Super Sunday

The television really was pretty ugly…pink and white…made out of tin. The screen was 15 inches and the color wasn’t black and white. It was sort of gray on lighter gray. The snow was caused by the reception from the “rabbit ears” antenna…not the weather, which was perfect in Los Angeles on January 15, 1967. It was the first Super Bowl and that little TV was what my college roommates and I had to watch the spectacle so we made the best of it.

No one had yet dubbed the day Super Sunday. The franchise owners and league officials had finally figured out that pro football could make them money…on television. This could be better than professional wrestling which filled the airwaves most weekends in those days, along with baseball. There were still two competing leagues then, the original National League and the new American League. It wasn’t until 1970 that the National Football League was formed, with two conferences, the National and the American.

Besides the size of the television, which now is embarrassing if it isn't 42inches or larger, it was different then. The Green Bay Packers with their immortal coach Vince Lombardi and Quarterback Bart Starr, the Peyton Manning of his day, defeated the upstart Kansas City Chiefs 35 to 10 and the tradition was established. The winners got $15,000 each and the losers $7,500, with no cheerleaders and a half-time show that looked pretty much like the Rose Bowl. It did give us time to play a little catch in the sun.

Lots of big global viewing numbers are thrown around by the NFL and the television networks but, in reality, this is a very American event. Oh, it is shown around the world, but most other countries know as much about American Football as we know about Cricket and avoid it in droves. I’ve watched the game with other Americans in several interesting places like Sydney, Paris, London, Auckland and Milan. The snacks were different but good and there was definitely no competition for a spot in front of the TV in the local pubs.

I’ve seen a few live Super Bowls with my clients but I have to say going to Detroit to see the Seahawks play the Pittsburgh Steelers is the one that will remain in my memory bank. The vast majority of the games have been played in sunny climes like LA and Miami. Only three times, so far, has the game been played in a northern city, where winter is really winter, as it should be. It was snowy and cold in Detroit and because it is so close to Pittsburgh that their fans could drive it easily, we Seahawks were dramatically outnumbered on the streets and in the stadium.

Other than Detroit’s remote parking plan, which cost us five hours in sub-freezing weather standing outside and on the bus, and their new downtown people movers that were completely unreliable and needed the “station stuffers” who get every person possible on the Tokyo subways, the city was hospitable. The snow turned into a sheet of ice on almost all roads on Sunday, so just getting to the stadium was a half-day event itself.

In person, the game has become a colossal extravaganza that includes a little football being played for a couple of hours. The opening tribute to Motown with Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Wilson Pickett and a host of other stars got us warmed up quite well. At half-time, the Rolling Stones gave it their best with Mick Jagger’s lips being 100-feet wide on the jumbotron.

Our seats were great…on the 35 yard line…we found them in the Seahawks players pool, thanks to my ex-Seahawk, television anchor buddy. I only ventured away from our spot and the boisterous Steeler fans behind us, who loved the verbal sparring throughout the entire game, one time. It was a trip to the souvenir stand for “trash and trinkets”. I had a serendipitous long conversation with Jamie Moyer in the line. He was after sweatshirts for the whole family, which cost him more than the average monthly house payment. I came away with a cap and a couple of shot glasses.

The Seahawks lost 21 to 10 but they played a good game and finished with heads held high. Today, team spirit and hometown allegiance makes the Super Bowl a great event…and I haven’t even mentioned the commercials. I’m sure my friends from Indianapolis are feeling a bit down right now but New Orleans deserves some time in the sun and the win, as well. It was a great game and something for all Americans to revel in.

There was a time when “Super” Sunday was probably Easter for most people…and really, I’m sure, it still is. But for many, this Super Sunday in the heart of gray and blustery winter is a time to gather with friends and enjoy an American tradition that strengthens our bonds and excites us. The Winter Olympics are up next and we’ll get to feel that spirit again…for Team USA.