The Super Bowl is the ultimate sports event. A single game that solves the question – who is the best football team?

The Super Bowl game is basically the Academy Awards of American Football. The two best teams in the world play each other for the chance to reign as world champions.

The prize is not just money the players and coaching staff receive, but the coveted Super Bowl ring, a place in NFL history and bragging rights.

From the moment September starts, football fans all hope, pray, root, rub the head of their lucky doll, paint their faces, and wear team jerseys to support their favorite team.

Die hard football fans throw extravagant tailgate parties that can start as early as 8am, as soon as the stadium parking lot opens. They toss footballs, barbecue all types of food, listen to loud music, watch football highlights on portable TVs and chant for the coming victory of their home team.

Now imagine all of this magnified by about 200 times. That is the biggest game there is …. the Super Bowl. But when did it all begin?

Although it may seem as if the Super Bowl has existed forever, actually the first Super Bowl took place quite recently. Super Bowl 1 made its first appearance only 40+ years back, on January 15, 1967.

The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL) (known as American Football in other parts of the world) in the United States. the National Football League, or NFL, and the American Football League, the AFL, played against each other to win the world championship.

The Green Bay Packers opened the Super Bowl series by defeating the AFL champion Chiefs. The Packers collected $15,000 per man and the Chiefs $7,500-the largest single-game shares in the history of team sports at that time.

Although the news press and football fans had already begun using the shorter term for the championship, it was only in 1969 that the original name ‘AFL-NFL World Championship Game’ was officially replaced by ‘Super Bowl’.

Possibly the biggest upset in the history of Super Bowl was created in the third game. That game was won by the New York Jets led by Joe Namath, when they defeated the Baltimore Colts in a huge football shocker.

In Super Bowl 4, the Minnesota Vikings were defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFL. That game was the final championship game before the two leagues merged together.

In 1970, the two leagues merged, with the Super Bowl becoming the championship game of the NFL. The name ‘Super Bowl’ itself can be traced back to Lamar Hunt who suggested it because of the super ball toy his daughter had and on the basis of the fact that a variety of bowl-shaped stadiums were the venues where college football games were played.

Ever since, the champions of the NFC and the AFC have been playing the Super Bowl. The team that wins gets Vince Lombardi trophy, which has been named after the Green Bay Packers’ coach.

The location where the Super Bowl will be played is decided by the NFL about three to five years in advance, on the basis of various cities competing with each other to host the event.

Usually, the southern cities of the US are given preference or those cities that have domed stadiums. More than half of Super Bowl games have been played in Los Angeles, Miami, and New Orleans.

The three major television networks of the US broadcast the Super Bowl game every year, keeping millions of viewers glued to their TV sets, plus of course the thousands in the stands. Almost as big as the football game itself, are the memorable Super Bowl commercials. Corporations shell out enormous amounts of money to get their 30 seconds in the spotlight, in front of millions of worldwide viewers. For a look at 25 of the most popular Super Bowl commercials – Click Here.

Just as quickly as this year’s game ends, football fans everywhere await with bated breath for Super Bowl history to be made again next time.

We can all recall our favorite Super Bowl commercials, whether they happened last year or ten years ago. Apple’s original Mac commercial was amazing. How about the classic Budweiser horse football, or the Fed-Ex “Cast Away” ads?

The Times is reporting today that this year’s crop of crazy expensive Super Bowl ads is going to be tamer than usual. Basically babies talking on webcams. ….. Awesome.

This got me thinking about Super Bowl commercials that were actually memorable, and after some searching, here’s a best-of-the-best list of 25. Once you’ve watched all these, you and that chick at your party who doesn’t give a hoot about football will now have something to talk about on Monday morning.

