2009 - Super Bowl XLIII Preview:
Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida is going to be an experience of a lifetime. The 5-time Super Bowl champs Pittsburgh Steelers will be facing the new kids on the block - the Arizona Cardinals. Whether or not you are a Cards fan or a Steelers fan, the atmosphere at a Super Bowl game is unlike any other. You can be sure that this year's Super Bowl will sell out, so make sure to secure your tickets with TicketCity today. Also, make sure to check out our Super Bowl event guide for critical information regarding parking, directions, tailgates and attractions.
The 2009 Super Bowl will be broadcast on NBC, its first Superbowl broadcast since Superbowl XXXII. The game will be commentated by broadcast veterans Al Michaels (play-by-play) and NFL video game goliath John Madden (color commentary). Super Bowl XLIII will be the last Super Bowl and essentially the second-to-last major sporting event to be telecast in the United States using analog television (Daytona 500 will be the last major event broadcast on February 15th). A 30-second television commercial will cost an estimated 3 million dollars - the new record for a television program.
Super Bowl XLIII Event Guide
The Super Bowl is the championship football game played annually between the AFC and NFC division champions of the NFL. The Super Bowl is played on a Sunday at a different stadium each year, and is the most watched professional sports events in the United States. The Super Bowl is so popular, that Super Bowl Sunday has become likened to a de facto U.S. national holiday. Each year, many popular musicians and singers perform at halftime during the event. It is also the second-largest food consumption day in the U.S., trailing only Thanksgiving.
The Super Bowl was created as a result of the merger between the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). The NFL fought for dominance in the professional sport, fending off several professional leagues, including the AFL. When the AFL began play in 1960, both the NFL and AFL competed for players, leading to merger talks around 1966. On June 8, 1996, the AFL-NFL merger was announced, and the winner of each leagues championship game would meet in a final game to determine the world football champion. AFL founder and Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt jokingly referred to the proposed game as the Super Bowl, after watching a group of kids play with a toy called a "Super Ball." The name was consistent with college "bowl" games, and became the permanent football championship moniker.
The first two Super Bowls were dominated by the NFL's Green Bay Packers, which led to doubts as to the competitiveness of AFL teams. The perception that the AFL was an inferior league changed the next year, as the AFL's New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. The following year, the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings to put the AFL on par with its NFL rival. Super Bowl IV was the last championship played between the two leagues.
The first Super Bowl to be called by number is Super Bowl III – the first two championships were not distinguished by a number until after the third championship. The trophy awarded to the winning football team is known as the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for the coach of the Green bay Packers who won the first two Super Bowls. The Tiffany & Co.-created trophy is made entirely of sterling silver, and features a regulation-size football in kicking position. The Vince Lombardi Trophy was first awarded to the Baltimore Colts at Super Bowl V.