Icky Super Bowls
Icky Super Bowls
Maybe its my limited brain power, but back in my younger days I used to remember every Super Bowl in detail. There have been so many Super Bowls now that some of them I can’t even recall. There has only been one Super Bowl in my lifetime that I didn’t even bother to watch…Super Bowl 28 between Dallas and Buffalo…and I don’t think I missed anything. But I think it’s more noteworthy to be interested in watching the Super Bowl, only to turn off the TV partway through the game because it is nauseating. Here are my ickiest Super Bowls, in chronological order:
(special mention) Super Bowl IV = this one didn’t live up to my expectations. Super happy to find the broadcast of this game. First, it was in black and white. Second, nothing really happened for most of the game. The Chiefs were not dominant…Minnesota was more inept than anything. Otis Taylor scored his TD in the 3rd quarter and then I lost interest in the 4th quarter. Gary Cuozzo was intercepted by Emmitt Thomas, which is something I had no idea that happened.
Super Bowl XVIII = I was really excited to see this matchup, and Washington was terrible. The game was never competitive, and both Theismann and Riggins did nothing all game.
Super Bowl XXVII = the Bills were becoming a joke, and the Cowboys destroyed them. I remember one play where Jim Kelly got hit in his own endzone and lost the ball for a 0-yard Cowboy TD. The only drama was when Kelly finally left the game and miracle worker Frank Reich came in and threw a long TD, but that was about it for the Bills. Seeing Jimmy Johnson win a Super Bowl was highly annoying.
Super Bowl XXIX = I thought this would be a blowout with the Chargers somehow making the Super Bowl, and I was right. I didn’t like this Niners (best team money can buy) squad, didn’t really care for the Steve Young narrative, and turned off the TV when the Chargers insisted on not tackling the Niners pass catchers.
Super Bowl XXXV = I felt bad for the NFL after this game. The Giants sucked. The Ravens were classless. Brian Billick was a fraud. Ray Lewis, Shannon Sharpe, Jamal Lewis….one of the most unlikeable teams in history.
Super Bowl XXXVII = the most frustrating Super Bowl ever. It wouldn’t end because Rich Gannon insisted on throwing passes, and every time it would get intercepted by Tampa and returned for a TD. Warren Sapp, Jon Gruden “miked up”…vomit-inducing, especially in retrospect. Both guys were/are jokes.
Super Bowl XLVI = the second Pats loss to a rather unremarkable Giants squad….this one kind of set the historical perspective off of its axis. The Pats losing to the Giants was like Mike Tyson losing to Buster Douglas, getting a rematch, then losing to Douglas again. It still doesn’t compute to me.
Super Bowl XL = a couple big plays sprinkled in a pile of rubbish. The Steelers scored a few TDs, the Seahawks missed a few FGs, and that was about it. The game was ‘ick’ enough, but then after the game a Seattle contingent channeled their inner-Holmgren and bitched about the officiating to absurd levels, to the point of using photos of Darrell Jackson pushing off a DB as evidence of a ‘bad call’.
Super Bowl XLVIII = this game had big hype…Seattle defense versus Denver offense…clash of the titans…then first play of the game Denver botches a snap for a safety and the Broncos just got crushed. Such a letdown. One of the more shocking blowouts in championship history; the Broncos were actually favored by 2.5 points. Ick with watching Pete Carroll win a Super Bowl after saying one step ahead of the USC investigation.
(special mention) Super Bowl IV = this one didn’t live up to my expectations. Super happy to find the broadcast of this game. First, it was in black and white. Second, nothing really happened for most of the game. The Chiefs were not dominant…Minnesota was more inept than anything. Otis Taylor scored his TD in the 3rd quarter and then I lost interest in the 4th quarter. Gary Cuozzo was intercepted by Emmitt Thomas, which is something I had no idea that happened.
Super Bowl XVIII = I was really excited to see this matchup, and Washington was terrible. The game was never competitive, and both Theismann and Riggins did nothing all game.
Super Bowl XXVII = the Bills were becoming a joke, and the Cowboys destroyed them. I remember one play where Jim Kelly got hit in his own endzone and lost the ball for a 0-yard Cowboy TD. The only drama was when Kelly finally left the game and miracle worker Frank Reich came in and threw a long TD, but that was about it for the Bills. Seeing Jimmy Johnson win a Super Bowl was highly annoying.
Super Bowl XXIX = I thought this would be a blowout with the Chargers somehow making the Super Bowl, and I was right. I didn’t like this Niners (best team money can buy) squad, didn’t really care for the Steve Young narrative, and turned off the TV when the Chargers insisted on not tackling the Niners pass catchers.
Super Bowl XXXV = I felt bad for the NFL after this game. The Giants sucked. The Ravens were classless. Brian Billick was a fraud. Ray Lewis, Shannon Sharpe, Jamal Lewis….one of the most unlikeable teams in history.
Super Bowl XXXVII = the most frustrating Super Bowl ever. It wouldn’t end because Rich Gannon insisted on throwing passes, and every time it would get intercepted by Tampa and returned for a TD. Warren Sapp, Jon Gruden “miked up”…vomit-inducing, especially in retrospect. Both guys were/are jokes.
Super Bowl XLVI = the second Pats loss to a rather unremarkable Giants squad….this one kind of set the historical perspective off of its axis. The Pats losing to the Giants was like Mike Tyson losing to Buster Douglas, getting a rematch, then losing to Douglas again. It still doesn’t compute to me.
