Super Bowl I facts for kids
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| Date | January 15, 1967 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Bart Starr, Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Packers by 14 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Norm Schachter | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 61,946 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Current/Future Hall of Famers | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chiefs: Hank Stram (coach), Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Len Dawson, Emmitt Thomas Packers: Vince Lombardi (coach), Herb Adderley, Willie Davis, Forrest Gregg, Paul Hornung, Henry Jordan, Ray Nitschke, Dave Robinson, Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Willie Wood |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | University of Arizona and University of Michigan Bands | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coin toss | Norm Schachter | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | University of Arizona and University of Michigan Bands | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | CBS and NBC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | CBS: Ray Scott, Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford NBC: Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman |
||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | CBS: 18.5 (est. 24.43 million viewers) NBC: 22.6 (est. 26.75 million viewers) (Total: 51.18 million viewers) |
||||||||||||||||||
| Market share | CBS: 46 NBC: 49 |
||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of 30-second commercial | $42,000 (Both CBS and NBC) | ||||||||||||||||||
Super Bowl I was the very first championship game in professional American football. At the time, it was called the First AFL-NFL World Championship Game. It was played on January 15, 1967, in Los Angeles, California. The game took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
In this historic game, the National Football League (NFL) champions, the Green Bay Packers, played against the American Football League (AFL) champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Packers won with a score of 35 to 10.
Super Bowl I is special because it was the only Super Bowl that did not sell out all its tickets. The Coliseum could hold 94,000 people, but 33,000 tickets were not sold. The game was also unique because it was shown on two different TV networks, NBC and CBS, at the same time. Each network had its own announcers.
Contents
Meet the Teams: Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs had a great season before the Super Bowl. They won 11 games, lost 2, and tied 1. They then beat the Buffalo Bills 31-7 in the AFL Championship Game.
Chiefs' Offensive Power
The Chiefs' offense was very strong, scoring the most points in the AFL. They were also excellent at running the ball. Three of their running backs, Mike Garrett, Bert Coan, and Curtis McClinton, were among the top ten rushers in the league.
Their quarterback, Len Dawson, was the best passer in the AFL. He completed 56% of his passes for 2,527 yards and 26 touchdowns. The Chiefs also had talented wide receivers. Otis Taylor caught 58 passes for 1,297 yards and 8 touchdowns. Chris Burford also had 58 catches for 758 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Chiefs' Strong Defense
The Chiefs' defense was also very tough. They had All-AFL players like Jerry Mays and Buck Buchanan on their defensive line. Linebacker Bobby Bell was great at stopping runs and covering passes.
The strongest part of their defense was their secondary (defensive backs). This group included All-AFL safeties Johnny Robinson and Bobby Hunt, who each caught 10 interceptions. Defensive back Fred Williamson also had 4 interceptions. The Chiefs' Head Coach was Hank Stram.
Meet the Teams: Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers were a very successful team, often called an NFL dynasty. Just eight years before, in 1958, they were one of the worst teams in the NFL.
How the Packers Became a Dynasty
Everything changed when legendary head coach Vince Lombardi was hired in January 1959. Lombardi worked hard to build a winning team. He signed player Fred "Fuzzy" Thurston. He also made a big trade that brought three important defensive players to the team: Henry Jordan, Willie Davis, and Bill Quinlan.
Lombardi's efforts quickly paid off. The Packers improved their record to 7 wins and 5 losses in 1959. The next year, they surprised everyone by reaching the NFL Championship Game. Even though they lost 17-13 to the Philadelphia Eagles, it showed they were no longer a losing team. Green Bay went on to win NFL Championships in 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, and 1967.
Packers' Star Players
Packers quarterback Bart Starr was the top-rated quarterback in the NFL in 1966. He won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. Starr completed 62.2% of his passes for 2,257 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only 3 interceptions.
His main targets were wide receivers Boyd Dowler and Carroll Dale. Together, they caught 63 passes for 1,336 yards. Fullback Jim Taylor was the team's best rusher with 705 yards. He also caught 41 passes for 331 yards. The Packers' offensive line was also a big reason for their success. They were led by All-Pro guards Jerry Kramer and Thurston, along with Forrest Gregg.
Game Day Entertainment
The first Super Bowl halftime show featured American trumpeter Al Hirt. Marching bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling State University also performed.
After the game, the trophy presentation was handled by CBS's Pat Summerall and NBC's George Ratterman. They even had to share one microphone!
Images for kids
-
Los Angeles Coliseum on game day.
-
Defensive linemen Willie Davis (left) and Henry Jordan (right) sacking quarterback Len Dawson
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Super Bowl I para niños
