Super Bowl | Packers Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Share The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the premier association of professional American football. It was first played on January 15, 1967, as part of a merger agreement between the NFL and its then-rival league, the American Football League (AFL). It was agreed that the two leagues' champion teams would play in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game until the merger was consummated in 1970. After the merger, each league became a "conference", and the game was then played between conference champions. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather than the year in which it is held. For example, Super Bowl I was played in 1967 to determine the championship of the regular season played in 1966, while Super Bowl XLV was most recently played on February 6, 2011, which the Green Bay Packers won to become the champions of the 2010 regular season.

The Supersizing of American Football | IIP Digital The Supersizing of American Football By Fred Bowen | Special Correspondent | 01 November 2013 The San Francisco 49ers' Frank Gore (left) escapes from the Baltimore Ravens' Corey Graham during Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013. The Ravens won, 34-31. The Super Bowl is the biggest sports event in America, by far. Sports fans love statistics, so let’s look at some numbers about the traditional championship game in American professional football. • The last four Super Bowls were the most watched television shows in American television history. • More than 108 million people across America watched the 2013 Super Bowl. • The game is broadcast to more than 100 countries. • A 30-second televised ad during the 2013 game cost $4 million. So the Super Bowl is big. But the event was not always what it is today. In fact, the first Super Bowl, played on January 15, 1967, was not even called the Super Bowl.

It was the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game.” The National Football League (NFL) started play in 1920. At the time, professional baseball, boxing and college football were much more popular than pro football. Over the years, however, pro football and the NFL grew in popularity. Football became so popular that another professional league — the American Football League (AFL) — began play in 1960. The AFL competed with the NFL for fans and for star players. In 1965, quarterback Joe Namath from the University of Alabama signed a contract with the New York Jets, an AFL team, for an annual salary of $427,000, an amount unheard of at the time. Now, the average salary of an NFL player is $1.9 million, and the minimum for a first-year player is $405,000. Because of the rising cost of players, the rival leagues decided to merge in 1966 and become one league by 1970. Part of the merger agreement called for a championship game between the league champions of the NFL and AFL.

The first championship game in 1967 did not trigger much interest because most football fans considered the NFL the undeniably superior league to the newer AFL. In fact, there were more than 30,000 empty seats in the Los Angeles Coliseum when the NFL-champion Green Bay Packers beat the AFL-champion Kansas City Chiefs, 35–10. Even the halftime show at the first big game was not much. The marching bands from two colleges, the University of Michigan and the University of Arizona, provided the musical entertainment. The second game, in 1968, was much of the same as the NFL’s Green Bay Packers again beat the AFL’s best, the Oakland Raiders, 33–14. But interest in the game picked up in 1969, when the AFL champion New York Jets, led by Namath, unexpectedly beat the Baltimore Colts, 16–7. From that game on, the championship grew larger and more lavish every year and truly became the Super Bowl. Super Bowl Halftime Attractions In the last 20 years, the Super Bowl’s halftime show has attracted almost as much attention as the game.

Gone are the college marching bands and the cheery, middle-of-the-road entertainers. In 1993, when “King of Pop” Michael Jackson “moonwalked” across the Super Bowl stage, halftime instantly became a massive showcase for the biggest names in the music business. Grammy Award–winning singer Bruno Mars is scheduled to sing at the February 2, 2014, Super Bowl. Here are some of the musical acts that have entertained during recent Super Bowls. • The Rolling Stones • Stevie Wonder • Bruce Springsteen When Paul McCartney, who has been on almost every musical stage in his 50-year international career, was the featured halftime performer in 2005, he said, “There’s nothing bigger than being asked to perform at the Super Bowl.” Then vs. Now THEN: Cities with warm weather year-round have traditionally hosted the Super Bowl. Miami and New Orleans both have hosted 10 games. NOW: The 2014 Super Bowl will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It will be the first Super Bowl played outdoors in a cold climate.

THEN: Fans shelled out $6 to $12 for tickets to the first Super Bowl. NOW: The most expensive ticket for the 2014 Super Bowl will cost $2,600. THEN: The Green Bay Packers of Wisconsin, coached by Vince Lombardi, won the first two Super Bowl games. NOW: The trophy given to the winning team is named the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Keywords: Super Bowl | Family Guy Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Share The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the premier association of professional American football. It was first played on January 15, 1967, as part of a merger agreement between the NFL and its then-rival league, the American Football League (AFL). It was agreed that the two leagues' champion teams would play in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game until the merger was consummated in 1970. After the merger, each league became a "conference", and the game was then played between conference champions. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather than the year in which it is held.

For example, Super Bowl I was played in 1967 to determine the championship of the regular season played in 1966. Following Apple Computer's 1984 commercial introducing the Macintosh computer, directed by Ridley Scott, the broadcast of the Super Bowl became the premier showcase for high concept and expensive commercials. A Stewie Griffin parade float appears in a Coca-Cola commercial that aired during Super Bowl XLII, which was between the New York Giants and New England Patriots . The network that airs the Super Bowl typically takes advantage of the large audience to air an episode of a hit series, or to premiere the pilot of a promising new series in the lead-out slot, which immediately follows the Super Bowl and post-game coverage. When FOX aired Super Bowls XXXIII in 1999 and XXXIX in 2005, they aired the pilots of Family Guy and American Dad! , respectively, pairing them with episodes of The Simpsons . Thus, the early success of Seth MacFarlane can largely be attributed to his shows' post-Super Bowl premiere. Since then, when the game airs on FOX, episodes of Family Guy and American Dad! are pre-empted, and do not air on those Sundays.

