The first Super Bowl was held in 1967, which marked the beginning of the Super Bowl era for the NFL. The league saw a boom in business and marketing, but as of this year, only 44 Super Bowls have been played. Compared to older soccer leagues, the history seems to fall short.
In fact, the history of the NFL can be traced back to 1920, making it 91 years old. Throughout its history, it has witnessed countless moments of rise and fall, and it has also accumulated countless rivalries and feuds. When people mention the oldest teams in the league, the Green Bay Packers are often the first to come to mind.
Founded in 1919, the Packers are not only one of the original founding members of the current league, but their legendary coach, Vince Lombardi, also wrote countless chapters in history. In the Packers' history, they have won a total of 13 championship trophies—nine before the Super Bowl era and four after. Lombardi himself led the team to five of those victories. In 1970, after Lombardi's death, the newly merged league decided to name the Super Bowl trophy after him to honor the legendary coach.
The Super Bowl trophy's full name is the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Undoubtedly, the Green Bay Packers are one of the oldest teams in the league, but only true die-hard fans know that the Packers are only the third oldest team in the league, and the second oldest is the Chicago Bears. The rivalry between the Bears and the Packers, who are in the same division, has spanned almost a century, making them the most historic division rivals in the league, without a doubt.
So, who is the oldest team in history?
The answer is the Arizona Cardinals, a team founded in 1898. They are not only the oldest team in the league but also one of the most ill-fated and nomadic teams. They have witnessed almost every turning point in the league's history and have constantly moved around the league, changing hands and locations multiple times. In their history, they were once the Chicago Cardinals, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Phoenix Cardinals, before finally settling in Glendale, Arizona, in 1994, to become the team they are today.
In a fan base that is based on cities, the team's numerous relocations have caused its loyal fan base to slowly disappear. In terms of the number of fans, they can't even be compared to teams like the Packers and the Bears, and they don't even have a significant advantage over newer teams like the Carolina Panthers. What is even more lamentable is that the Arizona Cardinals have never had a truly glorious history. The team's biggest accomplishments were winning the league championship twice before the Super Bowl era in 1925 and 1947. They have never won a Super Bowl in the Super Bowl era.
The Arizona Cardinals have only made it to the Super Bowl once in 2008, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that had swept the league with its impenetrable defense, and witnessed the second championship of the growing Ben Roethlisberger. The person who led the Cardinals to the Super Bowl that year was "Cinderella" Kurt Warner.
In the past 12 years, the Arizona Cardinals have always been up and down. Their peak was in 2008 and 2009, but they quickly fell after that. Last year, they finished with a dismal 5-11 record. Even in the highly competitive NFC West, they were the last-place team, and they ended up with the fifth overall pick in the draft. If the ups and downs of the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have shown the slow but steady rise of the NFL to glory, then the ups and downs of the Arizona Cardinals have shown the stumbles and falls of a professional league in its growth.
It sounds a bit absurd and regrettable, but as the oldest team in the league, the Arizona Cardinals can't even find a decent rival. Because of their constant relocation throughout the team's history, their division opponents were also constantly changing. All their rivalries, records, and past glories were slowly forgotten in the river of time, and they were forced to start over again.
It wasn't until 2002 that the Arizona Cardinals came to the NFC West and finally stopped their nomadic life, gradually finding their footing. However, in the past eight years of divisional matchups, the focus has always been on the Seattle Seahawks, a team that completed its rebuilding and won the division championship for four consecutive years from 2004 to 2007. The St. Louis Rams won in 2003, the Cardinals won in 2008 and 2009, and the Seahawks won the division title again in 2010.
In divisional matchups, the St. Louis Rams and the San Francisco 49ers were the true rivals. The rivalries that have accumulated in other divisions in just eight years are too bland. Because the overall competitiveness of the division is too poor, the rivalry between weaker teams does not generate much interest. Even if they wanted to stir up animosity, they seemed to lack the strength to do so.
