The days are getting shorter, the snow is starting to come down in some places, the Yankees are in the playoffs like they always are (last year was an aberration) and the Red Sox are saying wait ’till next year. But all that information is secondary. Yeah, you kinda want to see the World Series and you’re either hoping the Yanks go down in flames or that they finally win their 27th title, but the most important thing for you right now is that we’re just a few short months away from the most important day in American sports: Superbowl Sunday. Okay, so it’s still to early to make guesses at who will be in the Superbowl this year, but at a time like this, it’s a great opportunity to look back over history and ask that all important question: which football team has been to the Superbowl the most? And since you’ve now asked the question, I’ll give you an answer. They’re sometimes called America’s team and they are one of the wealthiest teams in the history of sports. Give up? The answer is The Dallas Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys have a truly remarkable record. The team has been around officially since 1960 (it was known by a different name before that and the “modern era” dates from 1960 for them). In just 49 years of existence, this team has had well over a .500 record for winning seasons and it seems they make the playoffs almost every single year. The Cowboys have been to 8 Superbowls and won 5 trophies for their hometown. In fact, from 1966 to 1985, the Dallas Cowboys had an incredible streak of 20 winning seasons.

However, if you’re going to ask the question, which football team has been to the superbowl the most, then you also need to know who the second most winning team is. And actually, while the Cowboys hold the record for the most visits to the Superbowl, they don’t hold the record for the most Superbowl trophies. That honor belongs to none other than the Pittsburgh Steelers who need just one appearance this year to match the Cowboy’s record. But even if they don’t make it, they’ve already got sole possession of the record for the most wins in the Superbowl, having taken home the trophy six times in their seven visits to the ultimate game.

The Steelers are one of the oldest National Football League franchises in the game. They were founded in 1933 by a true sports fanatic named Art Rooney. He purchased the right to an NFL franchise for just $2,500 (I bet you wish you could buy a sports team for that kind of money). Originall known as the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Steelers made 8 decades of history is the Steel Capital of the United States and in the modern era of football, they of course won a total of 6 trophies.

We don’t know who is going to be playing in the Superbowl this season, but when you’re sitting around drinking beer, betting on the game and munching wings and nachos, just remember, when a friend asks the inevitable question,  which football team has been to the Superbowl the most, you’ll know the answer to give him and then some.