In a football scoreboards feature, I have taken an amusing look at some of the college “Superbowls” down the years.

When it comes to the NFL, there is only one bowl that matters: The Super Bowl. However, there is a whole other world of football separate to the NFL: College Football. The colleges and the universities that are a member of the National College Athletic Association have their own bowls. It may not always be Super, but it’s still a bowl and requires a lot of sponsors to bankroll the party. The sponsor who throws in the most money gets to name the bowl after their product or business, therefore, the names that the bowls end up having are quiet…well, you’ll see for yourself!

5. The Mirage Bowl – even though this bowl has long since been discontinued, why was it named the Mirage Bowl? Was it because it was held in Tokyo, Japan and was like a mirage for the audience back at home because, for the life of them, they could not find a channel that aired the game? Or was it a pun on the winning team; A: “We won the Mirage Bowl, baby!” B: “Are
you sure? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure a mirage is a trick of the mind!” However, luckily for “A” it’s name was changed to Coca-Cola Bowl from 1986 to 1993.

4. Salad Bowl – really, I’m not kidding. The Football Scoreboards showed that they named it the Salad Bowl! It was a post-season football game played in Phoenix from 1948 to 1952. Although, it was discontinued, it laid down the grounds (or should I say leaves?) for the current Fiesta Bowl. Wouldn’t it be just fitting to have a Spaghetti Bowl soon, too?

3. Glass Bowl – now how could this bowl name not be on the list? It was played from 1946 – 1949 at the Glass Bowl stadium of University of Toledo. May be they discontinued it because the Bowl broke, eh? Nope! It was more due to the fact that Toledo was shattered (pun intended!) by Cincinnati in ’49.

2. AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl – the game is the Independence Bowl held in Louisiana, AdvoCare V100 is its current sponsor. If you Google it, it turns out the company makes nutritional supplements and energy drinks, but before you Googled it didn’t it seem like it was a game celebrating the independence from a species of robots (Cylons, anyone?) Sadly, this wasn’t the game’s only unfortunate sponsorship; Poulan was its first sponsor and the cup was named Poulan Weed-Eater Independence Bowl. At first glance, it seemed like they were sponsoring the kids to buy weed, and not the good kind!

1. Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Presented by Bridgestone – when I came across this one, I couldn’t stop laughing! It’s hilarious not because of it’s innuendos, but because of the fact that it needs two sponsors and it being such a mouthful! You’d need at least a week to remember the full title, or you could simply call it the Gaylord Bowl or the GHMCBPB? Ri-iight!

For more information, go to:
espn.go.com