Because the Super Bowl is one of the most watched programs every year, only reruns of Family Guy air on Super Bowl Sunday when the game airs on CBS, NBC, or, until 2006, ABC. However, a Super Bowl commercial features a clip of Family Guy which the NFL subtly branded with Patriots and Cleveland Browns (the latter on the character of the same name) jerseys, with them watching the game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers , and gamecallers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are seen.. Other shows involved include Happy Days , The Simpsons , Seinfeld and The Brady Bunch . Peter Griffin's actions in the pilot, " Death Has a Shadow ", leads him to Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida, site of Super Bowl XXXIII, between the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons. Accompanied by his dog Brian , he uses a blimp to hover over the stadium to return the money he acquired through welfare fraud to the taxpayers. Commentators John Madden and Pat Summerall , who called the game for FOX, appeared in the episode doing their jobs. Summerall even retrieved some of the money on the field. NFL Super Bowl History Super Bowl History By Wikipedia The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League.

The game is almost like a national holiday in the United States. It was held annually from mid-to-late January on a Sunday but is now the first Sunday in February, and is one of the most watched television broadcasts of the year. Origins An AFL-NFL Championship Game was first played after the 1966 football season on January 15, 1967, between the champions of the American Football League and the NFL. The game was a result of the merger agreement between the two leagues that took full effect for the 1970 season . The third such game, after the 1968 season, was called the "Super Bowl", and that name is now used to refer to the first two AFL-NFL Championship Games as well. The name was inspired by Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt's daughter playing with a small rubber ball with high bouncing powers called a superball. After the 1970 season, the game reverted from an essentially interleague championship to the NFL championship, featuring the champions of the NFL's two conferences, the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference.

The winning team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for the coach of the Green Bay Packers , who won the first two Super Bowl games. The trophy was named prior to Super Bowl V in his honor following his death in 1970. Previous to the 1966 football season, American professional football's championship games were played for various league championships, and games were not played between league champions. The game was called the "All-America Football Conference Championship Game", the "AFL Championship Game" or the "NFL Championship Game", depending on the league playing it. Ratings and commercials The Super Bowl tends to have high Nielsen television ratings which usually come in around a 40 rating and 60 share (i.e. on average, 40 percent of all U.S. households, and 60 percent of all homes tuned into television during the game). This means that on average, 80 to 90 million Americans are tuned into the Super Bowl at any given moment. Also it is estimated that 130-140 million tune into some part of the game.

The most watched and, to that point, the most exciting Super Bowl was 1998's Super Bowl XXXII between the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers which received a 44.5 rating and 67 share, attracting 90 million viewers. In terms of household percentage, the most watched was Super Bowl XVI in 1982 which was watched in 49.1% of households (73 share) or 40,020,000 households at the time. The Super Bowl has long been the showcase for extravagantly expensive commercials and is often where new ad campaigns are launched. Famous commercial campaigns include the "Big Brother" Apple Macintosh ad of 1984, the Budweiser "Bud Bowl" campaign, and the 1999 and 2000 dot-com ads. Prices have increased each year, with reports citing a record $2.5 million (US) for a 30 second spot during Super Bowl XL in 2006. Due to legalized gambling, Las Vegas is the only city that is not allowed to run commercials during the game. This ban includes the pre and post game shows.

Venue The location of the Super Bowl is chosen well in advance, usually 3-5 years before the game. The chosen venues have either been located in the southern regions of the United States where the wintertime weather is expected to be mild, or in domed stadiums where weather is not an issue. Coincidentally, no NFL team has ever played the Super Bowl on its own home turf. However, Super Bowl XIV (which involved the then-Los Angeles Rams) was played in the Rose Bowl stadium in nearby Pasadena; and Super Bowl XIX (which involved the San Francisco 49ers) was played at the nearby Stanford Stadium on the Stanford University campus in Palo Alto. The designated "home team" alternates between the NFC team in odd-numbered years (the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005), and the AFC team in even-numbered years (the New England Patriots in 2004). The home team is given the choice of either wearing their colored jerseys or their white ones; this started with Super Bowl XIII. Prior to that, the home team always wore the dark jerseys.

