming by the end of the 19th century. It became an industrial city, attracting workers from Texas , the South, and the Midwest . The Praetorian Building in Dallas of 15 stories, built in 1909,
2925-524: A little better on the field but had their own financial troubles. Attendance was so low for home games that team owner Harry Wismer had fans move to seats closer to the field to give the illusion of a fuller stadium on television. Eventually Wismer could no longer afford to meet his payroll, and on November 8, 1962, the AFL took over operations of the team. The Titans were sold to a five-person ownership group headed by Sonny Werblin on March 28, 1963, and in April
3150-469: A lucrative $ 36 million television contract with NBC (beginning in the 1965 season), which gave the league money it needed to compete with the NFL for players. Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney was quoted as saying to NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle after receiving the news of the AFL's new TV deal that, "They don't have to call us 'Mister' anymore". A single-game attendance record was set on November 8, 1964, when 61,929 fans packed Shea Stadium to watch
3375-457: A mix of AFL and CFL rules. While the Oilers found instant success in the AFL, other teams did not fare as well. The Oakland Raiders and New York Titans struggled on and off the field during their first few seasons in the league. Oakland's eight-man ownership group was reduced to just three in 1961, after heavy financial losses in their first season. Attendance for home games was poor, partly due to
3600-403: A new professional football league to California and New York , but introduced the sport to Colorado , restored it to Texas and later to fast-growing Florida , as well as bringing it to Greater Boston for the first time in 12 years. Buffalo, having lost its original NFL franchise in 1929 and turned down by the NFL at least twice (1940 and 1950 ) for a replacement, returned to the NFL with
3825-421: A passion for sports according to former Knicks general manager Ernie Grunfeld and desired to own his own team. Johnson has been considered to be an enabler who wants the best from his employees. Much like Hess, Johnson left many of the football related decisions up to his management team and tended to avoid the spotlight. However, upon hiring head coach Rex Ryan, Johnson had an increased presence as he molded
4050-603: A place for the team to play their home games but was only able to secure the dilapidated Polo Grounds , which had not had a major tenant since the baseball New York Giants vacated the stadium in 1957. The Titans played their first four seasons at the stadium—in the final season they were renamed the Jets. The Titans shared the stadium with baseball's new expansion team, the New York Mets , for two years before both teams moved to Shea Stadium in Queens in 1964. The Jets hold
4275-717: A plan the lake's neighboring cities oppose. Dallas has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa , Trewartha : Cfhk ) characteristic of the Southern Plains of the United States. It also has both continental and tropical characteristics, characterized by a relatively wide annual temperature range for the latitude. Located at the lower end of Tornado Alley , it is prone to extreme weather, tornadoes, and hailstorms. Summers in Dallas are very hot with high humidity, although extended periods of dry weather often occur. July and August are typically
4500-477: A potentially costly rivalry. Within weeks of the July 1959 announcement of the league's formation, Hunt received commitments from Barron Hilton and Harry Wismer to bring teams to Los Angeles and New York, respectively. His initial efforts for Buffalo, however, were rebuffed, when Hunt's first choice of owner, Pat McGroder , declined to take part; McGroder had hoped that the threat of the AFL would be enough to prompt
4725-741: A professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area . The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The Jets play their home games at MetLife Stadium (which they share with the New York Giants ) in East Rutherford, New Jersey , 5 miles (8.0 km) west of New York City . The team
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#17327658038854950-630: A robot-delivered bomb, killing Johnson inside Dallas College El Centro Campus . The shooting occurred in an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses, and residential apartments only a few blocks away from Dealey Plaza. Dallas is situated in the Southern United States , in North Texas . It is the county seat of Dallas County and portions of the city extend into neighboring Collin , Denton , Kaufman , and Rockwall counties. Many suburbs surround Dallas; three enclaves are within
5175-621: A second draft on December 2, which lasted for 20 rounds. Because the Oakland Raiders joined after the initial AFL drafts, they inherited Minnesota's selections. A special allocation draft was held in January 1960, to allow the Raiders to stock their team, as some of the other AFL teams had already signed some of Minneapolis' original draft choices. In November 1959, Minneapolis-Saint Paul owner Max Winter announced his intent to leave
5400-607: A signature building in Bank of America Plaza which is lit up in neon but falls outside the top two hundred tallest buildings in the world. Although some of Dallas's architecture dates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most of the notable architecture in the city is from the modernist and postmodernist eras. Iconic examples of modernist architecture include Reunion Tower , the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial , I. M. Pei 's Dallas City Hall and
5625-423: A silhouette of a modern jet airplane extending horizontally to the right from the top of the "J" above the "ETS." The jerseys featured large TV numerals on the shoulders and two thick parallel stripes on the sleeves, while the pants had a single green stripe from hip to knee on each side. In 1990 the Jets modified this design by adding thin black outlines to the numerals, lettering, stripes, and helmet decals, changing
5850-539: A similar result. The Oakland Raiders—who had easily beaten the Houston Oilers to win their first AFL championship—were overmatched by the Packers, 33–14. The more experienced Packers capitalized on a number of Raiders miscues and never trailed. Green Bay defensive tackle Henry Jordan offered a compliment to Oakland and the AFL, when he said, "... the AFL is becoming much more sophisticated on offense. I think
6075-574: A single gold stripe down the center and no logo decals. The white jerseys had navy blue numerals. In 1961, the Titans added UCLA -style shoulder stripes (gold and white on the blue jerseys, gold and navy blue on the white jerseys), changed the pants striping to a blue stripe flanked by white stripes, and employed a somewhat brighter shade of gold. When the Titans became the Jets in 1963, navy and gold were abandoned in favor of kelly green and white. The jerseys had opposite-colored sleeves with thick stripes on
6300-410: A state of mediocrity along with their star quarterback, Namath, who only had three successful post-merger seasons after injuries hampered much of his career. The Jets continued to spiral downward before enjoying a string of successes in the 1980s, which included an appearance in the 1982 AFC Championship Game, and the emergence of the popular New York Sack Exchange . Walt Michaels and Joe Walton coached
6525-501: A team to Miami. League expansion was approved at a meeting held on June 7, and on August 16 the AFL's ninth franchise was officially awarded to Robbie and entertainer Danny Thomas . The Miami Dolphins joined the league for a fee of $ 7.5 million and started play in the AFL's Eastern Division in 1966 . The AFL also planned to add two more teams by 1967. In 1966, the rivalry between the AFL and NFL reached an all-time peak. On April 7, Joe Foss resigned as AFL commissioner. His successor
6750-630: A total of 312 residents according to 2019's census estimates, down from 606 in 2017. Hispanic or Latino Americans of any race made up 41.2% of the estimated population in 2019. Among the Hispanic or Latino American population in 2019, 34.6% of Dallas was Mexican , 0.4% Puerto Rican , 0.2% Cuban and 6.0% other Hispanic or Latino American. In 2017's American Community Survey estimates among the demographic 35.5% were Mexican, 0.6% Puerto Rican, 0.4% Cuban, and 5.4% other Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, Hispanic or Latino Americans of any race continued to constitute
6975-890: A variety of named districts, including the West End Historic District , the Arts District , the Main Street District , Farmers Market District , the City Center Business District , the Convention Center District , and the Reunion District . This area includes Uptown, Victory Park , Harwood, Oak Lawn, Dallas Design District , Trinity Groves , Turtle Creek , Cityplace , Knox/Henderson , Greenville , and West Village . East Dallas
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7200-404: A white mob of hundreds of people lynched a black man, Allen Brooks , accused of raping a little girl. The mob tortured Brooks, then killed him at the downtown intersection of Main and Akard by hanging him from a decorative archway inscribed with the words "Welcome Visitors". Thousands of Dallasites came to gawk at the torture scene, collecting keepsakes and posing for photographs. In 1921,
7425-557: A white-jersey variation also appearing in 2009 as part of the NFL's celebration of the American Football League 's 50th anniversary. The Jets abandoned their classic look for a second time in 2019, with a new uniform design featuring a medium shade of green which the franchise calls "Gotham Green," reincorporating black as a third/trim color, and reverting to green helmets with a metallic paint finish and black facemasks. The jerseys and pants now had tapered striping,
7650-451: A white-outlined version of the 1965–77 logo decal. In 1994 , as part of the NFL 's 75th Anniversary celebration, the Jets wore both home and road versions of this uniform in select games, again using their regular green helmets with the 1965–77 logo but with two parallel white stripes down the center. The Jets adopted a new uniform and logo design in 1998, a modernization of the 1965–77 set with
7875-556: A year during the month of September at the Giants' new home in New Jersey, Giants Stadium . Litigation began between New York City and the Jets over the issue, and in the lawsuit's settlement, the city agreed to allow the Jets to play two September home games a season at Shea beginning in 1978 for the remaining six years in the Jets' lease. In 1977, the Jets were to play one September game at Giants Stadium and an October 2 game at Shea. In spite of these issues, majority owner Leon Hess
8100-401: Is November 12, and the average date of last frost is March 12. January is typically the coldest month, with an average daytime high of 56.8 °F (14 °C) and an average nighttime low of 37.3 °F (3 °C). The normal daily average temperature in January is 47.0 °F (8 °C) but sharp swings in temperature can occur, as strong cold fronts known as " Blue Northers " pass through
8325-626: Is headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey . The franchise is legally organized as a limited liability company under the name New York Jets, LLC. The team was founded in 1959 as the Titans of New York , a charter member of the American Football League (AFL); the franchise joined the NFL in the AFL–NFL merger in 1970 . The team began play in 1960 at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan,
8550-433: Is home to many areas, neighborhoods, and communities. Dallas can be divided into several geographical areas which include larger geographical sections of territory including many subdivisions or neighborhoods, forming macroneighborhoods. Central Dallas is anchored by Downtown Dallas, the center of the city, along with Oak Lawn and Uptown , areas characterized by dense retail, restaurants, and nightlife. Downtown Dallas has
