NFL NEWS
Super Bowl Memories & Trivia
Published by MoonDog on January 27, 2009
I have a bit of an advantage over a lot of you because I’m older and have been alive for EVERY Super Bowl. Basically that means I’m well on my way to collecting Social Security.
But my advanced years also means I’ve watched the great moments from past Super Bowl’s as they happened. Some Super Bowls’ have been better than others of course, and some have left never-ending memories.
The NFLs championship game wasn’t officially called the Super Bowl until 1969. The name came from the late owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, Lamar Hunt, who got the idea after watching his daughter play with a super ball – a big, bouncy ball kids like me played with in the late 60s.
Those early Super Bowls didn’t receive anywhere near the media attention and the games were completed by late afternoon. In fact, those early Super Bowls concluded play earlier than this year’s kickoff time of 6:18 eastern.
Easily one of the most vivid Super Bowl memories I have is Joe Namath running off the field in Miami, wagging his right index finger toward the crowd after the Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts 16-7 and helped bring about the AFL-NFL merger.
Prior to the game, Namath appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and rather brazenly predicted the upstart Jets from the AFL would defeat the powerful Colts from the NFL.
Super Bowl V was a contest of “firsts” – the first to be played on an artificial surface, the first time the MVP of the game came from the losing team and the first to be played as a fully merged NFL.
The Colts’ Jim O’Brien kicked a 32-yard field goal with 9 seconds left in the game to lift Baltimore over the Dallas Cowboys 16-13.
The Colts only touchdown came when Johnny Unitas had a pass tipped by teammate Eddie Hinton and then by the Cowboys’ Mel Renfro, but eventually the ball landed in the hands of the Colt’s great tight end and Hall of Famer John Mackey, who ran for a 75-yard score.
Super Bowl X was the first of three Super Bowls between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas. It remains as one of the best games in Super Bowl history, with Pittsburgh coming out on top 21-17.
The Cowboys couldn’t stop the game’s MVP, Lynn Swan. After spending two nights in the hospital after suffering a concussion in the AFC championship game against Oakland, Swan caught four passes from Terry Bradshaw for 161 yards and one touchdown, including what is still the greatest catch in Super Bowl history.
Super Bowl XIV would see the Steelers win their fourth title with a 31-19 win over the Los Angeles Rams. The game was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and holds the record for Super Bowl attendance, with 103,985 in the stands that day.
In fact, all five Super Bowls played in Pasadena have achieved the highest attendance figures. The last Super Bowl played in Pasadena was Super Bowl XVII.
Super Bowl XXV was a memorable game in many ways. For me, it was the first time in seven years that I would get the opportunity to watch the game live after spending six years in the military. That was the year Whitney Houston sang the national anthem and in my mind, is the best rendition of all-time.
Super Bowl XXV was an exciting game, literally coming down to the final play when Buffalo’s Scott Norwood missed a 46-yard field goal as time expired to give the New York Giants a 20-19 win over the Bills.
This was the first of four straight Super Bowl losses by the Bills, with Buffalo losing to the Redskins and the Cowboys in consecutive years. In Super XVII, Buffalo turned the ball over nine times against Dallas in getting blown out 52-17, the second largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history.
Who can forget Super Bowl XXXVIII? This is the game where Justin Timberlake induced a “wardrobe malfunction” when he grabbed Janet Jackson’s costume during the halftime performance, exposing her breast for a nano second.
As a result of the embarrassing moment, the NFL became more selective in choosing their halftime performers. In other words, don’t expect to see any more wardrobe malfunctions – damn!
The game was a thriller, coming down to the wire when the Patriots Adam Vinatieri kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give New England a 32-29 win over Carolina. Game MVP Tom Brady led the Patriots on a late drive to set up Vinatieri’s field goal.
I could continue writing but damn, my fingers are getting tired. To close things out, let’s see how knowledgeable you are. Try to answer these Super Bowl trivia questions without searching Google.
1. Which city has hosted the most Super Bowls?
2. Who was the first player to score in Super Bowl history?
3. Who tossed the coin in Super Bowl XXXIII?
4. Which team has the most total points scored in Super Bowl history?
5. Who is the only official to serve as the referee in consecutive Super Bowls?
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