Superbowl at Rose Bowl: The Unluckiest Stadium?

The NFL regular season is in the book, the playoff contenders have been finalized, and we’re a step closer to finding out who will be crowned Super Bowl LVI winner at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Who will be the latest winner of the big game hosted in California? Oakland, Pittsburgh, Washington, New York Giants, and Dallas were all Superbowl at Rose Bowl winners.

Just how important is the venue of the Super Bowl when it comes to determining the result of football’s biggest game? In this blog post, using information from Statista, we’ll be looking at five of the game’s most famous venues – the Superdome, Orange Bowl, Qualcomm Stadium, Tampa Stadium, and the Rose Bowl – and seeing how teams with the most Super Bowl victories have fared there, including the Superbowl at Rose Bowl winners.

Are some venues luckier than others for the most successful teams? Are some teams cursed at particular stadiums? How do teams fare when their home stadium has been chosen as the venue for a Super Bowl?

Find out as we investigate Which Super Bowl Stadium Has Brought the Worst Luck to the NFL’s Top teams.

How are Super Bowl Venues Chosen?

For a long time, the main factor in deciding the Super Bowl venue was the weather. The NFL wanted its showpiece event to be played in warm conditions where the climate wouldn’t impact the contest. We’d love to have seen a Super Bowl in Green Bay. A frozen Lambeau Field in the middle of winter isn’t to everyone’s taste though.

Cities would bid to host the big game. The League would then pick what is considered to be the best bid.

That’s why the likes of Miami, Los Angeles, and New Orleans have hosted so many Super Bowls. Occasionally, a Super Bowl was hosted in a domed stadium in a cold-weather city like Detroit (the scene of the first San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl win). Those games were the exception rather than the rule.

The selection process changed in 2018 though. The NFL now asks a city directly to put together a proposal. The 32 team owners then vote. If they say ‘yes’, that venue will go on to host the big game. This decision is usually made three to four years before the Super Bowl is due to take place.

Superdome Stadium (Caesars Superdome Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana)

The Superdome has hosted the Super Bowl seven times, most recently in 2013. The Broncos and Patriots share the NFL record for the most Super Bowl losses with five apiece. Both teams have lost twice at the Superdome. The Broncos were beaten 27-10 by the Cowboys in their first Super Bowl appearance in 1978. Denver then suffered a record-breaking 55-10 loss to the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV.

The Louisiana venue was a happier hunting ground for New England, though. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady inspired the Patriots to their first World Championship with a win over the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. The Patriots had previously lost to the Bears and Packers at the Superdome.

The Superdome is also the only venue where there was a 49ers Super Bowl loss. The Baltimore Ravens defeated San Francisco 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII. The game was famously interrupted for 34 minutes by a power cut. It was also the first Super Bowl to feature two brothers as head coaches on opposing teams. John Harbaugh was in charge of the Ravens with brother Jim leading the 49ers.

The New Orleans venue will host the big game once again in 2025.

Superdome stadium - 49ers super bowl loss

Source: Wikipedia

Orange Bowl Stadium (Miami, Florida)

Fans of the Dallas Cowboys must have been glad when the Orange Bowl in Miami closed its doors for the last time in 2008. The men from the Lone Star State have lost three Super Bowls. All three defeats came at the Orange Bowl.

Dallas linebacker Chuck Howley set a record in Super Bowl V. He was the only Super Bowl MVP losing team member to win the award. That despite the Cowboys going down to the Baltimore Colts 16-13.

The Orange Bowl was also the scene of one of the most famous upsets in Super Bowl history; then Joe Namath and the New York Jets stunned the heavily favored Baltimore Colts 16-7 in Super Bowl III.

The Florida venue was also the first with artificial turf to host the big game.

Orange Bowl Stadium

Source: Wikipedia

San Diego Stadium (California)

Formerly known as Jack Murphy Stadium, later named Qualcomm Stadium, and demolished in 2021, San Diego Stadium hosted three Super Bowls between 1988 and 2003.

