Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The Ten Greatest Super Bowls Of All-time

I know I've posted this list before in various blog entries, but I just wanted to put them all on one post so they would be easier to find. Plus, we're getting closer to the postseason and I just love reliving stuff.

Enjoy:

I really do love football. It is by far my favorite sport. I especially love the National Football League AND the Super Bowl. The first sporting event I remember watching as a 7 year old was Super Bowl XIV between my Steelers and the Los Angeles Rams.

As you probably know, the Super Bowl is America's number one sporting event, a sort of unofficial holiday. As Beano Cook once said, "Soon we will be exchanging gifts."

I've always found the event to be quite fascinating. You have the two best teams in the National Football League facing off in front of the entire world.

The game can make or break a player's legacy. It can instantly make someone a Hall-of-Famer or forever label someone a "loser." I think just getting there is a tremendous accomplishment for a franchise and for its fans. I still have fond memories of the Steelers playing in Super Bowl XXX even though it was the only time the Steelers ever lost the big game.

People who don't have any interest in sports whatsoever will sit down and watch this gala event even if it's just for the commercials or halftime show.

There have been 44 Super Bowls played and the first two weren't even officially called Super Bowls at the time. Initially, the game was called the "World Championship Game." It wasn't until the third year that "Super Bowl" became the official name.

The first 4 Super Bowls pitted the NFL champion against the champion of the rival American Football League. The two leagues agreed to merge in 1970 and beginning with Super Bowl V the champion of the American Football Conference has played the champion of the National Football Conference to determine the winner of the Super Bowl.

Since I love this game so much, I've decided to make a list of the ten greatest Super Bowls ever played.

I have two criteria for this list: The quality of the game and the historical significance. Every game on this list has at least one of the criteria and some even have both!

So sit back and enjoy. Feel free to agree or disagree. After all, it's only my opinion.

10. Super Bowl VII
Date: January 14Th, 1973
Location: Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles, California.

"PERFECTION"
The Miami Dolphins defeat the Washington Redskins, 14-7.

This game wasn't the greatest Super Bowl ever played, but it was significant because, with the victory, the Dolphins achieved a perfect 17-0 record and have been the only team to accomplish that mark in the modern era. Some teams have come close, most notably the 2007 New England Patriots, but the Dolphins are still the only team atop the undefeated mountain. The Dolphins were actually the underdogs in this game which I find pretty interesting. Their counterparts, the Washington Redskins, were the oldest team in the league and dubbed the "Over the Hill Gang." This game might be most notable for Miami kicker Garo Yepremian's ill-advised pass after a blocked field goal attempt late in the game. Garo's pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown which gave the Redskins some life. But with the help of their "No-name defense" the Dolphins held on to cap their historic year.

9. Super Bowl I
Date: January 15TH, 1967
Location: Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles Califorina.

"THE FIRST"
The Green Bay Packers over the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10.

Again, this wasn't a great contest, but it was the very first Super Bowl ever played. The NFL's Green Bay Packers were the best team in football in the 1960's, winning 5 NFL titles. They would also go on to handily defeat the Oakland Raiders in the second Super Bowl establishing them as the first Super Bowl dynasty. This game was simulcast by NBC and CBS, something that never happened before and hasn't happened since. CBS held the rights to broadcast NFL games and NBC had the rights to the AFL which led to the rare joint-telecast. Ticket prices were also quite noteworthy. Today, people have been known to pay 4-figures for a ticket. Back then, however, tickets for the contest were selling for as low as $6. Pretty amazing. The NFL would later name the Super Bowl trophy "The Lombardi Trophy" in honor of Green Bay head coach Vince Lomardi, the architect of the Packer dynasty.

