From
pre-game to halftime to during the game, the most memorable events from
football's biggest event
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It's More Than Just a Game
As Super Bowl XLVIII fast approaches, a nation once again
collectively wonders what scintillating plays will go down in NFL lore, which
Seahawk or Bronco might spout off some retweetable post-game rant, what
commercial will become watercooler fodder and if Bruno Mars will bring it at halftime. We don't know the
answers, but we do know that there are unforgettable moments waiting to happen
on February 2nd.
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The First 'World Championship Game' TouchdownSuper Bowl I, January 15th, 1967
America's most-watched sporting event wasn't officially
decreed the Super Bowl until two years later, but for all intents and purposes,
this inaugural clash (the "World Championship Game") between AFL and
NFL superpowers (eventually re-assigned as the AFC and NFC) is regarded as SB
I. And its very first points were tallied when little-used Green Bay Packers
receiver Max McGee − an in-game sub for injured Boyd Dowler − snagged a
touchdown pass from Bart Starr, one of the pair's two TD hookups that day en
route to a victory over Len Dawson's Kansas City Chiefs.
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NBC's Halftime Gaffe, Super Bowl I
January 15th, 1967
Before arena blackouts and other anomalies befell the big
game (more on that later), there was Super Bowl I's infamous halftime kickoff
snafu. Both NBC and CBS were broadcasting the showdown between the Green Bay
Packers and Kansas City Chiefs live (the former owned AFL TV rights, the latter
the NFL's). While an NBC correspondent was interviewing comedian Bob Hope, the
network neglected to switch back to the game and missed the second half's
opening moments. Consequently, the kickoff was whistled dead and Green Bay was
forced to re-kick. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, it did nothing to reverse
their fate, as the Packers won by a score of 35 to 10.
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Vince Lombardi's Hero's Send-off, Super Bowl II
January 14th, 1968
Vince Lombardi has been immortalized on stage and screen,
and is American sports' template for coaching excellence. (He also made the
front-toothed gap en vogue decades before Michael Strahan.) The famously stern
leader was all smiles when his players carried him off the Orange Bowl turf on
their shoulders after Green Bay toppled Oakland to take their second
consecutive Super Bowl win. It was Lombardi's last stand with the Pack, capping
a nine-year run that featured seven collective titles. To this day, he's still
symbolically hoisted overhead in triumph, as the Super Bowl trophy bears his
name.
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Joe Namath's Guaranteed Victory, Super Bowl III
January 12th, 1969
When Jets QB "Broadway" Joe Namath casually
rebutted a cocky Baltimore Colts fan by guaranteeing a win over the heavily
favored opponents, his assurance put a sensational charge into Super Bowl III.
But it's the image of Namath holding a solitary we're-number-one finger in the
air as he ran off into the tunnel following his team's improbable 16-7 victory
that drives otherwise long-suffering Jets fans into sweet reveries
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Baltimore's Rebound Reception, Super Bowl V
January 17th, 1971
Kicker Jim O'Brien's field goal cinched the Colts' first
Super Bowl win, 16-13, over the Dallas Cowboys. But as legendary Baltimore QB
Johnny Unitas would certainly attest, they would have never been in that
position if his early second-quarter pass hadn't fortuitously bounced off a
defender's hands into the arms of tight end John Mackey, who brought it all the
way home for a 75-yard score
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Duane Thomas's Silent Treatment, Super Bowl VI
January 16th, 1972
Enigmatic Dallas running back Duane Thomas declared a vow of
media silence in the days leading up to Super Bowl VI. Although when he did
offer some insight into his Cowboys' contest versus the Miami Dolphins, it was
a rhetorical gem worth the wait: "If it's the ultimate game, how come
they're playing it again next year?" Fittingly, Thomas did his finest work
sans words, as he rushed for 95 yards and a TD in Dallas' 24-3 cakewalk. After
the game, he continued his wonderfully tight-lipped
ways. CBS television announcer Tom
Brookshier noted Thomas' speed and asked him, "Are you that
fast?" Thomas's reply? "Evidently."