What’s your favorite ad? Check out the Top 25 Super Bowl Ads ………

25. Sprint “Crime Deterrent Phone”
Click Here

24. Budweiser Clydesdales
Click Here

23. Pepsi Truck
Click Here

22. Anheuser Busch Army Tribute
Click Here

21. Chicago “Bears”
Click Here

20. Reebok “Terry Tate”
Click Here

19. Robert Goulet for Emerald Nuts
Click Here

18. Bud Light “Hitch Hiker”
Click Here

17. Ameriquest “Don’t Judge So Quickly”
Click Here

16. Degree “Stunt City”
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15. FedEx “Stick”
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14. Christopher Reeve
Click Here

13. Career Builder Monkeys
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12. Cindy Crawford for Pepsi
Click Here

11. E*Trade “Out of the Whazoo!”
Click Here

10. Fedex “Castaway”
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9. David Letterman & Oprah Super Bowl Of Love
Click Here

8. Britney Spears Pepsi Super Bowl Commercial
Click Here

7. EDS Running with the Squirrels
Click Here

6. Monster.com “When I Grow Up”
Click Here

5. Nationwide Commercial RollinVIP
Click Here

4. GM Robot Super Bowl Commercial
Click Here

3. Budweiser Frogs
Click Here

2. Apple’s 1984 Macintosh Commercial
Click Here

1. Mean Joe Green
Click Here

Jaermann & Stubi

Jaermann & Stubi has teamed with famous Spanish professional golfer Seve Ballesteros, to introduce the Seve Ballesteros Golf Watch.

Definitely a stylish luxury golf watch, the limited edition Seve Ballesteros Golf Watch is made from melting golf clubs, which was being used by Seve during the 1991 Chunichi Crowns Open in Japan.

The Seve Ballesteros Golf Watch features a brilliant blue dial and bezel and a unique counting mechanism that golfers can use to track the number of strokes taken at each golf hole.

The luxury Seve Ballesteros Golf Watch also comes with a certificate of authenticity and is personally signed by Seve Ballesteros himself.

Price for this must-have collectable watch begins at $19,000.

It appears that the Lake Tahoe area may make another run at bringing back the Winter Olympics. It’s been 50 years since the Winter Olympics were last held in the area – at Squaw Valley.

A Lake Tahoe organizing committee is now beginning to put together a bid package to try and secure the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Squaw Valley founder Alex Cushing worked tirelessly to bring the games to Squaw Valley. Now his widow, Nancy Cushing, is leading the move and organizing a committee to try and bring the games back to the Tahoe region in 2022.

This past weekend saw the start of the bidding process. Squaw Valley is hosting a 10-day Olympic Heritage Celebration. The goal is to begin a capital raising campaign to build a new Squaw Valley museum.

Back in October, the United States Olympic Committee officially ended the hopes of Reno-Lake Tahoe to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. The area has now failed in six attempts to secure the Winter Olympic games.

For the 2022 games, Olympic bids are due in 2012. By 2022 it will have been 20 years since the Winter Games were last held in the United States. Salt Lake City, Utah hosted the XIX Olympic Winter Games.

If Nancy Cushing is successful, the games in Lake Tahoe could be hosted by numerous world-class resorts around the scenic, Reno-Tahoe region.

Super Bowl XLIV will be played February 7, 2010 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida.

If you are lucky enough to get tickets and attend the game, why not make it a once in a lifetime experience.

Combine a 3 night / 4 day luxury yacht experience along with your Choice of Super Bowl tickets.

Here’s what this luxury south Florida Super Bowl package includes:

– 3 Nights 4 Days Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon February 5, 6, 7, 8, 2010 aboard 105 ft Broward Luxury Motor Yacht
– Yacht Will Be Docked At Exclusive Hotel & Marina
– 3 State Rooms
– Sleeps 6 +
– Full Crew-Chef
– Premium Bar & Catering
– Every Room 42 Inch Plasma TV’S
– Incredible BOSE Sound System
– Superbowl Tickets Of Your Choice
– Choice Of 1 Of 15 Exclusive Superbowl VIP Parties
– Limousine Service Available
– VIP Restaurant & Night Club Reservations
– Off Yacht Adventures Available, Helicopter To Private Island For Dinner (FL KEYS), 2 hr Cigarette Race Boat Experience

For more information and reservations, go to: Millionaires Concierge

The Moyer Foundation, founded by MLB pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen, are joining together with The Mario Batali Foundation to present their “Super Bowl Super Brunch” on Saturday, February 6th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Viceroy Hotel in Miami.

This exclusive brunch with tickets priced at $1,000 will be hosted by the Moyers and world-renowned chef Mario Batali, with honorary celebrity co-chairs – comedian Jimmy Fallon, legendary musician Jimmy Buffett and Chef Emeril Lagasse – along with guests including professional athletes and sports personalities.