8. Super Bowl XXXII
Date: January 25Th, 1998
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California.

"THIS ONE'S FOR JOHN!"
Denver Broncos 31 Green Bay Packers 24

This is the first truly great Super Bowl to make the list, and my favorite of all the non-Steelers Super Bowls that I've watched. This game had pretty much everything: back-and-forth action, migraine headaches and a first down for the ages. The Packers were the defending Super Bowl champions and were favored by 11 1/2 points. Up until that point, the Broncos had a pretty pedestrian Super Bowl history, appearing in four but losing all by pretty large margins. Quarterback John Elway was the captain of three of those Denver debacles and at age 37, was in the last years of his career. Bret Favre, on the other hand, was in his prime and considered by many to be the best qb in the game. Also, NFC teams had a dominating 13-game winning streak over the AFC in the Super Bowl and most of the games were very lopsided. Things were expected to hold true to form for both the Broncos and the AFC in SBXXXII but with the help of stud running back Terell Davis and a pretty good defense, John Elway went on to claim the one thing that eluded him: The Lombardi Trophy. This game is probably best remembered for Elway's helicopter-esque flip after being hit by two Packers while diving for a very important first down. Another minor little tidbit was the migraine headache that Terrell Davis got after forgetting to take his medication. Denver coach Mike Shannahan had to use Davis as a decoy for part of the game until his symptoms cleared. Davis went on to score the winning touchdown in the final minutes to secure the championship for the Broncos.
I believe this game deserves to be on the list not only for the great play, but for what it meant for John Elway's legacy. Had he retired without winning the Super Bowl, he would still be a Hall-of-Famer, but he would be in the same class with guys like Dan Marino, Dan Fouts and Jim Kelly. Quarterbacks who were great, but could never win the whole thing. Elway played one more year and went out with a bang as the Broncos repeated as champs winning Super Bowl XXXIII. Elway was named game mvp and with two rings, could be put in a class with guys like Bradshaw, Montana and Starr.

7. Super Bowl XIII
Date: January 21st, 1979
Location: Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida.

"TEAM OF THE DECADE"
Steelers over the Cowboys, 35-31.

This was the first repeat match-up in Super Bowl history (the Steelers and Cowboys met in SBX with Pittsburgh winning, 21-17.) Super Bowl XIII was a very well-played contest with a lot of memorable moments. The lead changed hands three times in the first-half with Pittsburgh taking a seven point lead at the break. This game is probably best known for the touchdown that never was. Late in the 3rd quarter with Dallas down, 21-14, Cowboys tight end Jackie Smith dropped an easy pass in the endzone that would have tied the score at 21. Dallas had to settle for a field goal and Pittsburgh pulled away with two quick scores in the 4th quarter to go up, 35-17, with 6 minutes left. Much like he often did in that era, Roger Staubach (Captain Comeback) rallied the Cowboys late, but unfortunately for Dallas, they came up four-points short and Pittsburgh became the first team to win 3 Super Bowls, earning them the rightful claim of "Team of the Decade." The Cowboys were the defending champions and also going for their 3rd title. The Steelers went on to repeat as champions the following year, and with 4 titles in 6 seasons, became arguably the greatest football dynasty of all-time. Had the Cowboys won this game and claimed their 3rd title, who knows what would have happened the following year, and more importantly, who knows how history might have judged them. Maybe they would have been considered the greatest dynasty of all-time.

6. Super Bowl XLIII
Date: February 1st, 2009
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida.

"LORD OF THE RINGS"
Steelers 27 Cardinals 23.

Pittsburgh controlled most of the game taking a 20-7 lead into the 4th quarter. However, quarterback Kurt Warner, a Super Bowl veteran, and all-world receiver Larry Fitzgerald, almost single-handedly brought Arizona back with two late touchdown connections giving the Cardinals a 23-20 lead with 2:37 to go. Fortunately for Steeler Nation, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger marched Pittsburgh to the promised land and hit receiver Santonio Holmes with the game-winner with 35 seconds to go giving the Steelers the 27-23 victory. Holmes' acrobatic, tip-toe catch helped earn him mvp honors and is considered one of the greatest catches of all time. The Cardinals, making the first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, were only the second team to make the show after finishing the regular season with a 9-7 record. Interestingly, the Steelers also played the first 9-7 Super Bowl participant when they faced the Los Angeles Rams in SBXIV. In addition to the "Ben to Ten" game-winner, this game is also known for linebacker James Harrison's marathon-like jaunt at the end of the first half, also known as the "Harrison Hundred." With the Cardinals driving and looking to take a 4-point lead into the lockerroom, Harrison picked-off a Kurt Warner pass and zigged and zagged his way 100 hundred yards for a Steelers touchdown and a 17-7 lead. The play is regarded by many as the greatest play in the history of the Super Bowl. Some have said it's the greatest play in the history of the league. This victory gave the Steelers franchise a record 6Th Lombardi trophy, setting a new standard of excellence.

