The era of Prohibition, a period of nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages, had far-reaching consequences. While commonly associated with the rise of speakeasies and organized crime, it also played a surprising role in the genesis of a major professional sports league. But which league owes its early beginnings, at least indirectly, to the temperance movement?
While not directly founded because of Prohibition, the National Football League (NFL) benefited from the social and economic climate of the time. The NFL’s early years coincided with Prohibition, which began in 1920. While the NFL wasn’t created due to Prohibition, the era’s social changes and economic conditions inadvertently helped pave the way for its growth. The NFL was founded in 1920, initially named the American Professional Football Association (APFA).
The lifting of Prohibition in 1933 brought about significant changes, including the return of legal alcohol sales, impacting various industries and aspects of American life. Interestingly, some early NFL teams were associated with breweries, and the end of Prohibition allowed these breweries to resume operations, indirectly supporting those teams.
Therefore, while other leagues like the NBA, NASCAR, and PGA have their own distinct origins, the NFL’s early development was intertwined with the era of Prohibition.
