Soccer is humorous this manner. Within the different three main sports activities, historical past is historical past. In baseball, we do acknowledge the “fashionable” period, and we often imply post-1900, nevertheless it’s useful that 1901 was additionally the start of the American League. That is smart. The NHL goes again to 1917, the NBA to 1946. There’s no delineation, random or in any other case.
Within the NFL? There’s a whole section that exists between Oct. 3, 1920 — when the Dayton Triangles defeated the Columbus Panhandles 14-0 within the first-ever recreation performed in what was then known as the American Skilled Soccer Affiliation — and the Inexperienced Bay Packers’ 23-12 win over the Cleveland Browns on Jan. 2, 1966, the final pre-Tremendous Bowl NFL Championship. And one other that started the very subsequent day.
From Jan. 3, 1966, till this very second, there exists “the Tremendous Bowl Period.” And for the needs of many soccer conversations — together with those going down on these pages right this moment — that’s the one soccer individuals speak about. So whereas it could be unattainable to put in writing a historical past of the NFL since Day 1 and never have, say, the Cleveland Browns and the Chicago Bears be within the discuss in regards to the 10-best soccer groups ever, most of these glories occurred earlier than Jan. 3, 1966.
And so we now have the Patriots and the Steelers, winners of six Tremendous Bowls every, neither of whom had received a blessed factor (and had been each, the truth is, virtually comically horrible) earlier than the appearance of the Tremendous Bowl, each of whom reside in a category all by themselves on the Pantheon of Tremendous Bowl Period groups.
This Sunday we may even see the addition of yet another crew — the 49ers — so as to add a sixth Lombardi Trophy to its assortment, or we may even see one other — the Chiefs — climb as much as an much more rarefied place than they already occupy, including a fourth, with the second half of Patrick Mahomes’ prime nonetheless forward of them. The Chiefs do even have an AFL Championship trophy of their assortment (received in 1962 once they had been referred to as the Dallas Texans); the Niners by no means acquired any nearer to a title than dropping the championship recreation of the outdated AAFC to the Browns in 1949.
For the Niners, this may characterize their third shot at becoming a member of the six-shooting Pats and Steelers. San Francisco received its first 5 appearances within the large recreation beginning with XVI, however have now misplaced twice in a row, first to the Joe Flacco Ravens in XLVII, then to the Patrick Mahomes Chiefs VII years later. The Chiefs misplaced the first-ever Supe to the Packers and likewise acquired stomped by the Tom Brady Buccaneers three years in the past.
So we’re right here.
The place we sit, lower than every week away from the primary Tremendous Bowl ever performed in Las Vegas, is a novel time when each members have a possibility to make a play not just for the right-now title of greatest soccer crew on the planet, however to enhance their place within the sport’s historical past (or at the least the final 58 years’ value).
The Steelers and Patriots each have six, and each franchises most likely really feel like they might have left a couple of on the desk, too. The Steelers received 4 of the six Tremendous Bowls between 1975 and 1980, and had the identical core within the two years that Oakland and Dallas interrupted that reign, and in a while there was a stretch early in Invoice Cowher’s tenure when 3 times they had been upset at house within the playoffs.
And whereas the Patriots received at the least 4 Tremendous Bowls that simply may have gone the opposite means (towards the Rams, Panthers, Seahawks and Falcons,) the three that they misplaced below the Belichick-Brady umbrella (two to the Giants, one to the Eagles) nonetheless hang-out.
So each need to accept six, and so that’s the membership the 49ers hope to hitch on their third attempt. The Chiefs may also be part of the pretty unique realm of next-level groups which have 4 or extra. As we sit, that modest fellowship consists of the next:
5 – Dallas
4 – Giants
4 – Packers
Once more: As you’ll see elsewhere on this package deal, the absence of the Bears (eight titles between 1921 and 1963) and Browns (eight from 1946-1964) is a quirk. In 1967, the identical yr the Tremendous Bowl was born, Toronto received its thirteenth championship, identical because the Canadiens. They might be 1 and 1A if a ballot had been taken then. Since, it’s 12-0 for Montreal, and so it could be extra like 1 and 25 if we solely thought of the final 57 years.
However such is what the Tremendous Bowl means to us now, and such is the influence it’s had on the game, and its historical past books. One contemporary chapter goes to be written proper round 10 o’clock come Sunday. Irrespective of who wins.