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The Dolphins Complete Undefeated Season, Super Bowl VI
January 16th, 1972
The 2007 New England Patriots came oh-so close to joining
Miami coach Don Shula's 1972 Dolphins in immortality, losing in the Super Bowl
to finish 18 and 1. But alas, those Bob Griese-and-Jake-Scott-led fish remain
the one and only NFL team ever go an entire season without tallying a loss, a
feat they capped off with a gritty 14-7 win over the Washington Redskins and a
signature shoulder-ride out of the L.A. Coliseum for Shula. Final record: 17
wins 0 loses.
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Lynn Swann's Leap, Super Bowl X
January 18th, 1976
There's rarely been a more aptly named athlete than Steelers
receiver Lynn Swann, who was one of football's most graceful players. His
talents ran amok in Super Bowl X, which kicked off a fierce, several-year
rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys. While a fourth-quarter, 64-yard TD catch from
Terry Bradshaw sealed an eventual 21-17 win, it was Swann's mesmerizing
juggling act to snare a 53-year heave launched from the Steelers' own end zone
just before halftime that the people of Pittsburgh still remember
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Jack Tatum Blows Up Sammy White, Super Bowl XI
January 9th, 1977
Though helmet-to-helmet collisions now elicit cringes and
concern over players' well-being, it's hard not to be awed by the force of the
impact when Oakland Raiders safety Jack Tatum barrelled into Minnesota Vikings
wide receiver Sammy White at the apex of a crossing-route dart from Fran
Tarkenton. White's helmet seems to sail in the air nearly longer than the
football. Even more astoundingly, White held on for the first down. Sadly, his
toughness went for naught, as the Raiders roughed up the Vikes on the way to a
32-14 win.
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Gate-Crasher Dion Rich Hoists Tom Landry, Super Bowl XII
January 15th, 1978
Dion Rich is the proud, self-professed "world's
greatest gate-crasher." He's managed to sneak into and photo-bomb Olympic
events, Golden Globes ceremonies and, yes, the Super Bowl. That guy who looks
a used-car salesman carrying off Dallas coach Tom Landry following
Super Bowl XII? Yep, that's Rich, who would pose as team staff and/or wear
disguises to worm his way onto the field each Super Bowl Sunday until he began
actually paying for entry several years ago. As of this article's publication,
he was still searching for a cheap ticket to Super Bowl XLVIII.
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Hollywood Henderson Rips Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIII
January 21st, 1979
For better or worse, Dallas linebacker Thomas
"Hollywood" Henderson arguably propelled the modern art of smack-talk
in sports to its current lofty plane. Witty and brash, Henderson told reporters
just before SB XIII that Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw "couldn't
spell cat if you spotted him the c and the a" (remarks for which he
publicly apologized 17 years later). Of course, Henderson was the one left
smarting when Dallas fell 35-31.
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Snatching Victory From Jaws, Super Bowl XV
January 25th, 1981
The majority of ESPN viewers likely know Ron
"Jaws" Jaworski as a former Monday Night Football analyst
first and erstwhile star Philadelphia Eagles signal-caller second. Jaws can partly
thank Oakland linebacker Rod Martin for that, as the Raiders' speedy man on the
edges snagged a record three interceptions during his squad's 27-10 domination.
It was the first time a wild-card team had held the Lombardi Trophy.
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Marcus Allen’s Outside-Inside Gallop, Super Bowl XVIII
January 22nd, 1984
The only thing more astounding in Super Bowl XVIII than the
famous Apple ad that aired during the telecast (wait for it) was Raiders
running back Marcus Allen's electrifying third-quarter score. Bouncing,
spinning and brushing off Washington linemen like they were lint, Allen ran
three-fourths of the field for a final nail-in-the-coffin touchdown, ratcheting
the Raiders' lead to 35-9.
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Apple's Orwellian Ad, Super Bowl XVIII
January 22nd, 1984
Advertising, during or apart from the Super Bowl, doesn't
get much more iconic than this spot that got tongues wagging following the L.A.
Raiders' 38-9 evisceration of Washington. Directed by Ridley Scott and taking a
page from George Orwell's 1984, Apple contrasted images of
slack-jawed serfs obeying an omniscient leader (i.e. the computing masses) with
a punky, sledgehammer-wielding woman (i.e. Macintosh) bent on destroying the
oppressive machine.
