On February 5 at 6:30 p.m. (EST), most of us will probably be tuning in to watch the Super Bowl. Some of us will be watching the event for the actual game, while some of us might just be watching it for the commercials or the halftime show (or any of the various other reasons someone might watch it). Regardless, the Super Bowl has become a popular American event, so much so that it is often treated much like a holiday. Let’s examine the history and the winners of this famous game over the years.

The first ever Super Bowl was played between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967. The Packers, who were led by Vince Lombardi, defeated the Chiefs to win it by a score of 35 to 10. This event was a competition between two rival leagues, the AFL (American Football League) and the NFL (National Football League). After the first four Super Bowls in 1970, these leagues would merge to form one league. The AFL and the NFL are where we get the two separate conferences that still face off in the Super Bowl (the AFC and the NFC). The Packers won the next Super Bowl before the AFL’s Jets and Vikings took the next two before the NFL and the AFL were finally merged.

The 70s saw the emergence of several prevalent teams, namely the Steelers, Dolphins, and the Cowboys. Miami would play in the first three Super Bowls of the decade and win two of them, while the Steelers won three in the decade (and one in 1980). The Cowboys also won two in the decade (one at the beginning and one at the end). The 1980s saw the decline of the three 70s powerhouses and a greater variety of winners. San Francisco was prevalent as the new powerhouse throughout the decade, winning three in that span (and one right after in 1990). The Washington Redskins also won two championships during those years. In 1985, the famous Super Bowl shuffling Chicago Bears went 18-1 and crushed the New England Patriots in the big game. Coached by the quick tempered Mike Ditka and with defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, the Bears became the first and only team to carry off two coaches after a Super Bowl victory. The 80s and 90s also saw the beginning of the NFC’s winning streak Super Bowls which started in 1982 and went until 1998 (17 years).

The first four years of the 1990s were marked by the emergence of the Buffalo Bills as a Super Bowl contender. The Bills dominated the AFC for four years and made it to the Super Bowl in all four seasons from 1990 to 1994, but unfortunately they fell short in each of their attempts. The closest the Bills ever got was their first Super Bowl in which their kicker, Scott Norwood, missed a 47-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Also, the Cowboys reemerged in the 1990s wining three, while the Denver Broncos won two in a row in the last couple years of the decade. The 2000s (and still today) were marked by the dominance of the New England Patriots who won three and played in four Super Bowls during the decade. The Steelers also came back to prominence, winning two in the decade. The last seven or so years have been marked by the dominance of the Patriots, Packers, Broncos, and Seahawks, all of whom have won in the past several years and are consistent contenders (the Giants and Ravens also won, to give them credit).

Who will it be this year?

Next week, we will examine the origins of the halftime show…