At the time the deal took place, many people believed that the AFL had gotten the short end of the stick. However, since the AFL had gone behind the back of their current commissioner: Al Davis, who was against the merger talks; the NFL thought the AFL was desperate to make the merger. It did not give them the terms and conditions they could have gotten had they negotiated with their commissioner. During the first years of the merger, the NFL simply dominated the AFL, by winning the majority of the SuperBowls that were played. However, as time went on, the AFL teams began to win more and more until it was an even competition league-wide. The merger helped secure the NFL as being the only pro football league in the United States. Many leagues have attempted to challenge the NFL, but they usually fail within 1-3 years. Without a doubt, the merger is the reason the NFL is the league we all know and love today. Truly, it is one of sports' biggest reforms and definitely one that was worth making.