After a dismal 5-11 record last year, the Arizona Cardinals still seemed to be struggling in the new season. They won their season opener against the Carolina Panthers, but then they suffered a six-game losing streak, with no hope in sight. Their current situation could be described as terrible.
However, in the past two weeks, the Cardinals have shown some signs of recovery. In Week 9, they defeated the St. Louis Rams in overtime, and in Week 10, they narrowly beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the final moments, winning two games in a row to bring their season record to 3-6. But even in this situation, they are still at a significant disadvantage against this week's opponent, the San Francisco 49ers.
At the beginning of the season, the Cardinals' starting quarterback was a fifth-year player, Kevin Kolb, who was drafted in the second round, 36th overall, in 2007. After spending four years with the Philadelphia Eagles, he joined the Cardinals in the offseason this year and became their starting quarterback. In the first game against the Panthers, Kolb played well, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 130.0, successfully defeating the rookie quarterback Cam Newton, who had set a new passing record. But after that, Kolb's performance was a complete disaster. He was not only hampered by his own mistakes but also plagued by injuries, and he was finally forced to give up his starting position in Week 9 of the regular season.
The second-year quarterback, John Skelton, who was drafted in the fifth round, 155th overall, took over as the starter. With a mix of touchdowns and interceptions, he stumbled and led the team to two consecutive victories. Although his quarterback rating did not exceed 80, the team's defense finally found its footing, and the offense finally showed some signs of life. Two consecutive victories, even if they were a bit shaky, were a good thing, and they finally stopped their downward spiral.
Overall, the Arizona Cardinals are still in a slump. Their performance this year is a little better than last year, but the signs of a turnaround are not obvious. In comparison, the San Francisco 49ers' performance has been dominant and unstoppable. Their 8-1 record is the best proof of that. More importantly, after a careful analysis of each game, the 49ers have been merciless against weaker teams and tough against stronger ones, showing the spirit of a true powerhouse.
There is no doubt that in this matchup, the San Francisco 49ers have the upper hand. The only uncertain factor is their starting quarterback, Lu Ke. In the last game against the New York Giants, he had some muscle spasms in his right arm, which affected his performance in the third quarter and indirectly led to a scary final quarter.
However, those concerns were cleared up after the official media day on Wednesday. In an interview, Jim Harbaugh said that Lu Ke's arm was fine and that it was just a minor issue caused by improper throwing. After receiving a massage after the game, everything was fine. At the same time, the team also conducted a comprehensive examination to ensure that their starting quarterback was healthy and worry-free.
Team doctor Walter Hudson gave a double confirmation in an interview, stating that the team had conducted a detailed comprehensive examination of Lu Ke and that the results were great. The undrafted rookie would still lead the team forward in the next game. During the public training session, Lu Ke's excellent passing performance also reassured all the fans. Not only was he not injured, but he was also in great form. After winning five consecutive games, the entire team is on the right track and is relaxed and at ease about the next game.
With that, the scales of victory have tilted heavily in favor of the San Francisco 49ers, which is the consensus of almost all experts. In the "Inside the League" show, nine of the analysts and commentators believed that the San Francisco 49ers would win the game. The only exception was Charles Davis, who chose the Arizona Cardinals, stating that "their two-game winning streak gives the Cardinals a fighting chance."
However, no one blamed Charles, and no one believed him. After the recent "Across the Pacific" drama, everyone knew that Charles and Lu Ke had a rivalry, so it made sense that Charles would choose the Arizona Cardinals—the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
The opinion of analysts led by Spencer Larson was the mainstream view of the entire league: the San Francisco 49ers have shown enough strength and potential, and a victory over the Arizona Cardinals is a high probability. The odds in Las Vegas were the most direct proof. The odds for the San Francisco 49ers to win were only 1.1, while the odds for the Arizona Cardinals to win were 4.6. It was clear that they also believed this was a certain victory.
Unknowingly, this young and energetic team is slowly changing everyone's minds and growing into a better team. But whether they are underdogs or a strong team, the game still has to be played on the field. Victory is not just a calculation of numbers on paper. In Week 11 of the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers will host the visiting Arizona Cardinals!
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