The Dallas Cowboys wore their rarely-used blue uniform tops in Super Bowl V, and lost to the then-Baltimore Colts, which has led to the widely-held belief that the Cowboys do not play well in their blue shirts. While most home teams in the Super Bowl choose to wear their colored jerseys, only the Cowboys in XIII and XXVII and the Washington Redskins in XVII have worn white as the home team. The television network showing the game changes from year to year. In the United States it is shared between three of the four major television networks - ABC, CBS, and FOX. Super Bowl XXXVIII was shown on CBS, Super Bowl XXXIX was shown on FOX, and Super Bowl XL will be shown on ABC, which will be the final NFL game broadcast on on that network for the foreseeable future. With the new television contracts beginning in 2006, NBC, which last telecast Super Bowl XXXII in 1998, will take ABC's place in the network rotation starting with Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. Trivia The Super Bowl uses roman numerals to differentiate each game rather than the year it was held since confusion commonly arises as the NFL season spreads over two calendar years.

For example, the New England Patriots, winners of Super Bowl XXXIX are the champions of the 2004 NFL season, even though the championship game was played in February of 2005. In the months leading up to Super Bowl XXX (30) it was discovered that some proxy servers were blocking the web site for the event. The reason for this was that "XXX" is usually associated with pornography, and proxy servers thought those trying to visit that site were trying to access pornography. Super Bowl XXXVI was originally scheduled to be played on January 27, 2002. But the game was moved back one week to February 3, 2002 because of the September 11, 2001 attacks. This was the first Super Bowl to be played in February. Most of the events two years afterward were scheduled in February. Also, because of the attacks, the Super Bowl is now a National Special Security Event (NSSE). Super Bowl XXXIX was the first such game to be tied after three quarters of play. No American Football Conference (AFC) team has ever won a Super Bowl that was broadcast on ABC (The NFC is currently 6-0).

The closest an AFC team came to winning the Super Bowl on that network was when the Buffalo Bills lost to the New York Giants 20-19 in Super Bowl XXV. Game history The winner of the AFC Championship Game faces the winner of the NFC Championship Game, in the culmination of the NFL playoffs. From the 1966 season to the 1970 merger of the American Football League and the NFL, the two leagues met in a championship game. AFL-NFL Championships Super Bowl Group | Flickr Super Bowl Group Sign in Group Description Any and all photographs relating to the Super Bowl. These images can be of, but not limited to, the game itself, pre-game festivities, the NFL Experience, the parties, etc. The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the premier association of professional American football. It was first played on January 15, 1967, as part of a merger agreement between the NFL and its then-rival league, the American Football League (AFL). It was agreed that the two leagues' champion teams would play in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game until the merger was consummated in 1970.

After the merger, each league became a "conference", and the game was then played between conference champions. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather than the year in which it is held. For example, Super Bowl I was played in 1967 to determine the championship of the regular season played in 1966, while Super Bowl XLV will be played on February 6, 2011, to determine the champion of the 2010 regular season. The day on which the Super Bowl is played is now considered a de facto American national holiday,[1][2][3] called "Super Bowl Sunday". It is the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption, after Thanksgiving Day.[4] In most years, the Super Bowl is the most-watched American television broadcast; Super Bowl XLIV, played in February 2010, became the most-watched American television program in history, drawing an average audience of 106.5 million viewers and taking over the spot held for twenty-seven years by the final episode of M*A*S*H.[5] The Super Bowl final is among the most watched sporting events in the world, primarily due to strong North American audiences.

Because of its high viewership, commercial airtime during the Super Bowl broadcast is the most expensive of the year. Due to the high cost of investing in advertising on the Super Bowl, companies regularly develop their most expensive advertisements for this broadcast. As a result, watching and discussing the broadcast's commercials has become a significant aspect of the event.[citation needed] In addition, many popular singers and musicians have performed during the event's pre-game and halftime ceremonies because of the exposure. Additional Info Accepted content types: Photos, Videos, Images, Art, Screenshots Accepted safety levels: Safe Super Bowl - NFL Topics - ESPN Super Bowl Past Winners The Super Bowl is the championship game for the National Football League, pitting the top team from each of the NFL's conferences against each other. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events in American culture -- the broadcast is almost always the most-watched program of the year, and Super Bowl Sunday has become a de facto national holiday. The game features the winners of the AFC and NFC championship games, decided after a 16-game regular season and two rounds of playoff games. It has been played every year since 1967, started thanks to a merger between the NFL and its rival league, the American Football League.

Super Bowl XLVI, following the 2011 season, saw the New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots, 21-17. It was the second time in five seasons the Giants had beaten the Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl was created as part of the merger between the National and American football leagues, which had coexisted as rivals since the AFL came about in 1960. Due to fierce competition for players and fans, the leagues decided to merge in 1966, to become official in 1970. The event's name was coined by Lamar Hunt, one of the AFL founders and Kansas City owner. He saw his children playing with a ball called the "Super Ball" and, playing off the college football bowl system, came up with Super Bowl to use as a filler before a name could be permanently decided on. The term stuck, though. Early matchups The first Super Bowl was held in 1967 (following the 1966 season) as a prequel to the new merged league, between the champions of the AFL and NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers, respectively.