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Refrigerator Perry Ices Bears' Win, Super Bowl XX
January 26, 1986
Everyone's favorite "Superbowl Shuffle"-ing rookie
defenseman, William "the Refrigerator" Perry, was often put into
goal-line situations as a fullback by Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka. And with
his good-time squad up 37-3 on the lame-duck New England Patriots, Ditka let
Perry rumble in from one yard out, tallying what would be Chicago's final TD in
the lopsided shellacking. "That one registered a 3.8," the
broadcasting booth aptly quipped as Fridge spiked the pigskin and iced the
victory.
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The Big Tuna's Gatorade Bath, Super Bowl XXI
January 25, 1987
Though hotly debated (especially by Bears fans), it's
typically acknowledged that the bone-chilling practice of dousing winning
coaches in Gatorade caught fire after Giants linebacker Harry Carson was spied
drenching Bill "The Big Tuna" Parcells on the sidelines of a national
TV game in 1986. Later that winter, once the G-Men secured their 39-20 romp of the
Broncos, they demonstrated proper dunking technique in front of a worldwide
viewership, and no coach has been safe from electrolyte-rich hypothermia since.
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Phil Simms Punches a Ticket to Disney World, Super Bowl
XXI
January 25th, 1987
One Super Bowl XXI factoid that's never been disputed is
Giants QB Phil Simms' participation in the first-ever "I'm gonna go to
Disney World!" post-game spot. The virtually real-time promo is now a rite
of passage for the game's standout players.
Doug Williams' 15 Minutes of Fame, Super Bowl XXII
January 31st, 1988
An outspoken and powerful athlete, former Tampa Bay QB Doug
Williams had fled to the USFL after a contract dispute with the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers before Redskins coach Joe Gibbs snatched him up for the 1987 season.
Good move. After starting quarterback Jay Schroeder went down with injury,
Williams stepped in, led the 'Skins to the Super Bowl, and in a second quarter
for the ages, completed 9 of 11 passes for 228 yards and four (!) touchdowns.
He'd be named MVP and, was the first black quarterback to start in the Super
Bowl.
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Stanley Wilson's No-Show, Super Bowl XXIII
January 22nd, 1989
Former Cincinnati Bengals coach Sam Wyche still groans about
it to this day. His stellar running back, Stanley Wilson, was a potential key
cog if they hoped to overcome Joe Montana's juggernaut San Francisco 49ers in
Super Bowl XXIII. Sadly, Wilson missed a team meeting that morning and was
later found in a hotel bathroom, having lapsed into a crack-cocaine binge.
Wilson was scratched from the game, and San Fran edged out Cincy in a 20-16
thriller.
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Joe Montana Spies John Candy, Super Bowl XXIII
January 22nd, 1989
Most of us would crack under the pressure of Super Bowl
contention, or at least demonstrate some kind of shattered focus. But then,
there's a reason guys like Joe Montana are who they are. The eventual four-time
champ was so non-plussed en route to his team's nail-biting win against the
Bengals that, during San Fran's game-clinching drive, he turned to teammate
Harris Barton and asked, "There, in the stands, standing near the exit
ramp… Isn't that John Candy?" And the cooler head prevailed
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Joe Cool Comes Through, Super Bowl XXIII
January 22nd, 1989
Mere minutes after supposedly stopping to note John Candy's
presence (see previous entry), Montana sealed Cincy's fate with an 11-yard TD
strike to receiver John Taylor deep in the end zone. It was the climactic play
not just of a terrific contest, but a remarkable 92-yard drive that commenced
with just over three minutes to go and San Fran trailing by a field goal. Every
quarterback since who's made a career of making it look easy (that means you,
Tom Brady) had found their muse
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The Bud Bowl's First Draft, Super Bowl XXIII
January 22nd, 1989
The unheralded winner of SB XXIII was Anheuser-Busch, which
launched its first Bud Bowl campaign. The concept was ingeniously simple, and
kind of adorable: animate bottles of Bud and Bud Light and have them play out
four quarters of football over several ads. Toss in color commentary about
their crisp, delicious flavor, sprinkle cute copy like, "The cans go
wild," and boom: A phenomenon is born. The last in-game Bud Bowl aired in
1997, but as recently as 2008, Anheuser's staged the occasional BB in host
cities for old times' sake (and merch sales).
