28
Everwonderwhy the statehighway signs inCaliforniaare
shapeddifferently from theones ineveryother state?
In 1934, the state adopted aminer’s spade shape tohonor
the legacyof theGoldRush.
(Formore onHighway 1, America’smost scenic drive, read
“Three Perfect Days: The California Coast” on page 38.)
The firstSuperBowl,
playedat theLos
AngelesColiseum
on January15, 1967,
acontestbetween
thechampsof the
soon-to-mergeNFL
andAFL, sawnowhere
near thehypeof this
month’sgame; itdrew
just62,000 fans toa
stadium that seated
more than100,000.
“It felt cavernous,”
recallsBillCurry,who
played for theGreen
BayPackers,who
beat theKansasCity
Chiefs35-10.
SuperBowl Iwas
justonemodernizing
aspectof theAFL-
NFLmerger. It
fostered racial
integration, as theAFL
hadmoreAfrican-
Americanplayers. “It
wasa transcending
factor in regard to the
racial relationships
of thiscountry,” says
CurtisMcClinton
(below),whoplayed for
theChiefs.
Footballhassince
seenexplosivegrowth,
in thesizeofboth
theplayersand the
spectacle.Of today's
halftimeshow,Curry
says, “Wewouldhave
forgotten theplays if
wehad towait that
long.”
—JL
TheLegacyof
SuperBowl I
OnFebruary 7,pro football celebrates its 50thSuper Sunday,when
SuperBowl 50 comes toLevi’s Stadium inSantaClara,California.
TheNFL’s championshipgame, in classicAmerican fashion,has gotten
supersizedover the years,becoming themostwatchedTVbroadcast in
the country.Here,a look at howAmerica’s favorite advertisement delivery
platformhas grown inhalf a century.
—JOE LEMIRE
Super Bowl I
Super Bowl XLIX
Costofa
30-secondad
Day-of-gameprice in
secondarymarket
The Super Bowl at 50
58.6; the gamewas
blackedout inLA,
where itwas played
114.4; themostwatchedTV
broadcast inU.S. history
$10,000
$1,900
27
$7billion
ESPNaired346hoursof
programming; audience
consumption came toaround
7billionminutesof viewing.
$4.5million
KatyPerry, a showwith616
wireless-controlled light globes, a
14-foot-tall golden lion, 803-D
projectors,
dancing sharks
and fakepalm
trees—all set up
in6.5minutes
$2 ($14.27)
$12 ($85.64)
0
$26million
($190.9million)
Virtuallynonexistent
$40,000 ($285,485
in2015dollars)
Marchingbands from
theUniversityofArizona
andGramblingState
University, trumpeter
AlHirt, a200-voice
chorus, 300pigeons,
10,000balloons, and
a20-second rocket belt
demonstration
sports
U.S. TVviewers
(inmillions)
Halftime
show
Pregame
hype
Annual valueof theNFL’s
mediacontract
300-poundplayersoncombined team rosters
Mostexpensive
ticket, facevalue
MARIANNA JAMADI (SIGN); ROB CARR/GETTY IMAGES (PERRY); BOB LEVEY/GETTY IMAGES (WILFORK); DARRYL NORENBERG/USA TODAY SPORTS (MCCLINTON)
