The History of the Biggest Football Game of the Year Leading Up to Super Bowl LVII
The Super Bowl remains one of the most exciting sporting events in the United States and is gaining popularity across the globe.
Of the current 32 NFL teams, only twenty have won a title at the highest level, and each contest awards a player as the Super Bowl MVP. Super Bowl winners return to their home cities and hold large parades to celebrate their victory and commemorate the significance of a victorious season.
The upcoming Super Bowl 2023 represents the evolution and development of the sport and how it has changed during the past seven decades. People often speculate on who won the Super Bowl and whether their victory was justified over their opponent.
The First Super Bowl
The First AFL-NFL game was played on January 15, 1967, in Los Angeles and would retroactively become known as Super Bowl I. The match between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs resulted in a 35-10 victory for the Packers.
Super Bowl I is the only Super Bowl to have been simulcast, with NBC having rights to broadcast AFL games while CBS retained broadcast rights for NFL games.
The first super bowl kicked off what would become one of the most popular televised sporting events in America and established a tradition that is cherished to this day.
The Development of American Football Since the First Intercollegiate Game
The first intercollegiate football game was played between Rutgers and Princetown and remains an integral part of the development of American collegiate and professional football. Though the rules did not resemble modern football, the spectacle, and competition established a love for the game that would grow through the decades. It also began a rivalry between the teams that remains to this day.
The Rutgers players wore scarlet scarves to distinguish themselves from their opponents, which led to their Scarlet Knights mascot.
The college football national championship is the collegiate equivalent of the Super Bowl and also attracts a large number of viewers for the annual sporting event that challenges the two top college teams to battle it out for the title. Similar to the Super Bowl, the college football national championships represent the pinnacle of the sporting world and are considered one of the most important games to be played every year.
The Iconic Vince Lombardi Trophy
Named after the famed head coach of the Green Bay Packers in their first two victories in Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II, the Lombardi Trophy remains the most coveted prize in football. The original trophy was produced by the iconic jeweler Tiffany & Co. in Newark, NJ, after Vice President Oscar Riedner drew a quick sketch of the design for NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1966.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots share a tie for receiving the trophy six times in their respective histories.
The trophy depicts a football in a kicking position and is made entirely of sterling silver, and is engraved with the winner's details following the end of the Super Bowl. The team is awarded a single trophy, while each player receives a smaller replica.
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is often used for iconic photo opportunities for the victor of the Super Bowl and is displayed during parade celebrations by the winning team.
Super Bowl Sunday
A tradition in many homes and communities across America is holding a viewing party for friends and family. These gatherings are centered around communal meals and are associated with fans celebrating their favorite teams and players in the most important game of the season. Super Bowl Sunday is widely considered to be an unofficial national holiday, and even those who are not typically football fans partake in the festivities surrounding the game.
Held on the second Sunday in February, the Super Bowl is an enduring part of American culture and brings people together to witness sporting history every year.
Super Bowl Sunday also remains one of the biggest gatherings following holiday celebrations. Many people look forward to hosting viewing parties where friendly bets are made on the winner of the game. Many people don't even need to ask when is the Super Bowl due to its important place in American culture.
Annual Viewership of the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the most watched sporting event every year, and its international viewership has grown in recent years following expansion outside of the United States. The NFL estimates that the 2022 Super Bowl LVI had some 208 million viewers internationally and nearly 100 million domestic viewers.
In addition to the game and the halftime show, the commercials that air during the Super Bowl are the most expensive to be broadcast annually, and some spectators watch for the iconic commercials themselves.
Many people also gather for large viewing parties in public spaces like sports bars which creates a convivial sense of community, especially in the hometowns where the teams are from. Spectators eagerly anticipate these raucous celebrations from the moment the NFL playoffs begin in January. The debate and competition associated with the NFL playoffs are often as celebrated as the big game itself and attract large amounts of spectators both in the stadium and on televised broadcasts.
Notable Moments in Past Super Bowls
Though Tom Brady holds seven Super Bowl Rings in 2015, victory was uncertain in the New England Patriots' battle against the Seattle Seahawks. This would change with a single play late in the game when Patriots rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on the Seahawks goal line with twenty-six seconds to spare, a play that would end the game and secure the title for the Patriots.
Iconic singer Whitney Houston performed what many consider one of the greatest renditions of the national anthem in 1991 during the Gulf War.
Because of the significance of the Super Bowl, it has created numerous notable moments during its illustrious history that continue to remain a critical part of the American cultural fabric and shared history as we continue to grow and develop.
The History of the Super Bowl
Since the first Super Bowl in 1967, the game remains a highly anticipated event for millions of Americans eager to view the final game of the NFL season. Super Bowl history is about more than bragging rights for the victor. It is representative of the way American history has evolved since the 1960s and represents our collective development and cultural evolution.
People often want to understand the importance of when is the Super Bowl as it's late winter, and early spring schedule gives American spectators another reason to celebrate following other holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The Entertaining Halftime Shows
Early iterations of the Super Bowl featured marching bands similar to high-school or college football games, but as the popularity of the Super Bowl increased, the halftime shows became as significant as the game itself. Another popular musical aspect of the Super Bowl is the pre-game rendition of America the Beautiful or The Star Spangled Banner. In 1993 the halftime performance viewership even surpassed the number of viewers who watched the football game itself.
The performers included in the halftime show are often legendary acts like the Rolling Stones or new pop stars like Lady Gaga. In 2002 U2 performed their classic hit "Where the Streets Have No Name" under a large projection that memorialized the victims of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.
Where Will Super Bowl LVII be Held?
Super Bowl LVII is slated to be held in the greater Phoenix, AZ, area at the State Farm Stadium, which is home to the Arizona Cardinals professional NFL team. Glendale, AZ, is home to nearly 250,000 residents and expects almost 65,000 additional tourists to visit the region for Super Bowl LVII. The Super Bowl location is decided based on a bidding process where cities entice the NFL with large stadiums to host thousands of spectators for this historic game.
Hosting the Super Bowl helps local economies and represents a crowning achievement for cities across the nation.
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As Super Bowl LVII approaches, we hope for an exciting clash between the top teams in the AFC and NFC and look forward to watching with friends and family. The Super Bowl remains one of the most important sporting events in America and is watched by nearly 100 million spectators annually.
Final Remarks
Check out one of our newest product in our catalog. A vintage photo of the first intercollegiate football game held in 1869 that featured Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Princenton Tigers.
Image Source: Historic Prints - 1869 Unframed First Intercollegiate Football Game Photo Print
