Why is it called the Super Bowl? NFL title game’s name was birthed by child’s toy, Lamar Hunt’s wit

Who would’ve thought that a child’s toy would’ve been the inspiration for the name of the greatest spectacle in professional sports? It’s safe to say that not even Lamar Hunt, the man who is credited with coining the “Super Bowl” name, could have thought that his idea — let alone the game itself — would become the cultural phenomenon that it is today.  

Hunt’s foray into professional sports had a humble beginning. He had tried and failed twice to acquire an NFL team, and that’s when he decided to do the unthinkable: create a brand new football league that would one day compete with the league that spurned him. Hunt’s goal, however, was not payback. The goal of Hunt’s league — the American Football League — was to create a more exciting brand of football while tailoring rules to help the offenses (sound familiar?). 

After several lean years, the AFL quickly established itself as a more fun, entertaining alternative to the more traditional NFL. Not only did AFL games include higher point totals, they also included colorful jerseys (to help reel in young fans) and just as colorful personalities that included Chiefs coach Hank Stram and Jets quarterback Joe Namath.

Along with Namath, the league possessed several household names that included Jack Kemp (who quarterbacked the Bills to two AFL titles while appearing in four straight AFL title games) and Chargers receiver Lance Alworth, whose career earned him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Over time, the league thought it was ready to compete with the mighty NFL, and before the start of the 1966 season, Hunt, who was also the owner of the Chiefs, penned a letter to NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle to see if the NFL champion would care to face his league’s champion once their own championship game had concluded.

“If possible, I believe we should ‘coin a phrase’ for the Championship Game,” Hunt wrote, according to Michael…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/why-is-it-called-the-super-bowl-nfl-title-games-name-was-birthed-by-childs-toy-lamar-hunts-wit/

Author : Bryan DeArdo

Publish date : 2024-02-06 15:02:08

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