Super Bowl XL meetings held in Atlanta, two years before the stadium opened in 2002; the only previous Super Bowl held in the Detroit area, Super Bowl XVI, had been played at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1982 (also between teams from the AFC North and NFC West divisions [the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers, respectively], though the AFC North was called the Central at that time). The NFL promoted this Super Bowl under the slogan "The Road to Forty." The slogan not only honored the 40-year history of the game, but was a nod to Detroit's traditional role as the center of
Super Bowl curse nervous playing. One piece of the Super Bowl curse asserts the team that loses the Super Bowl will go into losing seasons overall. The trend was especially evident during the early 2000s. This list of examples is not exhaustive. Super Bowl curse The Super Bowl curse or Super Bowl hangover is a phrase that refers to one of three phenomena that may occur in the National Football League (NFL). First, that host teams rarely qualify for the Super Bowl during the year their city will host. Second, that teams rarely win consecutive Super Bowls. Third, that a participating team will