That game was known as the World Championship Game, as were the next two (the name Super Bowl was used officially starting with Super Bowl IV, following the 1969 season). Super Bowl I was the first -- and last -- Super Bowl not to sell out, filling only 61,496 seats in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Green Bay won that game 35-10 and won the second as well, beating the Oakland Raiders 33-14. The AFL got its first victory in Super Bowl III, when the Joe Namath-led New York Jets beat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts. AFC dominance After Green Bay and the NFL won the first two Super Bowls, the following years were dominated by the AFL/AFC. Namath earned the conference's first win in Super Bowl III and the Kansas City Chiefs its second a year later. After the league officially became part of the NFL later that year, it continued its dominance for the next decade. Only one NFC team in the 1970s won a championship, when the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowls VI and XII. The Miami Dolphins excelled in the early years of the decade.

They reached the Super Bowl for the first time in 1972, losing to the Cowboys in Super Bowl VI. That loss led into the NFL's only undefeated season, when the Dolphins went 17-0 through the course of the 1972 season and Super Bowl VII, beating the Washington Redskins 14-7. The Dolphins repeated their conference title in the 1973 season, capping it with a win in Super Bowl VIII. The second half of the decade was dominated by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won four times in six seasons: Super Bowls IX, X, XII and XIV. Led by the "Steel Curtain" defense and quarterback Terry Bradshaw, the Steelers appeared in six AFC championship games during the 1970s, making the playoffs in eight consecutive years. The squad became the first (and only) team to win back-to-back Super Bowls on two different occasions. The Oakland Raiders also won two titles for the AFC in the early years, Super Bowls XI and XV. The Raiders' second title, won following the 1980 season as the Los Angeles Raiders, would be the AFC's last championship for almost two decades.

NFC dominance in the 1980s The tide turned following the 1981 season, when an NFC team other than the Cowboys won the Super Bowl for the first time since the late '60s. The San Francisco 49ers earned the honors, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21 in Super Bowl XVI. Over the next 16 years, the NFC won 15 titles -- the Los Angeles Raiders claiming the only AFC championship, in Super Bowl XVIII. The NFC won every title between the 1984 and 1996 seasons. The 49ers' victory in Super Bowl XVI cemented the legacy of future Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, who was named MVP three times and led his team to four titles: Super Bowls XVI, XIX, XXIII and XXIV. Montana and star receiver Jerry Rice were clinical throughout the 1980s, setting a standard for the decade's NFC domination. The 49ers' final win of the era, a 55-10 drubbing of the Denver Broncos, set a record for point differential in a Super Bowl.

The Washington Redskins also won two Super Bowls, XVII and XXII, and fellow NFC East squad New York Giants also took two titles, in Super Bowls XXI and XXV. The Redskins and the Giants entered the 1990s as the top squads, winning the Super Bowl in the first two seasons of the decade -- the Redskins' Super Bowl XXVI win was their third in nine years. NFC success continues in 1990s From there, another NFC East squad took control of the league -- the Dallas Cowboys became the predominant team of the mid-1990s with their first win following the 1992 season. In that win, Super Bowl XXVII, the Cowboys dominated the Buffalo Bills 52-17 behind young quarterback Troy Aikman, the game's MVP, and running back Emmitt Smith. The team won the next Super Bowl, XXVIII, as well as another title two years later, Super Bowl XXX -- the Cowboys' third championship in four years. Super Bowl XXXI was significant in that it was the first championship for a player who would become a legend: Green Bay's Brett Favre.

Favre had won his first MVP award the year before, and he won again after his Super Bowl-winning campaign in 1996. The Packers reached the Super Bowl again following the 1997 season and were heavily favored to beat the Denver Broncos. But veteran quarterback John Elway had different ideas, and he rallied his team to a Super Bowl victory with a 31-24 win, starting a new streak in the process: the AFC would win nine of the next 13 title games. AFC rises again Elway and the Broncos earned their second title in Super Bowl XXXIII, handily beating the Atlanta Falcons. In a rare NFC win, the St. Louis Rams took the title in Super Bowl XXXIV, but that was followed by a drubbing by the Baltimore Ravens of the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. The New England Patriots became the next AFC squad to win the title in Super Bowl XXXVI, taking a close game over the St. Louis Rams 20-17. That began an era of New England dominance: The Patriots won three Super Bowls in four years starting with that title.

After missing out on the title game in Super Bowl XXXVII (when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Oakland Raiders), the Patriots won close games in Super Bowl XXXVIII and XXXIX, cementing their dominance in the AFC. The second half of the 2000s saw more parity return to the conference matchups: The AFC and NFC each won three titles through 2011. The Pittsburgh Steelers earned two of those three for the AFC -- in Super Bowls XL and XLIII -- meaning a record six championships for Pittsburgh. The Indianapolis Colts won the other title for the AFC in Super Bowl XLI, joining the Raiders as the only franchises to win titles in two different home cities. The New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints earned the NFC's titles in Super Bowls XLII and XLIV, respectively. The Green Bay Packers won the 2011 title, beating the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. The Super Bowl has become one of the most significant events in American culture, sporting or otherwise. It is watched by hundreds of millions of people worldwide and is the second-most watched sporting event across the globe, behind only the UEFA Champions League final.