8775-465: Is hosting a game, opened in April 2010 and saw the Jets and Giants open the stadium together in a preseason exhibition game. The Jets' first regular season home game at the new stadium was held on September 13, 2010, and was shown nationwide on Monday Night Football . New York lost to the Ravens 10–9. Team owners voted to have the stadium host Super Bowl XLVIII , held in 2014. Since the inception of
9000-482: Is surrounded by undeveloped land on all sides. Swampland and wetlands separating it from South Dallas are part of the Great Trinity Forest , a subsection of the city's Trinity River Project , newly appreciated for habitat and flood control . Dallas and its surrounding area are mostly flat. The city lies at elevations ranging from 450 to 550 feet (137 to 168 m) above sea level. The western edge of
9225-423: Is the location of Cedars , and Fair Park , where the annual State Fair of Texas is held from late September through mid-October. Also located here is Exposition Park, Dallas , noted for having artists, art galleries, and bars along tree-lined Exposition Avenue. South Side Dallas is a popular location for nightly entertainment. The neighborhood has undergone extensive development and community integration. What
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9450-531: Is the location of Deep Ellum , an arts area close to Downtown, the Lakewood neighborhood (and adjacent areas, including Lakewood Heights , Wilshire Heights , Lower Greenville , Junius Heights , and Hollywood Heights/Santa Monica ), Vickery Place and Bryan Place , and the architecturally significant neighborhoods of Swiss Avenue and Munger Place . Its historic district has one of the largest collections of Frank Lloyd Wright -inspired prairie-style homes in
9675-497: The 1968 NFL season with a 13–1 record, and won the NFL title with a convincing 34–0 win over the Cleveland Browns. Led by their stalwart defense—which allowed a record-low 144 points—the 1968 Colts were considered one of the best-ever NFL teams. By contrast, the Jets had allowed 280 points, the highest total for any division winner in the two leagues. They had also only narrowly beaten the favored Oakland Raiders 27–23 in
9900-503: The Interstate Highway System reinforced Dallas's prominence as a transportation hub , with four major interstate highways converging in the city and a fifth interstate loop around it. Dallas then developed as a strong industrial and financial center and a major inland port , due to the convergence of major railroad lines, interstate highways, and the construction of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport , one of
10125-651: The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center . Good examples of postmodernist skyscrapers are Fountain Place , Bank of America Plaza , Renaissance Tower , JPMorgan Chase Tower , and Comerica Bank Tower . Downtown Dallas also has residential offerings in downtown, some of which are signature skyline buildings. Several smaller structures are fashioned in the Gothic Revival style, such as the Kirby Building , and
10350-518: The NFL's first-round draft choices in 1960 , including Houston's successful signing of college star and Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon . While the first years of the AFL saw uneven competition and low attendance, the league was buttressed by a generous television contract with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), followed by a contract with the competing National Broadcasting Company (NBC) for games starting with
10575-708: The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority where he helped to create the Meadowlands Sports Complex, including Giants Stadium. Leon Hess became well known for his Hess Corporation gas stations; however, he also played an instrumental part in the development of the Jets during his tenure as co-owner and eventual sole owner. Hess had often fought for improvements while the team was a tenant at Shea Stadium but generally stayed away from football operations, allowing his coaches and general manager to make football-related decisions. Becoming
10800-480: The New York Jets under new ownership, including the signing of University of Alabama star quarterback Joe Namath , further solidified the league's reputation among the major media. As fierce competition made player salaries skyrocket in both leagues, especially after a series of "raids", the leagues agreed to a merger in 1966 . Among the conditions were a common draft and a championship game played between
11025-493: The New York Rangers ' 54-year drought (from 1940 to 1994) in 2023. The first organizational meeting of the American Football League took place on August 14, 1959. Harry Wismer , representing the city of New York at the meeting, proclaimed the state was ready for another professional football team and that he was more than capable of running the daily operations. Wismer was granted the charter franchise later dubbed
11250-508: The North Texas region, the city of Dallas is the main core of the largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States and the largest inland metropolitan area in the U.S. that lacks any navigable link to the sea. Dallas and nearby Fort Worth were initially developed as a product of the construction of major railroad lines through the area allowing access to cotton , cattle , and later oil in North and East Texas . The construction of
11475-466: The University of Florida and Michigan State University before a knee injury ended his playing career. Undeterred, Wismer began his career as a broadcaster with Michigan State and became a pioneer of the industry. Later, as the Titans owner, Wismer formulated a league-wide policy which allowed broadcasting rights to be shared equally among the teams. Wismer, who had previously had a 25% stake in
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#173276580388511700-535: The Washington Redskins , was interested in the American Football League and was given a franchise to develop in New York. Wismer, whose philosophy was who you knew mattered most, tried to make the team and the league a success. His efforts began to accrue debt as the Titans' first two seasons were mediocre with attendance dropping in the team's second year. The franchise was sold for $ 1 million to
11925-630: The World Hockey Association (1972–79) managed to have four of its six remaining teams merged into the National Hockey League , which actually caused the older league to contract a franchise, but WHA teams were forced to disperse the majority of their rosters and restart as expansion teams. The merged WHA teams were also not financially sound (in large part from the hefty expansion fees the NHL imposed on them), and three of
12150-531: The most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the most populous city in and seat of Dallas County with portions extending into Collin , Denton , Kaufman , and Rockwall counties. With a 2020 census population of 1,304,379, it is the ninth-most populous city in the U.S. and the third-most populous city in Texas after Houston and San Antonio . Located in
12375-450: The neoclassical style, as seen in the Davis and Wilson Buildings. One architectural "hotbed" in the city is a stretch of historic houses along Swiss Avenue , which has all shades and variants of architecture from Victorian to neoclassical. The Dallas Downtown Historic District protects a cross-section of Dallas commercial architecture from the 1880s to the 1940s. The city of Dallas
12600-475: The southern portion of the city is predominantly black. The west and east sides of the city are predominantly Hispanic or Latino American; Garland also has a large Spanish-speaking population. North Dallas has many enclaves of predominantly white, black and especially Hispanic or Latino American residents. The Dallas area is also a major living destination for Black and African Americans primarily due to its strong and diverse economy. Between 2010 and 2020,
12825-525: The wild card round ; the Patriots went on to Super Bowl XX where they were defeated by the Bears . The rivalry began to escalate and receive increased media attention in 1997 when a disgruntled Bill Parcells vacated his head coaching position with New England to accept the same position with New York Jets. The following year, the Jets signed Pro Bowl running back Curtis Martin from the Patriots. After
13050-592: The 1965 season, that broadcast the more offense-oriented football league nationwide. Continuing to attract top talent from colleges and the NFL by the mid-1960s, as well as successful franchise shifts of the Chargers from L.A. south to San Diego and the Texans north to Kansas City (becoming the Kansas City Chiefs ), the AFL established a dedicated following. The transformation of the struggling Titans into
13275-422: The 1978–89 design in most respects, although the "Gotham Green" shade and metallic-finish helmet shells were carried over and the set includes a green pants option; the black alternates apply the same color scheme as the outgoing set to the new template. The Jets also released a "classic" white uniform which is based on the 1965–77 and 1998–2018 uniform. The original Jets Flag Crew was established in 2006. In 2007,
13500-493: The 1986 season, when he played for the San Diego Chargers . The American Football League stands as the only professional traditional outdoor football league to successfully compete against the NFL. When the two leagues merged in 1970, all ten AFL franchises and their statistics became part of the new NFL. Every other professional league that had competed against the NFL before the AFL–NFL merger had folded completely:
13725-721: The 2002 expansion team restored professional football in Houston after the original charter AFL member Oilers relocated to become the Tennessee Titans . Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News has argued that the presence of AFL and the subsequent merger radically altered the fortunes of the Pittsburgh Steelers , saving the team "from stinking". Before the merger, the Steelers had long been one of
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#173276580388513950-414: The 2020 American Community Survey , the median income for a household in the city was $ 54,747; families had a median household income of $ 60,895; married-couple families $ 81,761; and non-families $ 45,658. In 2003–2007's survey, male full-time workers had a median income of $ 32,265 versus $ 32,402 for female full-time workers. The per capita income for the city was $ 25,904. About 18.7% of families and 21.7% of
14175-468: The 2023 season, the Jets once again finished 7–10 in a season that started hopeful with the signing of Aaron Rodgers, who later suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on the first offensive series of the regular season. Harry Wismer , a businessman, had been interested in sports for much of his life when he was granted a charter franchise in the American Football League. Wismer was a three-sport letterman in high school, and went on to play football for
14400-402: The AFC East from 2016 to 2018, winning no more than five games each season. Bowles was fired following the third consecutive losing season. The Jets used their first round pick, third overall, on quarterback Sam Darnold from USC. Adam Gase was hired to replace Bowles prior to the 2019 season. Gase's tenure saw the Jets go 7–9 in 2019 and 2–14 in 2020, missing the postseason both years. Gase
14625-415: The AFC with the rest of the former AFL teams after the merger helped them rebuild into a contender, drafting eventual- Pro Football Hall of Famers like Terry Bradshaw and Joe Greene , and ultimately winning four Super Bowls in the 1970s. Since the 1970 merger, the Steelers have the NFL's highest winning percentage, the most total victories, the most trips to either conference championship game, are tied for