5. Super Bowl XXXVI
Date: February 3rd, 2002
Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana.

"THE BIRTH OF AN UNEXPECTED DYNASTY"
The New England Patriots over the St. Louis Rams, 20-17.

The Rams were favored by 14 points in this game and nobody really gave New England much of a shot. The Rams and Patriots actually played one another during the regular season with St. Louis winning the game rather handily. The Patriots were unexpected AFC champions defeating the Raiders in the infamous "Tuck Rule" game and then beating the heavily favored Steelers in the AFC championship game. St. Louis, led by all-pro quarterback Kurt Warner, was going for their 2nd title in three seasons. New England built a 17-3 second-half lead with the help of Ty Law's 47 yard interception return for a touchdown and quarterback Tom Brady's touchdown pass just before the half. The Rams came back with two late scores, including Kurt Warner's touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl to tie the game at 17 with 1:30 remaining. Just when it looked like we would have the first overtime in a Super Bowl, Brady marched the Pats down the field and set up Adam Vinatieri's 48 yard field goal as time expired. This would mark the first time a Super Bowl ended on the game's final play. Super Bowl XXXVI was the first one played in February has it had to be pushed back a week due to the September 11th attacks. I find this game pretty intriguing because, much like Super Bowl XIII between Dallas and Pittsburgh, it changed the legacy of both franchises. A victory for the Rams would have given them their 2nd title in 3 years making them a dynasty of sorts. Instead, the Patriots surprising victory launched their dynasty as they would go on to win 2 more championships over the next 3 seasons and become the last team to win 3 Lombardi trophies in a 4 year span. New England's legendary playoff-run and Super Bowl triumph helped make Tom Brady a superstar. Just a 6th round draft-choice out of Michigan, not much was expected from Brady when he became the starter in 2001 after Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury. Brady parlayed his initial success into a hall-of-fame career and one of the top one or two quarterbacks of this era. The Rams franchise really hasn't been the same since this game, plummeting to the doldrums of the NFL in recent seasons. Kurt Warner went on to play with the Giants and then the Cardinals where he led Arizona to a surprising Super Bowl appearance before his team suffered another heartbreaking loss.

4. Super Bowl XXIII
Date: January 22nd, 1989
Location: Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida.

"JOE MONTANA: COOL, COMEBACK KID"
The 49ers over the Bengals, 20-16.

This was the second Super Bowl meeting between these two teams and only the 3rd rematch in Super Bowl history. San Francisco was expected to dominate this game much like they did in their first Super Bowl victory over the Bengals following the 1981 season, but things didn't go as planned. Despite two very high-powered offenses led by quarterbacks Joe Montana and Boomer Esiason, the two teams traded field goals in the first half and went into the locker room tied at 3. They traded field goals again in the 3rd quarter, but Cincinnati's Stanford Jennings returned a kick-off 97 yards for a touchdown giving the Bengals a 13-6 lead. The 49ers answered immediately and capped off a game-tying touchdown drive with a Montana to Jerry Rice touchdown in the 4th quarter. The Bengals took a 16-13 lead with 3:20 left on Jim Breech's third field goal of the day. Montana then marched his team 92 yards, hitting John Taylor with the game-winning touchdown pass with 34 seconds remaining. San Francisco claimed their third title of the 80's. Jerry Rice was named game MVP with a record 215 receiving yards and a touchdown. Montana also set a record with 357 yards passing. This was the only great Super Bowl of the 80's. In the decade's 8 Super Bowls prior to XXIII, the average margin of victory was 21 points. And the come-from-behind, game-winning march by the 49ers was the first one in the history of the contest. 49ers head coach Bill Walsh went out on a high note as he would retire following this game. Despite this, San Francisco repeated as Super Bowl champions the following season, clinching their 4th title and becoming one of the greatest teams of all-time.

