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It's Super Bowl weekend, and so it is time to take a break from the grim realities of our political situation in the United States right now. Usually, Super Bowls have been memorable in their own right for me. Many who know me personally know, and seem to be fascinated by, my ability to relay any Super Bowl score and more or less sketch how each game went, and to do so almost immediately, without delay. Like a human Google of sorts, if you will. This came about without specifically trying to memorize each game and score, but simply because, as a kid, I was fascinated by this game, and the stories in each. I read books about them, and watched videos on them. Obviously, I watched each one every year from the first one for me, which was Super Bowl XVI and the beginning of the 49ers dynasty, on to the present.
Not only do I remember the Super Bowls that I watch, but also, I often remember the events in my life, or the events in the larger world more generally, based on the Super Bowl. For example, I remember Super Bowl XX, with the Chicago Bears, as my sixth grade year, while the very next year felt very different, because I was in middle school, and also because, finally, my Giants would win the big game for the first time ever. Super Bowl XXIII, a few years later, reminds me of a few things: our family trip to Montreal during the holiday week of 1988 into 1989, being a freshman in high school and, later, a trip to Bar Harbor in Maine, where I picked up a Prolog magazine that had the NFL's biggest star, Joe Montana, featured prominently on the cover. The Niners would win again the next year, and very shortly after they did, two major news events would transpire. First, FW DeKlerk would declare that apartheid had failed and announced reforms, leading to the release of political prisoners, most famously Nelson Mandela. Secondly, Mike Tyson got knocked out, something that had seemed frankly impossible just months before. One year later, the Giants would just edge the 49ers, ending their very impressive and historic dynasty, before barely scraping by the Bills in Super Bowl XXV, in what still feels like it was a magical run for the Giants. That was also the time of the Persian Gulf War.
Weird, yes, but that is some of how I remember things. It is like songs that remind people of some time in their life, be it a romantic relationship, or a good or dreary period in their life, or whatever. Everyone seems to understand how certain songs remind people of a given era, like a tune that becomes almost the theme song for a summer. It seems we have one almost every year.
So, I say all of this because I wanted to give my list of the greatest Super Bowls of all-time. A lot of people have such lists, this is true. But mine will be different, or at least attempt to be different, because I will try and judge them on how much they shaped popular perceptions of the big game, and not just by how much people felt entertained by them at the time. Plus, people seem to have a very short term memory when it comes to all-time great moments or Super Bowls. A couple of examples: at the time, many people considered Super Bowl XXXVIII between the Patriots and Panthers as perhaps the greatest Super Bowl ever. Now, it hardly ever cracks anyone's top five list, and often does not even crack many people's top ten list. Same with Super Bowl XXXII, for that matter, between the Packers and the Broncos. Another example: the helmet catch by Dave Tyree of the Giants was given the title of the greatest reception in Super Bowl history almost as soon as it happened, and then, it was replaced by the touchdown reception the following year by Santana Holmes that lifted the Steelers over the Cardinals. Yet years later, it seems that that reception is largely forgotten, even though it actually won the Super Bowl, while the helmet catch is not. Some other great catches that rank highly, but are hardly mentioned as candidates for the top Super Bowl catch of all time would be John Taylor's game winning touchdown catch against the Bengals in XXIII, and Jermaine Kearse's unbelievable, juggling the ball with his feet and still making the catch late in Super Bowl XLIX that put the Seahawks in a position to win that game (although they would ultimately squander that opportunity).
The point is: tastes change. Where once, Super Bowl XXIII was considered the greatest Super Bowl, it too is often not even mentioned as one of the top five or even ten Super Bowls any longer. But there should be some Super Bowls that are recognized as truly great, and as standing out for their excellence. So without further ado, I will give my top ten Super Bowls of all-time, in terms of a combination of factors: how well both teams played, how memorable the game turned out to be, and the impact that it had for the NFL, for the Super Bowl as a tradition, and for how people tend to perceive them years and years after the fact, after some of the initial excitement has died down.
