One notable tradition at the close of each Super Bowl is the Gatorade bath for the winning coach. We’ve got a look at the history of the tradition and what colors have been used.
The NFL season wraps up every year with the Super Bowl determining the champion of the league. The proverbial cherry on top comes with the Gatorade shower.
When the game has finally been decided, tradition has dictated that the winning team dump whatever is in the Gatorade tub on their head coach. The Gatorade shower has been a part of NFL tradition since the mid-80s, although it did not start with the Super Bowl.
The first instance was when New York Giants defensive tackle Jim Burt dumped Gatorade on Bill Parcells at the end of a win over Washington in 1986. Burt first did it not entirely in celebration, but rather as a way to get back at Parcells who had been riding him all week. Burt explained it as a way to fight back against Parcells’s bullying. After that first instance, linebacker Harry Carson took over the duties and would dump the Gatorade tub on Parcells after each win. Carson said Parcells was superstitious and so that continued all the way through their win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 21.
The history of Super Bowl Gatorade showers has only been tracked formally since 2001. That year, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Giants and the team dumped yellow Gatorade on head coach Brian Billick. The color was notable because it became something sports bettors could wager on each year.
The odds for the Gatorade bath usually include the following options:
- Yellow/Lime or Green
- Purple
- Orange
- Red/Pink
- Blue
- Water or Clear
Heading into Super Bowl 59, FanDuel Sportsbook is offering odds in Canada on the Gatorade shower. Yellow or lime or green are the favorite at -195. Purple follows at +360. Orange is +950, and red/pink, blue, and water/clear are each +1500. The past two years the Kansas City Chiefs have dumped purple Gatorade on head coach Andy Reid so if you think the Chiefs are going to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, purple is probably a good bet.