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Whitney Houston Amazes, Super Bowl XXV
January 27th, 1991
Whitney Houston had her share of iconic moments, but Grammy
and American Music Awards performances aside, the late diva's signature
in-concert moment came while bedecked in a patriotic tracksuit and headband.
Opening up Super Bowl XXV with a soul-stirring "Star Spangled Banner"
that doubled as homage to our troops engaged in Operation Desert Storm, she
truly, indisputably moved a nation with her talent.
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New Kids Break New Ground, Super Bowl XXV
January 27th, 1991
1991's halftime show didn't quite have the gravitas of
Whitney's national anthem, but it is a landmark Super Bowl memory. After
decades of marching bands and family-oriented musical numbers that had most of
the audience vying for bathroom breaks, the telecast's producers got (sort of)
hip and hired New Kids on the Block to deliver "Step by Step." OK,
they were still surrounded by dancing toddlers and castle floats, but Donnie
Wahlberg brandishing a big-ass gold chain was, till that point, as edgy as the
affair had ever been.
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Wide Right, Super Bowl XXV
January 27th, 1991
There was one final standout occurrence in Super Bowl XXV,
and this one pertained to the actual outcome of the game. Poor Bills kicker
Scott Norwood invoked Bill Buckner-worthy ire from Buffalo fans, and even
partially inspired the plot of Ace Ventura, when he narrowly hooked
a potential game-winning 47-yard field-goal wide right. The Giants consequently
walked away with a breathtaking 20-19 victory, as Norwood hung his head
(unfairly, if you ask many) in shame. Worse yet, the miss begat a Super Bowl
losing streak for Buffalo, with Norwood's error still remembered as a symbolic
bad omen.
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Thurman Thomas Loses His Head, Super Bowl XXVI
January 26th, 1992
Thurman Thomas has little to apologize for when looking back
at a Hall of Fame career. He ticked off eight consecutive 1,000-plus-yard
rushing seasons for Buffalo in the 1990s, and was all but anointed Super Bowl
XXV MVP (if the Bills had won). Alas, we all have brain farts, and at the
outset of Super Bowl XXVI against Washington (which would become Buffalo's
second of four straight such defeats), Thomas couldn't locate his helmet and
actually missed the opening pair of plays, giving new urgency to that adage
about keeping your head in the game.
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Michael Jackson's Magic, Super Bowl XXVII
January 31st, 1993
The King of Pop was still in world-domination mode more than
a year after Dangerous when he stormed the Rose Bowl in full
pseudo-tsarist regalia. He appeared mid-field amid a plume of smoke after
deking out onlookers via a bevy of MJ impersonators atop the stadium's
scoreboards. Sure, he started out with "Jam," but before long was
running through "Billie Jean" and setting "Heal the World"
against a crowd-participation stunt that has to be seen to be
believed. Jackson's SB XXVIII production showed why, at the time, he still
seemed capable of anything.
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Crystal Pepsi Dates Itself 'Right Now,' Super Bowl XXVII
January 31st, 1993
If two words were ever synonymous with forward thinking,
they figured to be some combination other than Sammy and Hagar. Alas, the
soft-drink giant's ad agents deemed Van Halen's broad pro-everything ballad
"Right Now" the perfect soundtrack to a breathless ad introducing the
"natural," preservative-free and, most crucially, translucent drink,
Crystal Pepsi. This minute-long spot remains a quintessential, if oft-chided,
marker of instant obsolescence.
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Leon Lett's Hotdogged Humbling, Super Bowl XXVII
January 31st, 1993
One takes nothing away from Cowboys defensive tackle Leon
Lett's physical strength, but in SB XXVII, Buffalo Bills receiver Don Beebe
swiped both the ball and some pride from Lett's fingers. Late in the midst of
an eventual 52-17 beating, Buffalo QB Frank Reich fumbled in Dallas territory
on fourth down. Lett picked up the ball and ran it back, only to slow down and
showboat at the goal line, where Beebe caught up and knocked the ball loose and
through the end zone for a touchback. Thankfully for the big guy, this was
before social media. Shockingly, it wasn't his only in-game blunder.