3. Super Bowl XLII
Date: February 3rd, 2008
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona.

"18-1"
The New York Giants upset the New England Patriots, 17-14.

Super Bowl XLII was supposed to be a coronation for the New England Patriots who simply dominated the 2007 regular season, outscoring their opponents by nearly 20 points a game. New England set records on offense with 589 points and 75 touchdowns. Quarterback Tom Brady set a record with 50 touchdown passes and wide receiver Randy Moss, acquired in the offseason for a 4th round draft pick, also set an NFL mark with 23 touchdown receptions. The Patriots came into the game 18-0 and were looking to become the first team to have a perfect season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins went 17-0. The New York Giants took a different path to SBXLII struggling early in the year before recovering to make the playoffs as a wildcard with a 10-6 record. Led by Eli Manning, an effective running attack and a dominating defensive line, the Giants became just the third team to win three-straight road games to reach the Super Bowl. The two teams actually played eachother in the last regular season game which the Patriots won, 38-35, to cap their undefeated regular season. Ironically enough, the Giants were Miami's last regular season opponent in '72. Despite the offensive weapons on both teams, the game was a defensive struggle. New York sacked Tom Brady five times during the game and the Giants offense could only muster 5 first downs in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The Giants managed to take a 10-7 lead late in the contest before Brady led the Patriots to the go-ahead score, hitting Randy Moss with a six-yard touchdown pass with 2:42 left in the game. New York wouldn't be denied, marching towards their destiny with an 83 yard drive for the ages. Key plays were Brandon Jacob's two yard run on 4th and 1 and an Eli Manning to David Tyree reception that will go down in history as one of the greatest plays of all time. On 3rd and 5, Manning escaped the grasps of a Patriots' defender and stayed alive long enough to unleash a pass 32 yards downfield. Tyree out-jumped Patriots' safety Rodney Harrison for the ball and cradled it against his helmet as he fell to the ground. Later in the drive, from the 13 yardline, Manning hit receiver Plaxico Burress for the game-winning touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining. The Giants captured their 3rd Super Bowl trophy in franchise history while the Patriots had to settle for a "disappointing" 18-1 record. As the 2007 season unfolded, the Patriots were so dominant that a victory in this game would surely have stamped them with the label of "Greatest Team in History." Not only that, they would have matched the Steelers of the 70's with four titles in a six year span. The 2007 postseason was a coming-out party for Eli Manning, who finally lived up to being the number one over all selection in the 2004 draft and got out from under his older brother's shadow. Eli matched Peyton Manning's Super Bowl triumph of a year earlier making the Mannings the first siblings to win Super Bowls back-to-back. The Giants were the first wildcard team from the NFC to win a Super Bowl.

2. Super Bowl XXV
Date: January 27th, 1991
Location: Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida.

"WIDE RIGHT"
The New York Giants defeat the Buffalo Bills, 20-19.

