Lamar Hunt

Lamar Hunt (1932–2006) was an American businessman and sports executive who founded the American Football League and helped establish the Kansas City Chiefs, Major League Soccer, and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

American Football League: A professional American football league founded in 1959 that competed with the NFL until merging with it in 1970. Hunt founded the AFL, whose competition pushed the NFL toward expansion and a merger.
NFL–AFL merger: The agreement that combined the National Football League and American Football League into one league, completed in 1970. The merger ended the rivalry Hunt helped create while preserving the AFL’s teams and innovations.
H. L. Hunt: An American oil tycoon whose business holdings made him one of the wealthiest people in the United States. Lamar Hunt was one of H. L. Hunt’s sons and grew up in a family with substantial business resources.
Pro Football Hall of Fame: A museum and hall of fame in Canton, Ohio, honoring figures in professional American football. Hunt was inducted in 1972 for his influence on professional football.
Kansas City Chiefs: A professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri, and a member of the NFL’s American Football Conference. Hunt owned the franchise, first established as the Dallas Texans and later moved to Kansas City.
AFL–NFL World Championship Game: The series of games between the AFL and NFL champions played before the leagues merged. These games tested whether the rival leagues’ champions could compete on equal terms.
Dallas Texans (AFL): An American Football League team founded in Dallas in 1960 and relocated to Kansas City in 1963. Hunt founded and owned the Texans before moving the franchise to Kansas City.
National Soccer Hall of Fame: An institution in the United States that honors achievements in American soccer. Hunt was inducted in 1982 for his contributions to the sport’s development.
Super Bowl: The championship game of the National Football League, first played in 1967 between the NFL and AFL champions. Hunt proposed the name “Super Bowl” for the championship that became the leagues’ shared showcase.
AFL television contract: The American Football League’s 1960 agreement with the American Broadcasting Company to televise its games nationally. The contract gave Hunt’s new league revenue and visibility to compete with the established NFL.

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