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The Buffalo Bills' Four-Peat of Failure, Super Bowl
XXVIII
January 30th, 1994
Whatever face Buffalo saved the year prior by denying Leon
Lett that last humiliating score was soon obscured. On Jan. 30, '94, the Bills
came out on the wrong side of a fourth straight Super Bowl, losing handily once
again to Dallas, 30-13. With it, the Hall of Fame legacies of coach Marv Levy
and quarterback Jim Kelly were invariably blemished, and the city of Buffalo
was left out in the cold for yet another sports season. The Bills would make
the playoffs four of the next five years, but not since that run of
semi-respectability. And that ain't all on Scott Norwood.
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Reggie White's Trophy Run, Super Bowl XXXI
January 26st, 1997
Desmond Howard's 99-yard kickoff return was Super Bowl XXI's
big play, but the lasting image is of late, great defenseman Reggie White
running around the Superdome, Lombardi Trophy in hand, like the proverbial
overgrown kid. White had waited 14 years to grasp that commemorative statue, and
earned it too: He set a then-SB record with three sacks of Patriots QB Drew
Bledsoe.
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John Elway Goes Flying, Super Bowl XXXII
January 25th, 1998
With the game against Brett Favre's Packers knotted at 17 in
the fourth quarter, John Elway and the Denver Broncos faced a third down at
their opponent's 12-yard line. After taking the shotgun snap, Elway ran toward
the first-down marker. Two defenders sandwiched the 37-year-old QB, who leapt,
and spun around helicopter-style before crashing to the turf with possession of
both the ball and the first down. A rushing TD ensued, as did Elway's first of
two straight Super Bowl wins.
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The Dot-Com Advertising Era Begins, Super Bowl XXXIV
January 30th, 2000
Now it's a given that online monoliths like E*Trade and
GoDaddy fight for prime Super Bowl advertising space with the Cokes and Pepsis
of our planet. But that's a distinctly post-Y2K phenomenon. In fact, SBXXXIV is
often dubbed the "dot-com" bowl by marketing gurus. Several
bubble-ready URLs, flush with investor capital, made a splash that night,
including the aforementioned E*Trade, HotJobs and, notoriously, the ephemeral Pets.com. In
retrospect, the deluge signified a watershed of viral creativity but stands as
emblematic of Web-monetization's early hubris. But at least we got this.
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The Titans Come So Close, Super Bowl XXXIV
January 30th, 2000
The Tennessee Titans lost to Kurt Warner's St. Louis Rams by
seven points, but the final gap between the two teams was really only a single
yard. Titans receiver Kevin Dyson was tackled by Mike Jones a yard shy of the
end zone after corralling a pass by Steve McNair on the final play of
regulation. Had he crossed the goal line, the Titans would've needed only a
point-after kick to force overtime.
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U2 Leave It All on the Field, Super Bowl XXXVI
February 3rd, 2002
It may have seemed strange for an Irish quartet to perform a
9/11 tribute at the subsequent Super Bowl. But few bands with U2's global
influence and admiration have demonstrated such kinship with America's
potential and possibility. Still riding the wave from 2000's comeback
album All That You Can't Leave Behind, the band's halftime
show crested with emotion when Bono and Co. played "MLK" as the
names of victims scrolled behind them, and soared with an incredible
"Where the Streets Have No Name," giving voice to the feelings of
grief and resilience that had lingered after the terrible tragedy.
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Adam Vinatieri Kicks Off Patriots Dynasty, Super Bowl
XXXVI
February 3rd, 2002
"That's the way you should win a Super Bowl,"
decreed John Madden. It's hard to fathom the Tom Brady-driven Patriots as
upstart or underdogs, but they were both heading into that year's game against
Kurt Warner's high-octane St. Louis Rams. But when New England kicker Adam
Vinatieri − fresh off a miracle OT field goal in the snow against Oakland a few
weeks earlier − sailed a 48-yarder through the uprights, marking the first time
that the Super Bowl was won on the game's final play, a nation rejoiced for
David's mythical overtaking of Goliath, even if the Pats soon assumed the
latter role.
