Last updated on April 19th, 2022
51. Super Bowl I Was Aired On Two Rival Networks
Showing the Super Bowl game is a privilege that the networks fight over. But the Super Bowl I was aired by two stations since CBS has the right to broadcast the NFL games, and it also went to NBC who had the rights to broadcast the AFL.
52. It Has Given A Great Start To Some popular TV Shows
According to statistics, shows starting immediately after the Super Bowl get high viewership.
53. The Out Of This World Coin
The Super Bowl uses a coin flip to determine the team that will start the kick-off. The coin used in the XLIV game had spent 11 days on a NASA spaceship orbiting the Earth.
54. Hangover And Still Made The First Touchdown
Max McGee from the Packer team was the first player to ever score a touchdown in an NFL game in 1967, yet he had a hangover.
55. Michael Jackson Performance
In the 1993 game, the half-time performer was Michael Jackson, and his performance had more ratings than the game.
56. Oldest Quarterback To Win A Super Bowl
In 2016 Peyton Manning’s quarterback won the Super Bowl, he was 39 years, but that record was beaten in 2019 when Tom Brady won the Super Bowl at the age of 41.
57. NBC Delaying The Game
During 1958 Super Bowl games, the NBC television feeds went dead, and an NBC employee ran into the field posing as fun so that they could delay the game.
58. Super Bowl Footballs
Due to the high demands of the footballs by the NFL teams and company, it takes 3000 cows to meet the demands of the leather needed to supply the NFL football.
59. 1971 A Player Got A Heart Attack And Died
Chuck Hughes had blocked arteries that had restricted 70 per cent of the player’s blood flow. As he was playing, he got a heart attack and died. But the game continued.
60. The Rock And NFL
Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, tried to make it to the NFL but failed. That is when he decided to train, and he started wrestling.
Arizona Cardinals
1. The Arizona Cardinals were founded in 1898 (as the Morgan Athletic Club) making them one of the oldest continuously operating professional US football teams.
2. The team originated in Chicago before relocating to St Louis in 1960. After 28 years, they moved to Arizona in 1987 where they were called the Phoenix Cardinals (although they have never played a game in that city).
3. The Cardinals got their name when Chris Brown (the first owner of the team) bought second-hand jerseys from the University of Chicago which had a faded red color which he called ‘Cardinal Red’.
Atlanta Falcons
1. The Atlanta Falcons were established in 1965 as an expansion team by Rankin Smith who paid $8.5 million for the right to do so which was a record price for a professional sports franchise at the time.
2. The team once had a live falcon as their mascot, but it flew away during a practice session in 1966; it was recaptured later in suburban Atlanta.
Carolina Panthers
1. The Carolina Panthers name was chosen by franchise owner Jerry Richardson’s son Mark who was a fan of the powerful, black cats.
2. The club’s logo is said to represent the combined outlines of North Carolina and South Carolina, although you have to angle your head and squint to see it.
3. In 2012 the team lost 13 consecutive coin tosses at the start of their games to choose the direction of play which has a probability of one in 8092.
Chicago Bears
1. The team was established in Decatur in 1920 and was originally called the Decatur Staleys. They became the Chicago Staleys in 1921 and renamed the Chicago Bears the following year. The team mascot is called Staley Da Bear in a nod to their original name.
2. The Chicago Bears have won 9 league championships and 32 of their players, out of 287, are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame that made their chief contributions when playing for the team.
Dallas Cowboys
1. The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most well-known brands in the world of sports and are the richest team in the NFL with an estimated worth of over $4 billion with revenue of over $500 million each year.
2. Despite their name, the team does not play in Dallas but Arlington, Texas.
3. The team holds the record for allowing the fewest points in a game (3 against the Miami Dolphins) as well as achieving 20 consecutive winning seasons between 1966 and 1985.
