I’m two years older than the Super Bowl as they prepare to put on the LVIII edition – that’s 58 for those whose Roman numeral knowledge is evading them. Ok, I had to look it up as well. The first Super Bowl I can remember watching was number six or VI. The Miami Dolphins lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 24-3, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans and I became a Dolphins fan that day. They would go on to win the next two Super Bowls, setting a winning season record of 17-0 for the 1972 season – a record that still stands tall and unbroken. There have been 57 Super Bowls and each one is special to someone. Well, maybe not that Blooper Bowl between the Colts and Cowboys when the Colts eked out a victory with five seconds left with a field goal.
The first few Super Bowls were not spectacular, unless you were a Green Bay Packers fan as they won the first two then Broadway Joe gave the AFC their first win with a 16-7 “guaranteed win” over the Colts. But the first one was shown on two networks and wasn’t the spectacle it is today. Now the commercials take front seat as non-football fans tune in just to see who paid millions for a half a minute’s worth of advertising – this year its $7 million for 30 seconds. Bet those ad sales reps are happy. In 1967, the first Super Bowl commercials cost $37,000.
What Super Bowl commercials do you remember?
There have been duds and there have been winners. Did you realize the famous “Where’s the Beef” ad for Wendy’s was first a Super Bowl commercial back in 1984? That’s the Super Bowl where Apple made their famous commercial of a guy throwing a hammer through a computer. But that’s more of a PC thing these days. Lol. Coca Cola broke through the ad noise with its famous 1980 Super Bowl ad – “Hey, Kid, Catch” – the classic Mean Joe Greene commercial that brought him into the hearts of Americans and the world as a big softie. The older Budweiser commercials used to be great. That McDonald’s ad with Larry Bird and Michael Jordan was a Super Bowl idea back in 1993. The Terry Tate: Office Linebacker is a great ad, but who was it for? Had to look it up – Reebok.
There have been classics that keep folks glued to the screen holding their bathroom break until the actual game comes back on. Who will win the game though? I harken back to my student sports writing days covering the Mississippi Delta Community Trojans basketball team. My weekly interview with then-Head Coach John Vickers would set me up. He’d say he knew who was going to win the game and yes, I’d bite.
“The team with the most points at the end of the game.”
And yes, coach, that’s who I’m picking this year and hopefully there will be a Super Bowl ad that scores plenty of points as well.
