We are two days away from Super Bowl XLV, with the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-1 in Super Bowls) and Green Bay Packers (3-1) aiming to add upon their storied histories. Thankfully, for Super Bowl historians and fanatics like me, a myriad of YouTube users have posted original SB broadcasts in full on YouTube. Compiled for your viewing pleasure are the Part I’s, along with a few notes on each game. The past seven Super Bowls are not online, (though there are plenty of clip shows), so we will start with the Buccaneers and Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII and work backwards as far as the YouTubers will let us. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
JACK
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Super Bowl XXXVII: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 22
MVP: Dexter Jackson, TB, safety (two interceptions)
In that case, why not make the MVP: Dwight Smith, TB, corner (two interceptions for touchdowns)
MVP should have been: Simeon Rice, TB, defensive end (2 sacks, constant pressure on Rich Gannon, a representative of the relentless Tampa Bay pass rush that was the reason Gannon threw a record five picks)
Most memorable moment: Derrick Brooks and Dwight Smith returning Gannon picks for TDs within the final 1:18 of the game.
Forgotten history: Jerry Rice scoring his eighth career Super Bowl touchdown, extending his own record.
Would I watch it again? Maybe just when Oakland had the ball, but probably not at all.
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Super Bowl XXXVI: New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17
(NOTE: This game used to be online in its entirety. Sadly, no more. We’ll have to settle for the final drive.)
MVP: TOM BRADY, NE, quarterback (145 yards passing, 1 touchdown, led game-winning drive)
MVP should have been: Brady
Most memorable moment: Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal with two seconds no time remaining.
Forgotten history: It’s easy to forget now, but Super Bowl XXXVI was, including the playoffs, Tom Brady’s 17th career start.
Would I watch it again? Start to finish, absolutely.
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Super Bowl XXXV: Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7
MVP: RAY LEWIS, Bal, linebacker (three tackles, four passes defensed)
MVP should have been: Probably Lewis, as the best player on a dominant D
Most memorable moment: Three straight TD returns in the third quarter: Duane Starks 49 yard pick, Ron Dixon 97 yard kick return, Jermaine Lewis 84 yard kick return.
Forgotten history: Though awarded MVP, Ray Lewis did not shoot the “I’m going to Disney World!” commercial because he was only a year removed from a double-murder trial, of which he was acquitted. The commercial was shot, instead, by quarterback Trent Dilfer.
Would I watch it again? At the time — perhaps still bummed that the Culpepper/Moss/Carter/Smith Vikings were not playing — I dubbed this game The Blah Super Bowl. However, I would watch every snap the Ravens took on de-fense just to appreciate a thorough whipping.
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Super Bowl XXXI: Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21
MVP: DESMOND HOWARD, GB, return man (244 combined return yards, 99 yard kick return touchdown to ice the game)
MVP should have been: Howard… but maybe Reggie White (SB record three sacks)
Most memorable moment: There are a few great ones: Favre’s long TDs to Andre Rison (54 yards) and Antonio Freeman (81 yards, a record at the time), and rookie Terry Glenn’s beautiful diving catch on a 44 yard pass from Drew Bledsoe. But Howard’s 99 yard kick return TD was the play of the game, and a depressingly memorable moment in my house, where both me (basement) and my parents (first floor) were hosting Super Bowl parties. The entire house was rooting against the Packers, with one crucial exception, my old pal Tony the Packers Fan.
Trailing 27-14 in the third quarter, the Patriots pulled to six points on an 18 yard run by Curtis “You Forgot I Started My Career In New England” Martin. With three minutes and a full quarter to go, the Pats were back in it, and I decided to use that break as an opportunity to go two floors up and use the office. As I did my business, a load groan rumbled through the house, followed by Tony’s cheers. “Uh oh,” I thought. “Howard just broke one.” I finished, returned downstairs, and was quickly alerted by my father that, yes indeed, “Desmond Howard just ran back the kickoff.” In the basement were nothing but frowns — nothing, except for the grinning Tony, who sat in his seat and glowed.
