Former longtime Hood River resident Jack Mills, now deceased, attended the first Super Bowl in 1967 and kept his ticket and a hat as souvenirs. Son Michael Mills shared the story with Columbia Gorge News.
Former longtime Hood River resident Jack Mills, now deceased, attended the first Super Bowl in 1967 and kept his ticket and a hat as souvenirs. Son Michael Mills shared the story with Columbia Gorge News.
HOOD RIVER — When NFL fans in Hood River thought about last weekend’s Super Bowl, they were most likely thinking about the Seattle Seahawks. Not just this year’s team, but the opportunity for the organization to exact revenge on the New England Patriots for the infamous, heartbreaking goal line loss in Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.
Instead of reminiscing on the “could have beens” of 2015, and the potential of 2026, what if I told you that Hood River has a connection to the big game?
Let’s shift focus a bit. Back to 1967. Back to the first Super Bowl, where, believe it or not, a future Hood River resident actually attended.
Longtime Hood River resident Jack Mills, deceased, attended the first Super Bowl on Jan. 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Coliseum in Los Angeles. Jack even kept his ticket (and a hat) to prove his attendance.
Mills’ son Michael, a current Hood River resident, said that the ticket and the hat now reside in Tara and Brittney Mills’ sports trophy room in upper Hood River Valley. Tara Mills is Jack Mills’ granddaughter.
Jack served as the Hood River County Commissioner from 1984-1990 and was involved in a number of local business ventures such as: Full Sail Brewing Co., Mt. Hood Brewing Co., Dee Forest Products and Mt. Hood Railroad.
Michael added that his father sat on the 20-yard line during the game... for an astounding $12.
This is quite the difference from 2026, where according to The Oregonian, ticket prices for Feb. 8 Super Bowl held steady at around $6,100 — for the cheapest single seats — since Jan. 26.
Pricing for the first Seahawks/Patriots matchup, Super Bowl XLIX (Feb. 1, 2015) between the Seahawks and the Patriots showed tickets averaging $4,314.
Fun facts about the first Super Bowl:
• The first Super Bowl was actually called the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game,” and only nicknamed “The Super Bowl,” as organizers were uncertain if it would be a success and if there would be any to follow.
• The halftime show featured men in jetpacks and the University of Arizona marching band, contrary to a performance from a music star like you see today.
• It is the only Super Bowl that was broadcast simultaneously by rival networks. CBS carried the NFL broadcast and NBC carried the AFL broadcast.
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