The Best Super Bowl Ever?
Program Cover
O.K., so it’s been a while. B-Rad has been a little pre-occupied but wanted to spend a little time discussing this year’s Super Bowl. The “Best Ever” title gets thrown around a lot in sports–the best quarterback, team, coach, game–but is usually comes to mean the best “right now,” as we often lose perspective over time.
In order for the game to be the greatest, it needs to have compelling storylines and great game play. Bonus points are given for historical significance, having a truly great team (or two) involved and error-free play.
Here, for your discussion is my list of pretenders and contenders to the title of “Best Ever” Super Bowl.
Not a chance:
Super Bowl III (Jets 16, Colts 7) - Yes, Joe Namath was brash. He, and the entire AFL, made a statement. Was it a great game? Nope.
Super Bowl V (Colts 16, Cowboys 13) - The last second field goal to win and the final score makes this one look like a contender to anyone who doesn’t know the game had 11 turnovers and an MVP who came from the losing team.
Pretenders:
Super Bowl XLIII (Steelers 27, Cardinals 23) - A great 4th quarter. A huge underdog. A few great plays and a stunning finish. The game shouldn’t have been this close. The Steelers dominated time of possession in the first half and did not convert on multiple goal line opportunities. Even if I was rooting heavily for the Cardinals, they were lucky to be in it at the end.
Super Bowl XXIX (Patriots 24, Eagles 21) - McNabb threw three picks and was sacked four times. T.O. was great but this was more like a steady beating by the Patriots rather than a back and forth battle.
Super Bowl XXXVI (Patriots 20, Rams 17) - The first win by the Patriots dynasty, Super Bowl XXXVI featured an O.K. final drive (53 yards) but it was a mostly boring game. A great last second kick won it for the Pats but after Spygate, everything they have accomplished is diminished just a bit.
Getting Warm:
Super Bowl XXV (Giants 20, Bills 19) - Wide right. Everyone knows the term. The game featured a nail-biting ending between two of the best teams of the 1990’s.
Super Bowl XLII (Giants 17, Patriots 14). 18-1. That was the Patriots final record last year, which meant that their dominating and undefeated regular season ended with a loss. The Giants came in as huge underdogs but pulled out a victory by harassing Tom Brady all game long. An interesting side note, Super Bowl XLII was a game Las Vegas would like to forget. It actually cost the casinos 2.6 million.
The Contenders:
Super Bowl XXXVIII (Patriots 32, Panthers 29) - Certainly one of the most entertaining Super Bowls ever, the game actually set a record for the most time elapsed prior to a score. Once the teams got started, it was a different story. Both quarterbacks passed for more than 300 yards each on the way to a combined five touchdowns in the final quarter. Adam Vinatieri proved clutch once again, lifting the Patriots to their second world championship.
Super Bowl XXIII (49ers 20, Bengals 16) - A rematch of Super Bowl XVI, Super Bowl XXIII was a tightly fought contest between the surging 49ers and the Ickey Woods-led Bengals. Tied at halftime, both teams struggled to mount scoring drives. The second half livened things up a bit with a kickoff returned for a touchdown and one of the most memorable final drives in NFL history. It was Joe Montana and Jerry Rice at their finest. It was also Bill Walsh’s final game as head coach.
Super Bowl XIII (Steelers 35, Cowboys 31) - Admittedly, this one would probably rank higher if I had seen it live. Two great teams–not for one year but for an entire decade–fought a closely contested battle for the title. Jackie Smith, the world still feels bad for you.
Numero Uno:
Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) - A defensive struggle for most of the game, the Rams mounted a 16-0 lead and looked like they would eventually break things open. Steve McNair and the Titans proved otherwise, coming all the way back (and setting a record for the largest deficit ever erased) to tie the score. When grocery bagger/Area League alum Kurt Warner connected with Isaac Bruce late in the game, the Titans were left with one final chance to win the game. Kevin Dyson was tackled one yard short of the goal line as time expired, preserving the win for the Rams. Dick Vermeil (A San Jose State grad) cried after the game.
On a side note, it was nice to see Brenda Warner has improved her look considerably in the years since XXIV.
So, there you have it. Agree? Disagree? Let me know.
February 10th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Your rundown is impressively accurate, although in the determination of the best games ever one should take into account their individual situations. For instance, filling up on buffalo wings too early in the game could land you in the bathroom for the fourth quarter, thereby nullifying any greatness that may have happened with the conclusion of the game. On the flip side, a well-timed entrance to a super bowl party could earn you one of the coveted spots on the couch, in perfect view of the greatness.
Let’s just say I’m familiar with both sides of this coin…
February 10th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Props on the analysis, B-Rad. You make excellent arguments. Let me put your mind at ease and confirm that Super Bowl XXIII is the greatest Super Bowl of all time.
This is a widely known fact, as Joe’s quintessential “Comeback Kid” moment in the fourth quarter spelled defeat, once again, for the “Bungles.” (This is my favorite drive in the history of the game. My family has this game on tape and I have logged hours of careful research and analysis, so believe me - I know a good drive when I see one.) John Taylor’s catch in the end zone with just seconds left sent the Sanders’ Super Bowl Party into a frenzy.
This game has everything: drama, feats of athletic ability, history-making moments and the good guys win! It is chaotically perfect and everything we expected from our boys in red and gold. The fact that is was the final game that my personal hero, Bill Walsh, would ever coach in the NFL pushes this game over the edge and into the realm of G.O.A.T.
A quick note: You will also recall that Super Bowl XXIII was the first attempt at the 3-D TV watching during the half-time show. If you are judging the greatest Super Bowl halftime shows, this is not the winner. Twenty years later, they would do the same thing… same technology… same result. Still weak, guys!