Oh, the Super Bowl. A time for parties, pizza, big commercials, and of course, wardrobe malfunctions. There’s nothing like the “Big Game” to get people up and cheering, cheering for your team, cheering for your friends’ team, and cheering for a great halftime show. This year’s Super Bowl, which begins on February 4, could be one of the best in history. Not only is it set in beautiful, sunny, “always a party” Miami, but it also features the recipe for an exceptional game. Take a great offensive team, add a great defensive team, mix it with Gatorade and let it sit for four quarts. The end result: priceless.
The Indianapolis Colts, representing the AFC, have been one of the best offenses in football for the past several years. They, to put it bluntly, are an offensive giant. However, his defense struggles, especially to stop the run. On the other hand, the Chicago Bears, the NFC champion, is a team that has always been, and still is, known for stellar defense; his offense is the weakest link. Quarterback Rex Grossman is hot or not, but when he’s not, he’s ice cold. With these two teams the score can be anything. A draw on either side, a close game, or a 0-0 draw and double overtime.
With the anticipation of this year’s Super Bowl building, it’s hard not to remember the championship games of yesteryear. There have been extreme beatdowns (the 1980s Denver Broncos versus, well, anyone) and some games that were too close for comfort, especially for those with money on the line. The list below presents the top five Super Bowls as judged by a football expert and by “football expert,” I just mean “me.”
Super Bowl III, New York Jets vs. baltimore colts – Okay, I know this game was about four hundred years ago, but it’s still one of the best ever played. Not only was it one of the biggest upsets in professional sports, it also spawned “The Guarantee” when Jets quarterback Joe Namath promised a New York victory.
This game, an AFL-NFL championship, involved the highly favored Baltimore Colts, representing the NFL, and the underdog New York Jets, representing the AFL. Played in Miami, the four quarters saw Joe Namath throw for 206 yards on his way to being named MVP. Though favored by twenty points in some books, the Colts couldn’t even keep the game within a score as the Jets cruised to a 16-7 win.
Super Bowl XXV, Buffalo Bills vs. New York Giants – For the years leading up to this Super Bowl, the NFC had completely dominated the championship games; there hadn’t been a closed Super Bowl in what seemed like forever. But, enter the Buffalo Bills, a team that would lose, but only by one point, making this the closest Super Bowl in history.
A game that took place in the middle of the Gulf War, this game was marked by patriotism, a Giant backup quarterback, and a last-minute field goal that was a bit off. When time expired, kicker Scott Norwood became the loneliest guy in the world as his field goal attempt deflected wide to the right. The Giants nearly named him MVP by claiming a 20-19 victory.
Super Bowl XXXVI, New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams – In what is now considered the beginning of a dynasty, the New England Patriots recorded their first Super Bowl victory. A season that was marked by a serious contrast with reality, with the attacks of September 11, it seemed logical that a team called “Patriots” would prevail.
Heavily labeled underdogs, the New England Patriots jumped out to a 17-3 lead over the St. Louis Rams. The Rams, refusing to relinquish the championship reins, tied the score as the game drew to a close. However, when time expired, football’s greatest kicker, Adam Vinatieri, made a game-winning 48-yard field goal, showing Scott Norwood exactly how it’s done. The Patriots won 20-17.
Super Bowl XXIII, San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals – A man known for his comebacks, Joe Montana exhibited cool under pressure to lead his team to a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in the closing seconds.
Trailing by a score of 16-13, San Francisco fielded the ball at its own eight-yard line with just over three minutes left. After going 92 yards, Montana found John Taylor in the end zone with 34 seconds left. Jerry Rice, the legendary 49ers receiver, was named MVP with a record 215 receiving yards and a touchdown. This game marked the beginning of San Francisco’s rise to greatness and Cincinnati’s fall to mediocrity.
Super Bowl XXXII, Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers – As a lifelong fan of the Denver Bronco (Hey Jay Cutler!), there’s no way I can leave this game off the list of the best Super Bowls ever. Call me sentimental, but seeing John Elway win his first Super Bowl, after losing three others, made me cry … mainly because he had money on the Packers.
With Green Bay favored by 11 1/2 points, no one gave the Broncos much of a chance. They, along with the Buffalo Bills, were practically the joke of the Super Bowl. However, when halftime rolled around and the Broncos were winning, the ghosts of the Super Bowl didn’t begin to slowly fade away. This game went all the way and included an eight-yard run by the 37-year-old Elway on third down. The Broncos won the first of their two Super Bowls by a score of 31-24. They became the second Wild Card team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl and the first AFC team in fourteen championships to claim victory.
And now, we have this year’s Super Bowl: the Indianapolis Colts versus the Chicago Bears. Picking a winner, for me, is pretty easy: the Denver Broncos, all the way.
