The Super Bowl: Championship of the NFL
The Super Bowl
The Championship Game of the NFL
The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. It culminates a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. Super Bowl I was played on January 15, 1967.
Origins of the Super Bowl
The game was created as part of a merger agreement between the NFL and its then-rival league, the American Football League (AFL). The two leagues’ champion teams would play in an AFL-NFL World Championship Game.
The name “Super Bowl” was coined by Lamar Hunt, owner of the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. He later said the name was likely in his head because his children had been playing with a Super Ball toy. The media quickly adopted the name, which became official beginning with the third annual game.
The Merger and the Name
Prior to the 1966 season, the NFL and AFL reached a merger agreement to take effect for the 1970 season. As part of the merger, the champions of the two leagues agreed to meet in a “world” championship game for professional American football until the merger was effected.
Super Bowl Sunday
The day the Super Bowl is played is now considered by some an American national holiday, called “Super Bowl Sunday.” It is the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption, after Thanksgiving Day. The Super Bowl has frequently been the most watched American television broadcast of the year. Due to its high viewership, commercial airtime during the Super Bowl broadcast is the most expensive of the year.
Game Day and the Vince Lombardi Trophy
The game is played annually on a Sunday as the final game of the NFL Playoffs. Originally played in early to mid-January, the date has shifted over the years and is currently played on the first Sunday in February.
The winning team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after the coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi. He won the first two Super Bowl games and three of the five preceding NFL championships. Following his death, the trophy was named in his honor.
Viewership and Commercials
The Super Bowl is second only to soccer’s UEFA Champions League final as the most watched annual sporting event worldwide. It often has the highest Nielsen television ratings of the year, typically around a 40 rating and 60 share. This means 80 to 90 million people in the United States are tuned in at any given moment.
Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 holds the record for total U.S. viewers at over 111 million, with an estimated total audience of nearly 167 million. Famous commercial campaigns include the Budweiser “Bud Bowl” and the dot-com ads. A segment of the audience watches the Super Bowl solely for the commercials.
The Vince Lombardi Trophy
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is 22 inches (56 cm) tall, weighs 7 pounds (3.2 kg), and depicts a football in a kicking position. It is made entirely of sterling silver. After the game, it is engraved with the names of the participating teams, the date, location, and final score, and then sent to the winning team.
Baltimore Ravens’ Victory in Super Bowl XLVII
The Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31. The Ravens dominated the first half, leading 28-6. A power outage in the Superdome during the third quarter seemed to energize the 49ers, who nearly mounted a comeback. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was named MVP, securing the Ravens’ second Super Bowl victory.