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The Wardrobe Malfunction, Super Bowl XXXVIII
February 1st, 2004
What can be said that hasn't already? And has it already
been 10 years since Justin Timberlake ripped off Janet Jackson's bodice to
culminate "Rock Your Body" and the SB XXXVIII Halftime Show, exposing
her breast and launching months of conservative outrage and network
backpedaling? "Nipplegate" has since ceded spotlight to M.I.A.'s
flip-off and other planned/not-quite-planned scandalizing incidents, but for
one glorious, panicked period of time, Janet's display drove the national discourse
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We're Going Streaking! Super Bowl XXXVIII
February 1st, 2004
While overlooked amid Janet's flash dance, there was more
on-field nakedness to be had during a weirdly tawdry Super Bowl XXXVIII. Just
as the second half was about to kick off, British streaker Mark Roberts took
the field posing as an official, only to strip down to a G-string and Golden
Palace advertisement scrawled across his torso. TV cameras panned out, but Pats
special teams member Matt Chatham zeroed in, tackling Roberts before security
hauled him away.
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Tom Brady's Sneaky Pass, Super Bowl XXXIV
February 6th, 2005
For the second straight year, versatile Pats linebacker Mike
Vrabel pulled in a Super Bowl TD pass from Tom Brady, although this time the
two-yard score came at a crucial point in the third quarter with the score tied
7-7 (New England eventually topped the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21). Not only did
Vrabel set the Patriots' third championship in four years on its course, but he
even rang up a monster sack on Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, forever
enshrining himself in Pats lore as Foxboro's favorite two-way player.
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The Rolling Stones Rock Detroit, Super Bowl XL
February 5th, 2006
With Super Bowl producers still skittish after Nipplegate a
couple years prior, they'd been playing it safer with veteran acts like 2005's
Paul McCartney and, this time around, the immortal Rolling Stones. Truth was,
Mick and the guys bashed it out at Detroit's Ford Field with the verve of
teenage boys, with Jagger in particular looking lean and possessed as they
ripped through "Start Me Up" and "Satisfaction" atop a
stage in the shape of their lips and lolling tongue logo. The game was won by
the Pittsburgh Steelers, by the way. The Black and Gold beat the Seattle Seahawks
by a final score of 21-10.
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Prince Reigns in the Rain, Super Bowl XLI
February 4th, 2007
Much like the Stones, Prince proved a perfect compromise
between established artist and slightly racy unpredictability. For the most
part, Mr. Rogers Nelson brought family friendly medley mojo to the halftime
extravaganza, spanning vintage hits ("Let's Go Crazy") and covers
suited to his virtuosity ("All Along the Watchtower"). But when time
came for the iconic "Purple Rain" solo, a fortuitous aligning of his
irregularly shaped guitar's shadow against a flowing sheet formed some, let's
say, suggestive imagery
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Danica Patrick's Beaver Teaser, Super Bowl XXLII
February 3rd, 2008
Domain-provider GoDaddy gets flack for what some say are
witless, misogynistic Super Bowl spots, but their 2008 campaign was clever on a
couple levels. The initially
submitted ad−featuring spokeswoman/female auto racer Danica Patrick and an
actual beaver in a spoof of the tabloid craze over paparazzi crotch shots − was
vetoed by FOX, who was airing the game. So GoDaddy simply threw together
a low-wattage teaser for
the very same ad and its exclusive availability online, and of course, got more
buzz for doing so.
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David Tyree's Miracle Catch, Super Bowl XLII
February 3rd, 2008
The New York Giants were massive underdogs to the
as-yet-undefeated Patriots when they got the ball down 14-10 with just over two
minutes left in the game. Running back Brandon Jacobs converted on a fourth
down early in the drive, and on a third-and-five a few plays later, quarterback
Eli Manning shook off numerous tackles, planted his feet and heaved one into
double coverage towards receiver David Tyree, who miraculously secured the ball
with his hands and helmet, never let go and landed safely in Pats territory.
