Super Bowl Facts
By: Steve Newton
Updated: January 9, 2013
Did you know?
- While Green Bay has played in the big game five times, they have never hosted the event.
- That is because current NFL policy does not allow the game to be held at an open stadium in a "cold-weather" city. (NFL defines "cold-weather" as a city with an average February temperature of less than 50.)
- Next year's game in East Rutherford, NJ will be the first played outdoors in a cold weather environment. If next year's game is a success, the NFL may consider other "cold-weather" venues.
- Denver is banking on next year's game to be a success, as they are submitting bids to host the game in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
- San Francisco has never lost the big game, going 5-0 in previous trips.
- The games are numbered with Roman numerals due to NFL seasons lasting two calendar years. Numbering them with the year could cause confusion.
- The shortest commercial shown (to date) was a half-second long during the game in 2009. It was for Ivar's, a seafood restaurant based in Seattle.
- The longest commercial was a two-minute spot for the Chrysler 200 and the city of Detroit.
- In the first game, a 30-second commercial cost $37,500.
- This year 30-second commercials were selling for over $4 million each.
- This year's game will be the tenth played in New Orleans. The Miami area has also hosted the game 10 times.
- Only three people have won as a player and a coach: Mike Ditka, Tom Flores, and Tony Dungy.
- The longest run after an interception was by James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In XLIII, he ran an interception 100 yards for a touchdown.
- The longest winning streak in big games is two. Green Bay, Miami, Pittsburgh (twice), San Francisco, Dallas, Denver, and New England have won back-to-back.
-The longest losing streak (and consecutive appearances) is four years. The Buffalo Bills appeared in XXV-XXVIII and lost every time. (Their final two appearances ended in losses to Dallas.)
- Game day is the second-biggest day for food consumption in the U.S. behind Thanksgiving.
- An estimated 5,000 pounds of hot dogs will be sold during the game.
- Pizza chains expect to sell 40-50% more pizzas than on a typical Sunday.
- Delivery drivers will log about 4 million miles on game day.
- The average number of people at a viewing party is 17.
- One out of 12 people watching the game will be more interested in the commercials.
- No team has ever played the game on their own home field. The closest "home teams" were San Francisco when they played the 19th game in Stanford, CA; and the Los Angeles Rams who played in the Rose Bowl in the 14th game rather than the L.A. Coliseum.
- Tickets to the first game in 1967 cost between $6 and $12.
- Going into this year's playoffs, only four teams have never played for the Lombardi trophy: Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans. Cleveland and Detroit both won NFL Championships before the big game was established.
- Miami beat Minnesota in the eighth game 24-7. This is impressive because they only attempted 7 passes. Larry Csonka became the first running back named MVP with 145 rushing yards on 33 carries, both records at the time.
- Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers has been selected as MVP three times.
- After the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" in 2004, the NFL permanently banned MTV from conducting future halftime shows.
- Networks have often aired pilot episodes of new shows after the game to capitalize on the large audience of the game. Shows include 'The Wonder Years,' 'Family Guy,' 'Survivor: Australia,' 'Homicide: Life on the Street,' and 'The A-Team'. This year a new episode of 'Elementary' will follow the game.
- The "home team" is designated by which number game is being played. AFC teams are the home team in odd-numbered games and NFC teams in even-numbered games. The AFC champion will be the home team for this game.
- In the previous 46 games, it has never gone into overtime.
- The New York Jets have not appeared in the game since 1969. Kansas City Chiefs haven't made a trip to the big game since 1970.
- While Green Bay has played in the big game five times, they have never hosted the event.
- That is because current NFL policy does not allow the game to be held at an open stadium in a "cold-weather" city. (NFL defines "cold-weather" as a city with an average February temperature of less than 50.)
- Next year's game in East Rutherford, NJ will be the first played outdoors in a cold weather environment. If next year's game is a success, the NFL may consider other "cold-weather" venues.
- Denver is banking on next year's game to be a success, as they are submitting bids to host the game in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
- San Francisco has never lost the big game, going 5-0 in previous trips.
- The games are numbered with Roman numerals due to NFL seasons lasting two calendar years. Numbering them with the year could cause confusion.
- The shortest commercial shown (to date) was a half-second long during the game in 2009. It was for Ivar's, a seafood restaurant based in Seattle.
- The longest commercial was a two-minute spot for the Chrysler 200 and the city of Detroit.
- In the first game, a 30-second commercial cost $37,500.
- This year 30-second commercials were selling for over $4 million each.
- This year's game will be the tenth played in New Orleans. The Miami area has also hosted the game 10 times.
- Only three people have won as a player and a coach: Mike Ditka, Tom Flores, and Tony Dungy.
- The longest run after an interception was by James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In XLIII, he ran an interception 100 yards for a touchdown.
- The longest winning streak in big games is two. Green Bay, Miami, Pittsburgh (twice), San Francisco, Dallas, Denver, and New England have won back-to-back.
-The longest losing streak (and consecutive appearances) is four years. The Buffalo Bills appeared in XXV-XXVIII and lost every time. (Their final two appearances ended in losses to Dallas.)
- Game day is the second-biggest day for food consumption in the U.S. behind Thanksgiving.
- An estimated 5,000 pounds of hot dogs will be sold during the game.
- Pizza chains expect to sell 40-50% more pizzas than on a typical Sunday.
- Delivery drivers will log about 4 million miles on game day.
- The average number of people at a viewing party is 17.
- One out of 12 people watching the game will be more interested in the commercials.
- No team has ever played the game on their own home field. The closest "home teams" were San Francisco when they played the 19th game in Stanford, CA; and the Los Angeles Rams who played in the Rose Bowl in the 14th game rather than the L.A. Coliseum.
- Tickets to the first game in 1967 cost between $6 and $12.
- Going into this year's playoffs, only four teams have never played for the Lombardi trophy: Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans. Cleveland and Detroit both won NFL Championships before the big game was established.
- Miami beat Minnesota in the eighth game 24-7. This is impressive because they only attempted 7 passes. Larry Csonka became the first running back named MVP with 145 rushing yards on 33 carries, both records at the time.
- Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers has been selected as MVP three times.
- After the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" in 2004, the NFL permanently banned MTV from conducting future halftime shows.
- Networks have often aired pilot episodes of new shows after the game to capitalize on the large audience of the game. Shows include 'The Wonder Years,' 'Family Guy,' 'Survivor: Australia,' 'Homicide: Life on the Street,' and 'The A-Team'. This year a new episode of 'Elementary' will follow the game.
- The "home team" is designated by which number game is being played. AFC teams are the home team in odd-numbered games and NFC teams in even-numbered games. The AFC champion will be the home team for this game.
- In the previous 46 games, it has never gone into overtime.
- The New York Jets have not appeared in the game since 1969. Kansas City Chiefs haven't made a trip to the big game since 1970.
