Patriots Get Their Super Bowl Footballs
FOXBORO (CBS) - The Super Bowl footballs have arrived.
The New England Patriots received the footballs they will be using in the big game with the Super Bowl XLVI logo printed on them.
"The Duke" is imprinted on each one, which actually has ties to the New York Giants. That was the nickname for late Giants owner Wellington Mara, who spent 81 years with the team making numerous contributions to the NFL.
Read: Levan Reid's Patriots Blog
Mara's father Tim helped arrange Wilson becoming the league's official supplier of game balls, and they began printing "The Duke" on them in 1941.
"The Duke" ball was used through 1969 but discontinued prior to the 1970 season after the NFL-AFL merger. Wilson balls were still used but with a new design and no official name.
Read: Another Day Off For Patriots
It stayed that way until 2006, when the NFL returned the name of "The Duke" to the ball after Mara's passing in 2005.
Wilson has been the Official Ball for nearly 70 years and this is believed to be one of the longest partnerships in sports history.
Read: Super Bowl Jerseys To Have "MHK" Patch
Tune in to Super Bowl XLVI on 98.5 The Sports Hub on February 5, the only place you can hear the local call of the game!