The afternoon will include a gourmet brunch designed by Batali, wine & specialty cocktails, cooking demonstrations by Batali & Lagasse, live entertainment and a silent auction.

Proceeds from the special event will benefit The Moyer Foundation’s Camp Erin(tm) program and The Mario Batali Foundation.

Camp Erin was created in 2002 by The Moyer Foundation, founded by World series champion and MLB All-star pitcher, Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen.

The Mario Batali Foundation was launched in 2008 and was established to feed, protect, educate and empower children, encouraging them to dream big while providing them with the necessary tools toi become an active force for change in today’s world.

For more information got to the Moyer Foundation or contact Katie Hamilton (206) 298-1217

Looking for that perfect gift for that golfer in your life? Mailliard Solid Gold Designs celebrates the introduction of its impressive solid 18kt gold tee and ball marker gift set!

“Universally recognized as the ultimate golf memento”

The Gold Tee Collection has been painstakingly created with the passionate golfer in mind. While honoring the timeless traditions of the game from its inception until the present, Mailliard Solid Gold Designs has strived to create a lasting and exemplary example of a golf tee and ball marker gift set that represents the quality, the prestige, the honor and the beauty that a true golf champion deserves.

The Gold Tee Collection was recently the highlight presentation gift during the closing ceremonies of the Justin Timberlake Shriner’s Open in Las Vegas, Nevada. A custom engraved gift set was presented to Mr. Timberlake’s mother, Ms. Lynn Harless, as a tribute to her strength and character and in honor of her son’s tireless philanthropic work for the children and patients of Shriner’s Hospitals nationwide. Mailliard Solid Gold Designs was proud to be a part of such an important moment.

Each gift set, including golf tee and custom engraved ball marker, is meticulously crafted in solid 18kt gold and is available in rose, white and yellow gold. The pair comes in a truly handsome hardwood presentation box lined with velvet. Each golf tee and ball marker gift set represents magnificence and value, both alluring attributes.

The Mailliard Solid Gold Designs Gold Tee Collection is:

• Featured in Nov/Dec Issue Vegas Golfer Holiday Gift Guide
• Now available at Shreve & Co. in San Francisco, California
• Available at the exclusive Pebble Beach, California jewelers Marchesa Jewelry;
• Universally recognized as the ultimate golf memento; and,
• Offered immediately, if ordered before December 1st, for the celebratory holiday price of $2,250.
(Tell them you read the article at “The Life of Luxury”, and ask them to keep offering that special discount)

For more information, go to: www.MailliardDesigns.com

There will be a smorgasbord of stuff you might want to try or have dreamed about since those cold, wet days in January. Would-be consumers might look at $5.99 brush tees that could make the ball go a tad farther, $1,000 drivers with interchangeable shafts, or putters, including the space-age $199 TaylorMade Rossa Monza Spider that is supposed to put a better roll on the ball.

Then there are the others – golf extremists who covet the ultra-high-end gear and are willing to pay $3,000 for a driver, $1,000 for a graphite shaft and perhaps $4,000 or more for irons used by the pros. They know everything about the equipment long before the product launch date.

Ground zero for these obsessed individuals is BombSquadGolf.com, a Web forum where some 43,000 members discuss the latest and greatest. The most popular topic usually shows “what’s in the bag” photos from PGA Tour events.

“What we focus on is what we like, the highest-performing product,” Thrun said by telephone from his headquarters in Henderson, Nev. “I’ve seen it for years. Once something becomes mainstream, our clientele loses interest in it. We like to have things that other people don’t have. Who doesn’t?”

There’s also plenty of talk about getting optimized – taking your swing and finding the right shaft and driver clubhead that will give you the best launch angle and spin characteristics. These days, those stats are measured on $25,000 launch monitors and can be tweaked to get you into the best launch and spin numbers.

Bubba Watson, the PGA Tour’s longest driver, is known to have ungodly numbers – a 17-degree launch angle with 1,700 rpm of spin. The industry standard is about 12 degrees and 3,000 rpm.

Likewise, Callaway has a new set of “Tour Authentic” irons and wedges based upon similar thinking. The irons, which are limited to 1,000 sets nationwide, sell for about $2,000, the wedges $200. Typical high-end irons go for $799 to $1,100, wedges $120.

