History of Super Bowl II

Super Bowl II, or the NFL-AFL World Championship game as it was known at the time, was contested between NFL champions Green Bay Packers and the AFL champions Oakland Raiders. Heading into the game, the Packers were 13.5 point favorites. The game was played at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida, and finished with a Packers victory, 33-14.

The Ice Bowl Green Bay versus Dallas

On January 14, 1968, the Packers and Raiders played the second World Championship game between the two leagues. The term Super Bowl wouldn’t be applied until after the NFL-AFL merger of 1970. The attendance of 75, 000 was better than the previous year and the concept of the World Championship game had begun to catch on.

For the Packers, this was the second consecutive Super Bowl, having one the previous year against the Kansas City Chiefs. They defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the Ice Bowl for the right to advance to this Super Bowl. The Raiders defeated the Houston Oilers to earn a Super Bowl berth. A loss to the New York Jets was the only blemish on their regular season record.

AFL-NFL World Championship Game

The Packers commenced the game reasonably on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. They scored on their first drive (albeit only a field goal) and forced the Raiders to punt on their first two drives. Though the Raiders mounted a comeback towards halftime, the Packers still led 16-7.

Time of possession proved valuable in the third quarter, as Green Bay dominated the ball for thirteen of fifteen minutes. This left Oakland with little opportunity to make up their deficit. The Packers increased their score to more than twenty, while the Raiders seemed stagnant at seven. Oakland finally did score a second touchdown before the clock expired. The game ended in a second consecutive victory for Green Bay.

Bart Starr Super Bowl MVP

Bart Starr was again named MVP of the Super Bowl. Small facts include the Grambling State University marching band returning to the Super Bowl. They performed the National Anthem, and at half time. The game was broadcast on CBS as opposed to the original simulcast and the cost of a thirty second commercial was $54, 000. The Super Bowl announcers were Pat Summerall, Jack Kemp and Ray Scott. The attendance was 75, 546 and scored a 68.6 on the Nielson ratings. Interest in the Super Bowl was increasing and its evolution had just begun.