14850-469: The AFL adopted the first-ever cooperative television plan for professional football, in which the proceeds were divided equally among member clubs. It featured many outstanding games, such as the classic 1962 double-overtime American Football League championship game between the Dallas Texans and the defending champion Houston Oilers . At the time it was the longest professional football championship game ever played. The AFL also appealed to fans by offering
15075-410: The AFL championship game. Jets quarterback Joe Namath recalled that in the days leading up to the game, he grew increasingly angry when told New York had no chance to beat Baltimore. Three days before the game, a frustrated Namath responded to a heckler at the Touchdown Club in Miami by declaring, "We're going to win Sunday, I guarantee it!" Namath and the Jets made good on his guarantee as they held
15300-404: The AFL expanded, adding the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals . After losses by the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in the first two AFL-NFL World Championship Games to the Green Bay Packers (1966–67), the New York Jets and Chiefs won Super Bowls III and IV (1968–69) respectively, cementing the league's claim to being an equal to the NFL. In 1970, the AFL was absorbed into
15525-722: The AFL ownership " The Foolish Club ", a term Lamar Hunt subsequently used on team photographs he sent as Christmas gifts. The Oilers became the first-ever league champions by defeating the Chargers, 24–16, in the AFL Championship on January 1, 1961. Attendance for the 1960 season was respectable for a new league, but not nearly that of the NFL. In 1960, the NFL averaged attendance of more than 40,000 fans per game and more popular NFL teams in 1960 regularly saw attendance figures in excess of 50,000 per game, while CFL attendances averaged approximately 20,000 per game. By comparison, AFL attendance averaged about 16,500 per game and generally hovered between 10,000 and 20,000 per game. Professional football
15750-423: The AFL playoffs for the first time in 1968 and went on to compete in Super Bowl III where they defeated the Baltimore Colts , becoming the first AFL team to defeat an NFL club in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game . However, the Jets have never returned to the Super Bowl, making them one of two NFL teams to win their lone Super Bowl appearance along with the New Orleans Saints , and one of five teams never to win
15975-474: The AFL than like the old-line NFL. The AFL's challenge to the NFL also laid the groundwork for the Super Bowl , which has become the standard for championship contests in the United States of America. The NFL also adapted how the AFL used the growing power of televised football games, which were bolstered with the help of major network contracts (first with ABC , later with NBC after the latter network lost NFL rights to CBS ). With that first contract with ABC,
16200-482: The AFL to accept a franchise offer from the NFL. In 1961, his team began play in the NFL as the Minnesota Vikings . Los Angeles Chargers owner Barron Hilton demanded that a replacement for Minnesota be placed in California, to reduce his team's operating costs and to create a rivalry. After a brief search, Oakland was chosen and an ownership group led by F. Wayne Valley and local real estate developer Chet Soda
16425-532: The AFL to assume the costs of the team until season's end. A five-man syndicate, headed by Sonny Werblin , saved the team from certain bankruptcy, purchasing the lowly Titans for $ 1 million in 1963. Werblin renamed the team the New York Jets since the team would play near LaGuardia Airport and because it rhymed with the New York Mets as they would be playing in Shea Stadium . The new name
16650-547: The AFL; concerns over having to split the New York metro area with the still-uncertain Jets were a factor in the Bears' bid being rejected. In 1965, Milwaukee officials tried to lure an expansion team to play at Milwaukee County Stadium where the Green Bay Packers had played parts of their home schedule after an unsuccessful attempt to lure the Packers there full-time, but Packers head coach Vince Lombardi invoked
16875-551: The American Football League, the Jets have maintained what is considered to be a marquee rivalry with the New England Patriots . The rivalry was relatively docile in its early years until 1966 when the Jets removed the Patriots, who had hopes of appearing in Super Bowl I , from playoff contention with a 38–28 defeat at Shea Stadium. The Patriots returned the favor in 1985 when the Jets lost to New England 26–14 in
17100-573: The Austin Chalk Formation, a limestone escarpment (also known as the "White Rock Escarpment"), rises 230 feet (70 m) and runs roughly north–south through Dallas County. South of the Trinity River , the uplift is particularly noticeable in the neighborhoods of Oak Cliff and the adjacent cities of Cockrell Hill, Cedar Hill , Grand Prairie , and Irving . Marked variations in terrain are also found in cities immediately to
17325-532: The Bidwills was Lamar Hunt , son and heir of millionaire oilman H. L. Hunt . Hunt offered to buy the Cardinals and move them to Dallas , where he had grown up. However, these negotiations came to nothing, since the Bidwills insisted on retaining a controlling interest in the franchise and were unwilling to move their team to a city where a previous NFL franchise had failed in 1952 . While Hunt negotiated with
17550-417: The Bidwills, similar offers were made by Bud Adams , Bob Howsam , and Max Winter . When Hunt, Adams, and Howsam were unable to secure a controlling interest in the Cardinals, they approached NFL commissioner Bert Bell and proposed the addition of expansion teams . Bell, wary of expanding the 12-team league and risking its newfound success, rejected the offer. On his return flight to Dallas, Hunt conceived
17775-656: The Browns' archrivals ) and Baltimore Colts (who shared the Baltimore -Washington market with the Washington Redskins ) to follow suit, and each team received US$ 3 million to make the switch. The remaining 13 NFL teams became part of the National Football Conference . Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Charlie Joiner , who started his career with the Houston Oilers ( 1969 ), was the last AFL player active in professional football, retiring after
18000-512: The Buffalo Bills the only objectors, to award the 2010 Super Bowl to New York contingent on the Jets winning the bid and completing construction of the stadium prior to 2010. The MTA unanimously voted to sell the land to the Jets for approximately $ 210 million as the committee agreed that having the stadium would be beneficial in the long run. An angry Cablevision, community groups and transportation advocates were determined to derail
18225-582: The Colts scoreless until late in the fourth quarter. The Jets won, 16–7, in what is considered one of the greatest upsets in American sports history. With the win, the AFL finally achieved parity with the NFL and legitimized the merger of the two leagues. That notion was reinforced one year later in Super Bowl IV , when the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs upset the NFL champion Minnesota Vikings , 23–7, in
18450-697: The Cowboys and became the Kansas City Chiefs. As part of the merger agreement, additional expansion teams would be awarded by 1970 or soon thereafter to bring the league to 28 franchises; this requirement was fulfilled when the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers began play in 1976. In addition, had it not been for the existence of the Oilers from 1960 to 1996, the Houston Texans also would likely not exist today;
18675-648: The Dallas area had the second-most new Black and African American residents only behind the Atlanta area and slightly above the Houston area. The notable influx of African Americans is partly due to the New Great Migration . There is a significant number of people from the Horn of Africa , immigrants from Ethiopia , Eritrea and Somalia . The Dallas–Fort-Worth metroplex had an estimated 70,000 Russian-speakers (as of November 6, 2012) mostly immigrants from
18900-521: The Dallas region, forcing temperatures below the 40 °F (4 °C) mark for several days at a time and often between days with high temperatures above 80 °F (27 °C). Snow accumulation is seen in the city in about 70% of winter seasons, and snowfall generally occurs 1–2 days out of the year for a seasonal average of 1.5 inches (4 cm). Some areas in the region, however, receive more than that, while other areas receive negligible snowfall or none at all. The all-time record low temperature within
19125-530: The Dolphins ran the Fake Spike play , giving them an improbable victory and halting the Jets' momentum that season, serving as a precursor to the Jets' next two unsuccessful years under Rich Kotite. The Jets went on to complete an improbable victory of their own on October 23, 2000, in what is known as The Monday Night Miracle . The Jets, trailing the Dolphins 30–7 at the end of the third quarter, rallied in
19350-432: The Giants in 1988 for the final game of the regular season. The Jets, with a 7–7–1 record, had little to lose as their hopes for playoff contention had vanished. The 10–5 Giants were fighting for a playoff spot, and a victory would have clinched a division title and playoff berth. Although the six point favorites, the Giants were unable to overcome a Jets defense that sacked their quarterback Phil Simms eight times. With
19575-419: The Giants, who had the authority to approve the change, refused. In an effort to conceal the fact that they played in a stadium built and decorated for another team, the stadium grounds crew was assigned to make the stadium more Jet-friendly during Jets games by putting up green banners and placing the Jets' logo over the Giants'. No change could be made to the blue and red seating bowl. The Jets were featured in
19800-472: The Jets announced their intention to depart for New Jersey. On December 10, 1983, the Jets played their final game at Shea and lost to the Steelers 34–7. As fans pillaged the stadium for mementos, the scoreboard read "N.J. Jets" in reference to the Jets' departure to the Meadowlands. When the Jets joined the Giants at the stadium, many Jets fans hoped the name, Giants Stadium, would be changed. However,
20025-533: The Jets as their head coach. Under Mangini, the infamous Spygate incident took place, further escalating tensions between both clubs. When Rex Ryan was hired as the team's head coach, the rivalry further escalated due to an increased war of words between both teams. In January 2011, the two met in a Divisional Round playoff game. The visiting Jets pulled a 28–21 upset to advance to the AFC Championship Game, which they ultimately lost one week later to
20250-429: The Jets declined during Parcells' third year, Parcells decided to resign as head coach. His assistant, Bill Belichick , was installed as the new head coach but suddenly resigned the next day at a press conference, just one day after accepting the position, to become the new head coach of the Patriots instead. His decision was influenced by the passing of the team owner, Leon Hess , before the '99 season, who at one point
20475-595: The Jets into his team. In 2017, Woody Johnson was appointed by President Donald Trump as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom . Once his post was confirmed, his brother Christopher Johnson became a co-owner and took over the day-to-day operations for the team, including personnel decisions. Woody Johnson's term as ambassador ended in 2021, and he took over ownership duties from Christopher. Owner Harry Wismer sought out