The broadcast numbers seem to grow every year, with the 2010 matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts drawing an average audience of 106.5 million -- becoming the most-watched American television program in history. The Super Bowl broadcast always sees some of the highest Nielsen ratings of the year -- the 1982 Super Bowl, between San Francisco and Cincinnati, remains one of the highest-rated programs of all time with a 49.1. Commercials Since the first Super Bowl, its commercials have been a huge part of the broadcast -- in 1967, when Green Bay and Kansas City played for the first title, NBC charged $37,500 for a 30-second slot, then a jaw-dropping sum. Now, a spot for the same amount of time costs nearer $3 million, and the commercials that air during the Super Bowl are planned and executed all year. The "golden standard" for Super Bowl commercials was set in 1984, when Ridley Scott directed a commercial that introduced Apple's MacIntosh.

The ad, in an ode to its airdate, was a tribute to George Orwell's "1984." For the first time, the idea was born that the advertising could be as important to the event as the main entertainment itself. Since then, Super Bowl commercials have been a key part of the day's entertainment -- there is a chunk of the game's audience that watches solely for the commercials. Some of the more famous commercials airing during the game include the 1980 Coca-Cola ad featuring Mean Joe Green, and a 1993 spot featuring Michael Jordan and Larry Bird playing a game of H-O-R-S-E for a Big Mac. Budweiser airs a commercial featuring its Clydesdale horses each year -- when they planned to remove the ad in 2010, a fan vote decided to include a Clydesdale ad once again. Budweiser -- along with other beer companies -- is one of the most prolific ad campaigns during the Super Bowl, running 10 ads in 2010. The Bud Bowl, the company's series of frog ads in the 1990s, as well as the "Whassup?" campaign, also were Super Bowl favorites.

Another popular and long-standing campaign comes from Walt Disney, which runs its "I'm going to Disney World!" ads each year. Featuring players (usually the MVP) from the previous year's game, the campaign is known by Disney as "What next?" assuming a broadcaster just asked the star "What are you going to do next?" The spot usually includes clips from the previous year's postgame as well as video of the player at Disney World fulfilling the promise. Phil Simms was the first player to say the tagline, after Super Bowl XXI. Halftime shows The Super Bowl halftime show has become a significant part of the broadcast, featuring current or past superstars in a concert at the game's midway point. Early Super Bowls featured local college or high school marching bands, but as the game's popularity grew, the acts became more high profile. Carol Channing was the first star to perform, in 1970, and she was joined by Ella Fitzgerald and Al Hirt two years later. Other than that, the game continued to host university bands throughout most of the 1970s and 1980s, before reaching the tradition of popular artists around 1990.

The shows occasionally are related to the venue or anniversary of the bowl, such as when Pete Fountain, Doug Kershaw and Irma Thomas performed when New Orleans held the bowl in 1990. Michael Jackson became the first -- and only -- solo artist to single-line the halftime show when he performed with 3,500 local children in 1993. The shows became more and more high-tech over the years, with Diana Ross leaving the stadium in a helicopter after a pyrotechnic show in 1996. MTV produced the halftime show for the first time in 2001, when Aerosmith performed with a bevy of pop artists: *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Nelly. U2 followed up that performance with a special Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony in 2002, when a list of names of those who died in the Twin Towers was played across the stage. Controversy hit the halftime show in 2004, when MTV produced a performance featuring Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, P. Diddy, Kid Rock and Nelly.

At the end of the number, Timberlake removed a piece of Jackson's shirt, revealing her breast with a sticker around her nipple. The cameras, which had been in close for the finale, quickly cut to a wide-angle shot and went to commercial. Timberlake and Jackson both deny the incident was intentional, claiming a "wardrobe malfunction." The NFL banned MTV from ever again producing a halftime show and the FCC fined CBS $550,000 for the incident (that was later reversed). Since that incident, the NFL invited only classic rock groups -- the Rolling Stone, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, the Who -- to perform at the halftime show until 2011, when popular rap/pop group the Black Eyed Peas will perform. The Super Bowl is held in a different NFL-franchise city each year. Miami (10 times), New Orleans (nine) and Los Angeles (seven) are the most frequent hosts, hosting a combined 26 of 44 games. The Super Bowl usually is held in a warm-weather stadium, due to its timing in February.

It has been held in cold-weather stadiums three times -- Detroit twice and Minneapolis once -- and will be held in New Jersey in 2014. Selection process The NFL uses a bid process to select Super Bowl hosts, usually decided at least three years before the game. Bids include information on the hosting venue as well as upcoming stadium renovations, guaranteed revenues and other aspects that might benefit the league or the game. NFL owners vote to choose the site. Year-by-Year Super Bowl Results NFL History by Decade The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio opened on Sept. 7, 1963. 1961 The Houston Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 24-16 before 32,183 in the first AFL Championship Game, January 1. Detroit defeated Cleveland 17-16 in the first Playoff Bowl, or Bert Bell Benefit Bowl, between second-place teams in each conference in Miami, January 7. End Willard Dewveall of the Bears played out his option and joined the Oilers, becoming the first player to move deliberately from one league to the other, January 14.

