Most exciting Super Bowl

bankshot1

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I think some love should be given SB 3, Jets 16 Colts 7.

Jets were a massive underdog (18 points) and what the game lacked in suspense, it more than made up for in upset value, which as an AFL fan, was hugely exciting.
 

Ralphwiggum

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You left out the best part!
I just spent the last few minutes mesmerized by this, that was spectacular.

Unfortunately the conclusion I come to is that while I don't feel like 1991 was all that long ago, in actuality was a really fucking long time ago and I am getting old.
 

dbn

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I just spent the last few minutes mesmerized by this, that was spectacular.

Unfortunately the conclusion I come to is that while I don't feel like 1991 was all that long ago, in actuality was a really fucking long time ago and I am getting old.
It was a strange time, indeed.
 

edmunddantes

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I just spent the last few minutes mesmerized by this, that was spectacular.

Unfortunately the conclusion I come to is that while I don't feel like 1991 was all that long ago, in actuality was a really fucking long time ago and I am getting old.
In 2 more years, 1990 will be "30 years ago". When I hear "30 years ago", I still think 1970's.
 

trotsplits

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I have a soft spot for the Steelers/Cowboys SB's in the 70's. But I'm willing to admit it's a little nostalgia. We've had so many great games since then.

Super Bowl X was the first important football game I remember watching as a kid. Had I been parked in front a Super Bowl one year earlier (Vikes/Steelers snoozer) or one year later (Vikes/Raiders snoozer), I may not have grown up with any kind of interest. But this game featured two talented and well-coached teams throwing roundhouses at each other.

A few years later, the tension and hype for Super Bowl XIII was more palpable than many matchup we see today. The winner would be (and was) called "team of the decade." Both sides hated each other and their styles contrasted nicely. The Steelers were described as "physical" while the Cowboys could win by being "cerebral" or deceptive". The action didn't disappoint. Jackie Smith was the "sickest man in America." Steeler circus catches. A questionable PI call to swing momentum just enough to the Steelers in the 4th quarter. Staubach doesn't fold and the Cowboys recover an onside kick. They manage another score on a tired Steeler defense but it's not enough.
 

Ralphwiggum

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In 2 more years, 1990 will be "30 years ago". When I hear "30 years ago", I still think 1970's.
Yeah, I was going to write something like I cannot believe that was actually the halftime of a Super Bowl, but that Super Bowl was closer in time to Super Bowl I than Super Bowl XLII.
 

tims4wins

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Yeah, I was going to write something like I cannot believe that was actually the halftime of a Super Bowl, but that Super Bowl was closer in time to Super Bowl I than Super Bowl XLII.
When did the Super Bowl as we know it become that way? I don't remember the 1996 halftime show, I was way too nervous. 2001 obviously had U2 so that was close.
 

BaseballJones

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When did the Super Bowl as we know it become that way? I don't remember the 1996 halftime show, I was way too nervous. 2001 obviously had U2 so that was close.
Separate thread maybe, but that 2001 U2 halftime show was far and away the greatest halftime show in SB history, and there's never been anything close. The legendary band, at peak performance, the 9/11 backdrop, the significance, and of course for us, it was the Pats' first SB victory.... nothing remotely close to that.

Though clearly this SB 25 kids halftime show was epic in its own, convoluted way.
 

Ralphwiggum

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Michael Jackson performed in 1993, that looks like the first time that it was a superstar entertainer.

But it doesn't really start to be an annual thing until 1999/2000/2001 depending on your definition of superstar. '99 was Stevie Wonder, 2000 was Christina Aguilera and Phil Collins (weird combo) and others. 2001 was Aerosmith, 'N Sync, Britney Spears and others, 2002 U2 and then pretty much A-list acts from then on.

List: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Super_Bowl_halftime_shows
 

loshjott

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When did the Super Bowl as we know it become that way? I don't remember the 1996 halftime show, I was way too nervous. 2001 obviously had U2 so that was close.
This was big (from Wikipedia):

Super Bowl counterprogramming was first popularized by Fox. As an alternative, the then-fledging Fox network aired a special live episode of its popular sketch comedy show In Living Color during halftime at Super Bowl XXVI (which featured a halftime show entitled "Winter Magic", a Winter Olympics-themed show starring Gloria Estefan, Brian Boitano, and Dorothy Hamill to tie into CBS's upcoming broadcast of the Games).[3] The live episode featured football-themed sketches (such as Men on Football), a performance by Color Me Badd, and a clock counting down to the start of the third quarter.[3]

