Super Bowl XLI was held nearly 40 years after the first World Championship Football game in 1967. The two teams facing off in Super Bowl XLI (Indianapolis Colts versus Chicago Bears) each had one win under their belt and both wanted desperately for their second. Facing off two previous champions, both with nearly equal regular season records seemed to make for an exciting and interesting game. Nevertheless, the excitement was short-lived when the rain and several mistakes mad e by both teams proved to be a disappointment to many fans. A report from ESPN defined Super Bowl XLI, between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears, as the worst Super Bowl ever.

Many sports commentators and fans felt the MVP designation given to Peyton Manning wes undeserved in light of his poor performance during Super Bowl XLI. Even though his game was off, many felt he well-deserved it after his exceptional 10 year career. Manning’s record for Super Bowl XLI was one of the worst for a Super Bowl MVP after he completed less than 66% of his passes, and had only one touchdown pass.

Another disappointment to the fans was the announcement by the NFL that tailgating would not be permitted. The ban was the 1st time the NFL took a position on tailgating, by prohibiting it. Angry fans were upset that the NFL would ban this annual tradition. At first, a spokesman for Dolphin Stadium announced tailgating would be allowed, Shortly thereafter, the NFL owners released a statement banning tailgating and prohibiting fans without a ticket within a 2-block radius of Dolphin Stadium.

Probably the event that garnered the most outrage was the NFL’s attempt to prohibit churches from hosting super bowl parties during Super Bowl XLI. An Indianapolis church was targeted by the NFL and their legal counsel after they advertised a party on their website, and used the Super Bowl logo. The NFL explained that they could not televise the game at the church. The NFL letter prompted many news media and churches across the USA to threaten a boycott. The bad publicity from newspapers and media had a negative impact on the NFL and soon prompted the NFL to reverse their decision.

The face value of a 2010 super bowl ticket will be 0, However, getting your ticket for that price is not so easy, unless you are fortunate enough to either find a generous seller or you are selected through the NFL’s random drawing.

The NFL does not sell or issue tickets to travel and ticket companies, rather they hold a random drawing in which selected entrants will have the privilege of purchasing their super bowl tickets. Annually, beginnning in February and ending in June, the NFL accepts mail-in entries to their drawing for the upcoming Super Bowl. Entries are limited to one per address and must be sent via certified or registered mail. If the NFL chooses your entry, you are able to purchase up to two super bowl tickets from the NFL at face value.

Annually, the NFL prints and distributes more than 70,000 super bowl tickets. Yet, the number of available tickets is dependent on the seating capacity of the stadium. Dolphin Stadium in Florida’s Miami Gardens will be the 2010 Super Bowl host, which has a stadium capacity of a little more than 76,000. In the most recent super bowl games held at Dolphin stadium, only super bowl XXIII exceeded 75,000, while super bowl XXIX, XXXIII, and XLI were just over 74,000.

By far, the best way and the least expensive method to obtain your super bowl tickets will be to enter the NFL random drawing, unless you prefer to wait later in the season of which it could cost as much as 00 to 00 per ticket. Super bowl tickets in late January 2009 were priced at close to 00 on many ticket and auction websites.

Nevertheless, if you do enter the NFL random drawing, and then decide not to attend the game, you can always sell your super bowl tickets for a nice profit as there are always buyers looking for super bowl tickets.

Originally, the first super bowl Sunday was actually called the AFL-NFL championship game. There are two variations of where the term super bowl actually originated. Sportswriters and commentators were familiar with referring to college football games as ‘bowl games’ and began calling the professional world championship event the super bowl. This event was the game of all games, and the briadcasters were giving it special significance with the unofficial minker of super bowl Sunday. Eventually, the name caught on and several years later the NFL designated the world championship game as the super bowl, and changed the name as such.

Super Bowl Sunday may have also derived its namesake from an experience by Lamar Hunt. Legand has it that Hunt’s child was playing with a toy popular in the mid-60′s, called a super ball. He jokingly told several team owners at an NFL conference that they should call the championship the Super Bowl, since the name of the toy was already hugely popular and this would be a play on words of something that is well-known across America.

The annual tradition of Super Bowl Sunday attracts millions of fans to the game, regadless of the origin of the name. In the last decade, more than 50 million people watch Super Bowl Sunday on TV, and recently the audience has grown to nearly 100 million.