Super Bowl XXV was a contrast in styles between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants. The Bills, led by quarterback Jim Kelly and running back Thurman Thomas, used a no-huddle offense to rack of the most points in the NFL in 1990. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Giants, led by strong-willed head coach Bill Parcells, countered with a ball-control, time-consuming offense. With that offensive philosophy and a very stout defense, New York led the league in fewest points allowed in 1990. The Bills were a 7-point favorite in this game and were expected to give the city of Buffalo their first Super Bowl title. The Giants were a cinderella story of sorts despite their 13-3 regular season record. They lost a late-season game at the Meadowlands to Buffalo and lost starting quarterback Phil Simms in the process. Simms was replaced by career back-up Jeff Hostetler for the remainder of the season. Hostetler managed the Giants to an upset victory over the heavily favored San Fransisco 49ers in the NFC championship game. San Fransisco was going for their 3rd straight Super Bowl victory. Despite the Bills potent offensive machine, the Giants controlled the tempo of the game and were only down 10-3 mid-way thru the 2nd quarter. A turning point in the contest came when Hostetler was sacked in the endzone for a safety by Bills' defensive lineman Bruce Smith. Hostetler kept his head on the play and didn't cough up the football as it looked like he would. Instead of being down, 17-3, the Giants only trailed 12-3. After a free kick and a Buffalo punt, the Giants got the ball back with 3:43 left in the half and drove down field and scored a touchdown to make it 12-10 at intermission. The Giants got the ball to start the second half and went on a record-setting, clock-eating touchdown drive to take a 17-12 lead. The Bills explosive offense finally bounced back and Buffalo scored on Thurman Thomas' 31 yard touchdown run on the first play of the 4th quarter. New York responded with another time-consuming drive which ended with a Matt Bahr field goal and a 20-19 Giants' lead. With 2:16 remaining, Kelly marched the Bills down field and put them in position to kick a game-winning 47 yard field goal with 8 seconds remaining. Unfortunately for the Bills, Scott Norwood's kick sailed infamously wide-right. The Giants captured their 2nd Super Bowl title in five seasons. This game was played during the Gulf War and is fondly remembered for Whitney Houston's incredible rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Despite New York's victory, the legacy of this game is probably most shaped by Scott Norwood's failed kick. Starting with Super Bowl XXV, Buffalo played in 4-straight Super Bowls and this was their best chance at a title. The Bills suffered lopsided losses to the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys in the following three Super Bowls. Sadly, nobody really talks about what a tremendous accomplishment it was for Buffalo to make it to the Super Bowl 4-straight seasons. Instead, they have forever been labeled "losers."

1. Super Bowl III
Date: January 12th, 1969
Location: Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

"WE'RE GONNA WIN THE GAME, I GUARANTEE IT!"
The New York Jets upset the Baltimore Colts, 16-7.

Super Bowl III was hardly a great game, but the reason it's number one on my list is because of its historical significance. At the time of the game, the AFL and the NFL were separate entities with their agreed upon merger still two seasons away. The NFL was viewed as the superior league, and very few could make a case for the AFL being on par. The first two Super Bowls were lopsided affairs in favor of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. The Colts only loss in the 1968 season was to the Cleveland Browns and they avenged that loss by pounding the Browns, 34-0, in Cleveland for the NFL championship. The Jets were 11-3 in '68 and they narrowly defeated the Oakland Raiders for the AFL crown. The Colts were installed as 18-point favorites and it wasn't expected to be much of a contest. But led by charismatic quarterback Joe Namath, the Jets used an effective ball-control offense to build an early 7-0 lead on running back Matt Snell's 4-yard touchdown run. Baltimore still had plenty of chances to control this game but turned the ball over 5 times, including 4 interceptions deep in Jets' territory. The most damaging of those interceptions was at the end of the first half. The Colts tried a flea-flicker play that completely fooled New York and left Baltimore receiver, Jimmy Orr, wide open near the end zone. Colts' quarterback, Earl Morrall, didn't see Orr and tried to complete the pass to a different receiver only to be intercepted as time expired. The Jets continued to control things in the second half, using three Jim Turner field goals to take a 16-0 lead into the 4th quarter. Colts' head coach Don Shula decided to replace the struggling Morrall with legendary quarterback, Johnny Unitas. Unitas didn't have much better luck, although he did lead Baltimore to a late touchdown, but all that did was make the score look more respectable. The Jets had pulled off the miracle upset and Joe Namath was named mvp. Namath's famous quote, "We're gonna win the game, I guarantee it!" is arguably the most famous pre-game quote in sports history and, even more than the dramatic upset, is what Super Bowl III is remembered for. The win by the Jets did so much for the AFL and showed everyone that the league was finally on the same ground as the NFL. I believe Super Bowl III is the reason why the event has become so popular. It became the spectacle it is today when Joe Namath issued that famous guarantee and followed through with the upset win.

Oh well, this concludes my list of the Ten Greatest Super Bowls of All-time. I hope you enjoyed it.

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