Detroit Lions
1. The Detroit Lions are considered one of the unluckiest teams in football being among only four franchises that have never made it to the Super Bowl and having only 6 double-digit winning seasons since 1970. They did win four NFL championships, however.
2. The team used to play in Tiger Stadium (which was home to the Detroit Tigers major league baseball team).
3. Established in 1930 in Portsmouth, Ohio they were originally called the Portsmouth Spartans. They became the Detroit Lions after relocating to Detroit in 1934.
Green Bay Packers
1. The Green Bay Packers, established in 1919, are the third-oldest franchise in the NFL and are so popular with their fans that season tickets have been sold out since 1960. The current waiting list for season tickets is over 80,000 names long and fans will need to wait for over 40 years to secure a ticket.
2. The legendary Vince Lombardi coached the team to three Super Bowl wins including consecutive wins 1966 and 1967.
Los Angeles Rams
1. The team franchise was created in 1936 in Cleveland where they were called the Cleveland Rams. They then relocated to Los Angeles in 1946 to make way for the Cleveland Browns. In 1994 they moved to St Louis, Missouri and finally returned to Los Angeles in 2016.
2. Because of their relocation history, they are the only team to have won three championships while representing three different cities: Cleveland (1945), Los Angeles (1951) and St Louis (1999).
Minnesota Vikings
1. The Minnesota Vikings distinctive horned helmets and gold and purple coloring were designed by a Los Angeles cartoonist, Karl Hubenthal, who also designed the original ‘Norseman’ logo and reflected Minesotta’s settlers Scandinavian heritage.
2. The team made several attempts over the years to create an official mascot (including Vikadontis Rex – a purple foam dinosaur), finally introducing Viktor the Viking in 2007.
3. The team’s fight song, ‘Skol Vikings’, has a longer heritage and has been used since the team’s founding in 1961.
New Orleans Saints
1. The name of the team originates from the famous Louis Armstrong song ‘When the Saints go Marching In’ and reflects the rich Catholic identity of New Orleans. Perhaps intentionally, the team was founded on November 1st in 1966 which is All Saints Day.
2. The team was one of the first (along with the Eagles) to play a game outside the US in Mexico in 1978.
New York Giants
1. The New York Giants were established in 1925 with four other teams (none of which exist today) and are the second oldest franchise in the NFL and, with over 8 titles, they are the third overall most successful.
2. In a charity game played in 1930 against college amateurs (called the Notre Dame All-Stars) they dispelled the widely held belief that college players were more skilled than their professional counterparts in a one-way victory and is regarded as the event that helped establish professional football.
Philadelphia Eagles
1. The Philadelphia Eagles are the only team whose eagle head logo, introduced in 1996, faces left rather than right. The reason is that there is a capital letter ‘E’ drawn in the eagle’s feathers.
2. The team was almost owned by a sitting president when in 1962 the franchise came up for sale and John F. Kennedy was asked whether he would be interested in a third share along with his brothers. While an agreement was reached, they decided that Jack’s responsibilities as President prevented the deal from going forward.
San Francisco 49ers
1. While the team was the first football franchise to be based in the San Francisco Bay area (in 1946) it has played its games in Santa Clara, in the heart of Silicon Valley, since 2014.
2. They are ranked the third-best team of all time for reaching the Super Bowl on eight occasions and have won five Super Bowl championships. They have also been crowned champions in their division 20 times which makes them among the most successful teams in the NFL.
Seattle Seahawks
1. The Seattle Seahawks’ name was borrowed from a Miami professional football team that briefly used the name in the 1940s. Rejected potential names included Rainbeams, Pachyderms and Running Salmon so perhaps it was for the best.
2. In 1996 the team was bought by one founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen, after the then owner, Ken Behring, announced he was moving the team to LA. The decision to move was met with such outrage at the time that Behring received death threats and decided that a sale was a wiser move.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers name was inspired by the Spanish pirate Jose Gaspar (known as Gasparilla) that operated along the west coast of Florida in the 18th and 19th centuries. An annual festival is held each year in honor of the pirate.
