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CANTON, OHIO, Jan. 31, 2009 — Two of the original teams in their original uniforms will kick off the NFL's celebration of the 50th season of its AFL teams when the Buffalo Bills take on the Tennessee Titans in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on Sunday, August 9, the Hall of Fame and NFL announced today.
The game will be televised nationally by NBC at 7:00 p.m., CT.
"It is an honor to be one of the two teams chosen to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the AFL with a national showcase game that kicks off the 2009 season," Titans head coach Jeff Fisher said. "It has been over 20 years since we have participated in the Hall of Fame game and we are looking forward to the opportunity. I know previous participating teams have had a positive experience and we are looking forward to making this a constructive experience for our team."
The American Football League, which merged with the NFL in 1970 to become the American Football Conference, played its first season in 1960 with eight teams. Two of those clubs were the Bills and the Houston Oilers -- the forerunner of the Titans and the team that captured the AFL's first championship.
The founding owners of the Bills and Titans in 1960 are still in command of those teams.
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. is the original owner of the Bills. The Titans have been owned by K.S. "Bud" Adams, Jr. since their inception.
The Titans will wear their Oilers uniforms of the early 1960s that were distinguished by the derrick logo on their blue helmets. The team played in Houston from 1960-96 before moving to Tennessee.
Buffalo will wear its "throwback" uniforms that feature a simple red buffalo on a white helmet.
The NFL is planning to celebrate the 50th season of its AFL clubs in numerous ways this year.
The Hall of Fame Game will follow the induction of the Hall's class of 2009 on Saturday, August 8 and cap a multi-day celebration known as the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival.
For more information, visit profootballhof.com.
