The Buffalo Bills of the National Football League have a fervent fan base; the city's love affair with their football team dates back more than six decades. The Buffalo Bills were one of the strongest teams in the All-America Football Conference in 1948 and 1949, their final years of play. The team had such an impact on the city and on professional football that current franchise owner Ralph Wilson, when searching for a home for his American Football League team, settled in Buffalo and named the team in honor of the original Bills.