Gatorade became a household name when the tradition of pouring the Gatorade jug over the head of the winning team's coach at the end of the Super Bowl began with the New York Giants' win in 1987. -
Inventor of the Week Archive, MITIn his new book, "First in Thirst: How Gatorade Turned the Science of Sweat Into a Cultural Phenomenon" (AMACOM Books, 243 pages, $21.95), Rovell expertly tells of the first Gatorade dunking. The "tipping point," as Rovell calls it, was not at a Super Bowl but during the middle of the 1985 NFL season. The New York Giants, coached by Bill Parcells, were struggling with a 3-3 record after six games and preparing for a big game with the rival Washington Redskins.
During the week of practice, Parcells picked on nose guard Jim Burt, teasing him that a Washington offensive lineman was "going to eat him up."
Burt was furious. When the Giants won, 17-3, Burt decided to exact revenge of sorts by dousing Parcells with a near-full cooler of Gatorade as time expired. Teammates were worried that Parcells might see it as a sign of disrespect but the often-volatile coach smiled instead. The next week Burt was joined by Giants linebacker Harry Carson, the two defensive players waiting until Parcells took off his headset in the final seconds of a victory. -
Seattle POST-INTELLIGENCER--------
The second, more detailed, story seems to show the first instance of the traditional dousing.
