In 1992, CBS reached out to NASA to see if it would be willing to conduct a pre-game coin toss aboard the Discovery space shuttle. Lombardi had reportedly never flipped a coin before, so NFL officials spent time practicing with her at the dress rehearsal on the day before the game. “Somewhere up there, a coach is looking down and saying, ‘What is that woman doing out there on the field?’” Lombardi told reporters after learning that she had been chosen. Marie Lombardi, the widow of legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi, whose name adorns the Super Bowl trophy, was selected to toss the coin before Super Bowl XV. NFL commissioner Peter Rozelle came into the locker room after the game, found Markbreit in the shower, and said, “Markbreit, once you got past the coin toss, you did fine.” Teach Me How to Flip It? Where the hell did they get you?” It wasn’t the last time Markbreit would hear about his mistake. According to Markbreit, Theismann turned to him and said, “You know, I remember when you used to work in the Big Ten and you stunk then. You win the toss.” Hirsch pointed out the mistake, and after Markbreit turned off his microphone to avoid any further embarrassment, sorted things out. Markbreit turned to Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann and said, “Heads. Miami’s Bob Kuechenberg called tails and the coin landed with the helmets side up, but referee Jerry Markbreit was confused. Los Angeles Rams great Elroy Hirsch performed the duty at Super Bowl XVII with a ceremonial coin that had helmets on one side (tails) and players holding helmets on the other side (heads). Most of the ceremonial coin tossers have been former coaches and players. The Green Bay Packers deferred after winning the toss in last year’s Super Bowl en route to a 31-25 win. The Arizona Cardinals became the first team to defer to the second half in Super Bowl XLIII and lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. All but two teams that have won the coin toss have elected to receive the opening kickoff. The team that wins the coin toss is 22-23 all-time and has lost 10 of the last 15 Super Bowls. The New England Patriots were the last AFC team to win the coin toss, way back in 1997. The NFC has won the toss 31 times out of 45, including a remarkable 14 straight years. In 45 Super Bowls to date, the opening coin toss has come up heads 24 times and tails 21 times. A month after her husband’s death in December 2006, Norma Hunt took part in the coin toss with Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino before Super Bowl XLI. Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, who gave the Super Bowl its name and may have also been responsible for the coin toss becoming a televised event, participated in the coin toss ceremony before Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta. Dallas went on to beat the Denver Broncos, 27-10. The Dallas Cowboys – the designated visiting team – called heads and won the toss. In 1978, at Super Bowl XII in New Orleans, Chicago Bears great and Hall of Famer Red Grange became the first celebrity to perform the toss. Red Grange Breaks the Iceįor the first 11 Super Bowls, a game official conducted the coin toss. Here’s a brief look at the history of the pre-game spectacle. The Super Bowl coin toss hasn’t always been such a big deal. Thousands of other fans will collect on a 50-50 prop bet. If the ceremonial coin toss before Sunday’s Super Bowl turns up heads, everyone enrolled in the Papa John’s customer loyalty program will win a free large one-topping pizza and a two-liter bottle of Pepsi Max.
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