The big game is almost here! While my New England Patriots will not be appearing in this year’s game, it’s still a great time to get together with friends and family for food and football. Here are ten fun facts about the history of the Super Bowl.
1. “It is the 2nd most watched sporting event in the world. More than 100 million people worldwide watch the Super Bowl every year. In fact, Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 unseated M*A*S*H's series finale as the most watched show in television history with over 106.5 million watchers.”
2. “2017 - A 30-second spot reportedly costs between $5 million and $5.5 million. The prior record of $5 million for a 30-second commercial was set in 2016 by CBS.”
3. “According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Super Bowl Sunday is America's "second-largest food consumption day." (Only Thanksgiving Day beats it.)”
4. “Chances are you're eating at least a few of the 1.25 billion chicken wings consumed on Super Bowl Sunday. One hundred twenty million pounds of avocado, four million pizzas, and 50 million cases of beer are all scarfed and guzzled on what is the second biggest eating day of the year.”
5. “Every year there are 72 footballs used for the Super Bowl. There are more than 700,000 footballs purchased for the NFL each year.”
6. “Tickets for the very first Super Bowl in 1967 cost an average of $6, which was apparently too pricy for many. According to Trinchero, there were 30,000 empty seats!”
7. “The Patriots made their league-leading 11th Super Bowl appearance when they faced the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.”
8. “Over half of the Super Bowls have been played in the cities of New Orleans, Miami, or Los Angeles.”
9. “The timing of when the AFC-NFC title game got its name is slightly disputed, but the legend is Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt coined it based off the “super ball” toy his daughter and son played with.”
10. “For all the jewelry lovers out there, did you know the winning team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is seven pounds of sterling silver, handcrafted by Tiffany & Co.?”
