Super Bowl History and Trivia

Here is some Super Bowl history and trivia about the biggest single event in American sports. The Super Bowl is so huge to American sports fans that even the commercials are a bid deal and a highly anticipated event for viewers.

The Super Bowl spawns thousands of parties each year as fans get together to watch the big game. The game has turned into a holiday like celebration of the National Football League.

History of the Super Bowl
How did the Super Bowl get its name? Former Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt named the game after a toy. According to Football.about.com Hunt named the game after his daughter's "Super Ball" toy. That was a strange way to name the Super Bowl but it is how it happened.

A big time performer in the first Super Bowl was Max McGee, a receiver for the Packers who played well despite a hangover. Max McGee died from a fall off his roof in 2007 according to this Foxnews.com story. After Vince Lombardi's death, the Super Bowl trophy was renamed the Lombardi Trophy.

Super Bowl Trivia
The Pittsburgh Steelers have won six Super Bowls making them the leading team. The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers have played in three Super Bowls with the Steelers winning two of them. Dallas handed the Steelers their only Super Bowl loss in Super Bowl XXX in 1995. The Dallas Cowboys have won five Super Bowls and lost three.

The Green Bay Packers have won three and lost one Super Bowl, including winning the first two. The New England Patriots have won three and lost three Super Bowls. The San Francisco 49ers are 4-0 in Super Bowls while the Vikings and Bills are both 0-4 in the Big Game. The Buffalo Bills lost four Super Bowls in a row, thus making a great team look like a not so great franchise.

Quarterbacks have won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award 23 times. Defensive players have won the Super Bowl MVP seven times including co/MVPs Randy White and Harvey Martin for Dallas in Super Bowl XII against Denver. Wide Receivers have won the Super Bowl MVP award, eight times, though two were as kick returners. Running backs have won the Super Bowl MVP seven times.

Mike Lodish of the Bills and Broncos set the record for most Super Bowls by one player with six. 14 NFL players have played in five Super Bowls see the list here at NFL.com.

One of my favorite-and most entertaining-Super Bowls ever was XVI. San Francisco beat Cincinnati 26 to 21 in the Pontiac Silverdome. Even though I was a Dallas fan at the time I was pulling for the 49ers to win their first Super Bowl and they did.

I hope you found this bit of Super Bowl History and trivia entertaining. Please do a search here for more Super Bowl content, you will find lots of it!

Sources
Super Bowl records at NFL.com
Super Bowl history at Profootballreference.com