NFL (barely) recognizes 150th anniversary of college football

[Rowdy]

Getty Images

Tomorrow is the 150th anniversary of the first college football game. Yesterday the NFL paid tribute to it, although you had to be looking very closely at your TV to notice.

The NFL had players in Monday night’s Cowboys-Giants game wear the decals of their college teams on the backs of their helmets, in a nod to the significance of the first college football game, which took place in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on November 6, 1869. Rutgers beat Princeton, 6-4.

It made sense to use Monday night’s game to recognize the 150th anniversary: It was the game closest to the date of the anniversary, and Monday night’s game was played in New Jersey, just like the first college football game was.

But the league, which has beaten fans over the head with its “NFL 100” campaign celebrating the NFL’s 100th season, should have made a bigger deal out of the college football anniversary. Why not let players on all 32 teams wear their college decals for one game? Why not make those decals bigger than the barely noticeable stickers on the backs of players’ helmets?

Recognizing the 150th anniversary of college football was a good idea, but the NFL could have made it bigger, and better.