20700-455: The Jets introduced a "legacy white" throwback uniform resembling the 1978–89 design, then announced at the end of the season that this would become the team's primary uniform in 2024, with green and black versions added to complete the set. For this rebrand the 1978 "JETS" logo was slightly modified to condense the spacing between the letters, and to widen the tail and streamline the nose of the jet-plane silhouette. The primary uniforms resemble
20925-570: The Jets to search for a new head coach. Hess lured then-disgruntled New England Patriots head coach Bill Parcells to New York in 1997. Parcells led the team back to relevance and coached them to the AFC Championship Game in 1998. Hess died in 1999 while the team, plagued by injuries, produced an eight win record, falling short of a playoff berth. At the end of the season, Parcells stepped down as head coach deferring control to his assistant, Bill Belichick ; Belichick resigned
21150-413: The Jets' attempts at building the stadium and two lawsuits challenging the construction of the stadium on environmental grounds were filed. Although confident they could secure the stadium, their hopes were dashed when Sheldon Silver and Joseph L. Bruno , both of whom held veto power over the stadium construction, refused to support the project, alleging it would hurt rather than help the development of
21375-461: The Jets' victory and wins by the Rams and Eagles , the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention and the Jets gained respect in the eyes of many. In spite of the big sibling rivalry that has resulted in trash talk between the players, both teams have formed an unexpected and consequently strong partnership sharing Giants Stadium for 26 years and MetLife Stadium, a venture in which both teams own
21600-536: The Jets, and J. P. Losman of the Bills. However, in recent years, the series has heated up again due to a friendly rivalry between quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Josh Allen , who were selected in the first round of the 2018 draft. As of the 2023 season, the Bills lead the all-time series 69–58. New York has maintained a rivalry with the Miami Dolphins since the Dolphins' inception in 1966. The lone tie in
21825-473: The Jets, tripped Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll . Carroll was not seriously injured and Alosi resigned nearly two months later. As of the 2023 season, the Miami Dolphins lead the all-time series, 60–56–1. The New York Jets previously maintained a high tension rivalry against their in-town counterparts, the New York Giants , that has since diminished due to the infrequency of the teams meeting in
22050-580: The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance Continuum of Care 2022 Homeless Count & Survey Independent Analysis, "approximately 1 of 3 (31%) those experiencing homelessness were found on the streets or in other places not meant for human habitation." The region surrounding Dallas is a habitat for mosquitoes, creating a pest problem for humans. Dallas and the surrounding area is sprayed regularly to control mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus . Dallas's population
22275-468: The Mets would have exclusive use of the stadium until they had completed their season. As the team moved to Shea under new ownership, they were, in most years, required to open the season with several road games, a problem made worse in 1969 and 1973 when the Mets had long playoff runs. Feeling that this arrangement put the Jets at a disadvantage, the team announced in 1977 that they would play two home games
22500-706: The Mexican Revolution. Despite the onset of the Great Depression , business in construction was flourishing in 1930. That year, Columbus Marion "Dad" Joiner struck oil 100 miles (160 km) east of Dallas in Kilgore , spawning the East Texas oil boom . Dallas quickly became the financial center for the oil industry in Texas and Oklahoma . During World War II , Dallas was a major manufacturing center for military automobiles and aircraft for
22725-603: The Mexican president Álvaro Obregón along with the former revolutionary general visited Downtown Dallas's Mexican Park in Little Mexico ; the small park was on the corner of Akard and Caruth Street, site of the current Fairmont Hotel. The small neighborhood of Little Mexico was home to a Latin American population that had been drawn to Dallas by factors including the American Dream , better living conditions, and
22950-609: The NFL and AFL merged. The first meeting between the two teams saw the New York Titans, later the Jets, defeat the Bills 27–3. Aside from a few notable moments, such as O. J. Simpson breaking an NFL rushing record against the Jets, the lone playoff game in the series between the two teams in the 1981 Wild Card Round , and ex-Jets coach Rex Ryan coaching the Bills for two years, the rivalry has otherwise been characterized by shared mediocrity and uncompetitive games, including notable blunders by quarterbacks Mark Sanchez of
23175-412: The NFL for college talent, the AFL under Davis began to also recruit players already on NFL squads. Davis's strategy focused on quarterbacks in particular, and in two months he persuaded seven NFL quarterbacks to sign with the AFL. Although Davis's intention was to help the AFL win the bidding war, some AFL and NFL owners saw the escalation as detrimental to both leagues. Alarmed with the rate of spending in
23400-554: The NFL once the merger was completed. The league's last expansion team, the Cincinnati Bengals began play in the 1968 season, finishing last in the Western Division. While many AFL players and observers believed their league was the equal of the NFL, their first two Super Bowl performances did nothing to prove it. However, on November 17, 1968, when NBC cut away from a game between the Jets and Raiders to air
23625-459: The NFL over 20 years. In protest, Davis resigned as AFL commissioner on July 25 rather than remain until the completion of the merger, and Milt Woodard was named president of the AFL, with the "commissioner" title vacated because of Rozelle's expanded role. On January 15, 1967, the first-ever championship game between the two separate professional football leagues, the "AFL-NFL World Championship Game" (retroactively referred to as Super Bowl I ),
23850-666: The NFL to expand to Buffalo. On August 14, 1959, the first league meeting was held in Chicago, and charter memberships were given to Dallas, New York, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul. On August 22, the league officially was named the American Football League at a meeting in Dallas. The NFL's initial reaction was not as openly hostile as it had been with the earlier All-America Football Conference (AAFC), as Bell had even given his public approval; but he died suddenly in October 1959, and individual NFL owners soon began
24075-401: The NFL was still emerging from thirty years of segregation influenced by Washington Redskins' owner George Preston Marshall , the AFL actively recruited from small and predominantly black colleges. The AFL's color-blindness led not only to the explosion of black talent on the field, but to the eventual entry of blacks into scouting, coordinating, and ultimately head coaching positions, long after
24300-421: The NFL's Los Angeles Rams . The Oilers filed suit and claimed that Rams general manager Pete Rozelle had unduly manipulated Cannon. The court upheld the Houston contract, and with Cannon the Oilers appeared in the AFL's first three championship games (winning two). On June 9, 1960, the league signed a five-year television contract with ABC , which brought in revenues of approximately $ 2.125 million per year for
24525-482: The NFL's worst teams. Constantly lacking the money to build a quality team, the Steelers had only posted eight winning seasons, and just one playoff appearance, since their first year of existence in 1933 until the end of the 1969 season. They also finished with a 1–13 record in 1969 , tied with the Chicago Bears for the worst record in the NFL. The $ 3 million indemnity that the Steelers received for joining
24750-497: The NFL. The ten AFL franchises joined three existing NFL teams- the Baltimore Colts , the Cleveland Browns , and the Pittsburgh Steelers -to form the merged league's American Football Conference . During the 1950s, the National Football League had grown to rival Major League Baseball as one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the United States. One franchise that did not share in this newfound success of
24975-551: The New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. The bidding war for players between the AFL and NFL escalated in 1965. The Chiefs drafted University of Kansas star Gale Sayers in the first round of the 1965 AFL draft (held November 28, 1964), while the Chicago Bears did the same in the NFL draft. Sayers eventually signed with the Bears. A similar situation occurred when the New York Jets and the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals both drafted University of Alabama quarterback Joe Namath . In what
25200-537: The North collide with warm, humid air streaming in from the Gulf Coast , leading to severe thunderstorms with lightning , torrents of rain, hail , and occasionally, tornadoes . Over time, tornadoes have probably been the most significant natural threat to the city, as it is near the heart of Tornado Alley . A few times each winter in Dallas, warm and humid air from the south will override cold, dry air, resulting in freezing rain or ice and causing disruptions in
25425-594: The Pittsburgh Steelers. As of the 2023 season, the Patriots lead the all-time series 74–55–1. The Jets and the Bills represent the same state (although the Jets play in New Jersey), and this rivalry represents the differences between New York City and Upstate New York . The teams are both charter members of the American Football League and have generally stayed in the same division since, even after
25650-522: The Super Bowl. He did not live to see his dream realized, dying on May 7, 1999. With the team for sale, two potential buyers were found in Cablevision and billionaire heir Woody Johnson , whose grandfather Robert Wood Johnson II founded Johnson & Johnson . Johnson was unknown among the other NFL owners at the time of his $ 635 million purchase of the franchise. However, Johnson had
25875-527: The Texans became the second AFL team to relocate. Lamar Hunt felt that despite winning the league championship in 1962, the Texans could not sufficiently profit in the same market as the Dallas Cowboys , which entered the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1960. After meetings with New Orleans , Atlanta , and Miami , Hunt announced on May 22 that the Texans' new home would be Kansas City, Missouri . Kansas City mayor Harold Roe Bartle (nicknamed "Chief")
26100-417: The Titans of New York as Wismer explained, "Titans are bigger and stronger than Giants ." He secured the Titans' home field at the decrepit Polo Grounds, a place where the team struggled financially and on the field during its first three years. In their first two seasons of existence, coached by Sammy Baugh, the Titans went 7–7 in both 1960 and 1961. By 1962, the debt continued to mount for Wismer, forcing
26325-442: The Trinity River southeast of Downtown Dallas. Trails along White Rock Creek are part of the extensive Dallas County Trails System. Bachman Lake , just northwest of Love Field Airport , is a smaller lake also popularly used for recreation. Northeast of the city is Lake Ray Hubbard , a vast 22,745-acre (92 km ) reservoir in an extension of Dallas surrounded by the suburbs of Garland , Rowlett , Rockwall , and Sunnyvale . To
26550-735: The United States and Allied forces. Over 94,000 jeeps and over 6,000 military trucks were produced at the Ford plant in East Dallas. North American Aviation manufactured over 18,000 aircraft at their plant in Dallas, including the T-6 Texan trainer, P-51 Mustang fighter, and B-24 Liberator bomber. On November 22, 1963, United States President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Elm Street while his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in Downtown Dallas. The upper two floors of
