The Super Bowl offers the biggest prize in American Football and it is the most watched sporting event in the United States. It has, however, become a global phenomenon and it now reaches into a growing number of countries around the world.
Millions of people around the world check out the NFL odds – resulting in a huge amount being staked ahead of and during each season, and the sports betting industry is another sector to benefit from the Super Bowl. The game is also a dream for the TV broadcasters.
In the United States alone, the statistics show that just under 100 million people tuned in to watch the 2022 Super Bowl at some stage. The figures extend into Europe where American football has a loyal following.
But the NFL wasn’t always such a big draw. The league was formed in 1920 and that debut season featured just 14 teams, most of whom have now passed into history. The league was initially called the APFA and was rebranded as the National Football League in 1922.
The best team won the championship, but there was no Super Bowl game at that time. In fact, it would be almost 50 years before the big match hit the schedules.
In the present day, the NFL has a monopoly on American football in the US, but this wasn’t always the case. In those early days, there were rival set ups, but most of them were minor in comparison.
Real competition finally arrived in the shape of the American Football League (AFL). The AFL was set up in the early 1960s by a group of US businessmen who wanted to buy into football franchises.
The consortium was denied access by the NFL, so they simply started their rival league. Unlike the majority of their predecessors, the AFL gained traction and they quickly became serious rivals to the National Football League.
The two divisions had clear choices: Either they attempted to co-exist, and allow players, teams and supporters to be torn between the AFL and the NFL, or they could merge. They chose the latter option.
The merger was confirmed in 1966 and it was decided that the expanded NFL needed a showpiece game. The Super Bowl was born with the first fixture taking place in 1967.
That initial Super Bowl in 1967 was initially referred to as the AFL-NFL World Championship game. It was a contest between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs with the Packers coming through by 35 points to 10.
At the suggestion of Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, the game was rebranded as the Super Bowl. Super Bowl I may not have been a classic, but there have been some truly memorable matches since.
Lists such as these are always open to debate, but there are many who feel that the 51st edition of the Super Bowl was the best ever. With quarterback Tom Brady at the height of his powers, the New England Patriots were the emerging force in the NFL at the time, but they were run very close by a determined Atlanta Falcons team.
In fact, this was one of those rare occasions when the Super Bowl was taken into overtime, but that only tells half of the story. The Falcons came out strong and appeared to be coasting to victory as they ran into a 21-0 lead.
The Patriots attempted to respond, but Atlanta held on and stood at 28-3 early in the third quarter. The game seemed dead, but Tom Brady had other ideas. Aided by wide receiver Julian Edelman and running back James White, Brady threw touchdown after touchdown.
New England posted 31 straight points to clinch a historic victory in the added period.
Buffalo were a strong team in the early 1990s, but they could never quite get over the line. They came agonizingly close at Super Bowl 25 as the game came down to the last kick.
Kicker Scott Norwood lined up the field goal, but the ball drifted wide, leaving the Giants to clinch a dramatic encounter.
The Bengals looked to have Super Bowl 23 sewn up as the game came down to its final play. However, Cincinnati reckoned without legendary quarterback Joe Montana.
From close to their own endzone, the 49ers mounted a 92-yard, 11-play drive to score the winning touchdown.
The Super Bowl won’t always produce such great drama, but it remains the pinnacle of the NFL season. There’s always a story to be told as the teams on either side look to add to the game’s rich history.
