9 Super Bowl Moments We’re Still Talking About
Perfect season
To this date, only one NFL team ended a season without a single loss: The Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII in 1972, closing the season undefeated. It was a thrilling victory as evidenced by The Dolphins co-owner Danny Thomas’s glee.
Whitney Houston’s National Anthem
Lip synced or not, Whitney Houston’s show-stopping performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV in 1991 had the national anthem charting on Billboard’s Hot 100. Better yet, the pop diva donated her proceeds to the American Red Cross Gulf Crisis Fund.
“Wide right”
The Buffalo Bills could have surpassed the New York Giants that same year with eight seconds left on the clock had kicker Scott Norwood made the 47-yard field goal. Instead, the kick was, in the words of sportscaster Al Michaels, a “wide right.”
Michael Jackson
Only the King of Pop could catapult onto the halftime stage and stand still for a minute and a half, as Michael Jackson did at Super Bowl XXVI in 1993 before he launched into a medley of hits including “Billie Jean” and “Black or White.” The show was a major success: For the first time in Super Bowl history, television viewership increased during halftime.
U2’s 9/11 tribute
Taking the Super Bowl XXXVI stage less than four months after the September 11 attacks, U2 played a touching rendition of “Where the Streets Have No Name” as the names of the victims lit up the backdrop behind them. USA Today, Rolling Stone, and Sports Illustrated all named the performance the best Super Bowl halftime show ever.
Janet Jackson’s Wardrobe Malfunction
When Justin Timberlake sang “I’m gonna have you naked at the end of the song” during his and Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime performance in 2004, he probably didn’t mean it so literally. Apparently, he was supposed to rip off Jackson’s bustier to expose her bra, but instead, the stunt exposed her breast to more than a hundred million viewers.
“Purple Rain”
Prince was undaunted by the downpour that threatened to ruin his Super Bowl XLI halftime show in 2007. In fact, he asked a producer, “Can you make it rain harder?” The deluge made his performance all the more memorable — especially as he closed his set with a rendition of his hit “Purple Rain.”
Tyree’s Helmet Catch
The New York Giants eked out a win against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII after wide receiver David Tyree caught quarterback Eli Manning’s throw by pinning the football against his helmet. NFL.com later named that catch the greatest Super Bowl play of all time.
Blackout Bowl
A blackout — caused by an electrical glitch and not by Beyoncé’s halftime show, as memes would have you believe — delayed the second half of Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 for more than a half hour. Within minutes of the power cutting out, Oreo tweeted a blackout-themed ad proclaiming “You can still dunk in the dark.”
Super Bowl LIII is almost upon us — with the New England Patriots facing off against the Los Angeles Rams on February 3 at 6:30/5:30c on CBS.
It would be a major fumble if we didn’t look back at unforgettable Super Bowl moments of football seasons past. Click through the gallery above for nine of our favorites, presented chronologically.
Super Bowl LIII, Sunday, February 3, 6:30/5:30c, CBS
