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 When the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos face off in Santa
Clara, California, the suspense will be palpable. Will we see a
historic performance? A thrilling finish? A controversial mishap?
The sport's biggest show has produced all of the above. Created as a
deciding crown between the National Football League and American
Football League champions, in 1967, Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay
Packers captured the first two played, earning a place in lore and
the famous coach’s name on thetrophy.
But it was Namath, the New York Jets quarterback with movie star
bravado and good looks, who catapulted the event forward in 1969
when he guaranteed his underdog Jets would beat the Baltimore Colts,
and then delivered a 16-7 triumph. The image of Namath running off
the field with one finger raised endures, and the magic of the Super
Bowl only heightened when the AFL and NFL officially merged in 1970.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins cemented their status as the standard by
which all teams are measured, when they beat the Washington Redskins
in Super Bowl VII to cap a perfect 16-0 season.
The undefeated campaign is a distinction nearly matched by the 2007
New England Patriots, who entered Super Bowl XLII at 18-0 before the
New York Giants upended them 17-14.
Giants wide receiver Tyree pinned a catch to his helmet on the
deciding drive to seal the fate.
But every ending has not been a fairytale one. Buffalo Bills kicker
Scott Norwood’s name was made infamous when he missed a 47-yard
field goal that gave the New York Giants a 20-19 triumph in Super
Bowl XXV, one of the greatest ever played.
San Francisco QB Joe Montana lived up to his “Joe Cool” nickname in
1989 when he led a final-minute game-winning drive to lift the 49ers
past Cincinnati 20-16.
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Montana, who is tied with Tom Brady and Terry Bradshaw with a record
four Super Bowl wins at QB, was said to be so calm during the last
drive that he pointed out to his teammates the late actor John Candy
in the stands.
Not all of the lasting Super Bowl performances have been produced by
players, either. Late singer Whitney Houston delivered a
tear-jerking national anthem in 1991 while U.S. troops were at war
in the Persian Gulf.
Singer Janet Jackson had a ‘wardrobe malfunction’ too revealing for
television audiences in 2004, and the annual Super Bowl television
ads have become a gamesmanship of shock and creativity.
“Kind of as a fan, just sitting home and watching (the Super Bowl),
obviously it's always a bittersweet type of thing,” said Panthers
tight end Greg Olsen.
“As much as you enjoy the Super Bowl, when you're a current player
and you're not in it, you always have that 'I wish it was us'
mentality.” Now Olsen, along with the Panthers and Broncos, have
their chance to add a performance to the Super Bowl’s endless lore.
(Editing by Andrew Both)
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