Forgotten history: Both the Packers and Patriots defeated a second-year expansion team in the conference championships. Green Bay beat Carolina 30-13, while New England topped Jacksonville 20-6.
Would I watch it again? The whole first half for sure. After that, it’d be a fast forward job.
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Super Bowl XXX: Dallas Cowboys 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
MVP: LARRY BROWN, Dal, cornerback (two interceptions)
MVP should have been: Definitely not Brown. Neil O’Donnell threw two passes into his gut. Can we give O’Donnell an LVP? I guess you have to give it to Emmitt Smith for scoring two touchdowns… yet he only gained 49 yards on 18 carries, hardly an MVP performance, especially by his standards (MVP of SB XXVII, see below).
So I’m giving it to the Dallas o-line as sort of a career Oscar, because tackles Mark Tuinei and Erik Williams, guards Nate Newton and Larry Allen, and center Ray Donaldson (and in ’92/’93, Mark Stepnoski) were unquestionably the greatest offensive line I have ever watched. Four of the five members of the 1995 line made the Pro Bowl (Erik Williams did not), and the five men combined for 29 Pro Bowls led by Allen’s 11.
Most memorable moment: Down three with the ball and under five minutes to play, O’Donnell throws arguably the worst pass in Super Bowl history, an INT into the gut of Larry Brown, who returns the ball 33 yards to the Pittsburgh 4. The Cowboys score two plays later to ice the game.
Forgotten history: Both Kordell Stewart and Deion Sanders lined up at receiver.
Would I watch it again? Meh. Maybe the fourth quarter.
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Super Bowl XXIX: San Francisco 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26
MVP: STEVE YOUNG, SF, quarterback (325 yards, SB record six touchdowns)
MVP should have been: Young.
Most memorable moment: Until Devin Hester opened SB XLI with a kick return TD, Steve Young hitting Jerry Rice for a 44 yard TD 1:24 into the game was the fastest score in Super Bowl history.
Forgotten history: Other than above, and Young topping Joe Montana with six SB TD passes? How about this: five times in Super Bowl history, a player has scored three touchdowns in a single game, and two of the five happened here — Jerry Rice (three receiving) and Ricky Watters (two receiving, one rushing).
Also: San Diego scored the first two two-point conversions in Super Bowl history (two-pointers were not allowed in the NFL until that season) first on a Stan Humphries pass to Mark Seay following Andre Coleman’s 98 yard kick return TD, and then on a Humphries pass to Alfred Pupunu for the game’s final points.
Would I watch it again? Absolutely, just for the beauty of San Fran’s offense.
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Super Bowl XXVIII: Dallas Cowboys 30, Buffalo Bills 13
MVP: EMMITT SMITH, Dal, runningback (132 yards rushing, two TD, 4.4 ypc)
MVP should have been: With all respect to Emmitt, I’ll take Cowboys safety James Washington, who, along with Dallas’s lone interception, made the play of the game with his long and winding touchdown return of a Thurman Thomas fumble. The touchdown tied the game at 13 in the third quarter, and turned the tide for the Cowboys, who scored 24 unanswered second half points to win the game.
Most memorable moment: Washington’s touchdown. (3:06 on this clip)
Forgotten history: Don’t forget: the Bills are the only team to appear in four consecutive Super Bowls. If you’re too young to remember, don’t go simply by the Super Bowl stat sheet. From 1988 to 1993, the Bills were among the most feared teams in the NFL, with a top five offense, Hall of Famers (Kelly, Thomas, Reed, Smith) on both sides of the ball, and another 10 Pro Bowlers to boot (Lofton, Wolford, Richter, Hull, Ballard, Bennett, Conlan, Talley, Odomes, Jones). YouTuber BillCody1960 has compiled a number of Classic Bills games, any of which serve as reminders for the greatness of Marv Levy’s team.