26775-596: The United States, Plano , the northern suburb of Dallas, has the 6th largest Chinese American population as of 2016. The Plano-Richardson area in particular had an estimated 30,000 Iranian Americans in 2012. With so many immigrant groups, there are often multilingual signs in the linguistic landscape . According to U.S. Census Bureau data released in December 2013, 23 percent of Dallas County residents were foreign-born, while 16 percent of Tarrant County residents were foreign-born. The 2018 census estimates determined that
27000-507: The United States. In the northeast quadrant of the city is Lake Highlands , one of Dallas's most unified middle-class neighborhoods. Southwest of Downtown lies Oak Cliff . Once a separate city founded in the mid-1800s, Oak Cliff was annexed in 1903 by Dallas. As one of the oldest areas in Dallas, the hilly North Oak Cliff is home to 5 of the 13 conservation districts in Dallas including the architecturally significant Kessler Park neighborhood and trendy Bishop Arts District . South Dallas
27225-501: The West Side. Defeated, the Jets agreed to enter a 50–50 joint venture with their rival, the Giants, to build a new stadium effectively agreeing to a 99-year lease, which the Giants had signed earlier in the year, to remain in New Jersey. The stadium, known as MetLife Stadium, became the first in the history of the NFL to be jointly built by two franchises. The stadium, which is illuminated in different colors depending on which team
27450-453: The age of 18 living with them. Approximately 36.2% of households were headed by married couples living together, 57.2% had a single householder male or female with no spouse present, and 35.6% were classified as non-family households with the householder living alone. In 2010, 33.7% of all households had one or more people under 18 years of age, and 17.6% had one or more people who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size in 2020
27675-419: The air pollution in Dallas and the surrounding area comes from a hazardous materials incineration plant in the small town of Midlothian and from cement plants in neighboring Ellis County . The average daily low in Dallas is 57.4 °F (14 °C), and the average daily high is 76.9 °F (25 °C). Dallas receives approximately 39.1 inches (993 mm) of rain per year. The record snowfall for Dallas
27900-462: The area was considered part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas . In 1836, Texians , with a majority of Anglo-American settlers, gained independence from Mexico and formed the Republic of Texas . Three years after Texas achieved independence, John Neely Bryan surveyed the area around present-day Dallas. In 1839, accompanied by his dog and a Cherokee he called Ned, he planted a stake in
28125-404: The ball for the last play in AFL history. Hadl was named the game's Most Valuable Player . The AFL ceased to exist as an unincorporated organization on February 1, 1970, when the NFL granted 10 new franchises and issued a new constitution. Prior to the start of the 1970 NFL season , the merged league was organized into two conferences of three divisions each. All ten AFL teams made up the bulk of
28350-556: The building from which the Warren Commission reported assassin Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy have been converted into a historical museum covering the former president's life and accomplishments. Kennedy was pronounced dead at Dallas Parkland Memorial Hospital just over 30 minutes after the shooting. On July 7, 2016, multiple shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter protest in Downtown Dallas , held against
28575-433: The champions of the respective leagues. The two leagues would be fully merged by 1970, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle would remain as commissioner of the merged league, which would be named the NFL. Additional expansion teams would eventually be awarded by 1970 or soon thereafter to bring it to a 28-team league. (The additional expansion would not happen until 1976.) The AFL also agreed to pay indemnities of $ 18 million to
28800-545: The children's movie Heidi , the ensuing uproar helped disprove the notion that fans still considered the AFL an inferior product. The perception of AFL inferiority forever changed on January 12, 1969, when the AFL Champion New York Jets shocked the heavily favored NFL Champion Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III . The Colts, who entered the contest favored by as many as 18 points, had completed
29025-783: The city boundaries— Cockrell Hill , Highland Park , and University Park . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 385.8 square miles (999.3 km ); 340.5 square miles (881.9 km ) of Dallas is land and 45.3 square miles (117.4 km ) of it (11.75%) is water. Dallas makes up one-fifth of the much larger urbanized area known as the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex , in which one quarter of all Texans live. Dallas's skyline has twenty buildings classified as skyscrapers , over 490 feet (150 m) in height. Despite its tallest building not reaching 980 feet (300 m), Dallas does have
29250-691: The city if the roads and highways become slick. Temperatures reaching 70 °F (21 °C) on average occur on at least four days each winter month. Dallas averages 26 annual nights at or below freezing, with the winter of 1999–2000 holding the record for the fewest freezing nights with 14. During this same span of 15 years, the temperature in the region has only twice dropped below 15 °F (−9 °C), though it will generally fall below 20 °F (−7 °C) in most (67%) years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture places Dallas in Plant Hardiness Zone 8b . However, mild winter temperatures in
29475-552: The city is −10 °F (−23 °C), set on February 12, 1899 during the Great Blizzard of 1899 . The temperature at nearby Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport reached −2 °F (−19 °C) on February 16, 2021, during the February 2021 North American winter storm . Spring and autumn are transitional seasons with moderate and pleasant weather. Vibrant wildflowers (such as the bluebonnet , Indian paintbrush and other flora ) bloom in spring and are planted around
29700-417: The city of Dallas had 1,304,379 residents, an increase of 106,563 since the 2010 United States census . However, as of July 1, 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Dallas in first years since the 2020 census lost 4,835 people, leaving the city with a population of 1,299,544. There were 524,498 households at the 2020 estimates, up from 2010's 458,057 households, out of which 137,523 had children under
29925-500: The city of Dallas's foreign-born population consisted of 25.4% naturalized citizens and 74.6% non-citizens. Recognized for having one of the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations in the nation, Dallas and the Metroplex are widely noted for being home to a vibrant and diverse LGBT community . Throughout the year there are many well-established but quite small compared to other cities LGBT events held in
30150-762: The city's history: those of France, Spain, and Mexico, the flag of the Republic of Texas, the Confederate flag, and the flag of the United States of America. In 1819, the Adams–Onís Treaty between the United States and Spain defined the Red River as the northern boundary of New Spain, officially placing the future location of Dallas well within Spanish territory. The area remained under Spanish rule until 1821, when Mexico declared independence from Spain , and
30375-499: The city. Interstate 35E parallels its path through Dallas along the Stemmons Corridor , then south alongside the western portion of Downtown and past South Dallas and Pleasant Grove, where the river is paralleled by Interstate 45 until it exits the city and heads southeast towards Houston . The river is flanked on both sides by 50 feet (15 m) tall earthen levees to protect the city from frequent floods. Since it
30600-418: The concerns of both leagues over rapidly increasing player salaries, as well as the practice of player poaching. Hunt and Schramm completed the basic groundwork for a merger of the two leagues by the end of May, and on June 8, 1966, the merger was officially announced. Under the terms of the agreement, the two leagues would hold a common player draft. The agreement also called for a title game to be played between
30825-457: The current Indianapolis Colts franchise), played only one year in the NFL, disbanding at the end of the 1950 season. The league resulting from the merger was a 26-team juggernaut (since expanded to 32) with television rights covering all of the Big Three television networks (and since the 1990s, the newer Fox network ) and teams in close proximity to almost all of the top 40 metropolitan areas,
31050-575: The distinction of being the final team to host a game at the Polo Grounds, a 19–10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on December 14, 1963. Wismer hoped the then Titans could play in what would become known as Shea Stadium beginning in 1961. However, funding difficulties and legal problems delayed construction of the stadium. Wismer signed a memorandum of understanding in late 1961 to secure the Titans' new home. That memorandum recognized that
31275-509: The entire league. On June 17, the AFL filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, which was dismissed in 1962 after a two-month trial. The AFL began regular-season play (a night game on Friday, September 9, 1960) with eight teams in the league – the Boston Patriots , Buffalo Bills , Dallas Texans , Denver Broncos , Houston Oilers , Los Angeles Chargers , New York Titans , and Oakland Raiders . Raiders' co-owner Wayne Valley dubbed
31500-415: The facemasks from white to black, and adding a set of green pants and white socks to be worn with the white jerseys. The Jets were the first NFL team to wear a "throwback" uniform, in 1993 for a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals , celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 1968 championship team . The jersey and pants mimicked the 1963–77 design, although the team wore its regular green helmets with
31725-536: The fifth-most diverse city in the United States in 2018. Indigenous tribes in North Texas included the Caddo , Tawakoni , Wichita , Kickapoo and Comanche . Spanish colonists claimed the territory of Texas in the 18th century as a part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain . Later, France also claimed the area but never established much settlement. In all, six flags have flown over the area preceding and during
31950-526: The first NFL playoff game in the stadium's history, falling to the Patriots on December 28, 1985. As the Jets sought to become a stronger franchise and remove themselves from their counterparts' shadow, the team entered into negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in an attempt to build a stadium on the west side of Manhattan , entering a bidding war with TransGas Energy Systems and Cablevision for
32175-427: The fledgling league badly needed credibility. Rounding out this mix of potential talent were the true "free agents", the walk-ons and the "wanna-be's", who tried out in droves for the chance to play professional American football. After the AFL–NFL merger agreement in 1966, and after the AFL's Jets defeated an extremely strong Baltimore Colts team, a popular misconception fostered by the NFL and spread by media reports
32400-560: The former Soviet Bloc . Included in this population are Russians , Russian Jews , Ukrainians , Belarusians , Moldavians , Uzbek , Kirghiz , and others. The Russian-speaking population of Dallas has continued to grow in the sector of "American husbands-Russian wives". Russian DFW has its own newspaper, The Dallas Telegraph . In addition, Dallas and its suburbs are home to a large number of Asian Americans including those of Indian , Vietnamese , Chinese , Korean , Filipino , Japanese , and other heritage. Among large-sized cities in