2. The name was chosen when the then-team owner Hugh F. Culverhouse held a naming competition in 1975 that attracted over 400 entries.
3. The team was the first in NFL history to play in the Super Bowl in their home city. Their victory gave them their second Super Bowl title.
Washington Football Team
1. The Washington Football Team originated in Boston in 1932 where they were named the Boston Braves after the local baseball team. They then adopted the name ‘Redskins’ and continued to use it when they relocated to Washington. After protests that the name disparaged Native Americans, the name was dropped in 2020.
2. After relocating to Washington DC the team won five World Championships, two NFL Championship Games and three Super Bowl titles.
Baltimore Ravens
1. The Baltimore Ravens were established in 1996 when the owner of the Cleveland Browns, Art Model, tried to move the Cleveland franchise to Baltimore. After facing legal threats, he took the players but left the Cleveland team name, heritage and colors behind.
2. The name of the team was inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe poem ‘The Raven’ and was chosen after a phone poll showed overwhelming support for the name by football fans.
3. Fittingly, the team’s mascot is a raven called Poe and the team’s fans are known as ‘the flock’.
Buffalo Bills
1. The Buffalo Bills were established by Ralph C Wilson Jr in 1959 and the team began playing competitively in 1960. Wilson died in 2014 at the age of 95 and was the oldest NFL owner in history. Their home stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium in New York, is named in his honor.
2. The Buffalo Bills established a Wall of Fame in 1980 to honor coaches, administrators and players that had contributed significantly to the team. It includes Ralph Wilson as well as Joe DeLamielleure, Jim Kelly and OJ Simpson.
Cincinnati Bengals
1. The Cincinnati Bengals, named after the tiger and featuring black and orange stripes on their uniforms, are one of 12 franchises that have never won a Super Bowl and have only made the NFL playoffs on 14 occasions in 50 seasons.
2. They lost their first-ever game in the regular season to the San Diego Chargers in 1968.
3. While they made it to two Super Bowls, in 1982 and 1989, they lost on both occasions to the same opponents, the San Francisco 49ers
Cleveland Browns
1. The Cleveland Browns were established in 1946 as part of the AAFC (All American Football Conference). After it ceased operating in 1949 the team moved to the NFL and won the championship in their first season.
2. In the 1990s the team owner of the time, Art Modell, tried to relocate the franchise to Baltimore, leading to the team suspending operations from 1996 to 1998. To resolve the issue, he preserved the team’s intellectual property in a trust and created a new team – the Baltimore Ravens – which enabled the Cleveland Browns to resume playing in 1999.
Denver Broncos
1. Founded in 1959 the Denver Broncos had such financial difficulties when for their first two seasons that they were forced to wear secondhand uniforms which were so ugly (yellow and brown with striped socks) that they burned them in a bonfire before the 1962 season.
2. Because Denver has a high altitude relative to other grounds, kickoffs often go more than 10% farther than in other cities. This has resulted in three of the four longest field goals being scored there including the record of 64 yards.
Houston Texans
1. The Houston Texans were not the first to use the ‘Texans’ name. Between 1960 and 1962 there was a franchise called the Dallas Texans but they went on to be called the Kansas City Chiefs after moving in 1963.
2. As one of the newest franchises (established in 2002), the team is one of only four NFL teams that have never made it to the Super Bowl. They are also the only team that has never appeared in a Conference Championship Game in their 20 seasons.
Indianapolis Colts
1. The Indianapolis Colts originated from the discontinued Dallas Texans NFL team in 1953. Before 1953 there were two professional teams with the name Baltimore Colts.
2. One of the most notorious events in franchise history occurred when the team left Baltimore in the middle of the night to head for their new home in Indianapolis, infuriating their Baltimore fans.
