Changes

For four straight years continuing through 2015, the number of viewers of the Super Bowl in the key demographic of 18 to 49 years old has declined.  The media has been criticized for over-hyping the audience.<ref>http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/02/09/super-bowl-50-rating-gets-embellished/</ref>

For four straight years continuing through 2015, the number of viewers of the Super Bowl in the key demographic of 18 to 49 years old has declined.  The media has been criticized for over-hyping the audience.<ref>http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/02/09/super-bowl-50-rating-gets-embellished/</ref>

The outcome in Super Bowls is increasingly the result of play-calling by non-athletic coaches, who use extensive business-like approaches to the game.  Genuine athleticism has become less important to this game, and is even viewed with disdain by some.  '''''The NFL is distorted so badly that almost none of its top athletes ever play in the Super Bowl now.'''''

The outcome in Super Bowls is increasingly the result of play-calling by non-athletic coaches, who use extensive business-like approaches to the game.  Genuine athleticism has become less important to this game, and is even viewed with disdain by some.  '''''The NFL is distorted so badly that almost none of its top athletes ever play in the Super Bowl now.'''''

The NFL was so harmful to local businesses and taxpayers of New Jersey in 2014 that 55% of business leaders who were surveyed afterwards said they did not want New Jersey to host the game again.<ref name="NJ">http://archive.northjersey.com/news/n-j-s-7m-super-bowl-tax-rebate-to-nfl-stirs-anger-1.1012503?page=all</ref>  Part of the NFL's bilking of taxpayers was its demand for a $7.5 million rebate on sales taxes.<ref name="NJ"/>

The NFL was so harmful to local businesses and taxpayers of New Jersey in 2014 that 55% of business leaders who were surveyed afterwards said they did not want New Jersey to host the game again.<ref name="NJ">http://archive.northjersey.com/news/n-j-s-7m-super-bowl-tax-rebate-to-nfl-stirs-anger-1.1012503?page=all</ref>  Part of the NFL's bilking of taxpayers was its demand for a $7.5 million rebate on sales taxes.<ref name="NJ"/>

Super Bowls are the most watched television broadcasts in history, but much of the audience simply uses the game as background noise during parties. Super Bowl XLVIII was the highest rated broadcast in history, with an average viewership of 112 million.<ref>O'Connell, Michael (February 3, 2014). [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-super-bowl-xlviii-676651 "TV ratings: Super Bowl XLVIII is most watched in history with 112.2 million viewers"]. The Hollywood Reporter website.</ref> Viewership has been declining in recent years, as has attendance: the total attendance for Super Bowl LIV--held in the warm weather climate of South Florida--was the second-lowest on record at the time (behind only the first Super Bowl, which at that time was called the "NFL-AFL Championship Game" and was nowhere near as popular as in modern times).<ref>It was, however, a sellout; Hard Rock Stadium was recently renovated and reconfigured to '''''lower''''' seating capacity.</ref>

 

 

 

Super Bowls are the most watched television broadcasts in history, but much of the audience simply uses the game as background noise during parties. Super Bowl XLVIII was the highest rated broadcast in history, with an average viewership of 112 million.<ref>O'Connell, Michael (February 3, 2014). [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-super-bowl-xlviii-676651 "TV ratings: Super Bowl XLVIII is most watched in history with 112.2 million viewers"]. The Hollywood Reporter website.</ref> Viewership has been declining in recent years, as has attendance: the total attendance for Super Bowl LIV--held in the warm weather climate of South Florida--was the second-lowest on record (behind only the first Super Bowl, which at that time was called the "NFL-AFL Championship Game").<ref>It was, however, a sellout; Hard Rock Stadium was recently renovated and reconfigured to '''''lower''''' seating capacity.</ref>

==History==

==History==

The game is always played at a pre-determined site (often at a stadium which hosts an NFL team), on a Sunday (referred to as [[Super Bowl Sunday]]) two weeks after each conference's championship games (which usually places it at the first week in February).  Normally the site is either a warm-weather site, or has an enclosed stadium where weather is not an issue, and almost always is played in a metropolitan area which is also a tourist destination with experience in handling major events ([[New Orleans]] is among the popular sites).  No team had ever played a Super Bowl game in its own home stadium until Super Bowl LV, when the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] would play the game which was already scheduled for Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.  The winning team receives the [[Vince Lombardi]] Trophy, named for the legendary [[Green Bay Packers]] coach who won the first two games.

The game is always played at a pre-determined site (often at a stadium which hosts an NFL team), on a Sunday (referred to as [[Super Bowl Sunday]]) two weeks after each conference's championship games (which usually places it at the first week in February).  Normally the site is either a warm-weather site, or has an enclosed stadium where weather is not an issue, and almost always is played in a metropolitan area which is also a tourist destination with experience in handling major events ([[New Orleans]] is among the popular sites).  No team had ever played a Super Bowl game in its own home stadium until Super Bowl LV, when the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] would play the game which was already scheduled for Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.  The winning team receives the [[Vince Lombardi]] Trophy, named for the legendary [[Green Bay Packers]] coach who won the first two games.

===Team Statistics===

===Team Statistics===