Aside from Thanksgiving, Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest ‘food holiday’ and family gathering event in America. More money is spent on snacks, drinks and tailgating party supplies on super bowl Sunday than any other day of the year.
Even though the World Series has always been an American tradition embedded in our history, recent years has shown that super bowl Sunday is a more popular event, and has become the new great American pastime.

Not everyone who attends a super bowl party is a football fan, so keep this in mind when planning a party. If you are hosting a super bowl party, it is a good idea to make it enjoyable for all those attending, even the non-football fanatics. Aside from the multitude of food and drink, a provision for activities that will entertain your other guests is a good idea. A deck of cards at the dining table will occupy those that are not really into the super bowl, and if there are children around, a board game, video game setup or computer will help occupy their time, while the serious ‘players’ are watching the game.

Plan your super bowl party several weeks in advance by asking friends to help you put it together. Each person can be in charge of a specific food ‘group’, and one person can be in charge of setting up extra activities. Since many of the super bowl parties involve alcohol, it is also a good idea to appoint one person to be in charge of bringing the beer, and not allowing anyone to go out for more later. This will help keep the chances of someone getting a little too ‘loaded’ during the game. A responsible person to ensure nobody drives while intoxicated is also a safe idea.

Location will be important for your super bowl party as well. Keep in mind, loud noise and a little rough-housing may occur, especially right before half-time and in the last quarter of the game. Choosing a space that will not disturb your entire home and one that is large enough for all your guests is the best option. You can easily set up and decorate the garage, a den or game room to handle a large super bowl party, several weeks in advance of the game.

With the cooperation of friends and a sufficient amount of pre-planning, it is easy to pull off a memorable super bowl party. Ultimately achieving the goal of having a good time and a fun get-together with friends and family and enjoying the game in a spirited environment.

Early planning is the key to getting the best accommodations. Even though most Hotels reserve space for Super Bowl packages, the best rooms are usually taken by the end of the regular season. You can choose to make your own itinerary for the super bowl or purchase a super bowl package from an agency.

In planning your own super bowl package, check the internet for available accommodations, nearby restaurants, and transportation facilities. Ask for special discounts that you may be eligible for such as AAA, AARP or super bowl discounts. Most businesses in the host city are more than happy to help you get your money’s worth by offering discounts when you let them know you are coming for the super bowl.

If you choose to use a Ticket or travel agency to plan your super bowl package, the best place to start is to find an agency that is certified, bonded and has plenty of years of experience in the business. Many companies may not offer refunds on your super bowl packages, so make sure you read, understand and are comfortable with their terms of sale, in case you need to cancel or request a refund.

Make sure your super bowl package includes transportation to and from the game as well. Most hotels provide free shuttle service, however some do not, and only have taxi and bus service available. If you are setting up your own super bowl package, you may want to consider renting a car for the weekend.

Avoiding falling victim to the many scams that crop up each year by following these tips:

Ensure your tickets are authentic, check the date, the location and the official NFL logo printed on the ticket, as well as the terms of sale.

Use your credit card (preferably VISA or Mastercard), in case you are scammed, you will have purchase protection from your bank, and the company will make a chargeback

Make confirmation calls at least 2 weeks in advance to ensure your accommodations are what they were sold to you as, this includes the airline and car rental companies. If you find that your reservation is non-existent, you have time to correct it before the game. If you wait till the day of your travel, you may find yourself missing the kickoff

The super bowl package business is a very lucrative business, be wary of high pressure salespeople and those that insist you take action immediately. If something sounds too good to be true, call the Hotels or airlines and find out if the price is in-line with their general rates. If a company is offering you a ridiculously low price, you may want to investigate it before you give up your cash

Planning ahead and sorting through the best deals will help you make the most of your chance to watch a live super bowl. Calls to a few agencies that specialize in super bowl packages will likely help you avoid frustration and give you an opportunity to get the best price for your super bowl weekend.

Early super bowl history from the 1920′s; professional football clubs organized and over the course of the next 40 years, several owners formed a committee as part of the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). Each league would produce a championship team to compete in an annual world championship game. Each team would join their respective conference and at the end of the regular season, a play off against the top two champions of each conference would play in what was known as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game.

Super Bowl history starts in 1967 when the AFL-NFL had their first annual championship game, however, the media dubbed this game the ‘Super Bowl’ because of the college games known as bowl games. The ‘Bowl’ game concept originated when sports commentators referred to the Rose Bowl stadium during the college playoffs, the name bowl stuck to college games and most college playoffs were referred to as bowl games. Thus, when the professional championship gmae came about in 967, the media incessantly referred to it as the ‘Super Bowl’. However, it was not until later, when the NFL officially called the game, the super bowl.