3. The 1958 NFL Championship game was interrupted by an apparently drunk fan who wandered onto the field. It was actually an NBC employee who wanted to pause the game so the TV network could fix its camera equipment.
Jacksonville Jaguars
1. The Jacksonville Jaguars joined the NFL along with the Carolina Panthers as expansion teams in 1995.
2. The team is based in Jacksonville, Florida but have played an exhibition game in London each year for the past five seasons.
3. The club was sold in 2011 by their owner Wayne Weaver for a reputed $770 million to business executive Shahid Khan.
Kansas City Chiefs
1. The Kansas City Chiefs played in the inaugural Super Bowl game against the Green Bay Packers in 1967 in Los Angeles. They lost 35-10 in front of a crowd of over 60,000 fans.
2. The team was originally established in Dallas where they were named the Texans; in 1963 they relocated to Kansas City since they couldn’t compete with the Dallas Cowboys who also called the city home at the time.
3. The team is famous for having the loudest fans who hold the record for the loudest roar at a stadium which was measured at over 142 decibels.
Las Vegas Raiders
1. The Las Vegas Raiders have a team logo which is an illustration of a pirate (which is often used as a synonym for a raider).
2. The team was established in 1960 in Oakland, California and was called the Oakland Raiders. In 1982 they moved to Los Angeles and changed their name to the Los Angeles Raiders. In 1995, the team returned to Oakland and once more became the Oakland Raiders until they found a new home in Las Vegas in 2020 and became the Las Vegas Raiders.
Los Angeles Chargers
1. The Los Angeles Chargers were originally called the San Diego Chargers and were located in San Diego for 56 years until the 2017-18 season when they moved 120 miles to the north to their new home in Los Angeles after San Diego knocked back a plan to build a new stadium for the team.
2. In fact, the team was originally located in Los Angeles when they started out in the 1960 season but found it difficult to compete with the Los Angeles Rams and moved to San Diego in 1961.
Miami Dolphins
1. The Miami Dolphins haven’t won a championship in over 40 years but have a star-studded line-up of minority owners including Gloria Estefan, Marc Antony and Fergie from the music world as well as tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams.
2. In 1972, though, the team had a perfect season (meaning they remained undefeated and untied during the regular season and playoffs) and went on to win the Super Bowl to boot.
New England Patriots
1. The New England Patriots were established in 1959 and were originally known as the Boston Patriots. Between 1960 and 1970 they played most of their home games at Fenway Park.
2. The team’s current home is Gillette Stadium in Foxborough but the team has called five other stadiums home over the years: Fenway Park, Alumni Stadium, Nickerson Field, Harvard Stadium and Foxboro Stadium.
3. The team has won six Super Bowls and 11 AFC Championships. Their first Super Bowl game was in 1985 against the Chicago Bears and they had to wait ten years for their next opportunity in 1996.
New York Jets
1. The New York Jets were established in 1959 (when they were known as the Titans of New York); after a change of ownership in 1963, the current name was adopted.
2. The team has only competed in one Super Bowl (in 1968) where they were defeated by the Baltimore Colts. This makes them one of only three teams that have made a single appearance in the Super Bowl (the others being the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
Pittsburgh Steelers
1. The Pittsburgh Steelers are among the most successful franchises in football with six Super Bowl victories (matched only by the New England Patriots).
2. It took them a while though: after their establishment in 1933 it took 39 long years before they won their first playoff game against the Oakland Raiders in 1972.
3. In 1979, the Steelers fielded a team of players that was completely homegrown: every player was drafted by them or signed as a free agent who had not previously been drafted.
Tennessee Titans
1. The Tennessee Titans are among the twelve NFL franchises that have never won a Super Bowl. They have only appeared in one Super Bowl (XXXIV) but lost to the St Louis Rams.
2. They are notable, however, for being the only team that was able to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars when they dominated the competition in the 1999 season. The Jaguars lost only two games that season and on both occasions it was to the Tennessee Titans.