I watched a Super Bowl - once

It was January 1967.

The National Football League champion Green Bay Packers led by Vince Lombardi and Bart Starr faced off against the American Football League champion Kansas City Chiefs led by Hank Stram and Len Dawson.

Right now you might be asking, "There used to be two professional football leagues? And the first game wasn't even officially called the Super Bowl, although super was used as a descriptor?"

Back then the first game was known as the AFL-NFL Championship and the Packers blew out the Chiefs by a score of 35-10. The next year the title, Super Bowl, was adopted. But that first one is the only game I've ever actually sat down and watched from beginning to end. The reason? I thought it would be more than just a football game. The adjective, super, made me think that this would be an unusual event. Maybe there would be two quarterbacks? Or the game would be played on a longer field? Or the players would be allowed to really clobber each other without penalty?

But no, it was just another football game. Offense vs defense. 11 men on a side. Four quarters. 100-yard field. One football. Nothing was out of the ordinary so what was the Super element?

I also wondered why there was no actual "bowl" rewarded to the winner. In college football, there was an actual Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl and even an Orange Bowl handed out at the end of the game. But the Super Bowl went bowl-less.

Being an advertising person I also find it interesting that the major category of advertisers back then, car companies and beer makers, are the same types of companies still promoting their products on the Super Bowl -- plus technology companies, political candidates, and almost anyone who can afford the $7 million for 30 seconds of air time price tag. Back in 1967, the cost of 30 seconds was a mere $37,000.

Now I know why it's called the Super Bowl. The price of advertising on it and even attending it is super-expensive.