Sports Fan Super Bowl Facts and Highlights
Legendary Professional Championship Football Games
Nov 1, 2009
Super Bowl I was held on January 15, 1967 at Los Angeles, California’s Memorial Coliseum. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers were the two teams that battled one another during that first national championship game. Legendary NFL coach, Vince Lombardi, lead the charge.
Early Super Bowl Wins With The Green Bay Packers
Bart Starr quarterbacked the Packers during Super Bowl I. However, as reported at the NFL’s official website, it was a 50-yard interception run by safety Willie Wood that helped to seal the Kansas City Chiefs’ fate. Green Bay went on to win that first championship game by 25 points with the final score being Packers, 35 and Chiefs, 10. Hard to believe, but back then football players on the winning team only collected $15,000 per man for the game.
The Green Bay Packers made a second appearance at Super Bowl II. Difference was that instead of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Packers faced the Oakland Raiders. Green Bay took home the crown again with a winning score of 33-14. As he had done the previous year, Bart Starr took home the trophy for Most Valuable Player (MVP). Vince Lombardi was carried off the field in a fitting celebration; it would be his last season as the Packers head coach.
New York’s Broadway Joe Namath
“Broadway Joe” Namath made his debut at the big dance during Super Bowl III. The New York Jets were playing the Baltimore Colts. (In 1984 the team that was founded in 1953 in Baltimore, changed its name to the Indianapolis Colts and moved to the Hoosier state.)
An injured Johnny Unitas came off the bench to lead the Colts to their only touchdown. Unitas’ golden arm was on the decline while “Broadway Joe” was making more of a name for himself. When it was all said and done, Joe Namath and the New York Jets walked off the champions with a winning score of 16-7.
Historic Super Bowl Victories
Orange towels reigned supreme from the mid-1970s through the start of the new decade. Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and the formidable “steel curtain” won an impressive four Super Bowls titles from 1975 through 1980. Super Bowl XIII matched the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Dallas Cowboys. Anticipation around the game that was played on January 18, 1976 in Miami, Florida was intense.
Two of America’s favorite professional football teams were vying for national bragging rights. On paper, it was clear that either team could win it all. However, Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann proved to be too much for Dallas’ Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson. Before the game was over, Lynn Swann had caught four passes for a record 161 yards. The Steelers won the game by a score of 21-17.
NFL history was made again on January 31, 1988 when Doug Williams became the first African American quarterback to lead a professional football team to the national title. The game was held in San Diego, California at the Jack Murphy Stadium. Doug kept his cool under the intense media and fan glare. He led the Washington Redskins to a commanding 42-10 win over the Denver Broncos.
Future of the Super Bowl
February 1, 2009, the Pittsburgh Steelers battled their way to another Super Bowl in a closely matched game against the Arizona Cardinals. The 27-23 win was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ sixth championship title. Kurt Warner and the Cardinals proved to be a formidable opponent for Ben Roethlisberger and the rest of the Steelers.
February 7, 2010 professional football players, their families and a legion of fans will transcend upon South Florida to witness the onslaught of intense physical competition played out between two of the NFL’s best athletes.
The New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and the yet undefeated New Orleans Saints appear to be team favorites to make an appearance at Super Bowl XLIV. Perhaps the fact that the state of Ohio has not had a championship team in many years, even with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers making it to the NBA post season again in 2009, will help to propel the Cincinnati Bengals all the way to the big dance.
Super Bowl Memorabilia
Super Bowl memorabilia is a great way for football fans to remember the game and the teams that climbed their way to the top of the league at different times throughout the last few decades. National Football League (NFL) jerseys, caps, t-shirts, sweats, umbrellas and jackets are available in sizes for children, teenagers, women and men. Football fans, former football players, coaches and their family members can get the popular and fashionable gear from several companies including Modell's, the NFL Store and Dicks Sporting Goods. Unofficial NFL gear can be purchased at reduced prices from stores like Amazon.com, WalMart, Kmart, Sears, Kohls or JCPenney.
Sources:
National Football League Official Website. “Super Bowl History.” 1 November 2009.
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