When I was about 6 years old my family lived in a little African country that was way down on the pointy end of the continent. It has not existed for about 10 years but thats a different story altogether, but I remember that one fine day my dad came home from a business trip in East London, which is still conveniently located in nearby South Africa. I remember his return because it marked the moment in my life that I became aware of the NFL, specifically I became aware of the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins.

My dad came home with gifts for my brother and I in the form of a baseball cap each. Mine was dark blue with white writing on the front that read Dallas Cowboys and my brothers was a deep red with Washington Redskins printed on the front. We had absolutely no idea who the Dallas Cowboys or Washington Redskins were or what it was they actually did but the hats said Cowboys and Indians on them so we were more then happy to wear them. As time wore on I learnt a bit more about the NFL, mainly that it was slightly similar to rugby but was played by big guys who did not appear to enjoy getting hurt. To avoid this inconvenience the teams made sure that the players wore enough padding to absorb the impact equal to that which you would experience if you were hit by a small car going 30 miles an hour. The result is big men wearing lots of foam and a game that stops every few minutes so the TV stations can show another advert (talk about another story opportunity)

At the end of the year 2000 my wife and I decided to emigrate from Johannesburg in South Africa to Dallas Texas in the hope of having a better life and more work opportunities for us both. The job market in Dallas appeared to be robust and growing and the weather is quite enjoyable. No though was given to any other part of life in Big D, no thoughts of Dealey Plaza, the President, the TV show, the Cowboys or Cowtown USA. Work was the only motivational factor in the selection of what has become our home city.

A few weeks after our lonely arrival in Dallas we bought a slightly used Ford truck to start exploring our new universe and low and behold we found Texas Stadium, Home of the Dallas Cowboys. I was a bit surprised and found myself remembering that beat up old hat from my childhood. About a year later I was given 5 tickets to a game and while we sat in the stadium I had the strange sensation of having gone full circle, as a childhood image was being played out in front of me. I now knew who the Cowboys are. A nice person sitting near me even took the time to inform me of some of the teams illustrious history and that they were the WORLD CHAMPIONS!

World?

I have supported Manchester United Football Club since about 1990. They are certainly English Champions and even European Champions twice, but ultimately the club has failed to reach the heights that other iconic soccer teams like Liverpool or Real Madrid have. The club rarely succeeds in the international competitions they play in, but they definitely give their competitors a run for their money. Man U has held more then 50 Champions trophies in different competitions high above their heads, in some competitions many more then any other team ever has, and as a result their trophy room at Old Trafford is considered by some to be second to none. The team has dominated the English game for most of the last 15 years and is hated because of it. Unfortunately they have stumbled a bit over the last 3 years but what team doesnt.

Here is the most fascinating part in all this for me: Manchester United competes against some of the greatest clubs worldwide. Sometimes they win and oftentimes they dont, but they have NEVER claimed themselves to be world champions in their 103-year history. They have certainly achieved more then the Cowboys ever have, so how can the Cowboys call themselves world champions? Clearly the FIFA and their Soccer World Cup determines what country is the World Champion and there are several international club cups that attempt to crown a Club World Champion, but some might argue that none of these competitions really represent all the clubs on the whole planet.

So lets go back to the NFL and Americas Team, the Cowboys. How does an organization that consists of teams exclusively from American cities and cleverly named the National Football League end up with World Champion teams?

If no other country is competing in the NFL what makes them think that they have the right to hang the title of World Champions over their door? Heck, Canada doesnt even play!

Consider the NFL trophy itself: It is handcrafted out of solid silver and stands a mere 22 inches high. It was first presented at the AFL-NFL World Championship Game (now called the Super Bowl, which by the way is remarkably good when enjoyed with beer and chips) on January the 15th 1967. It was originally called the World Championship Game Trophy, but in 1971 the name was changed to the Lombardi Trophy. Good move.

Can you call yourself World Champions if you are the only one playing? If you are the only one playing and you win why not call yourself Champions of the Universe?

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