The episode was sponsored by Frito-Lay, who paid $2 million to hold all national advertising time, and to help budget and promote the special; the effort included a $1,000,000 giveaway, whose winner was announced during the broadcast. A CBS executive felt that the concept was "cute", but dismissed concerns that the ambush would have any major impact on the viewership of the Super Bowl. The special drew 20 to 25 million viewers away from the Super Bowl; Nielsen estimated that CBS lost 10 ratings points during halftime as a result of the special.[4][5]

The unexpected success of the In Living Color special prompted the NFL to heighten the halftime show's profile to help retain viewership; beginning at Super Bowl XXVII in 1993, the NFL began to invite major pop music performers to perform during the halftime show. The first of these, featuring Michael Jackson, led to a dramatic increase in viewership between halves—the first in the game's history. Later that year, Fox acquired rights to the NFL's National Football Conference (NFC), replacing CBS, beginning in the 1994 season. The acquisition was a notable coup which helped to establish Fox's position as a major network in its own right, and made Fox one of the three cycling broadcasters of the Super Bowl itself.
 

edmunddantes

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The first one I can remember is the Up with people... I think they did multiple though.. the Pats vs Bears one is the one I most likely remember.
 

Blue Monkey

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Michael Jackson performed in 1993, that looks like the first time that it was a superstar entertainer.

But it doesn't really start to be an annual thing until 1999/2000/2001 depending on your definition of superstar. '99 was Stevie Wonder, 2000 was Christina Aguilera and Phil Collins (weird combo) and others. 2001 was Aerosmith, 'N Sync, Britney Spears and others, 2002 U2 and then pretty much A-list acts from then on.

List: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Super_Bowl_halftime_shows
The MJ halftime show had higher ratings than the actual game. Think about that one for a second...
 

TheoShmeo

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Bringing it back to Pats-Eagles, the SB 39 half time with Paul McCartney wasn't too shabby either. It's not every day that you get to see a Beatle, and Sir Paul was damned good.

Though, agreed with BaseballJones , nothing tops U2 in 01.

On the flip side, Abomination 1 ruined Tom Petty for me for years.
 

8slim

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The MJ halftime show had higher ratings than the actual game. Think about that one for a second...
It’s not that improbable. A rating is the measure of people viewing in the average minute of the program. So since that Super Bowl was a blowout it’s likely that the rating plunged precipitously in the last quarter, dragging down the total game rating. Easy for halftime to be rated higher in that circumstance.
 

Leather

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U2 started a run on rock megastars getting their own mini-concert. U2, Macca, Bruce, the Stones, the Who, Prince, Petty.

Only U2 and Prince really figured out how to make it work, IMO, albeit in very different ways. The rest were a little like watching your favorite uncle gamely try and ride a skateboard for the first time. Sure, it's nice that they went for it, but you can't help but wince a little bit and be thankful nothing horrible happened when it's all over.

Still, it was better than having Aerosmith lip sync half a song and then *whoa* here comes Britney! Or the fucking Blues Brothers 2000 share a stage with ZZ Top for 10 minutes. Christ. Those shows made me actively embarrassed.
 
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Ralphwiggum

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Bringing it back to Pats-Eagles, the SB 39 half time with Paul McCartney wasn't too shabby either. It's not every day that you get to see a Beatle, and Sir Paul was damned good.

Though, agreed with BaseballJones , nothing tops U2 in 01.

On the flip side, Abomination 1 ruined Tom Petty for me for years.
True story about SB 39 and Paul McCartney. I attended with my Dad, the company he was working for at the time was a big time NFL sponsor and we got hooked up with the whole Super Bowl VIP setup, including club seats. So Dad and I are making our way into the stadium and trying to get to our seats with plenty of time before kickoff, when all of a sudden a wall of security guards starts blocking fans from walking through the concourse. We stand there for a minute, then two, then five, and then fans are starting to get antsy and yelling at the guards trying to get past, and the guards are just standing there not explaining what is going on.

Then it becomes obvious what they are doing, which is creating a path for a VIP or celebrity to walk from a bank of elevators on one side of the concourse to the luxury box on the other side. So now the crowd is getting belligerent, its the fucking Super Bowl, it is probably 30 minutes to kickoff, and everyone is trying to get to their seats. Everyone standing around is ripshit, and whatever celebrity comes out of that elevator is going to get booed pretty severely, and I'm starting to worry that the scene might actually get ugly.