Super Bowl III would be the first championship game in super bowl history to officially be termed a super bowl by the NFL. Another super bowl history fact was the trophy awarded to the winning team was named the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the coach of the Green Bay Packers, who had won the first two super bowls.

Super Bowl history would be made several times over the course of the 40-plus years, culminating with the Pittsburgh Steelers victory in Super Bowl XLIII. The Steelers would be the first team to reach 7 super bowls and the first team to own 6 Vince Lombardi Trophies.

More interesting Super Bowl History: Tony Dungy in super XLI would be the first black coach to win a super bowl. Florida is the state that has hosted the Super Bowl the most times (Ten as of Super Bowl XLIV). 15 of the present 32 NFL teams have never won a super bowl. The super Bowl has never been held at a playing team’s home stadium. More than 90 million people watch the live event each year on television. The first Super Bowl tickets were as low as , while the current lowest price (face value) to see the live game is 0. Longest touchdown run in super bowl history was Steeler’s Willie Parker’s 75 yards in super bowl XL.

The game pitted the favored New England Patriots against the Philadelphia Eagles. Super Bowl XXXIX offered the Patriots an opportunity to win their second super bowl in a row, an event that last occurred in 1998. The regular season went well for the Ptriots with their 17-2 record against the Eagles record of 15 to 4.

The Patriots faced another challenge in the game, this was their first time playing a super bowl in an outside Stadium and a first east of the Mississippi River. Attempting to make a ‘three-peat’ in four years, the Patriots determination and heart in the game would lead them to accomplish this victory.

The Philadelphia Eagles, having only appeared in one other super bowl (1980), Super Bowl XXXIX would give them a chance to win their first super bowl title. Unfortunately, Deion Branch’s super bowl record 11 receptions for 133 yards and the Patriots’ exceptional defense would not allow Philadelphia this honor. Even with the Eagles 10-play, 74-yard drive late in the 3rd quarter, and a 10-yard touchdown pass to tie the game, the Patriots scored early in the 4th and again with 8:43 left on the clock, putting the score at 24-14.

With less than six minutes on the clock, Philadelphia, determined to win super bowl XXXIX, made a 79-yard drive and accomplished a TD pass to Lewis to close the gap at 24-21. Having only 1:55 left in the game, The Eagles were hopelessly attempting to gain possession and make a play to at least tie the game. With barely 46 seconds left, Philadelphia’s McNabb made a rushed pass to Westbrook at the line of scrimmage, Westbrook, instead of dropping the ball to stop the clock, caught it and was promptly tackled. This move kept the clock running as Philadelphia scrambled to the second down with no huddle, where McNabb threw an incomplete pass. On the third down, McNabb’s pass just missed Smith and was intercepted by the Patriot’s Harris, leaving 9 seconds in the game and a certain victory for New England with a final score of 24-21.

Deion Branch was named the Super Bowl XXXIX Most Valuable Player (MVP) after tying a Super Bowl record 11 receptions and gaining 133 yards.

The regular season for the Steelers did not go so well as they had an 11-5 record, they were the #6 seed in the playoffs and went on to win the conference and eventually Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks (13-3 season). The final score of 21-10 gave Pittsburgh the ‘one for the thumb’ they had waited nearly 25 years for. The Super Bowl XL win would be the first for coach Bill Cowher, since taking the job as head coach in 1992, even though the Steelers had made the playoffs in 10 out of his 14 seasons.

The NFL logo was “The Road to Forty” as this was the 40th annual super bowl. Super Bowl XL was held at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The three year old stadium was chosen in 2001, making Detroit a two time host of the Super Bowl (the other one was Super Bowl XVI).

The first quarter proved to be a struggle as Pittsburgh was unable gain a lot of ground. The first quarter ended with 3-0 Seattle, and with less than 5 minutes left in the second quarter, the Steelers found themselves on the third down with 28 yards for a first down. Hines Ward made a 37 yard reception from QB Roethlisberger to get their first down. The subsequent two plays resulted in the ball being on the 1 yard line, thanks to a Jerome Bettis play. The two-minute warning sounded on the third down as Roethlisberger faked a handoff and dove into the end zone himself. The second quarter ended with Pittsburgh ahead at 7-3 .

