10 Strangest Super Bowl Facts From NFL History
Duane Beckett
|
Whether you’re a football fan or not, the Super Bowl is this nation’s biggest sporting event, and it has been for some time.
Over those years there have been countless quirky and fun Super Bowl facts to emerge from locker rooms and commentary stalls.
So, we’ve picked out the strangest to dazzle (or annoy) your family and friends with during the season. Enjoy.
1. Second biggest eating day of the year
One of the strangest Super Bowl facts is that game day is also known for being the second biggest eating day of the year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest eating day after Thanksgiving.
CHECK OUT: Game Day Winners: Easy and Delicious Recipes for the Ultimate Party Spread
2. Six little words
This might come as a strange fact, but there are six little words imprinted on every Wilson Super Bowl game football. They read ‘Commissioner, Wilson, Made in the U.S.A.’, and these words have been printed on every single football that has ever been used in a Super Bowl.
3. The much longer name
The Super Bowl was not always called Super Bowl as it used to go with a much longer name. Super Bowl was originally called ‘The AFL-NFA World Championship Game’. Super Bowl was being unofficially used from the very beginning of the game but was only adopted officially a few years later.
4. Phil Simms going to Disney Land
One of the most fun Super Bowl facts is that after the Giants’ victory in Super Bowl XXI, Phil Simms shouted ‘I am going to Disney World.’ This shout did not come free, as Phil Simms was paid $75,000 for shouting this. Interestingly, Disney also paid John Elway the same amount for shouting the same thing if his team had won.
5. The first Super Bowl wasn’t a sell-out
Super Bowl 1 was played on January 15, 1967. It was the time of inflation and therefore the ticket price was adjusted to $12, which is equivalent to $89 today. Even after adjusting the price, the event still did not sell out and was a complete loss to the investors and sponsors.
CHECK OUT: The 5 Best Streaming Services for Sports Fans Right Now
6. The first winning team to visit the White House
The Pittsburg Steelers were the first winning team of Super Bowl to have ever visited the White House. Pittsburg Steelers made their White House visit in 1980 where former President Jimmy Carter received them.
7. Creativity in accommodation
When it comes to accommodation, the host cities of the Super Bowl sometimes become creative. Jacksonville, Florida did the most astonishing thing in 2005 while hosting Super Bowl XXXIX. When the city was out of hotel space they recruited five docked cruise ships to serve as floating hotels.
8. The mishap in Super Bowl 1
One of the quirkiest Super Bowl facts to know is that there was a major mishap when the second half of Super Bowl 1 kicked off. In 1967, when the second half kicked off, NBC was still at commercial, this forced officials to ask the Green Bay Packers to kick off again.
9. Breaking TV rating records
Super Bowl XLIV broke the longstanding TV rating record when 106.5 million people watched the game in 2010. The final match in which the New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts was the most viewed TV program at the time. Since then, the Super Bowl broke the record again in February 2015 when 114.4 million viewers watched Super Bowl XLIX.
Check Out: 10 Shows Teenagers Stream in Secret and Why It Might Not Be That Bad
10. The Lombardi Trophy
The football on the top of the Lombardi Trophy is 55 cm through the middle and 71 cm around the ends. The interesting thing is that this football is of the same size as the official “The Duke”.