Feb 5
SUPER BOWL’S UN-SUPER BEGINNING
It’s almost here! The best day of the year: SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. Forget about Christmas, the Fourth of July or even my birthday, I love Super Bowl Sunday. On other Sundays, there’s chores and church--it’s just not acceptable to spend the whole day eating fatty foods and watching football on the couch. But not on SUPER BOWL SUNDAY—Heck, it’s an American tradition to be a coach potato!
But SUPER BOWL SUNDAY wasn’t always like this. Before we break open the chips and salsa, let’s take a moment to thank the pioneers back in the 1960’s who made this all possible. First, let’s thank NFL commissioner PETE ROZELLE. At the time, pro football lived in the shadows of college football. Pro football had two separate leagues, the AFL and NFL who never played each other. Both scrambled for fans, media attention and--most importantly--TV coverage. It was Pete, who first proposed a championship game between the two to boost pro football’s image and viewership.
Next up, let’s thank LAMAR HUNT. The owner of the Kansas City Chiefs also had dreams of grandeur for pro football. He was instrumental in getting the AFL to agree to the championship game. Note: The first Super Bowl was actually called the AFL / NFL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. Rozelle wanted to call it THE BIG ONE, but it was Hunt who came up with the term SUPER BOWL. He was inspired by his kids who were playing with a super ball. You can see that famous rubber ball on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. (How’s that for SUPER BOWL TRIVIA?)
A lot has changed since January 15, 1967. The Los Angeles Colosseum didn’t sell out, as $20 tickets were quite pricey. As a result, the game was blacked out across LA. Another tidbit: The game was broadcast on both CBS and NBC, as neither one would agree to give up their league rights. College bands, not rock stars, performed at halftime. Yet one thing didn’t change: Football, TV and Sundays would be forever together.
SUPER BOWL’S UN-SUPER BEGINNING
It’s almost here! The best day of the year: SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. Forget about Christmas, the Fourth of July or even my birthday, I love Super Bowl Sunday. On other Sundays, there’s chores and church--it’s just not acceptable to spend the whole day eating fatty foods and watching football on the couch. But not on SUPER BOWL SUNDAY—Heck, it’s an American tradition to be a coach potato!
But SUPER BOWL SUNDAY wasn’t always like this. Before we break open the chips and salsa, let’s take a moment to thank the pioneers back in the 1960’s who made this all possible. First, let’s thank NFL commissioner PETE ROZELLE. At the time, pro football lived in the shadows of college football. Pro football had two separate leagues, the AFL and NFL who never played each other. Both scrambled for fans, media attention and--most importantly--TV coverage. It was Pete, who first proposed a championship game between the two to boost pro football’s image and viewership.
Next up, let’s thank LAMAR HUNT. The owner of the Kansas City Chiefs also had dreams of grandeur for pro football. He was instrumental in getting the AFL to agree to the championship game. Note: The first Super Bowl was actually called the AFL / NFL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. Rozelle wanted to call it THE BIG ONE, but it was Hunt who came up with the term SUPER BOWL. He was inspired by his kids who were playing with a super ball. You can see that famous rubber ball on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. (How’s that for SUPER BOWL TRIVIA?)
A lot has changed since January 15, 1967. The Los Angeles Colosseum didn’t sell out, as $20 tickets were quite pricey. As a result, the game was blacked out across LA. Another tidbit: The game was broadcast on both CBS and NBC, as neither one would agree to give up their league rights. College bands, not rock stars, performed at halftime. Yet one thing didn’t change: Football, TV and Sundays would be forever together.
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