So the elevator doors finally open and out steps Paul McCartney, and this crowd of people who two seconds ago were ready to kill this unknown celebrity, sort of just stare in bewilderment as Sir Paul strolls casually from the elevator banks to the luxury box where he'll be watching. He's smiling and waiving at the fans, and nobody is booing him, but nobody is responding to him either, but he's also not hurrying to get where he's going so the guards are still holding everyone back. He then gets a puzzled look on his face, since I'm sure he's used to pretty much getting swooned over in public wherever he goes, and just sort of puts his head down and hustles through the security guards and disappears on the other side. Then the guards step aside and let everyone go to where they want to go.

So that's my story of being within 6 inches of Paul McCartney at the Super Bowl.
 

Red Right Ankle

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I just spent the last few minutes mesmerized by this, that was spectacular.

Unfortunately the conclusion I come to is that while I don't feel like 1991 was all that long ago, in actuality was a really fucking long time ago and I am getting old.
Spectacular and terrifying.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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I thought Katy Perry was great. Not a huge fan of the songs but they are catchy enough and she actually was really bringing it. The sharks were funny. I was really stressed. A little comic relief was nice.
 

johnmd20

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I thought Katy Perry was great. Not a huge fan of the songs but they are catchy enough and she actually was really bringing it. The sharks were funny. I was really stressed. A little comic relief was nice.
Agreed. Bruno Mars and Katy Perry were both pretty awesome. Lots of energy and catchy songs. Gaga was also excellent, too. The Coldplay/Beyonce mash up was a bit weird but Beyonce in 2013 was solid. The shows, in general, have been great in the past few years.
 

Leather

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I thought Katy Perry was great. Not a huge fan of the songs but they are catchy enough and she actually was really bringing it. The sharks were funny. I was really stressed. A little comic relief was nice.
Yeah I agree. Spectacle for spectacle’s sake is fine, as long as it complements the performance.

I think where they go wrong is a “please everyone” type of show where they have artists from different genres/generations each play for 4 minutes and then awkwardly combine for a mutant performance. Like, Beyoncé was good. Let her play. Why was Chris Martin there at all? It screams “hit all the demos at the expense of the performance itself.” All the foreworks in the world doesn’t make the focus of the show less awkward.
 

streeter88

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Yeah I agree. Spectacle for spectacle’s sake is fine, as long as it complements the performance.

I think where they go wrong is a “please everyone” type of show where they have artists from different genres/generations each play for 4 minutes and then awkwardly combine for a mutant performance. Like, Beyoncé was good. Let her play. Why was Chris Martin there at all? It screams “hit all the demos at the expense of the performance itself.” All the foreworks in the world doesn’t make the focus of the show less awkward.
You've nailed it for me too. The Bruno Mars Coldplay combo was just terrible. And I had totally forgotten Beyonce was in that halftime show until I just looked it up. Keep it simple. Gaga. Katy Perry / Left Shark. U2. Bruno. MJ (hee hee).
 

m0ckduck

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The first one I can remember is the Up with people... I think they did multiple though.. the Pats vs Bears one is the one I most likely remember.
I’d forgotten they did ‘86 until I looked at the Wikipedia list.

Up With People was a product of the Nixon campaign (!!!???). Amazing they were still haunting the world in 1986. And occupying the biggest music stage in the world, no less. (Although people hadn’t yet figured out it was the world’s biggest stage).
 

Spacemans Bong

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Just realizing that this SB was played at the Rose Bowl. I get that no team has ever played in their home stadium in a SB, but the Rams playing in Pasadena sure seems close enough to count it.
Talked about somewhere else, also, Dolphins/49ers at Stanford for SB XIX. The "He lost, but Dan Marino will get back to many more of these" bowl.
Last week drove me nuts. Some broadcasters made sure to say "no team has ever played an SB in their home stadium", but some just said home. Stanford's five miles from the old Niner practice facility, *much* closer than Candlestick. Here's the game ticket:



By all reasonable measures, the Niners won the Super Bowl at home.
 

Reardon's Beard

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The U2 half time performance and Patriots winning it all for the first time after 9/11 is up there in powerful sporting moments that captured the spirit and emotions of the time.
 

johnmd20

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The U2 half time performance and Patriots winning it all for the first time after 9/11 is up there in powerful sporting moments that captured the spirit and emotions of the time.
I was at that game and U2's performance was like a dream. It was so awesome and so intense, but it all happened so fast and was wiped away so quickly, it was almost hard to believe it actually occurred. That was one of the more epic things I've ever experienced live.
 

BigSoxFan

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BSF, curious why you say that? Bruno's had 2 halftime shows, and I know the girls in my family loved his performance a couple of years ago, and even his portion of SB50 halftime show. Do you have some inside info?
No inside info - just speculation on my part. NFL typically likes to mix it up so he’ll have to maintain popularity well into his 30s if his turn comes up again. I think he’s the closest thing to Michael Jackson that we have today so I’d be all for it.
 