One TD fade to Plaxico Burress later and the Giants were kings, 17-14.
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Bruce Springsteen's Power Slide, Super Bowl XLIII
February 1st, 2009
During the opening moments of the SB XLIII Halftime Show,
Bruce Springsteen demonstrated his preternatural vigor by delivering a power
slide . . . and careening crotch-first into a low-lying camera during
"Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." The Internet erupted with good-natured
barbs at Springsteen's childlike enthusiasm and the inadvertent crotch shot,
but for his part, all the legend could say was, "Too much adrenaline, a
late drop, too much speed, here I come boom!" For an event that often
feels over-planned, this was a delightfully out of control moment.
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The Steelers Get a Sixth, Super Bowl XLIII
February 1st, 2009
Aging Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner, who'd won a
championship with the St. Louis Rams, almost had one more title in him. Too bad
breakout Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes stood, ran and leapt in his path.
After going down 23-20 with just over two minutes to play, Steelers quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger connected with Holmes time and again. Finally, on second and
goal from the five-yard line, Big Ben lasered a pass into the back corner of
the end zone, where Santonio nimbly caught hold and kept his feet barely in
bounds for the game-winning score as Cardinals defenders flanked him on all
sides. It's the kind of play you can practice all week long and never execute
with such perfection, and it gave the Steelers their record-breaking "one
for the thumb" sixth Super Bowl victory
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Sean Payton's Big Gamble, Super Bowl XLIV
February 7th, 2010
New Orleans coach Sean Payton is known for some innovative
offensive play calls, but few decisions in Super Bowl history rank riskier than
commencing the second half of SB XLIV − down 10-6 to Peyton Manning's Colts −
with an onside kick. Thomas Morstead provided the boot, the ball bounced off
Colt Hank Baskett and Saints safety Chris Reis recovered at the Indy 42. The
ensuing Saints TD supplied Who Dat nation with a lead that they never
relinquished en route to a 31-17 victory
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M.I.A. Flips Off America, Super Bowl XVLI
February 5th, 2012
People forget that M.I.A. censored herself from rapping a
designated "shit" while performing "Give Me All Your
Luvin'" with Madonna during their halftime show. So maybe it was out
of mild protest that she raised a defiant middle finger at the precise moment
she would've otherwise let the curse word fly. Turns out, according
to M.I.A., the gesture was an homage to Hindu music goddess Matangi's
meditative pose. The NFL was not convinced, and sued her for $1.5 mil in
damages for breach of contract.
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Eli the Brady Killer, Super Bowl XLVI
February 5th, 2012
Four years hence from David Tyree's improbable grab, the
Giants were up against it again, down 17-15 to the Patriots with four minutes
to play, lodged deep in their own territory. On first down, Eli Manning didn't
flinch at the four-man rush and lobbed one to receiver Mario Manningham on the
sideline. Manningham saw the ball through both defenders and into his hands,
all while tippy-toeing in bounds at the 50-yard line. The G-Men would cap
things off with Ahmad Bradshaw's winning TD run, but it was that Eli-to-Mario
mindbender that set the Pats spinning.
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The Harbowl, Super Bowl XLVII
February 3rd, 2013
Power outages aside, the real narrative of SB XLVII was
about coaches John (Ravens) and Jim (49ers) Harbaugh facing off against each
other, and marking the first times the two Super Bowl teams had ever been
coached by brothers. When older brother John emerged the champ and met Jim at
midfield, all eyes were watching as John shook his younger sib's hand, told him
he loved him, and the two commended each other on a job well done. Even in the
NFL, family matters.
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The Lights Go Out in New Orleans, Super Bowl XLVII,
February 3rd, 2013
Early in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVII, with the
Baltimore Ravens dominating San Francisco 28-6, the lights literally went out
in the New Orleans Superdome and suspended play for nearly 35 minutes. When
luminescence was restored, the 49ers roared back with renewed energy and made
it a game, ultimately getting edged out 34-31. What caused the infamous
blackout? Aptly, the culprit was a malfunctioning electrical-relay device
designed to prevent power failures, an irony surely appreciated by the
exasperated Ravens.
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