Football fans know all kind of statistics about the Super Bowl. Which team has won the most times? The Pittsburgh Steelers (6). Who was the first MVP? Bart Starr. And on and on. Here at AdvisorOne we decided to take at look at some of our favorite Super Bowl facts by the numbers.
Here then, are some numerical nuggets you can use to keep the conversation going in case the game turns out to be a dud.
Also find out what are AdvisorOne's Top 10 Worst Financial Meltdowns by Athletes.
1) 1: Pre-expansion Teams Not to Appear
Detroit has seen a lot of changes since the first Super Bowl. In 1967, Detroit was Motor City, the epicenter of the American postwar boom. The city and the auto industry spiraled down over the next four decades. Lately, the automakers have made a comeback, but one thing has remained constant; the beloved Lions have only watched the big game from afar. There's a glimmer of hope now with the team drafting well and playing better. Lions fans hope this number is soon struck from the list.
2) 17: Biggest Point Spread
Twice in Super Bowl history a team has been favored by 17 points. The Green Bay Packers took that heavy-favorite status into Super Bowl I and didn't disappoint. They Thrashed the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. The other heavy favorite was the Baltimore Colts in their contest with the New York Jets in Super Bowl III. Everyone knew the upstart AFL was overmatched. Well, everyone but Joe Namath who famously guaranteed a Jets victory.
The Patriots had a shock nearly as great in Super Bowl XLII when they lost to the Giants despite being 14-point favorites. At least the Pats could think back to Super Bowl XXXVI when they beat the Rams, who were also two-TD faves.
3) 77%: The Stock Market Predictor
Some investors are scientific and like to gather facts about companies, the economy and other factors before taking a chance on a stock. Then there are those who use the position of the moon or maybe which way the wind is blowing. For others there is the Super Bowl Market Predictor, which holds that if the NFC team wins the big game the market will rise for the year, with an opposite outcome should the AFC team emerge victorious. The predictor has worked 77% of the time. There have been notable misses, like 2008 when the New York Giants won, and, well, you know what happened by the end of that year. Follow the predictor at your own risk.
4) $4,337: Ticket Price in 2012
The Giants-Patriots match-up is a hot ticket, possibly the hottest ever judging by the average price on the NFL Ticket Exchange. The reselling service (you may have seen those ads during games showing a deflated fan and an elated child) reports that the average price for the game is $4,337. That price may be dropping though, with Bloomberg reporting a figure of less than $4,000. The face value of a ticket is $800-$1,200 depending on seat location.
The average ticket price for Super Bowl I was $12 and a cheap seat could be had for $6 (and the game was not sold out). For 2012, though, you might get a better deal if you wait, or maybe the best option is keep the cash and watch it all on TV.
5) $15,000: Super Bowl I Winner's Share
Everyone loves a winner and to that end, the winners always get more loot for their efforts. The Green Bay Packers each received a cool 15 Gs for their win over the Kansas City Chiefs (who each got $7,500). The Packers' victory checks might not sound so big (winners today walk away with $83,000, losers $42,000), but the minimum salary in the league was $9,000 at the time. Now, it's $375,000 for a rookie and $910,000 for a 10-year veteran.
6) $3.24 million: Largest Payday for a Bettor
Americans love to bet on pro football's biggest game. Last year. Las Vegas reported that more than $87 million was wagered on the game, and that doesn't count illegal bets, office pools and wagers among friends. Some estimate that 50% of Americans have a financial stake in the game.
Then there are those who have serious bets to make. Betting guru Danny Sheridan reports for Cigar Aficianado magazine, that the largest payday for a bettor occurred in 2002. The winner placed a million dollars on the New England Patriots to lose by less than 14 points to the St. Louis Rams. Then he plunked down $400,000 on the Pats to win outright at 6 to 1 odds. They did, 20-17, and he walked away with a bundle of cash. His combined winnings came to $3.24 million (he doubled his money on the first wager and made $2.4 million on the second, minus a bookie's fee).
7) $3.5 million: Cost of 30-second Ad
In addition to the game (which for many viewers is an afterthought to the party), the ads always generate plenty of buzz, both positive and negative. Beer companies (think Budweiser), computer companies (Apple's 1984 add is considered a classic), chip makers (Intel and Doritos), and others, shell out big bucks for a spot. After a slight price drop after the recession started, the price is back on the rise with this year's average price reportedly at $3.5 million, with some paying $4 million for the best placement.
The cost of an ad during Super Bowl I was a relative bargain at about $40,000 for 30 seconds. By 1980, the cost had risen to $275,000 and it cracked the million-dollar mark in 1995.
8) 111 Million: Largest U.S. TV Audience
You probably know that the Super Bowl is the most watched TV show in the U.S. every year, which helps explain why the networks shell out billions for the rights to telecast games. Last year's game broke the 100 million viewer mark for the first time. With audiences fragmented by the ever-expanding cable menu, the Super Bowl keeps its upward trajectory, setting a viewership record the last four years.
The first game, in 1967, snagged about 50 million viewers for the game, which was seen on both CBS and NBC. Super Bowl II, seen only on CBS, had 39 million viewers. The perecentage of TVs tuned in for the first game was 79%, the highest ever. That figure has remained in the mid-60s the last few years.
9) 1.25 Billion: Chicken Wings Consumed
It's not the Super Bowl without overindulging. Only on Thanksgiving do Americans eat more. This year, according to NPD Group, a market research firm, chicken wings will be high on the list of faves. A press release postulates that if all the wings were laid end to end they would circle the globe twice.
And while that's a lot of wings, NPD reports that vegetables will be the top food consumed on Sunday: Potatoes. Toasted salty snacks and carbonated soft drinks follow the veggies. There is a caveat to NPD's list, however. Most Americans don't watch the game (hard to imagine, I know), so many of those eating veggies might not be watching the game at all. We're betting wings, guacamole and beer top the list of game foods.
10) Invaluable: The Vince Lombardi Trophy
The winning team gets to take home the iconic trophy designed by Tiffany's for Super Bowl I. A new trophy, which features a regulation-size football made of silver, is fashioned in a New Jersey workshop. Estimates of the trophy's actual value vary wildly from $25,000 to more than a $100,000, but there's no doubt that anyone who has held one on the last day of an NFL season knows it's priceless.
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