In the third quarter of Super Bowl XL, Willie Parker made a record breaking 75-yard touchdown run to push the Steelers to 14-3. The next play Seattle closed the gap with a Hasselback-Stevens 16 yard pass putting the score to 14-10 Steelers. A fourth quarter play by Randle El in a reverse threw a 43-yard pass to Hines Ward, and Jeff Reed kicked the field goal to put the score at 21-10. The Seahawks next drive went 49 yards, however they could not keep possession for a turnover. The Steelers took possession of the ball and held it for almost 4 1/2 minutes, when Seattle regained the ball, there was less than 2 minutes on the clock.

The Seahawks gained 48 yards in 2 receptions then made a few pass attempts resulting in incompletions. With 11 seconds left, the Seahawks incomplete pass on the 4th down turned the ball over to the Steelers. Roethlisberger’s kneel down on the reception with merely 3 seconds left in the game gave the Steelers their One for Thumb victory in Super Bowl XL.

Avid gamblers are the most likely perpetrators of serious super bowl predictions, as even Las Vegas will set the odds for anyone wanting to gamble on who will win the next championship. Nevertheless, there are those who get involved in super bowl predictions merely for the fun of it. That includes fans from each hometown team as well as local and state politicians.

An example is Super Bowl XLIII, where many oddsmakers prophesied the 2009 winner would be the Indianapolis Colts. With more than 50% of ‘experts’ putting their faith in the Colts seeing their second super bowl in three years, a fact they based on the Colt’s excellent regular seasons for the last several years. Yet, that super bowl prediction never came true, even thought their 2008 season was an excellent 13-3 finish.

Many super bowl predictions feared that Kurt Wagner of the Arizona Cardinals would be a serious hinderance to the Steelers at the 2009 Super Bowl XLIII, preventing Pittsburgh;s bid for a record 6th super bowl trophy. However, Las Vegas odds made the steelers a 61/2-point favorite over the Cardinals. A super Bowl prediction that has come true in 7 out of the last 10 Championship games is the team that was favorite has won, that means 70% of the time, the super bowl prediction is right.

In addition to the more serious super bowl predictions by the sports aficionados, there are always a few comical ones laid out by celebrities and entertainers. In 2008, Howie Mandel chose the Steelers as favorite and guessed the game would end with a 21-14 victory for Pittsburgh. Mandel said, “Because, and I won’t mention who, I have gotten some notes from two players on the Steelers that they are fans of my show ‘Howie Do It’.”

Even though it is just for fun for many fans to make their super bowl predictions, it is a serious game for gamblers. It is estimated that more than billion will be wagered by more than 200 million people worldwide on what is called the biggest sports betting event of the year.

A illustration is, right after Super Bowl XLII, Vegas bookmakers posted the super bowl odds on the Super Bowl XLIII winner. The picks they made at the time are fascinating, especially on the two competitors who made it to Super Bowl XLIII. The Pittsburgh Steelers were at 18/1 and the Arizona Cardinals a whopping 50/1. The New England Patriots had an amazing 9:5 odds of winning the super bowl according to the odds makers, making the Patriots the absolute favorite.

Historically, the middle of the pack, when it comes to odds is usually the teams that make it as far as the super bowl. Although you can bet on these teams in the preseason when the bookmakers set the odds, the majority of the bets placed on the Super Bowl are made within weeks of the game. The reason behind this is the super bowl odds are relatively closer to a realistic return as opposed to the preseason long shots who may be as much as 100 to 1.

In addition to the super bowl odds on the winner, there are many fasctinating historical facts from previous super bowls. In two-thirds of the cases, the first team to score, won the super bowl. Another fun super bowl odd is that 80% of the time, the team that leads at half-time ended up winning the Super Bowl, while teams in the lead at the end of the third quarter were 88% to win. One other fun fact is that there is a 96% chance a field goal will be made, as there has been at least one field goal in 41 of the 43 Super Bowls to date. So if someone wants to give you super bowl odds on whether a field goal will be made, this might be your best bet!

The 2010 Super bowl odds show the New England Patriots at 8/1, Dallas Cowboys at 9/1, while the super bowl XLIII champion Pittsburgh Steelers are 10/1 and the Arizona Cardinals are again an underdog at 30/1. The list is rounded out with the 100 to 1 super bowl odds on Kansas City and Detroit. Now, that is a bet you probably do not want to make.