Bowl in English means bowl and, therefore, Super Bowl is literally a large bowl. However, the term Super Bowl is actually the name given to the final among the American football teams that face each other after the corresponding league, the National Football League. Specifically, the two winners of the two American football conferences or leagues compete in the Super Bowl.
In principle, the Super Bowl is a sporting event that has a large following in the United States and in other countries. However, it is more than just a football game, as it is part of American culture, the well-known American way of life.
Significant data
The day of the big game is popularly known as Super Sunday, since it is always celebrated on Sunday and during prime-time television. This date has been institutionalized in the first week of February
For Americans, the Super Bowl is like an unofficial national holiday and, therefore, one of the great events of the year.
A ticket for the 2015 Super Bowl was officially priced between $ 900 and $ 1,900, but more than $ 7,000 was paid at resale.
The most popular teams with the best record are the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texas, Denver Broncos or Buffalo Bills. Logically, the great players are considered as national heroes.
From the television point of view, the Super Bowl moves millions of dollars, as the big commercial brands compete with each other so that their ads appear at the decisive moments of the meeting. At the same time, the great stars of the song perform moments before the start of the match and this performance becomes one more element of the show.
The Super Bowl has a sporting, advertising, economic significance and, in short, it is an icon of American culture.
Sports competitions, a mass phenomenon that goes beyond sports
The ancient Greeks were the first to understand sport as a cultural element. It should not be forgotten that the modern Olympic Games are inspired by the Olympic Games of Greek civilization.
Each country has its beautiful sport and, in parallel, a whole series of cultural aspects that surround sports competitions. For an Argentine, a match between Boca and River is more than just a football match. The same happens with a Barça-Madrid in Spain or between Inter Milan and Juventus in Italy. For an English rugby fan, having his team defeat the Irish team has sporting but also political significance. In conclusion, we can say that rivalry in sport is associated with other extra-sporting issues, for example the need to feel part of a collective to reaffirm our own personal identity.
Photos: iStock - maislam / Christopher Futcher