Ed McGah, Wayne Valley, and Robert Osborne bought out their partners in the ownership of the Raiders, January 17. The Chargers were transferred to San Diego, February 10. Dave R. Jones sold the Browns to a group headed by Arthur B. Modell, March 22. The Howsam brothers sold the Broncos to a group headed by Calvin Kunz and Gerry Phipps, May 26. NBC was awarded a two-year contract for radio and television rights to the NFL Championship Game for $615,000 annually, $300,000 of which was to go directly into the NFL Player Benefit Plan, April 5. Canton, Ohio, where the league that became the NFL was formed in 1920, was chosen as the site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, April 27. Dick McCann, a former Redskins executive, was named executive director. A bill legalizing single-network television contracts by professional sports leagues was introduced in Congress by Representative Emanuel Celler. It passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy, September 30.

Houston defeated San Diego 10-3 for the AFL championship, December 24. Green Bay won its first NFL championship since 1944, defeating the New York Giants 37-0, December 31. 1962 The Western Division defeated the Eastern Division 47-27 in the first AFL All-Star Game, played before 20,973 in San Diego, January 7. Both leagues prohibited grabbing any player's facemask. The AFL voted to make the scoreboard clock the official timer of the game. The NFL entered into a single-network agreement with CBS for telecasting all regular-season games for $4.65 million annually, January 10. Judge Roszel Thompson of the U.S. District Court in Baltimore ruled against the AFL in its antitrust suit against the NFL, May 21. The AFL had charged the NFL with monopoly and conspiracy in areas of expansion, television, and player signings. The case lasted two and a half years, the trial two months. McGah and Valley acquired controlling interest in the Raiders, May 24. The AFL assumed financial responsibility for the New York Titans, November 8. With Commissioner Rozelle as referee, Daniel F.

Reeves regained the ownership of the Rams, outbidding his partners in sealed-envelope bidding for the team, November 27. The Dallas Texans defeated the Oilers 20-17 for the AFL championship at Houston after 17 minutes, 54 seconds of overtime on a 25-yard field goal by Tommy Brooker, December 23. The game lasted a record 77 minutes, 54 seconds. Judge Edward Weinfeld of the U.S. District Court in New York City upheld the legality of the NFL's television blackout within a 75-mile radius of home games and denied an injunction that would have forced the championship game between the Giants and the Packers to be televised in the New York City area, December 28. The Packers beat the Giants 16-7 for the NFL title, December 30. 1963 The Dallas Texans transferred to Kansas City, becoming the Chiefs, February 8. The New York Titans were sold to a five-man syndicate headed by David (Sonny) Werblin, March 28. Weeb Ewbank became the Titans' new head coach and the team's name was changed to the Jets, April 15.

They began play in Shea Stadium. NFL Properties, Inc., was founded to serve as the licensing arm of the NFL. Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay halfback Paul Hornung and Detroit defensive tackle Alex Karras for placing bets on their own teams and on other NFL games; he also fined five other Detroit players $2,000 each for betting on one game in which they did not participate, and the Detroit Lions Football Company $2,000 on each of two counts for failure to report information promptly and for lack of sideline supervision. Paul Brown, head coach of the Browns since their inception, was fired and replaced by Blanton Collier. Don Shula replaced Weeb Ewbank as head coach of the Colts. The AFL allowed the Jets and Raiders to select players from other franchises in hopes of giving the league more competitive balance, May 11. NBC was awarded exclusive network broadcasting rights for the 1963 AFL Championship Game for $926,000, May 23. The Pro Football Hall of Fame was dedicated at Canton, Ohio, September 7. The U.S.

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed the lower court's finding for the NFL in the $10-million suit brought by the AFL, ending three and a half years of litigation, November 21. Jim Brown of Cleveland rushed for an NFL single-season record 1,863 yards. Boston defeated Buffalo 26-8 in the first divisional playoff game in AFL history, December 28. The Bears defeated the Giants 14-10 in the NFL Championship Game, a record sixth and last title for Halas in his thirty-sixth season as the Bears' coach, December 29. 1964 The Chargers defeated the Patriots 51-10 in the AFL Championship Game, January 5. William Clay Ford, the Lions' president since 1961, purchased the team, January 10. A group representing the late James P. Clark sold the Eagles to a group headed by Jerry Wolman, January 21. Carroll Rosenbloom, the majority owner of the Colts since 1953, acquired complete ownership of the team, January 23.

The AFL signed a five-year, $36-million television contract with NBC to begin with the 1965 season, January 29. Commissioner Rozelle negotiated an agreement on behalf of the NFL clubs to purchase Ed Sabol's Blair Motion Pictures, which was renamed NFL Films, March 5. Hornung and Karras were rein- stated by Rozelle, March 16. CBS submitted the winning bid of $14.1 million per year for the NFL regular-season television rights for 1964 and 1965, January 24. CBS acquired the rights to the champion-ship games for 1964 and 1965 for $1.8 million per game, April 17. Pete Gogolak of Cornell signed a contract with Buffalo, becoming the first soccer-style kicker in pro football. Buffalo defeated San Diego 20-7 in the AFL Championship Game, December 26. Cleveland defeated Baltimore 27-0 in the NFL Championship Game, December 27.

