What we call soccer undeniably is the world’s sport, but American pro football is the most popular form of entertainment in this country. It wasn’t always that way. Chronicling the fascinating history of America’s game is the new exhibition, “Gridiron Glory: the Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame” at the Virginia Historical Society. Organized by the Canton, Ohio, hall, the traveling showcase of pigskin past and present covers the sport’s late-19th-century origins to the cultural phenomenon of today. Artifacts include the 1917 game ball used by the legendary Jim Thorpe and the Canton Bulldogs, Tom Dempsey’s famous kicking shoe created for his half-foot, Pittsburgh Steeler lineman Mean Joe Greene’s jersey and hundreds of other historical items, hands-on activities and films. The exhibition opens Saturday, May 28, and runs through Sept. 4. For ticket information, call 358-4901 or visit vahistorical.org.