It will be a stadium that serves up mixed memories for fans of the Denver Broncos. Routed 42-10 by Washington in Super Bowl XXII, John Elway and the Broncos secured their maiden world title there a decade later. Inspired by MVP Terrell Davis, the Denver stunned Green Bay by a score of 31-24 to give the Broncos the first victory in five attempts. The defeat in San Diego is also the only time the Packers have lost in a Super Bowl.

Tampa Bay also secured its first World Championship at San Diego Stadium. The Buccaneers defeated Raiders 48-21 to claim their maiden Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl XXXVII.

San Diego Stadium (California)

Source: Wikipedia

Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)

The city of Tampa has hosted the Super Bowl five times. The first two games took place at Tampa Stadium (aka The Big Sombrero), with three more following at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers became the first team to win the Super Bowl at their home venue after downing the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 at Super Bowl LV in 2021. The New York Giants beat the closest-ever Super Bowl at Tampa Stadium, defeating the luckless Bills 20-19 following Scott Norwood’s infamous last-second field goal miss. The Giants also suffered their only Super Bowl defeat in Tampa, losing to the Baltimore Ravens at Raymond James Stadium in January 2001.

Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)

Source: Wikipedia

The ‘Superbowl at Rose Bowl’ Remains the Luckiest

Despite never having had an NFL team call it home, the Rose Bowl has hosted five Super Bowls. The Giants and Washington have both won multiple Super Bowls. Both teams secured their first World Championship at the Rose Bowl. The Redskins defeated Miami 27- 17 in Super Bowl XVII with the Giants thrashing Denver 39-20 in Super Bowl XX.

The California venue was also a happy hunting ground for another NFC East team. The Dallas Cowboys achieved their biggest victory in the big game, defeating the hapless Bills 52-17 at Super Bowl XXVII in 1993.

Pittsburgh became the first team in NFL history to win four Super Bowls after downing the Rams 31-19 at the Rose Bowl in January 1980.

The other AFC team to win a Superbowl at Rose Bowl are the Raiders. The Raiders beat the Vikings 32-14 in Super Bowl XI, led by legendary coach turned broadcaster John Madden.

The Rose Bowl last hosted a Super Bowl way back in January 1993.

Superbowl at Rose Bowl Remains the Luckiest

Source: Wikipedia

The Curse of the Home Venue

Fans of teams that were selected to host the Super Bowl often weren’t pleased. That was because of the so-called Super Bowl Venue Curse. If a team was due to host a Super Bowl, it usually meant that the home team had no chance of playing in it. Even the Superbowl at Rose Bowl winners have already felt it.

Until 2020, no team had even reached a Super Bowl at their home stadium, let alone won one. The 2017 Minnesota Vikings got the closest. Mike Zimmer’s team reached the NFC Championship Game. They were routed by the eventual Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles 38-7.

The ageless Tom Brady holds a host of NFL records. The former Patriots legend also played a huge part in breaking the Super Bowl Venue Curse.

Number 12 was a key member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. It took 55 attempts, but a team finally claimed a Super Bowl win at their home stadium after the Bucs defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.

At the time of writing, there’s a chance of another home win. Super Bowl LVI will take place at SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Rams. Sean McVay’s team is still in the hunt for NFL glory as we head into the Divisional round playoff.

Conclusion

A Super Bowl winners losers list has the New England Patriots at the top of both. Bill Belichick’s men have been World Champions six times (tied with Pittsburgh). The Pats also have five losses (tied with Denver).

The Superdome has been the unluckiest venue for the Patriots who have twice lost there in the Championship decider. It wasn’t all bad news in New Orleans though. The Patriots also won their maiden Super Bowl at the Superdome.

The closest thing to a Super Bowl Stadium curse was the Orange Bowl which was kryptonite to the Dallas Cowboys. All three of a franchise’s Super Bowl losses came at the Florida venue.

The Curse of the Home Stadium has been vanquished though after the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XLV on home turf. Fans of the Cardinals, Raiders, and Saints will be delighted to hear that as their home stadiums will host Super Bowls in 2023, 2024, and 2025.


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