1965 The NFL teams pledged not to sign college seniors until completion of all their games, including bowl games, and empowered the Commissioner to discipline the clubs up to as much as the loss of an entire draft list for a violation of the pledge, February 15. The NFL added a sixth official, the line judge, February 19. The color of the officials' penalty flags was changed from white to bright gold, April 5. Atlanta was awarded an NFL franchise for 1966, with Rankin Smith, Sr., as owner, June 30. Miami was awarded an AFL franchise for 1966, with Joe Robbie and Danny Thomas as owners, August 16. Field Judge Burl Toler became the first black official in NFL history, September 19. According to a Harris survey, sports fans chose professional football (41 percent) as their favorite sport, overtaking baseball (38 percent) for the first time, October. Green Bay defeated Baltimore 13-10 in sudden-death overtime in a Western Conference playoff game. Don Chandler kicked a 25-yard field goal for the Packers after 13 minutes, 39 seconds of overtime, December 26.

The Packers then defeated the Browns 23-12 in the NFL Championship Game, January 2. In the AFL Championship Game, the Bills again defeated the Chargers, 23-0, December 26. CBS acquired the rights to the NFL regular-season games in 1966 and 1967, with an option for 1968, for $18.8 million per year, December 29. 1966 The AFL-NFL war reached its peak, as the leagues spent a combined $7 million to sign their 1966 draft choices. The NFL signed 75 percent of its 232 draftees, the AFL 46 percent of its 181. Of the 111 common draft choices, 79 signed with the NFL, 28 with the AFL, and 4 went unsigned. Buddy Young became the first African-American to work in the league office when Commissioner Rozelle named him director of player relations, February 1. The rights to the 1966 and 1967 NFL Championship Games were sold to CBS for $2 million per game, February 14.

Foss resigned as AFL Commissioner, April 7. Al Davis, the head coach and general manager of the Raiders, was named to replace him, April 8. Goal posts offset from the goal line, painted bright yellow, and with uprights 20 feet above the cross-bar were made standard in the NFL, May 16. A series of secret meetings regarding a possible AFL-NFL merger were held in the spring between Hunt of Kansas City and Tex Schramm of Dallas. Rozelle announced the merger, June 8. Under the agreement, the two leagues would combine to form an expanded league with 24 teams, to be increased to 26 in 1968 and to 28 by 1970 or soon thereafter. All existing franchises would be retained, and no franchises would be transferred outside their metropolitan areas. While maintaining separate schedules through 1969, the leagues agreed to play an annual AFL-NFL World Championship Game beginning in January, 1967, and to hold a combined draft, also beginning in 1967. Preseason games would be held between teams of each league starting in 1967.

Official regular-season play would start in 1970 when the two leagues would officially merge to form one league with two conferences. Rozelle was named Commissioner of the expanded league setup. Davis rejoined the Raiders, and Milt Woodard was named president of the AFL, July 25. The St. Louis Cardinals moved into newly constructed Busch Memorial Stadium. Barron Hilton sold the Chargers to a group headed by Eugene Klein and Sam Schulman, August 25. Congress approved the AFL-NFL merger, passing legislation exempting the agreement itself from antitrust action, October 21. New Orleans was awarded an NFL franchise to begin play in 1967, November 1. John Mecom, Jr., of Houston was designated majority stockholder and president of the franchise, December 15. The NFL was realigned for the 1967-69 seasons into the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference and the Central and Coastal Divisions in the Western Conference, December 2. New Orleans and the New York Giants agreed to switch divisions in 1968 and return to the 1967 alignment in 1969.

The rights to the Super Bowl for four years were sold to CBS and NBC for $9.5 million, December 13. 1967 Green Bay earned the right to represent the NFL in the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game by defeating Dallas 34-27, January 1. The same day, Kansas City defeated Buffalo 31-7 to represent the AFL. The Packers defeated the Chiefs 35-10 before 61,946 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the first game between AFL and NFL teams, January 15. The winning players' share for the Packers was $15,000 each, and the losing players' share for the Chiefs was $7,500 each. The game was televised by both CBS and NBC. The "sling-shot" goal post and a six-foot-wide border around the field were made standard in the NFL, February 22. Baltimore made Bubba Smith, a Michigan State defensive lineman, the first choice in the first combined AFL-NFL draft, March 14. The AFL awarded a franchise to begin play in 1968 to Cincinnati, May 24.

A group with Paul Brown as part owner, general manager, and head coach, was awarded the Cincinnati franchise, September 27. Arthur B. Modell, the president of the Cleveland Browns, was elected president of the NFL, May 28. Defensive back Emlen Tunnell of the New York Giants became the first black player to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame, August 5. An AFL team defeated an NFL team for the first time, when Denver beat Detroit 13-7 in a preseason game, August 5. Green Bay defeated Dallas 21-17 for the NFL championship on a last-minute 1-yard quarterback sneak by Bart Starr in 13-below-zero temperature at Green Bay, December 31. The same day, Oakland defeated Houston 40-7 for the AFL championship. 1968 Green Bay defeated Oakland 33-14 in Super Bowl II at Miami, January 14. The game had the first $3-million gate in pro football history. Vince Lombardi resigned as head coach of the Packers, but remained as general manager, January 28.

