All Things Super Bowl
Dan Kunz
Since tomorrow is the fifty-fifth annual Super Bowl, it seems appropriate to take a break from the normal seriousness and thoughtfulness of our weekly blog, and consider some things related to the most watched sporting event in America and possibly, the world. As a Packer fan, I am disappointed they’re not in it, but I have fond memories of every single time they’ve won a Super Bowl. I hate to admit it, but I actually remember watching them win the first two Super Bowls!
Did you know that the Super Bowl wasn’t originally given that name? The first two times the American Football League and the National Football League played for the championship, it was called the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game”. It wasn’t until two years later that Lamar Hunt, the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs and one of the founders of the AFL, suggested the name Super Bowl. His wife had recently purchased something new called a “Super Ball” for their kids. The new fad item was made of condensed rubber and was able to bounce dozens of feet in the air. Evidently, the name stuck with Lamar Hunt and he suggested Super Bowl for the name of the championship game. The first two were retroactively given that name.
Did you know that Bart Starr, one of my boyhood heroes, who passed away just last year, won the Most Valuable Player award for the first two Super Bowls? Traditionally, the winner receives a new car. Starr’s first award netted him a brand-new Corvette. Quarterbacks have won more MVP’s (thirty) than any other position, by far. Tom Brady, playing in this year’s Super Bowl for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has won the MVP a record four times. Chuck Howley, Dallas Cowboys linebacker, is the only player in history to win the award as the member of the losing team.
Did you know that a Super Bowl advertisement this year will set you back somewhere between $5.5 and $5.6 million? For that price tag, you should have over a hundred million people seeing it. A lot of people actually watch the Super Bowl primarily to see the commercials. A trip down memory lane and you’ll probably say, “Oh, I remember that one!” Remember the Budweiser frogs – Bud, Wise, and Er? Wendy’s little old lady asking, “Where’s the beef?” Cindy Crawford’s Pepsi commercial? Mean Joe Greene’s “Hey, kid” Coke commercial? Michael Jordan and Larry Bird playing for a Big Mac?
Did you know that you can place bets connected with the Super Bowl? Yup. You can bet which team will win the opening coin toss. You can bet if any scoring drives will take less time than the singing of the National Anthem. You can bet whether or not the game will be tied again after 0-0. You can bet what jersey number will be worn by the player scoring the first touchdown of the game. You can bet at what time the final play of the game will be completed. You can bet what color Gatorade will be dumped on the winning coach. Oh, and you can bet which team will win the game. Besides the Kansas City and Tampa Bay fans, this might be the first time in the past year, that Americans can agree on something – the Super Bowl is kind of a big deal! Enjoy!
1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”