The Origin of the Super Bowl

For the first time since 2004, this year's Super Bowl game will be played on the second Sunday in February.

As we all know, it's an enormously popular sporting event to determine the National Football League (NFL) champion.

Broadcast in more than 170 countries, the Super Bowl is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world, with elaborate halftime shows and new commercials adding to the appeal, and on Sunday in America alone, there will be millions of fans gathered around their television to celebrate this de facto national holiday. 

So how did it all begin?

Well, the original "bowl game" was the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, California, which was first played in 1902 as the "Tournament East–West football game" as part of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, and moved to the new Rose Bowl Stadium in 1923. 

The stadium got its name from the fact that the game played there was part of the Tournament of Roses and that it was shaped like a bowl. The Tournament of Roses football game eventually came to be known as the Rose Bowl Game.

From the Rose Bowl game's popularity, post-season college football contests were created, like the 1953 Rose Bowl college football game played on New Year's Day in 1953, at the end of the 1952 college football season. It was the 39th Rose Bowl Game, and was played in Pasadena, California. You can listen to that game on RUSC here.

By the time the first official Super Bowl game was played on January 15th 1967, the term "bowl" for any major American football game was well established. Here's what happened that day...

Score: Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10
Date: Jan. 15, 1967
Site: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Attendance: 61,946
Halftime show: University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band, Grambling State University Marching Band, Anaheim (California) High School Ana-Hi-Steppers Drill Team and Flag Girls.

There are a few more shows on RUSC where our favorite radio stars attend the Rose Bowl. Like Jack Benny, and of course Grantland Rice. 

And if that isn’t enough, and you still need a fix of football, click on the link for some old time NFL Broadcasts.

But if football is not your thing, you might want to get in the mood for Valentines day on the 14th by listening to RUSC Romance Radio station. 

Happy listening my friends,

P.S. Instead of sending a card for Valentines why not share your favorite romantic show from RUSC. Click on the link for a selection of our favorite love stories and some romantic music too. Happy Valentine xxx