Would I watch it again? Yeah… but it would be sad.
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Super Bowl XXVII: Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17
MVP: TROY AIKMAN, Dal, quarterback (273 yards, four TD, 0 INT)
MVP should have been: Wow. Soooooo many choices. Can’t argue with Aikman, but a first-ever triple MVP would have been appropriate for the Dallas Triplets: Aikman, Emmitt Smith (108 yards on 22 carries and a TD), and Michael Irvin (6 catches, 114 yards, 2 TD).
But wait… did I mention that the Dallas defense produced a Super Bowl record nine turnovers, along with four sacks and two touchdowns? Whoa!
Most memorable moment: Four words: Don Beebe, Leon Lett. Everyone remembers the play (5:14) — Lett returning a Frank Reich fumble 64 yards, extending the ball at the 5 in anticipation of the TD, and then having the ball stripped away from the streaking Beebe who’d chased him nearly 90 yards to get back into the play. Don’t forget that a Lett TD and point after would have given the Cowboys a Super Bowl record 61 points. Beebe’s hustle made the loss at least relatively palatable for Buffalo fans. Relatively.
Forgotten history: Irvin’s receiver-pal Alvin Harper popularized “dunking” the football through the uprights after a 45 yard fourth quarter TD reception that gave the Cowboys a 38-17 lead. (3:56)
Would I watch it again? Oh yeah. Pure Super Bowl spectacle.
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Super Bowl XXVI: Washington Redskins 37, Buffalo Bills 24
MVP: MARK RYPIEN, Was, quarterback (292 yards, two TD, 1 INT)
MVP should have been: Rypien. No other overwhelming candidate, though maybe a split MVP between the receivers Art Monk and Gary Clark (14 catches, 227 yards, 1 TD).
Most memorable moment: It’s gotta be Thurman Thomas missing the game’s first two plays because he couldn’t find his helmet, right?
Forgotten history: A few items: 1. The Redskins opened the game with a 24-0 lead, the most unanswered points at the start of a Super Bowl. 2. This game was 37-10 Skins before Buffalo closed out with two scores. 3. From 1982 to 1991, Joe Gibbs led Washington to three championships with three different quarterbacks.
Would I watch it again? I guess, but it would be low on the list.
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Super Bowl XXIV: San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10
MVP: JOE MONTANA, SF, quarterback (297 yards, SB record five TD, 0 INT)
MVP should have been: Montana
Most memorable moment: First TD of the game: Montana to Rice, (2:51), who catches the ball at the 8, bounces off a defender, spins, and darts into the endzone. Vintage Niners: split back formation, Craig in motion out of the backfield, Montana with tons of time as he checks down and goes to his third option — Rice — over the middle. Just before the snap, Summerall even dubbed it a “typical 49er drive.” It was all Niners the rest of the way.
Forgotten history: Bud Bowl II! (4:01)
Would I watch it again? Definitely. Beautiful football from the 49ers.
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Super Bowl XXIII: San Francisco 49ers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 16
MVP: JERRY RICE, SF, wide receiver (11 receptions, 215 yards, 1 TD)
MVP should have been: Rice (his 11 catches tied a SB record while his 215 yards receiving set one — both still stand)
Most memorable moment: The entire final drive by the Niners: 11 plays, 92 yards, capped off by the ten yard TD pass from Montana to John Taylor. The Niners put Rice in motion on the play, and the tactic worked: the Bengals followed Rice (who had a few big catches on the drive) and let Taylor sneak behind the defense. It was Taylor’s only catch of the game.
Forgotten history: The game was a bust late into the third quarter, when Cincinnati’s Stanford Jennings broke a 6-6 field goal tie with a 93 yard kick return for a touchdown.
Would I watch it again? Yeah, but I’d probably fast forward through the bulk of the first half.
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Jack M Silverstein is a freelance writer covering music, sports, and community in Chicago. He has written his opinion column "On the John" for 11 years. Say hey at 