32625-662: The former home of the football and baseball Giants . Under new ownership, the current name was adopted in 1963 and the franchise moved to Shea Stadium in Queens in 1964, then to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey in 1984. The team's training facility was located at Hofstra University on Long Island until 2008, when the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center opened in Florham Park. The Jets advanced to
32850-571: The four were forced to relocate within 20 years. Like the WHA, The American Basketball Association (1967–76) also managed to have only four of its teams merged into the National Basketball Association, and the rest of the league was forced to fold. Both the WHA and ABA lost several teams to financial insolvency over the course of their existences. The Continental League , a proposed third league for Major League Baseball that
33075-412: The fourth quarter scoring 23 unanswered points, eventually winning in overtime with a 40-yard John Hall kick. When Rex Ryan became New York's head coach, there was an increased war of words between the clubs culminating with Ryan flashing an obscene gesture to heckling Dolphins fans in January 2010. The rivalry continued between both teams when Sal Alosi , then the strength and conditioning coach of
33300-526: The game, a 29–14 Giants win. The two teams met again on December 6, 2015, with the Jets coming from behind and winning 23–20 in overtime. The teams met again in 2019, with the Jets taking the win 34–27. On October 29, 2023, the Jets won 13–10 in overtime as the visitors. As of the 2023 season, the Giants lead the all-time series 8–7. The Jets' original uniforms, as the Titans of New York in 1960, were navy blue with old gold numerals, gold pants with two parallel blue stripes on each side, and navy blue helmets with
33525-539: The ground on a bluff located near three forks of the Trinity River and left. Two years later, in 1841, he returned to establish a permanent settlement named Dallas. The origin of the name is uncertain. The official historical marker states it was named after Vice President George M. Dallas of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . However, this is disputed. Other potential theories for the origin include his brother, Commodore Alexander James Dallas , as well as brothers Walter R. Dallas and James R. Dallas. A further theory gives
33750-468: The group underwent an expansion and was renamed the Jets Flight Crew. The squad regularly performs choreographed routines during the team's home contests. Auditions have been held annually since their inception to attract new members. Dallas Dallas ( / ˈ d æ l ə s / ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex ,
33975-490: The highways throughout Texas. Springtime weather can be quite volatile , but temperatures themselves are mild. Late spring to early summer also tends to be the most humid, with humidity levels frequently exceeding 75%. The weather in Dallas is also generally pleasant from late September to early December and on many winter days. Autumn often brings more storms and tornado threats, but they are usually fewer and less severe than in spring. Each spring, cold fronts moving south from
34200-594: The hottest months, with an average high of 96.0 °F (36 °C ) and an average low of 76.7 °F (25 °C). Heat indices regularly surpass 105 °F (41 °C) due to elevated humidity during the summer months, making the summer heat almost unbearable. The all-time record high is 113 °F (45 °C), set on June 26 and 27, 1980 during the Heat Wave of 1980 at nearby Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport . Winters in Dallas are usually mild, with occasional cold spells. The average date of first frost
34425-452: The idea of an entirely new league and decided to contact the others who had shown interest in purchasing the Cardinals. In addition to Adams, Howsam, and Winter, Hunt reached out to Bill Boyer , Winter's business partner, to gauge their interest in starting a new league. Hunt's first meeting with Adams was held in March 1959. Hunt, who felt a regional rivalry would be critical for the success of
34650-433: The innovations introduced by the AFL immediately and a few others in the years following the merger. One was including the names on player jerseys. The older league also adopted the practice of using the stadium scoreboard clocks to keep track of the official game time, instead of just having a stopwatch used by the referee. The AFL played a 14-game schedule for its entire existence, starting in 1960. The NFL, which had played
34875-417: The innovative AFL. While it has been alleged this snub was on orders from the NFL, it is more likely the arrangement was mutual due to the equally bitter rivalry between CBS and NBC. After the merger agreement was announced, CBS agreed to report AFL scores. The AFL took advantage of the burgeoning popularity of football by locating teams in major cities that lacked NFL franchises. Hunt's vision not only brought
35100-451: The jet-plane decal was replaced with a white football shape outlined in green, with the word "JETS" in thick green sans-serif italics in front of "NY" in green outline serif lettering, and a miniature football at bottom center. The decals were difficult to see from a distance (or on television), so the colors were reversed and the decals slightly enlarged in 1965. This design remained largely unchanged through 1977, apart from some variations to
35325-408: The largest and busiest airports in the world. In addition, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) operates rail and bus transit services throughout the city and its surrounding suburbs. Dominant sectors of its diverse economy include defense , financial services , information technology , telecommunications , and transportation . The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex hosts 23 Fortune 500 companies,
35550-486: The largest ethnic group in the city proper, reflecting nationwide demographic trends. The Dallas area is a major living destination for Mexican Americans and other Hispanic and Latino American immigrants. The southwestern portion of the city, particularly Oak Cliff is chiefly inhabited by Hispanic and Latino American residents. The southeastern portion of the city Pleasant Grove is chiefly inhabited by African American and Hispanic or Latino American residents, while
35775-536: The last championship game to be played between the two leagues. The Vikings, favored by 12½ points, were held to just 67 rushing yards. The last game in AFL history was the AFL All-Star Game , held in Houston's Astrodome on January 17, 1970. The Western All-Stars, led by Chargers quarterback John Hadl , defeated the Eastern All-Stars, 26–3. Buffalo rookie running back O. J. Simpson carried
36000-425: The league has always had good personnel, but the blocks were subtler and better conceived in this game." The AFL added its tenth and final team on May 24, 1967, when it awarded the league's second expansion franchise to an ownership group from Cincinnati , Ohio , headed by NFL legend Paul Brown . Although Brown had intended to join the NFL, he agreed to join the AFL when he learned that his team would be included in
36225-477: The league merged itself out of existence. The AFL's free agents came from several sources. Some were players who could not find success playing in the NFL, while another source was the then newly-formed Canadian Football League . In the late 1950s, many players released by the NFL, or un-drafted and unsigned out of college by the NFL, went North to try their luck with the CFL (which formed in 1958), and later returned to
36450-418: The league was the Chicago Cardinals – owned by the Bidwill family – who had become overshadowed by the more popular Chicago Bears . The Bidwills hoped to move their franchise, preferably to St. Louis , but could not come to terms with the league, which demanded money before it would approve the move. Needing cash, the Bidwills began entertaining offers from would-be investors, and one of the men who approached
36675-440: The league, Hilton Hotels forced Barron Hilton to relinquish his stake in the Chargers as a condition of maintaining his leadership role with the hotel chain. The same month Davis was named commissioner, several NFL owners, headed by Dallas Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm, secretly approached Lamar Hunt and other AFL owners and started negotiations with the AFL to merge. A series of secret meetings commenced in Dallas to discuss
36900-445: The letters "E" and "T"; the helmet decal was a secondary logo featuring only the "JETS" wordmark and football. The team also introduced a black alternate uniform with green striping and white numerals outlined in green. In 2022, with league rule changes allowing for a second helmet shell, the black uniform was paired with a matte-black alternate helmet with a metallic-green facemask and the "JETS" logo in green outlined in white. In 2023,
37125-428: The merger. The return of football to Kansas City was the first time that city had seen professional football since the NFL's Kansas City Blues of the 1920s; the arrival of the Chiefs, and the contemporary arrival of the St. Louis Football Cardinals , brought professional football back to Missouri for the first time since the temporary St. Louis Gunners of 1934. St. Louis would later regain an NFL franchise in 1995 with
37350-415: The new American Football Conference . To avoid having an inequitable number of teams in each conference, the leagues voted to move three NFL teams to the AFC. Motivated by the prospect of an intrastate rivalry with the Bengals as well as by personal animosity toward Paul Brown , Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell quickly offered to include his team in the AFC. He helped persuade the Pittsburgh Steelers (
37575-424: The new league, convinced Adams to join and found his team in Houston . Hunt next secured an agreement from Howsam to bring a team to Denver . After Winter and Boyer agreed to start a team in Minneapolis-Saint Paul , the new league had its first four teams. Hunt then approached Willard Rhodes, who hoped to bring pro football to Seattle . However, not wanting to undermine its own brand, the University of Washington
37800-425: The new owners changed the team's name to the New York Jets . The Raiders and Titans both finished last in their divisions in the 1962 season. The Texans and Oilers, winners of their divisions, faced each other for the 1962 AFL Championship on December 23. The Texans dethroned the two-time champion Oilers, 20–17, in a double- overtime contest that was, at the time, professional football's longest-ever game. In 1963,
38025-456: The numeral and lettering typefaces, the angle of the helmet decals, and adjustments to the shoulder and sleeve striping due to changes in NFL jersey tailoring and materials. The Jets' first major design change was made for the 1978 season. The kelly green and white color scheme was retained; the new helmets were solid green with white facemasks, no stripes, and a stylized "JETS" wordmark in white on each side. The mark featured angular lettering and
38250-403: The past 15 to 20 years had encouraged the horticulture of more cold-sensitive plants such as Washingtonia filifera and Washingtonia robusta palms , nearly all of which died off during the February 2021 North American winter storm . According to the American Lung Association , Dallas has the 12th highest air pollution among U.S. cities, ranking it behind Los Angeles and Houston . Much of
38475-399: The phrase "World Champions"), Gillman approached NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and proposed a final championship game between the two teams. Rozelle declined the offer; however, the game would be instituted three seasons later. A series of events throughout the next few years demonstrated the AFL's ability to achieve a greater level of equality with the NFL. On January 29, 1964, the AFL signed