“A lot of that interest on our end got generated by what we saw online, whether on eBay or Bomb Squad,” said Bill Knees, Callaway’s senior vice president of marketing. “There is a group of people who want to play what the tour players have, either because they think they are that caliber or they just think it’s cool.”

And one way or another, those equipment-obsessed golfers who seek the perfect club and golf game eventually affect what the rest of us will put in our golf bags.  Full article

Danica Patrick began racing when she was only ten years old. She began racing in the Indy Racing League in 2005, competing for the Rahal-Letterman team, becoming the rookie of the year.

She is currently married to Paul Hospenthal, a physical therapist, who helped Danica recover from an injury she suffered while filming a morning television show.

“My goal is not to be the first female to do things or to be a poster child or a calendar girl. It’s to just win, because everything takes care of itself if you win.”

David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Garia has developed a luxury golf car, that will redefine the existing golf cart as we know it.

We were recently invited to Las Vegas for an exclusive preview of the new Garia golf car from Denmark. In addition, we met some of the development team behind this exciting new product.

Anyone who appreciates fine design can appreciate the level that Danish designers have achieved with their design creations. The Garia golf car is no exception. Anders Lynge, who designed the product, has done a masterful job of staying true to the product but giving it a true makeover.

The Garia golf car was redesigned from the ground up without losing sight that it still needs to function as a golf cart. Now don’t make the mistake of thinking this is just another golf cart. It is something very special.

There are several important reasons why they have called this a “golf car”. One is the fact it’s produced by the Finnish Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki, Finland. Many people may not have heard of Valmet Automotive, but they have heard of the Porsche Boxter and Porsche Caymen that they manufacture for Porsche AG. Valmet Automotive brings the same level of craftsmanship and attention to detail, in the manufacture of the Garia golf car.

The Garia golf car is top to bottom, a fully customizable vehicle that is not solely for the golf course. It has been designed for a number of other uses as well, and is definitely aimed squarely at the discriminating buyer. You can choose from 8 different exterior colors, 3 colors of leather seats, optional sport seats, and 4 styles of wheels. This selection of colors and materials really allows the new owner to make it their very own.

You can also select a refrigerator built into the dashboard, an interior lighting package that is wonderfully integrated into the design, as well as a heated windshield with wipers. This all electric vehicle really has some “get up and go” and would be as much at home on the links as it would be on short trips in your local community.

I was very impressed the vehicle from the moment I sat in it, and even more so when I drove it. Even at 6’3” I was very comfortable driving it and the Garia golf car handled very well. I found it to be very responsive and had a great feel while driving. Custom features such as an automatic parking brake means no more jamming on the parking brake every time you get in or out of the vehicle.

In addition, little things like an insulated roof means you’re not getting into a mini oven every time you get back inside. It also has a very nice pop-up sun roof that allows nice air flow while you are driving along. That combined with an on board refrigerated compartment for your drinks and you are set for a great day out and about.

Developed along with professional golf players, the Garia golf car ensures optimal comfort. This allows golfers to focus on the most important fact – your golf game.

The Garia golf car is truly one of a kind. Any lucky owner will be the talk of the town. For more information, please visit Garia.

Michael Phelps

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps is now the top Olympic gold medal winner of all time. Phelps won his fourteenth gold medal on August 17, 2008, in the 400-meter medley relay.

Finishing with eight gold medals in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing China, Michael surpassed Mark Spitz as the most successful swimmer and Olympian of all time.

Phelps broke Mark Spitz’s 36 year-old record for most gold medals at a single Olympic games, set in 1972 in Munich.

Michael Fred Phelps (born June 30, 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American swimmer who holds world records in several events. Phelps won eight medals (six gold, two bronze) at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, which tied the record for most medals at one Olympics.

Michael Phelps – Athens Olympics

As a result of his swimming dominance, he’s been named World Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and American Swimmer of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

In 1999, Michael earned a spot on the U.S. National B Team. At the Junior Nationals, he broke a record in the 200-meter butterfly for the 20-year-old age group. Michael’s ascent through the U.S. swimming ranks accelerated in 2000.

At 15, Michael became the youngest swimmer to compete for the U.S. in the Olympics in 68 years.

Michael Phelps – swimming race win celebration