Werblin sold his shares in the Jets to his partners Don Lillis, Leon Hess, Townsend Martin, and Phil Iselin, May 21. Lillis assumed the presidency of the club, but then died July 23. Iselin was appointed president, August 6. Halas retired for the fourth and last time as head coach of the Bears, May 27. The Oilers left Rice Stadium for the Astrodome and became the first NFL team to play its home games in a domed stadium. The movie Heidi became a footnote in sports history when NBC didn't show the last :50 of the Jets-Raiders game in order to permit the children's special to begin on time. The Raiders scored two touchdowns in the last 42 seconds to win 43-32, November 17. Ewbank became the first coach to win titles in both the NFL and AFL when his Jets defeated the Raiders 27-23 for the AFL championship, December 29. The same day, Baltimore defeated Cleveland 34-0.

1969 The AFL established a playoff format for the 1969 season, with the winner in one division playing the runner-up in the other, January 11. An AFL team won the Super Bowl for the first time, as the Jets defeated the Colts 16-7 at Miami, January 12 in Super Bowl III. The title Super Bowl was recognized by the NFL for the first time. Vince Lombardi became part owner, executive vice-president, and head coach of the Washington Redskins, February 7. Wolman sold the Eagles to Leonard Tose, May 1. Baltimore, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh agreed to join the AFL teams to form the 13-team American Football Conference of the NFL in 1970, May 17. The NFL also agreed on a playoff format that would include one "wild-card" team per conference-the second-place team with the best record. Monday Night Football was signed for 1970. ABC acquired the rights to televise 13 NFL regular-season Monday night games in 1970, 1971, and 1972.

George Preston Marshall, president emeritus of the Redskins, died at 72, August 9. The NFL marked its fiftieth year by the wearing of a special patch by each of the 16 teams. 1970 Kansas City defeated Minnesota 23-7 in Super Bowl IV at New Orleans, January 11. The gross receipts of approximately $3.8 million were the largest ever for a one-day sports event. Four-year television contracts, under which CBS would televise all NFC games and NBC all AFC games (except Monday night games) and the two would divide televising the Super Bowl and AFC-NFC Pro Bowl games, were announced, January 26. Art Modell resigned as president of the NFL, March 12. Milt Woodard resigned as president of the AFL, March 13. Lamar Hunt was elected president of the AFC and George Halas was elected president of the NFC, March 19. The merged 26-team league adopted rules changes putting names on the backs of players' jerseys, making a point after touchdown worth only one point, and making the scoreboard clock the official timing device of the game, March 18.

The Players Negotiating Committee and the NFL Players Association announced a four-year agreement guaranteeing approximately $4,535,000 annually to player pension and insurance benefits, August 3. The owners also agreed to contribute $250,000 annually to improve or implement items such as disability payments, widows' benefits, maternity benefits, and dental benefits. The agreement also provided for increased preseason game and per diem payments, averaging approximately $2.6 million annually. The Pittsburgh Steelers moved into Three Rivers Stadium. The Cincinnati Bengals moved to Riverfront Stadium. Lombardi died of cancer at 57, September 3. The Super Bowl trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi trophy, September 10. Tom Dempsey of New Orleans kicked a game-winning NFL-record 63-yard field goal against Detroit, November 8. Information Super Bowl | TVmaze Super Bowl Gallery (1) Follow The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional football in the United States, culminating aseason that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl normally uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather than the year in which it is held.

For example, Super Bowl I was played on January 15, 1967, following the 1966 regular season. The single exception to this rule is Super Bowl 50, which is scheduled to be played on February 7, 2016, following the 2015 regular season. The game was created as part of a merger agreement between the NFL and its then-rival league, the American Football League (AFL). It was agreed that the two leagues' champion teams would play in the AFL–NFL World Championship Game until the merger was to officially begin in 1970. After the merger, each league was redesignated as a "conference", and the game has since been played between the conference champions to determine the NFL's league champion. Currently, theNational Football Conference (NFC) leads the league with 26 wins to 23 wins for the American Football Conference (AFC). The Pittsburgh Steelers hold the record for Super Bowl victories with six. The day on which the Super Bowl is played, now considered by some an unofficial American national holiday, is called "Super Bowl Sunday". It is the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption, after Thanksgiving Day.

In addition, the Super Bowl has frequently been the most-watched American television broadcast of the year; the four most-watched broadcasts in U.S. television history are Super Bowls. In 2015, Super Bowl XLIX became the most-watched American television program in history with an average audience of 114.4 million viewers, the fifth time in six years the game had set a record, starting with the 2010 Super Bowl, which itself had taken over the number-one spot held for 27 years by the final episode of M*A*S*H. The Super Bowl is also among the most-watched sporting events in the world, almost all audiences being North American, and is second to soccer's UEFA Champions League final as the most watched annual sporting event worldwide. Share this on:

Question: The Super Bowl, the championship game of the National Football League, was first played as part of a merger agreement between the NFL and its rival, the American Football League, in what year?
Answer: 1967