March 19, 2024

Super Bowl Sunday is upon us

The Pressbox

Super Bowl Sunday — many things leap to mind when those three words are said.

Sunday I will watch my 50th Super Bowl. That’s right, I’m that old. I’ll sit and watch the game not knowing really who to cheer for this season — the AFC’s Denver Broncos or the NFC’s Carolina Panthers

On one hand, it would look good to have another Super Bowl winner from the AFC. It’s tough for me to support the hated Broncos — the Kansas City Chiefs’ AFC Central rivals. I like the Panthers, especially their defense with Jared Allen, who played for the Chiefs first.

Most importantly, I’m hoping for a good game which as a football junkie, I can enjoy watching right to the end.

I was 8 when my Kansas City Chiefs lost 35-10 to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I in 1967. I don’t really remember much of the game. I do remember my parents receiving a sympathy card from my Uncle Arden and Aunt Connie, who live in Oregon and are Packer fans.

What about the brash New York Jets quarterback who guaranteed a victory in Super Bowl III? Joe Namath backed up his boast by leading the Jets to a 16-7 win over the Baltimore Colts to give the AFL (AFC now) its first Super Bowl victory.

The next year in Super VI it was the Chiefs carrying the AFL banner. The Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7. It was the final time a team was from the AFL as the next season things changed to AFC and NFC in the NFL. Now, there was a team I loved.

Willie Lanier, Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Curley Culp and Emmitt Thomas leading the defense. Mike Garrett, Otis Taylor and Len Dawson were the offensive stars, but the Chiefs had a great offensive line with Ed Budde, E.J. Holub, Jim Tyrer, which are the only names I remember.

A lot of people don’t remember how vital a role backup quarterback Mike Livingston played during the season as Dawson was sidelined twice during the season. Livingston was the third-string quarterback behind Jacky Lee, who was injured in the third game of the season. Livingston helped the Chiefs win five games in a row that season. Ed Podolak of Iowa was a rookie running back on that team.

Kansas City had, in my opinion, two the greatest kickers in the game — Jan Stenerud as the placekicker and Jerrel Wilson as the punter. Of course, there was head coach Hank Stram having the Chiefs offense “matriculate the ball down the field.” Love it.

I haven’t missed watching a Super Bowl. I watched until the end of them all even the blowouts, the four straight losses by the Buffalo Bills and cheered the 1972 Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VII as the only undefeated (17-0) team in NFL history. A couple of teams came close to equaling that feat, including the Carolina Panthers this season, but the Dolphins still reign.

One disappointment already is with the Super Bowl commercials. It was always a big secret, and you didn’t want to miss the commercials so you could talk about them with friends the next day. Now, the commercials are out on the Internet and being shown on news shows — almost two weeks before the game is played.

Sunday evening brings the reality of no more football. It’s been tough for me the past two weeks. Last week, I didn’t get to watch the NFL Pro Bowl, which is another disappointment. The Pro Bowl used to be after the Super Bowl, and I enjoyed watching it. The game has turned into a farce.

Now, we return you to regularly scheduled programing. Go Super Bowl!

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com