The NFL is entering its 2025 season,which means we’re a quarter of the way through this century of football. All week long, yahoo Sports Senior NFL Writer Frank Schwab will dive into the past 25 years in the league.
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It’s hard to say the NFL is more popular than it was 25 years ago. It was wildly popular at the turn of the century too.
but it seems like we’re all paying closer attention year-round to the most popular sport in the United States. It makes the big moments seem even bigger. That’s why we’re going to count down the 25 moments of the past quarter century that changed the NFL the most.
There are many on-field and off-field controversial moments on the list, but it’s not a list of 25 controversies.There isn’t much that’s controversial about Tom brady winning championships, but that definately changed the game. It’s a list of the moments that shaped the way we view the NFL now vs. a quarter century ago.
25.Calvin Ridley suspended for betting
The mere mention of point spreads or betting was taboo in the NFL 25 years ago. Then a 2018 decision by the Supreme court paved the way for states to legalize sports betting, and that has changed how games are presented and how they’re viewed. It also opened up more punishments for coaches and players betting on sports than we had seen in the NFL’s first 80 years combined. The biggest name to get caught was then-Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley, who was suspended a year for betting on NFL games while he was on injured reserve during the 2021 season. Ridley’s bets were legal but broke the NFL’s gambling policy, and was a sign the NFL was in a new world when it came to betting on its games.
24. Wardrobe malfunction
When you hear the term “wardrobe malfunction,” you can thank the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show from more than 20 years ago. justin timberlake exposed Janet Jackson’s breast at the end of the performance,setting off a controversy that extended far beyond football. After that, the NFL reverted to headlining the wildly popular halftime show with as many old rockers as it could find, to avoid any more negative attention. The NFL changed course again after a while to include more modern artists, including inviting Timberlake back to do the Super Bowl LII show.
23. The NFL goes abroad
International games are a normal part of the NFL schedule now, but they weren’t in 2007. That season, the Dolphins and giants played at Wembley Stadium in London, which was the first time a regular-season game had taken place outside of North America. That was a success, and in the NFL’s endless quest to increase revenue, the international series continues to grow. This season, there will be seven international games across five countries. there will be more to come.## 17.Rams move back to Los Angeles
The Rams moving from St. Louis, including a legal battle over whether the NFL and the team lied to St.Louis as it planned to relocate, affected multiple franchises. the Rams moved to los Angeles before the 2016 season, then into luxurious SoFi Stadium after a short time at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Chargers ended up moving from San Diego to Los Angeles before the 2017 season and ended up sharing SoFi Stadium with the Rams.The Raiders got caught up in the relocation as well, with the team trying to move from Oakland to Los Angeles but eventually being rerouted to Las Vegas.Those relocations, which are the only ones the NFL has navigated this century, changed football on the West Coast.The league had not had a team in the Los Angeles market for 21 seasons prior to the Rams moving back.
## 16. Dez Caught It
The Cowboys are still complaining about a replay review that went against them in a divisional playoff game at the end of the 2014 season against the Packers. Bryant made a great fourth-down catch near the goal line late in a close game, which seemingly set them up for what would have been a go-ahead touchdown. but the ongoing debate about what constitutes a catch popped up, and after a review Bryant’s catch was ruled incomplete. The Cowboys’ longstanding drought of not appearing in an NFC championship game (which dates back to the 1995 season) continued,and the ruling led to more debate on the catch rules. Eventually the NFL simplified the catch rules, and the dustup over this play was a big reason.
Dez Bryant caught it. Or did he? (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
(Mike McGinnis via Getty Images)
## 15. OT rules change after Chiefs beat bills
The 2021 season divisional playoff game between the Chiefs## 10. Pacman Jones suspended a year
In one of Roger Goodell’s first big acts as NFL commissioner, he announced a new player conduct policy in April of 2007 amid numerous off-field incidents. The face of the new policy was cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones, who was arrested multiple times and was suspended for the entire 2007 season. That set a new tone for player discipline from the league.