38700-533: The police killings of two black men from other states. The gunman, later identified as Micah Xavier Johnson, began firing at police officers at 8:58 p.m., killing five officers and injuring nine. Two bystanders were also injured. This marked the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the September 11 attacks . Johnson told police during a standoff that he was upset about recent police shootings of black men and wanted to kill whites, especially white officers. After hours of negotiation failed, police resorted to
38925-413: The population were below the poverty line, including 33.6% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those aged 65 or over. Per 2007's survey, the median price for a house was $ 129,600; by 2020, the median price for a house was valued at $ 252,300, with 54.4% of owner-occupied units from $ 50,000 to $ 299,999. The 2022 Point-In-Time Homeless Count found there were 4,410 homeless people in Dallas. According to
39150-474: The postseason 12 times, and reached the AFC Championship Game four times, most recently losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010 . The Jets have not qualified for the playoffs since then, and currently hold the longest active playoff drought in the NFL and are tied with the Buffalo Sabres in the "Big 4" North American sports leagues . The Jets also have the longest championship drought among New York's major professional sports franchises, having eclipsed
39375-404: The promised Dallas team – the Dallas Cowboys – actually started play in 1960, and the Vikings began play in 1961.) Finally, the NFL quickly came to terms with the Bidwills and allowed them to relocate the struggling Cardinals to St. Louis, eliminating that city as a potential AFL market. Ralph Wilson , who owned a minority interest in the NFL's Detroit Lions at the time, initially announced he
39600-426: The regular season. The pinnacle of the rivalry came on August 17, 1969, when the Jets and Giants met for the first time, in a preseason game which was viewed as a "turf war" by both sides. The Giants, considered a mediocre team at the time, were regarded as underdogs and faced considerable scrutiny from their fans and the media. The Jets 37–14 win resulted in the firing of Giants coach Allie Sherman . The Jets met
39825-478: The relocation of the LA Rams to the city. The Rams moved back in 2016. In the case of the Dallas Cowboys, the NFL had long sought to return to the Dallas area after the Dallas Texans folded in 1952, but was originally met with strong opposition by Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall , who had enjoyed a monopoly as the only NFL team to represent the American South. Marshall later changed his position after future-Cowboys owner Clint Murchison bought
40050-417: The rights to Washington's fight song " Hail to the Redskins " and threatened to prevent Marshall from playing it at games. By then, the NFL wanted to quickly award the new Dallas franchise to Murchison so the team could immediately begin play and compete with the AFL's Texans. As a result, the Cowboys played its inaugural season in 1960 without the benefit of the NFL draft . The Texans eventually ceded Dallas to
40275-413: The rights to the West Side Yard property—Hess, prior to his death, had been approached by former mayor Rudy Giuliani about bringing the team to the West Side when their lease at Giants Stadium expired in 2008. Cablevision was fixated against the Jets owning the land as Madison Square Garden , located only a few blocks away, would be forced to compete with the stadium. Team owners had voted, 31–1, with
40500-401: The rivalry took place on September 23, 2001, when Jets linebacker Mo Lewis tackled Drew Bledsoe , leaving the veteran with internal bleeding . This provided an opportunity for Tom Brady to take over as the starting quarterback and during his tenure, Brady successfully guided New England to six Super Bowl titles. In 2006, Eric Mangini , an assistant under Belichick, left New England to join
40725-416: The second most trips to the Super Bowl (tied with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos , trailing only the New England Patriots ), and have won six Super Bowl championships, tied with the Patriots for the most in NFL history. Perhaps the greatest social legacy of the AFL was the domino effect of its policy of being more liberal than the entrenched NFL in offering opportunity for black players . While
40950-421: The second-most in Texas and fourth-most in the United States, and 11 of those companies are located within Dallas city limits. Over 41 colleges and universities are located within its metropolitan area, which is the most of any metropolitan area in Texas. The city has a population from a myriad of ethnic and religious backgrounds and is one of the largest LGBT communities in the U.S. WalletHub named Dallas
41175-438: The series took place in Week 5 of the 1981 season with a 28–28 draw. The Jets' best chance to reach the Super Bowl after the Super Bowl III victory was thwarted by A.J. Duhe in 1983 whose interception return for touchdown on a rain-soaked field in the conference championship game was the decisive score. This remains as the lone postseason meeting in the series. One of the most famous games in Jets history took place in 1994 when
41400-413: The shoulders and cuffs, above and below the TV numerals, and the pants were white with two parallel green stripes on each side. The new helmets were white with a single green stripe down the center; the logo on each side was a silhouette of a jet airplane in green, with the word "JETS" in thick white sans-serif italics along the fuselage. In 1964 the single green center stripe became two parallel stripes, and
41625-473: The states to play in the AFL. In the league's first years, players such as Oilers' George Blanda , Chargers/Bills' Jack Kemp , Texans' Len Dawson , the NY Titans' Don Maynard , Raiders/Patriots/Jets' Babe Parilli , Pats' Bob Dee proved to be AFL standouts. Other players such as the Broncos' Frank Tripucka , the Pats' Gino Cappelletti , the Bills' Cookie Gilchrist and the Chargers' Tobin Rote , Sam DeLuca and Dave Kocourek also made their mark to give
41850-468: The team playing in the San Francisco Bay Area —which already had an established NFL team (the San Francisco 49ers )—but the product on the field was also to blame. After winning six games in their debut season, the Raiders won a total of three times in the 1961 and 1962 seasons. Oakland took part in a 1961 supplemental draft meant to boost the weaker teams in the league, but it did little good. They participated in another such draft in 1962. The Titans fared
42075-430: The team throughout the decade. The early 1990s saw the team struggling. After firing coach Bruce Coslet , owner Leon Hess hired Pete Carroll who struggled to a 6–10 record and was promptly fired at the end of the season. Thereafter, Rich Kotite was selected to lead the team to victory; instead he led the Jets to a 4–28 record over the next two years. Kotite stepped down at the end of his second season, forcing
42300-402: The team was run—though the franchise had begun to make a profit, Werblin was making all the policies and decisions himself with little or no input from his partners, much to their dismay. Though Werblin initially resisted their ultimatum to dissolve the partnership, Werblin agreed to be bought out in 1968. Werblin remained involved in the sports community and became the first chairman and CEO of
42525-576: The team's exclusive lease, and additionally, signed an extension to keep some home games in Milwaukee until 1976. In June 1965, the AFL awarded its first expansion team to Cox Broadcasting of Atlanta . The NFL quickly counteroffered insurance executive Rankin Smith a franchise, which he accepted; the Atlanta Falcons began play as an NFL franchise for the 1966 season. In March 1965, Joe Robbie had met with Commissioner Foss to inquire about an expansion franchise for Miami . On May 6, Robbie secured an agreement with Miami mayor Robert King High to bring
42750-468: The team's majority stockholder in 1973, Hess bought Philip H. Iselin's share upon his death in 1976 after which only two of Hess' partners remained, Townsend Martin and Helen Dillon, who had inherited the stake from her father Donald Lillis, upon his death. Hess began to buy out the remaining partners in 1981 when he bought Martin's 25% stake for $ 5 million. Hess bought Dillon's stake three years later for another $ 5 million, acquiring sole control of
42975-401: The team's name and jerseys, was to sign Joe Namath to an unprecedented contract. Werblin's gamble would later pay off as Namath, who became a public star, led the Jets on to victory in Super Bowl III, though by then Werblin had sold his stake in the team. Werblin's partners, Townsend B. Martin, Leon Hess , Donald C. Lillis , and Philip H. Iselin , had a falling out with Werblin over the way
43200-460: The team. Hess had a passion for his team and took losses hard. In 1995, following a mediocre 6–10 season under Pete Carroll , despite generally shying away from football operations, Hess announced "I'm 80 years old, I want results now" during a conference in which Rich Kotite was introduced as the team's new coach. After two unsuccessful years with Kotite, Hess heavily involved himself in hiring Bill Parcells in hopes to see his team again reach
43425-400: The three previous leagues named "American Football League" and the All-America Football Conference . From an earlier AFL (1936–1937), only the Cleveland Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams ) joined the NFL and are currently operating, as are the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers from the AAFC. A third AAFC team, the Baltimore Colts (not related to the 1953–1983 Baltimore Colts or to
43650-401: The two league champions first played in early 1967, which would eventually become known as the Super Bowl . The AFL and NFL operated as separate leagues until 1970, with separate regular season and playoff schedules except for the championship game. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle also became chief executive of the AFL from July 26, 1966, through the completion of the merger. During this time
43875-412: The ultimate origin as the village of Dallas, Moray , Scotland, similar to the way Houston , Texas, was named after Sam Houston , whose ancestors came from the Scottish village of Houston, Renfrewshire . The Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845 and Dallas County was established the following year. Dallas was formally incorporated as a city on February 2, 1856. In the mid-1800s,
44100-443: The very next day (leaving a napkin at the stage for his introduction, on which he had written "I resign as HC of the NYJ") and went on to accept the head coaching position with the Patriots. The franchise obtained a new owner in Woody Johnson in 2000. Additionally, through the 2000s the Jets visited the playoffs five times, a franchise record, under the direction of three coaches: Herm Edwards, Eric Mangini, and Rex Ryan. Rex Ryan
44325-417: The west in Tarrant County surrounding Fort Worth, as well as along Turtle Creek north of Downtown. Dallas, like many other cities, was founded along a river. The city was founded at the location of a "white rock crossing" of the Trinity River, where it was easier for wagons to cross the river in the days before ferries or bridges. The Trinity River, though not usefully navigable, is the major waterway through
44550-459: The west of the city is Mountain Creek Lake , once home to the Naval Air Station Dallas ( Hensley Field ) and a number of defense aircraft manufacturers. North Lake , a small body of water in an extension of the city limits surrounded by Irving and Coppell , initially served as a water source for a nearby power plant but is now being targeted for redevelopment as a recreational lake due to its proximity to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport ,
