Semi-Random Super Bowl & Post Season Trivia

[wdm1219inpenna]

Greetings and/or Salutations all.

I'm certain some of you are like me, and are already beginning to experience football withdrawal. Often I find myself, especially this time of the year, looking at my NFL Record & Fact Book, and finding interesting things, at least to me, and I thought I'd share some of these with you.

The process of seeding began during the 1975 season, when Super Bowl X was played. Here are the combined records of how seeded teams have done over the course of the past 32 Super Bowls:

1 seeds have gone 19-17

2 seeds have gone 7-9

3 seeds have gone 2-2

4 seeds have gone 3-3

5 seeds have gone 0-1 (This doesn't bode well for the Giants)

6 seeds have gone 1-0

Of the 32 Super Bowls played so far, with seeding, only 8 times have both #1 seeds faced off in the Super Bowl, and it hasn't happened since Super Bowl XXVIII, played in January 1994, which of course was the rematch between the Cowboys & Bills.

Of the 32 Super Bowls played so far, with seeding, 4 times featured BOTH teams that were NOT #1 seeds. The last time this happened was 10 years ago, Super Bowl XXXII, where Denver was a 4 seed, and Green Bay a 2 seed.

Until last season (Super Bowl XLI), the AFC never had a 3 seed represent it in the Super Bowl. The Indy Colts are the first team from the AFC to be a 3 seed and make it there.

This is the first time the AFC's #1 seed has made it to the Super Bowl in 4 years. The last AFC #1 seed to reach the Super Bowl, The New England Patriots, vs the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

24 of the 32 Super Bowls played during the "seed" era have had 2 different seeded teams featured. Teams with a higher seed have won 13 times, while teams with a lower seed won 11 times. For example, Pittsburgh was a 6 seed, yet they defeated Seattle, who was a 1 seed in Super Bowl XL. Baltimore, a 4 seed, defeated the Giants, a 1 seed in Super Bowl XXXV. Those are 2 examples of what I'm referring to here. I found it interesting that the higher seeded team has only won 2 more Super Bowls, so this stat may bode well for the New York Giants.

Speaking of the Giants, they are the first #5 seed to represent the NFC, and the first wildcard NFC team to reach the Super Bowl since the 1975 Dallas Cowboys reached Super Bowl X. The New England Patriots appropriately enough were the other #5 seed to reach the Super Bowl, back in January 1986, where they were destroyed 46-10 by the "46" Defense Bears, appropriately enough.

Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, there have been 76 Conference Championship Games played, 38 for AFC and 38 for NFC obviously. Out of 38 years, only 14 times have BOTH home teams won in this round. 22 times there was a "split", meaning one home and one road team won in this round, and only twice have BOTH ROAD teams won in this round of play. Also, only once in the past decade have BOTH home teams won in this round, and that was the Colts & Bears last season.

In the immortal words of the late, great, beloved Mel Allen, "How about that!".

See you next time on THIS WEEK IN FOOTBALL!!!