2/7/2023
Sunday marks the 57th Super Bowl to be played, and barring some unforseen circumstance I'll be able to say I've seen them all. I know to some degree it gives away my age. To that I say "So What?" I'm happy to be able to say I've seen a few things. I think stories from those perspectives passed on can be some of the most valuable things passed down from one generation to the next..but I digress.
As a kid,I watched both NFL and AFL Football before the merger of the two leagues. My favorite football team was the Green Bay Packers but my favorite football player came from the rival AFL,Buffalo Bills quarterback Jack Kemp. Buffalo played Kansas City for the right to play in Super Bowl I . If Buffalo had won, given my fondness for Jack Kemp and the underdogs as proven by my fandom in baseball of the New York Mets who then were regarded as the hapless clown princes of baseball,I might have switched my allegiances before that game. Kansas City won,but I still hoped the AFL would make a good showing for themselves.
I have a few standout memories of Super Bowls of the past..here are a few
Super Bowl I CBS held the Television rights for the National Football League NBC held the television rights to the American Football League. It was agreed upon that the first Super Bowl would be broadcast on both networks. I watched the first half on CBS,the second half on NBC. The Grambling College Marching Band remains one of the best Super Bowl halftime performances I've seen.
Super Bowl III I loved the braggadocious style of Joe Namath and the laying in the sun and partying on the beach style of the New York Jets was another way of flipping a middle finger to the establishment. This was the 60's after all.. at the same time I was bracing myself for a defeat at the hands of the old school establishment Baltimore Colts. They ran roughshod over every team they faced. We know what happened. This may have been the only Super Bowl where my brothers and I would be rooting for the same team.. They chose not to watch what most folks thought would be a one sided affair and instead decided to watch Ice Station Zebra starring Jim Brown in the movie theater.
Super Bowl IV Kansas City Chiefs vs Minnesota Vikings. With a Christmas present tape recorder,my brothers tape recorded every play near the end zone. A TV RedZone type of deal ahead of its time. Lots of Kansas City scoring. We also recorded the victorious locker room of Kansas City and the merciless treatment of the oldest Daniels brother towards the youngest- a Minnesota Vikings fan.
Super Bowl VIII The Super Bowl was the only live TV show broadcasted in Alaska at the time. The game had to be beamed in via satellite. The World Series only got same day delayed broadcast in a state that usually had a 2 week delay basis of programs broadcasted in the "Lower 48" On top of things this was still the era where the Super Bowl was broadcast at the same time as a regular season game meaning noon or 1 EST. Given the time difference in Alaska this meant either waking up to the Super Bowl or pulling some semblance of an all nighter. Closing times in Anchorage bars was 4am.. Guess which option this college student took?
Super Bowl IX By now I'm living in a commune in the heart of Alaska's Matanuska Valley. No TV's allowed. We did make weekly visits to Anchorage on the weekends,and on this particular Sunday,I excused myself from the commune brethren to watch the Super Bowl at a J.C. Penney's in Downtown Anchorage Alaska
Super Bowl XI- Worst Super Bowl ever..the hated Oakland Raiders vs the hated Minnesota Vikings.
Super Bowl XII They lost but this was the Super Bowl where my fandom switched from the Green Bay Packers to the Denver Broncos . Watching the reports of Denver fans and their excitement and hardcore enthusiasm "Broncomania" captured my attention
Super Bowl XXI By now I'm living in Denver and got to experience Broncomania first hand. John Elway's "Drive" got the Broncos to the Super Bowl but the magic didn't carry over to the big game and the Broncos lost
Super Bowl XXII Lost my voice for a week after the AFC Championship Game. When the Broncos went up 10-0 in the first quarter,I thought for certain I'd be losing my voice again celebrating a Super Bowl victory. Final score Washington 42 Denver 10. Doug Williams made history by becoming the first black quarterback to lead his team to victory in the Super Bowl..Why did it have to happen against the Broncos?
Super Bowl XXIV I flew back to Denver from Minneapolis to celebrate what I thought was to be a sure Denver victory. Halftime score 49'ers 35 Broncos 3 Friend Doug Wilhelm and I agreed that it couldn't get any worse so we agreed to take tequila shots for every San Francisco score in the second half. Final Score 55-10 Word to the wise: Best not to walk around Denver the day after a Super Bowl loss when one has outstanding traffic tickets. Cops and Judges like everyone else in Denver tend to be in a bad mood after a Broncos loss.
Super Bowl XXXII Denver Broncos 31 Green Bay Packers 24 Denver Broncos are World Champs in one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever! I believe all of Downtown Minneapolis and the West Bank neighborhood heard my screams after the game.
Super Bowl XXXVIII New England Patriots vs Carolina Panthers Super Bowl Halftime shows have been something I've paid little attention to in recent years,shows with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,the Rolling Stones and Prince being exceptions. Was watching the game with friends Andy Larson and Dan Schauer. At halftime Andy went into the kitchen to prepare halftime Walleye. I'm staring at the TV but not really paying attention as a halftime show featuring Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson drew little interest. Next thing I hear is Dan shouting "They just showed her boobs!" I missed it and didn't realize it created such an uproar till reading accounts of it on the internet.
Super Bowl XLIII Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals It was this Super Bowl where I began my tradition of making my hottest chicken wings of the year. That year I brought out your basic Buffalo Wings..every batch has been consistently hotter since.
Super Bowl XLVIII The tone for the day was set with a morning argument with my significant other We had a Super Bowl party scheduled for our St Paul apartment. Things got worse with the opening snap going over Peyton Manning's head for a safety. Friends who attended the party witnessed the David "Screwface" Final Score Seattle 43 Denver 8
Super Bowl 50- The last Great Super Bowl to date Hosted another Super Bowl party but this time, anyone not rooting for the Denver Broncos was not invited. It was a much smaller gathering but a much better result. I was in St Paul but my heart was in Denver wondering why I couldn't be in Denver for this game. Denver Broncos 24 Carolina Panthers 10
Reaching that stage now where every Super Bowl game I get to see is an added blessing. I just hope there are a few more memorable games in store.
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