44775-483: The world. White Rock Lake and Joe Pool Lake are reservoirs that comprise Dallas's other significant water features. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, White Rock Lake Park is a popular destination for boaters, rowers, joggers, and bikers, as well as visitors seeking peaceful respite from the city at the 66-acre (267,000 m ) Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden , on the lake's eastern shore. White Rock Creek feeds into White Rock Lake and then exits into
45000-398: Was 11.2 inches (28 cm) on February 11, 2010. Dallas is the ninth-most-populous city in the United States and third in Texas after the cities of Houston and San Antonio . Its metropolitan area encompasses one-quarter of the population of Texas, and is the largest in the Southern U.S. and Texas followed by the Greater Houston metropolitan area . At the 2020 United States census
45225-484: Was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.41. In 2018, the owner-occupied housing rate was 40.2% and the renter-occupied housing rate was 59.8%. At the 2010 census, the city's age distribution of the population showed 26.5% under the age of 18 and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.8 years. In 2010, 50.0% of the population was male and 50.0% was female. In 2020, the median age 32.9 years; for every 100 females, there were 98.4 males. According to
45450-476: Was Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native , 2.9% Asian, and 2.6% from two or more races ; 42.4% of the total population was of Hispanic or Latino American origin (they may be of any race). At the U.S. Census Bureau 's 2019 estimates, 29.1% were non-Hispanic White 24.3% Black and African American, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, 3.7% Asian, and 1.4% from two or more races. Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders made up
45675-434: Was Oakland Raiders head coach and general manager Al Davis , who had been instrumental in turning around the fortunes of that franchise. That following May, Wellington Mara , owner of the NFL's New York Giants , broke a "gentleman's agreement" against signing another league's players and lured kicker Pete Gogolak away from the AFL's Buffalo Bills. In response to the Gogolak signing and no longer content with trying to outbid
45900-413: Was also the most successful of numerous upstart leagues of the 1960s and 1970s that attempted to challenge a major professional league's dominance. All nine teams that were in the AFL at the time the merger was agreed upon were accepted into the league intact (as was the tenth team added between the time of the merger's agreement and finalization), and none of the AFL's teams have ever folded. For comparison,
46125-420: Was among the first skyscrapers west of the Mississippi and the tallest building in Texas for some time. It marked the prominence of Dallas as a city. A racetrack for thoroughbreds was built and their owners established the Dallas Jockey Club. Trotters raced at a track in Fort Worth, where a similar drivers club was based. The rapid expansion of population increased competition for jobs and housing. In 1910,
46350-456: Was awarded the AFL's eighth team. On November 30, 1959, Joe Foss , a World War II Marine fighter ace and former governor of South Dakota , was named the AFL's first commissioner. Foss commissioned a friend of Harry Wismer's to develop the AFL's eagle-on-football logo. Hunt was elected President of the AFL on January 26, 1960. The AFL's first draft took place the same day Boston was awarded its franchise, and lasted 33 rounds. The league held
46575-415: Was begun in the early 2000s. The project area reaches for over 20 miles (32 km) in length within the city, while the overall geographical land area addressed by the Land Use Plan is approximately 44,000 acres (180 km ) in size—about 20% of the land area in Dallas. Green space along the river encompasses approximately 10,000 acres (40 km ), making it one of the largest and diverse urban parks in
46800-415: Was fired following the 2020 season. Prior to the 2021 season, the Jets hired former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as head coach. The Jets used their first round pick, second overall, on BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. The 2021 season saw the Jets go 4–13 to finish last in the AFC East. The 2022 season saw improvement for the Jets with a 7–10 record with another last place finish in the division. In
47025-402: Was formed. After initially being called the Oakland Señors, the rechristened Oakland Raiders officially joined the AFL on January 30, 1960. The AFL's first major success came when the Houston Oilers signed Billy Cannon , the All-American and 1959 Heisman Trophy winner from LSU . Cannon signed a $ 100,000 contract to play for the Oilers, despite having already signed a $ 50,000 contract with
47250-403: Was hired in January 2009. In the draft that year the Jets would take USC quarterback Mark Sanchez with the fifth overall pick with the intent of making him the franchise centerpiece. Ryan and Sanchez led the team to back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances during their first two years, but the team never made the playoffs again during their tenure. The Jets had a 6–10 season in 2012 and
47475-408: Was historically predominantly White (non-Hispanic Whites made up 82.8% of the population in 1930), but its population has diversified due to immigration and white flight over the 20th century. Since then, the non-Hispanic White population has declined to less than one-third of the city's population. According to the 2010 U.S. census, 50.7% of the population was White (28.8% non-Hispanic White), 24.8%
47700-428: Was instrumental in his city's success in attracting the team. Partly to honor Bartle, the franchise officially became the Kansas City Chiefs on May 26. The San Diego Chargers, under head coach Sid Gillman , won a decisive 51–10 victory over the Boston Patriots for the 1963 AFL Championship. Confident that his team was capable of beating that season's NFL champion Chicago Bears (he had the Chargers' rings inscribed with
47925-411: Was intended to reflect the modern approach of his team. The Jets' owners hired Weeb Ewbank as the general manager and head coach. Ewbank and quarterback Joe Namath led the Jets to prominence in 1969, when New York defeated the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and solidified the AFL's position in the world of professional football. When the AFL and NFL merged , the team fell into
48150-404: Was interested in renewing the team's lease at Shea, which was due to expire in 1983. Hess negotiated with New York mayor Ed Koch . Hess wanted the city to redevelop the stadium to expand its capacity. He also hoped to renegotiate other aspects of the lease—the Jets received no money from ticketholders parking at Shea. Hess's proposals met resistance from Koch. When negotiations reached an impasse,
48375-404: Was offering Belichick a $ 1 million bonus to stay put. However, Belichick had not spoken to the two potential new owners, Woody Johnson and Charles Dolan, and had issues with both because the original agreement with Hess was no longer there; "the whole ownership configuration at that point in time was a major factor in my decision much more than a personal relationship." A critical turning point of
48600-416: Was once an area characterized by high rates of poverty and crime is now one of the city's most attractive social and living destinations. Further east, in the southeast quadrant of the city, is the large neighborhood of Pleasant Grove . Once an independent city, it is a collection of mostly lower-income residential areas stretching to Seagoville in the southeast. Though a city neighborhood, Pleasant Grove
48825-459: Was placing a team in Miami , but like the Seattle situation, was also rebuffed by local ownership (like Seattle, Miami would later get a pro football team of its own as well); given five other choices, Wilson negotiated with McGroder and brought the team that became the Bills to Buffalo. Buffalo was officially awarded its franchise on October 28. During a league meeting on November 22, a 10-man ownership group from Boston (led by Billy Sullivan )
49050-425: Was played in Los Angeles. After a close first half, the NFL champion Green Bay Packers overwhelmed the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs, 35–10. The loss reinforced for many the notion that the AFL was an inferior league. Packers head coach Vince Lombardi stated after the game, "I do not think they are as good as the top teams in the National Football League." The second AFL-NFL Championship ( Super Bowl II ) yielded
49275-405: Was rerouted in the late 1920s, the river has been little more than a drainage ditch within a floodplain for several miles above and below Downtown, with a more normal course further upstream and downstream, but as Dallas began shifting towards postindustrial society, public outcry about the lack of aesthetic and recreational use of the river ultimately gave way to the Trinity River Project , which
49500-412: Was still primarily a gate-driven business in 1960, so low attendance meant financial losses. The Raiders, with a league-worst average attendance of just 9,612, lost $ 500,000 in their first year and only survived after receiving a $ 400,000 loan from Bills owner Ralph Wilson. In an early sign of stability, however, the AFL did not lose any teams after its first year of operation. In fact, the only major change
49725-455: Was that the AFL defeated the NFL because of the Common Draft instituted in 1967. This apparently was meant to assert that the AFL could not achieve parity as long as it had to compete with the NFL in the draft. But the 1968 Jets had less than a handful of "common draftees". Their stars were honed in the AFL, many of them since the Titans days. New York Jets National Football League ( 1970 –present) The New York Jets are
49950-408: Was the Chargers' move from Los Angeles to nearby San Diego (they would return to Los Angeles in 2017). On August 8, 1961, the AFL challenged the Canadian Football League to an exhibition game that would feature the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Buffalo Bills , which was attended by 24,376 spectators. Playing at Civic Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario , the Tiger-Cats defeated the Bills 38–21 playing
50175-432: Was to begin play in 1961, never played a single game, largely because MLB responded to the proposal by expanding to four of that league's proposed cities. Historically, the only other professional sports league in the United States to exhibit a comparable level of franchise stability from its inception was the American League of Major League Baseball , which made its debut in the early 20th century. The NFL adopted some of
50400-443: Was unwilling to let the fledgling league use Husky Stadium , and Rhodes' effort came to nothing (Seattle would later get a pro football team of its own in 1974 some time after the AFL-NFL merger during the construction of the Kingdome and began play in 1976). Hunt also sought franchises in Los Angeles, Buffalo and New York City. During the summer of 1959, he sought the blessings of the NFL for his nascent league, as he did not seek
50625-428: Was viewed as a key victory for the AFL, Namath signed a $ 427,000 contract with the Jets on January 2, 1965 (the deal included a new car). It was the highest amount of money ever paid to a collegiate football player, and is cited as the strongest contributing factor to the eventual merger between the two leagues. After the 1963 season, the Newark Bears of the Atlantic Coast Football League expressed interest in joining
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