1. Super Bowl LI - This is the most recent of the Super Bowls to make this list, and although it was only a few years ago, I have to give this one the nod to take the top spot. Why? Well, because it was very memorable and controversial, but it also featured both teams playing exceptionally well, albeit admittedly at different points in the game. The Falcons looked absolutely brilliant in the first half and early in the third quarter, taking a commanding 28-3 lead that had their owner, Arthur Blank, literally dancing in celebration. Prematurely, as it turned out, because the Patriots mounted the greatest comeback by far in Super Bowl history. Prior to this game, the greatest margin that any team had recovered from in this biggest of all games was 10 points. The Patriots blew that record away, scoring 25 unanswered points to tie the game and force the first overtime in Super Bowl history - another element that frankly immortalizes this game - and then completing the comeback with a touchdown drive in OT to win it. Neither of these two teams are my favorite, but you have to recognize a truly great game when you see it. And this one was probably the best overall, and will be hard to be topped, frankly.
2. Super Bowl XXV - At the time that this game was played, it was widely considered the greatest Super Bowl ever. Both teams were very talented, but it was a contrast in styles, as the Bills had their high-octane offense, and the Giants were more conservative, relying on physical power on both sides of the ball, but were especially great on defense. There were swings of momentum, with five lead changes if you include the Giants taking the first lead in the game. It featured some beautiful highlights, from that long pass completion from Jim Kelly to James Lofton early, and Bruce Smith's sack of Jeff Hostetler in the end zone (also memorable for Hostetler successfully hanging onto the ball and preventing a touchdown, which was key), to Hostetler's perfect spiral touchdown pass to Stephen baker just before halftime, to Ottis Anderson's punishing running game that featured especially prominently in the long, clock eating Giants drive to open the second half, with Mark Ingram's incredible pick-up of 14 on 3rd and 13 on that drive being one of the greatest highlights in Super Bowl history, to Thurman Thomas continually hurting the Giants defense with his speed and power running, to Keith McKeller's impressive catch in the last minute for a key pickup for the Bills final drive, and then ultimately, the most immortalized moment of that unbelievable game: Scott Norwood's field goal attempt with seconds left to try and win it for Buffalo sailing just a few feet wide right, and handing the Giants the victory. This was the first ever postseason game where neither team committed a turnover. And it was a classic class of styles where both teams ultimately showcased the greatness that they were capable of. One for the ages.
3. Super Bowl XLII - The Giants were able to get another very memorable Super Bowl win by besting (barely) the previously unbeaten Patriots. New England was seemingly about to make history, having largely been crowned by all of the experts and pundits as the greatest team in NFL history. But the Giants defense pressured Tom Brady and the explosive, record smashing Patriots offense all day, ultimately holding them to, by far, their lowest point total of the season. Yes, it was a low-scoring game, yet the fourth quarter proved to be one of the most explosive and unpredictable in Super Bowl history. Both teams played hard and well, even if people were under the mistaken impression that New England's low point total somehow meant that they had a very off day. The Giants defense had a lot to do with that, and it stepped up in a very big way to earn an unexpected championship. This was the game of the helmet catch, and Eli Manning torturing the Patriots with perfect execution down the stretch, as the G-Men pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent sports memory. This reinforced the notion that anything can happen in the Super Bowl.
4. Super Bowl III - This Super Bowl is not remember so much for any particularly spectacular play, or memorable finish. But it really went a long way towards making the Super Bowl into what it would ultimately become: the single sports event each year that seems to transcend sports. The Jets were very heavy underdogs, and most believed that the Colts, who looked like one of the most dominant teams in NFL history heading into this game, would make short work of the flashy AFC's upstarts from the Big Apple. But this game is remembered as much for what happened off the field in the days leading up to the game, as for any specific play that happened on it. Joe Namath famously guaranteed that the Jets would pull off the upset victory, and his team backed up his boasts and found a way to win. This was really the game when people felt after the shocking result that anything could happen, a notion that would be reinforced when the Chiefs also upset the Vikings in the following Super Bowl.
5. Super Bowl XXIII - This was a very exciting Super Bowl, and the first of the Super Bowls that had very exciting endings. The Bengals were heavy underdogs, but they played extremely well, and very nearly pulled off the upset. But San Francisco, to their credit, executed when they had to. Wide receiver Jerry Rice had a huge game, and Joe Montana earned beyond a shadow of a doubt his nickname "Joe Cool." This game was also great because a close game was not what most were expecting. I hoped that the Bengals would win, but was almost shocked when they very nearly did it. This had great defense on both sides, and the 49ers broke through with some brilliant offensive highlights, even if this was not an especially high-scoring game. A classic!
