The Internet was invented just in time for the 1995 draft. (USATSI)
The Internet was invented just in time for the 1995 draft. (USATSI)

Back in 1992 when Al Gore invented the Internet, it didn't catch on with everyone right away. 

(Editor's note: Al Gore did not invent the Internet)

Take the NFL for instance. The league didn't start taking the Internet seriously until 1995, when it sent out a "Welcome to the Internet" fact sheet before the draft. 

NFL PR guy Brian McCarthy tweeted out a picture of the 1995 fact sheet Thursday and because fact sheets from 1995 are always amazing, we're bringing it to you here. 

Because the fact sheet's blurry, we've transcribed some of it below.

The fact sheet starts out with a logical question that most of us are still asking ourselves today.

What is the Internet?

* The largest and most widely accessed computer network in the world today, the Internet is a global connection of interconnected computer networks linking universities, companies, government agencies and other organizations worldwide. 

* Approximately 30 million people in nearly 200 countries connect to the Internet to send email, conduct business, transfer files, exchange information and participate in special interest newsgroups. 

Based on the two paragraphs above, we now know that the NFL had an infinitely better grasp on the Internet than Bryant Gumbel did. 

Back to the fact sheet though. 

Why is the internet important?

* The internet is a social phenomena with enormous future implications for personal and business communications. Literally for pennies, a user can send an email message to tens of thousands of people. No other medium comes close. Accessing computer information on a server in London is as easy as connecting to one in New York. 

SERVERS IN LONDON? Conspiracy is absolutey afoot here. Roger Goodell has clearly been planning to move a team to London since at least 1995. That's the only way to explain why the NFL would use London on a fact sheet from 1995. 

What's that you say, Goodell wasn't even the commissioner in 1995? That means nothing to me. All conspiracy theorists know that you never let facts get in the way of a good conspiracy. 

Anyway, back to the fact sheet. 

Why is the internet important to the NFL?

* An instant, dynamic link to the fan. The internet facilitates two-way communication of NFL information, within seconds, any fan in the world can keep up with the latest news and stats from around the league. 

* A young, high-tech and international audience. The Internet audience is a young and rapidly growing group: Media savvy and affluent, this international audience will be a significant fan base for the newly launched World League. 

The NFL was definitely right about how big the Internet could be, but I think they might have slightly overestimated the World League's popularity. Not even the Internet could save the World League -- or NFL Europe as it later became known. The league went out of business in 2007. 

The Internet hasn't been a total failure though. Without it, you wouldn't be able to look at cat pictures and you wouldn't be able to read this story I'm writing -- two small reasons why Gore's invention will go down as the best of all-time. 

The other best thing about the Internet is that we can now use it to find out what other things Gore may or may not have invented. 

Finally, since the NFL's fact sheet was from the 1995 draft, here's two quick facts about that draft: Ki-Jana Carter, who went to the Bengals, was the No. 1 overall pick. Also, Kerry Collins had the longest career of anyone in that draft. Collins played in the NFL until 2011.