Why Did Lamar Hunt Coin The Name Super Bowl? Look Back At The Story of “Super Ball”

Las Vegas is buzzing with NFL fans at the moment. As the Super Bowl LVIII is ready to take off, fans’ energy is at an all-time high. There’s already a lot of anticipation and this game is surely going to be a rollercoaster of a ride. And with tension levels rising among the Chiefs and the 49ers, the Super Bowl is set to commence in all its glory at the Allegiant Stadium.

It’s a well-known fact that the NFL, as we know now, didn’t start as such. The AFL and NFL leagues merged and eventually decided to hold a big game, pitting their champions against each other. We now know this ‘Big Game’ or the ‘AFL-NFL Championship game’ as the Super Bowl. But where did the name ‘Super Bowl’ come from?

A ‘Super Ball’ game

Lamar Hunt took it upon himself to start a football league because he failed to acquire a team in the then-existing NFL. Intending to create a much more interesting football league, he started the American Football League. As if that wasn’t enough, the man decided to approach the NFL before its 1966 season for a clash between their champions.

Hunt was not only responsible for getting these championship games started, but he also jokingly referred to these games as the ‘Super Bowl’. What’s more surprising is that a kid’s toy inspired him to give this nickname to the championship. NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reportedly abhorred the idea and named it the “AFL-NFL Championship Game.” However, Hunt, the then Chiefs’ owner, referred to the games as a Super Bowl in front of coaches and players as well. Everyone agreed that the name was “far too corny” yet the name stuck with the masses.

By the end of the second championship game, the term became heavily popular. And so Super Bowl III became the first official Super Bowl. And to think the idea was coined from a toy called ‘Superball’: a ball that was advertised as the ‘greatest ball ever created’. But, coining the name of a new title game wasn’t enough for Lamar Hunt.

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The businessman is known for his support in growing the American sports landscape. And the team founded by him, the Kansas City Chiefs, will be fighting for another Vince Lombardi trophy in the Super Bowl LVIII.

Chiefs vs 49ers: A high-octane Super Bowl rematch!

The Chiefs and 49ers are finally ready to go against each other, in a much anticipated game. After the 49ers lose to the red and white team in Super Bowl LV, they must be desperate to get revenge. Patrick Mahomes and Co, on the other hand, are looking to win back-to-back Lombardi trophies.

The time has come for the teams to decide which of them will bag the Super Bowl win this year. So get ready to enjoy the American football experience as the two strongest teams in this NFL season will soon clash against each other. Buckle up and get ready. The ultimate gridiron dance is going to commence.

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