Super Bowl History

Super Bowl History

The Super Bowl is a very popular sporting event held every year to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL). Millions of fans gather around televisions on Sundays in January or February to celebrate this de facto national holiday. Broadcast in more than 170 countries, the Super Bowl is one of the world’s most-watched sporting events, with elaborate halftime shows and new commercials adding to its appeal.

Super Bowl History

Although the NFL was officially formed in 1920, the Super Bowl wasn’t played until more than 40 years later.

In 1960, a group of businessmen who wanted to own a football franchise—but were rejected by the NFL—launched an alternative league, known as the American Football League (AFL).

For many years, the NFL and AFL were rivals, competing for fans, players and endorsements. Then, in 1966, the owners negotiated a deal to merge the leagues in 1970.

Reporting from hillsidejrcomets.org The first Super Bowl, featuring the AFL (Kansas City Chiefs) and NFL (Green Bay Packers) champions, was played on January 15, 1967. The game was originally called the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game.” Later, Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt proposed using the term “Super Bowl” to refer to the championship game.

After the leagues merged, the NFL split into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Champion of every game in the Super Bowl.

First Super Bowl

In Super Bowl I, the NFL champion Green Bay Packers defeated the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs, 35–10, on January 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Despite an average ticket price of $12, the game did not sell out—the only no sellout in the game’s history. The game attracted 61,000 fans and was televised by CBS and NBC.

The following year, the Packers won Super Bowl II against the Oakland Raiders, 33-14. Many questioned whether the AFL champion could beat the NFL’s best players.

Joe Namath’s guarantee in Super Bowl III

In Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969, the AFL champion New York Jets, favored by 17.5 points, defeated the NFL champion Baltimore Colts, 16-7—a result considered one of the greatest upsets in the sport. It was the first Super Bowl victory for the fledgling American Football League.

The Jets were led by brash quarterback Joe Namath, who guaranteed victory in New York. The Colts, coached by Don Shula, finished the regular season 13-1 and beat the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns in the NFL playoffs. However, against the Jets, Baltimore didn’t score until the fourth quarter.

As he left the field that afternoon at the Orange Bowl in Miami, “Broadway Joe” Namath raised his index finger in the air—one of the most famous scenes in sports history.

The Super Bowl grew in popularity after the AFL-NFL merger.

Super Bowl: 1970s-Present

During the 1970s, three teams—the Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, and Dallas Cowboys—dominated the NFL, winning eight Super Bowls in 10 years.

NFC franchises won 16 of the 20 Super Bowls played in the 1980s and 1990s. The San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins (now the Washington Football Team) and New York Giants were prominent during these years.

The Cowboys bounced back in the 1990s, and the Buffalo Bills became a strong franchise, although they never won a Super Bowl, missing four straight title games from 1991-1994.

AFC bounces back after Bills loss. From 1995-2016, the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts represented the conference in 20 of the AFC’s 22 Super Bowl appearances.

The Patriots established themselves as a dynasty starting in the 2001 season, with quarterback Tom Brady leading them to nine Super Bowl appearances and six wins.