Dehere

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I've been to 15 Super Bowls and a good number of other championship events and I'm convinced nothing will ever top Super Bowl 36. It just had soooo much going on: start of the Patriots dynasty, one of the biggest upsets ever, the incredible drama of the 4th quarter, the U2 show, the whole backdrop of the post-9/11 culture, the greatest Super Bowl host city.

Even as legendary as it is I think SB36 is kind of underappreciated. To me the two greatest sports events of my lifetime are the Miracle On Ice and Super Bowl 36.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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I don’t get the ‘at home’ disgruntlement. It’s pretty self explanatory. If the Cubs won the WS at Comiskey, no one would say they won it at home. At home is your home stadium. Not ‘within a close proximity’.

And if anyone says another bad word about Up With People I will find you and beat you with my 7 iron. Those people were revolutionary (full disclosure:we were a host family when I was a kid).
 

sheamonu

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I've been to 15 Super Bowls and a good number of other championship events and I'm convinced nothing will ever top Super Bowl 36. It just had soooo much going on: start of the Patriots dynasty, one of the biggest upsets ever, the incredible drama of the 4th quarter, the U2 show, the whole backdrop of the post-9/11 culture, the greatest Super Bowl host city.

Even as legendary as it is I think SB36 is kind of underappreciated. To me the two greatest sports events of my lifetime are the Miracle On Ice and Super Bowl 36.
I would add an "amen" to this. I watched it in Dublin at a pub that had a special license to stay open for the game. With other bars closing down at about the time the half time show started well oiled locals filtered in for the U2 show and things got a bit crazy. It was like 400 of the band's friends showed up to sing along. Almost everyone stuck around for the second half (the fact the bar was serving past typical closing helped). By the time AV's kick went through the uprights all the people in the place, whether they had ever even seen a game of American football before, were absolutely hooked. I wish I had a video to show you what the place was like at that moment - just explosive, joyful madness - with about half the people not entirely understanding why they were screaming, hugging, crowd surfing and generally letting it all hang out. They just knew, along with the rest of us, that in that time, that place - they had seen something extraordinary. It's hard to top that, though this team seems to try everytime they go back.
 

Average Reds

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I was at 38. I didn't even know about Nipplegate until sometime on Monday or maybe even Tuesday that week.
That makes two of us.

Super Bowl halftime shows are television productions. At least for the two I attended, the sound quality was terrible and the show was difficult to see.
 

MobyDickPole

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I just spent the last few minutes mesmerized by this, that was spectacular.

Unfortunately the conclusion I come to is that while I don't feel like 1991 was all that long ago, in actuality was a really fucking long time ago and I am getting old.
Just read that the Berlin Wall has now been down longer than it stood.... and could not agree more.
 

loshjott

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Not to mention that SB 36 ended Boston’s championship drought that had stood since the Celtics of 1986. At the time it was the second longest drought of a city with the 4 sports, only Philly at 1983 (Sixers) had longer.
 

tims4wins

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That makes two of us.

Super Bowl halftime shows are television productions. At least for the two I attended, the sound quality was terrible and the show was difficult to see.
I didn't even watch it. I was living in Houston at the time (that sucked, I was there less than 2 years), but saw both the regular season win over the Texans and the Super Bowl. My dad flew down for the game with my uncle and they were sitting in a different section. So we met up at halftime to discuss the first half.
 

Spacemans Bong

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I don’t get the ‘at home’ disgruntlement. It’s pretty self explanatory. If the Cubs won the WS at Comiskey, no one would say they won it at home. At home is your home stadium. Not ‘within a close proximity’.

And if anyone says another bad word about Up With People I will find you and beat you with my 7 iron. Those people were revolutionary (full disclosure:we were a host family when I was a kid).
The Cubs winning the World Series at Comiskey isn't the correct comparison, it would be like Celtics winning the NBA title at Conte Forum.
 

tims4wins

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The Cubs winning the World Series at Comiskey isn't the correct comparison, it would be like Celtics winning the NBA title at Conte Forum.
Even this doesn't make a ton of sense since those sports are supposed to play home and road games in the playoffs. I think a more apt comparison would be BC winning the national hoops title in the Garden. Or say something like Michigan State winning the national title (hoops or football, whatever) in Detroit. Or something like that.
 

johnmd20

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NFL Network is doing a rundown of previous super bowls. They are on Giants/Ravens right now. Pats/Rams coming up shortly.