On the eve of the fiftieth Super Bowl the “lost” tape of the inaugural Super Bowl between the Packers and Chiefs was stitched together to be aired on NFL Network. The lack of graphics, instant replays, and other broadcasting technological advancements show how primitive the original game was. This goes to show both how far the NFL has grown in the past fifty years, and how television was instrumental in growing the sport. 

I can’t imagine watching a game without a running clock, a down and distance marker, and the yellow first down line. As technological advances grew, so did the game. The first Super Bowl had 51 million viewers and just 6 cameras. Compare that to Super Bowl 49, which had over 114 million viewers, more than double the first game), and was shot with 36 cameras.

Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who was commissioner from 1960-1989, is credited with having the vision of growing the game by piggybacking with the advancement of broadcast television. Football became more than a sport, it was an event that owned one day of the week. It was under Rozelle that Monday Night Football was created and is now a cultural benchmark. Football is our National Pastime. 

The Super Bowl, the leagues annual showcase became more than just a game. With it’s halftime show and popular commercials, the Super Bowl is now an American Icon. By finding the first Super Bowl In 1967 and comparing it to the game that you will watch on Sunday is like night and day. With it’s humble beginnings now un-earthed in it’s entirety you will finally be able to see how much the NFL has grown.