6. Super Bowl XXXVI - Another great Super Bowl where both teams had decent highlights, and there were momentum swings. The Rams looked like the big, bad monsters, the emerging dynasty. Yet, it was the Patriots who would pull off what was then a shocking upset, earning their first Super Bowl title, which effectively began their dynasty. It seemed virtually unthinkable that New England could win, until they did it. The shock value of how well they were playing, and could they pull off the upset gave way to the brilliance of the Rams when they finally showed why they were considered the "Greatest Show on Turf" late in the game. And yet, it was the Pats, behind a very young Tom Brady, who drove down the field with little time left for what would prove to be the game-winning field goal. What a game!
7. Super Bowl XLIII - This was a very well played game, and it was exciting. Like many other of the games on this list, it featured one strong favorite with the Steelers, and an underdog in the Cardinals who seemed like they should be appreciating just being there. Turns out that Arizona was not just happy simply to get there, they were serious about winning. And together, what a show they put on! A 99-yard defensive touchdown, a comeback by the Cardinals that seemed to have earned them the championship, only for the Steelers to snatch it back, escaping from the jaws of defeat. And the catch at the end, which probably was not the greatest catch in Super Bowl history, but pretty damn close, nevertheless. An awesome game, regardless of who you were pulling for (and I was pulling for the Cardinals)!
8. Super Bowl XXXVIII - Many people now overlook this one, and I am not sure why. This had a bit of everything. This was a scoreless tie for most of the first half, as both defenses really looked dominant. Then, an explosion of points just before the half, with each team owning the momentum. Back to a defensive grind in the third quarter, only to yield the most points of any fourth quarter, and both teams took leads and seemed destined to win at different times. Just a really great, back and forth game between capable teams who obviously came to try and win. Plus, this was the game of the infamous "wardrobe malfunction," which transcended sports and still has people talking all of these years later. Also, like the 49ers beating the Bengals in XXIII, this one firmly and unequivocally established the Patriots as the new dynasty of the era.
9. Super Bowl XIII - The Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers were the two best teams of the 1970's, and they met twice. This was the second of the meetings, and would determine which team would earn "Team of the Decade" honors for the seventies. It was the first rematch in the history of the Super Bowl, and it was that rare Super Bowl pitting two recent Super Bowl winners, so you knew that both teams were fully capable of winning. There were a ton of highlights, and ultimately, the Steelers were able to win in a very entertaining game. Two great teams with a rivalry like this allowed NFL fans to talk about a great rivalry at the highest championship levels, just like Ali-Frazier in boxing, or the Lakers and Celtics would in basketball in the eighties. A true classic!
10. Super Bowl XXXII - One of the best quarterback match-ups in Super Bowl history. Green Bay came in as the heavy favorites, being the NFC champions, with that conference having won 13 in a row. Meanwhile, nobody seemed to epitomize AFC failure quite like John Elway, who always seemed to be incredibly gifted enough to almost single-handedly lift his team to the Super Bowl, only to lose to superior NFC teams in the big game. And then, the Broncos managed to outplay the Packers, physically wearing that number one defense down. Elway did not even have a great game, but he made one particularly big running play where he got spun by defenders, underscoring his ability to will his team to victory. It was one of the most exciting upsets, and one of the most exciting finishes to a Super Bowl that we have seen, and it was one of the first in recent history to remind people that you never quite know for sure what can happen in this biggest game of all.
So, there you have it. The Super Bowls that, I feel, were the "greatest," in terms of a combination of factors. There were two Super Bowls on this list that happened well before I started watching the big game, but always stood out in particular whenever I watched videos or read books or articles about the history of the big game. And then, there are the more recent ones, the earliest of which was Super Bowl XXIII, which was the first truly exciting Super Bowl, and it was well-played by both sides. I tried to pick the ones that underscored exactly why this game is called the Super Bowl, and how this is the one major North American sport where the championship is determined by one game, and so every play, and every mistakes or inadequacy, is greatly magnified. Lose this game, and there is no Game 2 or beyond in which t try and recover, as in the other sports, where the championship is determined in a best of seven series. Here, you only get one shot, and that is what makes it so memorable. And to me, these ten games listed were the most memorable of all of the 54 - soon to be 55 - Super Bowl games that have been played.
Let's see if this one will qualify for the list of the greatest Super Bowls of all time.
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