The first time.

Both the Denver Broncos, who will be making their 8th Super Bowl appearance and the Carolina Panthers, making their second have been to the Supe before.

This keeps a streak going of no first time finalist in a major North American sports league since the Texas Rangers made their first World Series appearance in 2010.

Thus with this Super Bowl matching two teams that have been finalists before, there have been 21 major North American sports league finals sans a first time finalist.

If one considers the decade starting in the zero year, in this case 2010, there have been no first time Super Bowl entrants.

The last first time Super Bowl entrant, the 2009 New Orleans Saints defeated the Peyton Manning quarterbacked Indianapolis Colts.

In the previous decade (2000-2009), 6 NFL franchises made their first Supe appearance during that period.

The 2000 Baltimore Ravens, 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and aforementioned Saints won while the 2003 Carolina Panthers, 2005 Seattle Seahawks and 2008 Arizona Cardinals lost in the “big game.”

The current NBA and NHL runners up, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Tampa Bay Lightning were the last first time finalists in their respective leagues.

The Cavaliers in 2007 and the Lightning in 2004. While the Lightning (1-1) in finals won, the Cavaliers (0-2) in finals lost.

The baseball Texas Rangers lost not only as the last first time World Series participant in 2010 but again in excruciating fashion in the following year’s Fall Classic/baseball final.

Summer (The First Time) – Bobby Goldsboro

Click above for Mr. Goldsboro’s  beautiful song, recalling another kind of “first time.”

Bobby Goldsboro pictured above.