## 9. Michael Vick changes QB play
There were other running quarterbacks before Vick, like Steve Young, Randall Cunningham and Fran Tarkenton. but Vick took it to another level with the Falcons, setting a new bar for quarterbacks who could make plays with their legs.Vick’s 173-yard rushing game against the Vikings in 2002, which ended with an oft-replayed and electric vick touchdown run in overtime, seemed like a turning point at the position. In 2002, an undersized dual-threat quarterback was an anomaly. Now it is common in the league, and that traces back to Vick changing the game. Of course, Vick’s career was also defined by an infamous off-field scandal.
5. Tuck Rule
The 2001 Patriots had plenty of moments that shaped the past quarter century. Drew Bledsoe getting injured on a hit by Mo Lewis, which led to Tom Brady taking over as New England’s starter, was a huge moment … as was New England winning a Super bowl later in the season. But we’ll pick the Tuck Rule, which allowed the Patriots’ playoff run to keep going when Brady’s fumble – which would have finished a divisional-round win for the Oakland Raiders – was reversed and ruled an incomplete pass.Who knows how NFL history is different if that little-known rule wasn’t invoked?
4. Congress grills NFL about concussions
In October of 2009, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith were called to testify in front of Congress about the league’s handling of concussions and whether the league knew of a link between concussions and long-term health issues. That contentious testimony led the NFL to overhaul how it handles concussions within games and establish a protocol for when players can return after they have been diagnosed with a head injury.Go back and watch an old NFL broadcast; it’s startling how flippant teams, players and broadcasters were about concussions when they happened.
3. Ray Rice video
The NFL’s history with domestic violence before Rice was too lenient. Rice was suspended two games for a domestic violence incident in 2014, but then when a shocking video surfaced of the Baltimore Ravens running back punching his fiancée, the NFL turned the suspension into an indefinite one. That led to an avalanche of criticism of the NFL for its handling of prior domestic violence cases, and a tougher policy with longer suspensions. Rice never played in the NFL again.
2. Roger Goodell becomes commissioner
Goodell is a lightning rod for criticism,which is one reason he is reportedly paid more than any NFL player. Since taking over as commissioner in 2006, Goodell has been criticized repeatedly for the league’s handling of…
The Evolving Relationship Between Sports and Social Activism
The confluence of athletics and societal concerns is not a new phenomenon, yet its intensity and visibility have dramatically increased in recent years. While athletes have long used their platforms to advocate for change, the connection between sports and social issues reached a pivotal point with Colin Kaepernick’s protests and the subsequent wave of athlete activism across professional leagues. This period marked a significant turning point in how sports media covers – and audiences perceive – the role of athletes in broader social conversations.
A Catalyst for Change: The Kaepernick Era
The act of taking a knee during the national anthem, initiated by Kaepernick in 2016 to protest police brutality and racial inequality, ignited a national debate. This demonstration, and the ensuing backlash, forced a reckoning within the sports world and beyond. It wasn’t simply about the protest itself, but about the underlying issues it highlighted – systemic racism, social injustice, and the power dynamics within american society. The widespread participation of other athletes demonstrated a growing willingness to use their influence to address these concerns, despite potential repercussions.
Shifting Media landscapes and Increased Scrutiny
prior to the Kaepernick protests, sports coverage largely focused on athletic performance and game outcomes. While social issues occasionally surfaced,they were often treated as separate from the core narrative of the sport. Though, the protests prompted a fundamental shift in media coverage. News outlets and sports networks began to dedicate more attention to the social and political stances of athletes, and to the broader context of social issues impacting the games themselves.Today, this trend continues. For exmaple, the WNBA has become a prominent voice for social justice, with players actively supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and advocating for voting rights. According to a 2023 study by the Pew Research Center, 64% of Americans believe athletes should speak out on social and political issues, demonstrating a growing acceptance – and expectation – of athlete activism. This represents a substantial increase from previous years, indicating a lasting change in public perception.
The Ongoing Evolution
The intersection of sports and social activism is not static. It continues to evolve, shaped by current events, athlete leadership, and the changing media landscape. The willingness of athletes to speak out, coupled with increased media coverage and public engagement, suggests that this connection will only deepen in the years to come. The legacy of Kaepernick’s actions is not merely a historical moment, but a continuing catalyst for change within the