Super Bowl XL = a couple big plays sprinkled in a pile of rubbish. The Steelers scored a few TDs, the Seahawks missed a few FGs, and that was about it. The game was ‘ick’ enough, but then after the game a Seattle contingent channeled their inner-Holmgren and bitched about the officiating to absurd levels, to the point of using photos of Darrell Jackson pushing off a DB as evidence of a ‘bad call’.
Super Bowl XLVIII = this game had big hype…Seattle defense versus Denver offense…clash of the titans…then first play of the game Denver botches a snap for a safety and the Broncos just got crushed. Such a letdown. One of the more shocking blowouts in championship history; the Broncos were actually favored by 2.5 points. Ick with watching Pete Carroll win a Super Bowl after saying one step ahead of the USC investigation.
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Re: Icky Super Bowls
As soon as I saw the title of this thread this was the game that came to mind. I remember being sick. Bad flu or something. So I just stayed home and watched the game in my apartment. I actually fell asleep during the game. Partly due to my condition and partly due to the game.Super Bowl XXXV = I felt bad for the NFL after this game. The Giants sucked. The Ravens were classless. Brian Billick was a fraud. Ray Lewis, Shannon Sharpe, Jamal Lewis….one of the most unlikeable teams in history
Re: Icky Super Bowls
Neither did Gibbs, I'm sorry to say. Losing 28-9, with the Raiders consistently putting eight men in the box, the Redskins were still running Riggins into the line on first down, seemingly every time. In a game they lost by 29 points, and were trailing by 18 at halftime, Riggins got SIX MORE carries than Marcus Allen. They just never changed a thing.Bryan wrote:Super Bowl XVIII = I was really excited to see this matchup, and Washington was terrible. The game was never competitive, and both Theismann and Riggins did nothing all game.
I don't know if people outside the Washington area were aware of this, but Gibbs, despite being an outstanding coach from the beginning, actually was not very good at changing tactics during games for his first half-dozen seasons or so. Later he became pretty good at it, but it took him a while. And that Super Bowl is always Exhibit A.
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Re: Icky Super Bowls
The SB I couldnt believe was 2020/21 with TB dominating the Chiefs. No disrespect to what Brady and the Buc's defense achieved but I felt the Chiefs layed down in this game. Mahomes couldnt get any protection and the receivers, even Kelce, couldnt make plays. Maybe the game would have been different had Tyreek Hill caught that incredible pass from Mahomes at the goal line but it bounced right off his facemask ... With Covid and the game being played--and won--in Tampa, it seemed like the Chiefs werent going to play well enough to win a back-to-back championship, which I still feel will never happen in the NFL again because postseason "upsets" are too woven into the world-wide gambling fabric ...
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Re: Icky Super Bowls
Good calls on the Raiders dismantling the Redskins ... It was not only surprising seeing the Raiders pass rush having their way with the Hogs but you would think the Redskins would have found more creative ways to take advantage of the Raider linebackers in coverage but they never seemed to go back to Joe Washington. Art Monk was usually big in postseason games for the Skins but even he couldnt get untracked. The secondary coverage and Charlie Sumner's defensive gameplan were flawless while Plunkett and Allen played turnover-free football.
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Re: Icky Super Bowls
Good calls Bryan but I disagree on SB IV ... I felt the Chiefs defense was dominant, stopping the run easily. Kapp would go deep to loosen the pass coverage but the receivers couldnt do anything until Henderson picked up yards in garbage time. The Vikes did stumble a lot but the Chiefs easily won on both sides at the line of scrimmage ... Had the Vikings utilized more of their speed with Reed and especially Clint Jones, maybe they could have made more plays but the team had won with Osborn and Brown and werent going to go away from them ...
Re: Icky Super Bowls
I agree that the KC defensive line was dominant. The Chiefs offensive line was not. The only consistent element of their offense was the Frank Pitts end-around play. Dawson was sacked three times.Brian wolf wrote:Good calls Bryan but I disagree on SB IV ... I felt the Chiefs defense was dominant, stopping the run easily. Kapp would go deep to loosen the pass coverage but the receivers couldnt do anything until Henderson picked up yards in garbage time. The Vikes did stumble a lot but the Chiefs easily won on both sides at the line of scrimmage...
Viking RBs = 17 carries, 58 yards, 1 TD (3.4 YPC)
KC RBs = 36 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD (2.9 YPC)
The Chiefs first TD was setup by Charlie West's botched kick return. When the Vikes scored in the 3rd period to make it 16-7, there was a sense that they could come back because the Vikings defense hadn't really given up anything to KC's offense. They could logically shutout KC in the 2nd half, which they almost did, and win 17-16. It was a sloppy effort by the Vikings in general...two missed tackles on the Otis Taylor hitch kind of sealed the deal because it put KC up three scores. But watching the game didn't give me a sense of KC dominating. You saw this in the 1970 opener...it was pretty much the same game as SB IV except this time the breaks went Minnesota's way instead of KCs. JMO
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Re: Icky Super Bowls
I was surprised Bryan that you didnt like the 2011/12 SB between NY and NE. I thought is was a good defensive game, though once again, the Patriots couldnt stop Eli and the offense at the end. The Giants pass rush got to Brady in both SBs and that was how Baltimore and Denver beat them in postseason as well. It didnt help that his receivers dropped critical passes.
Re: Icky Super Bowls
Both Dallas-Buffalo SB's were icky because the Bills didn't deserve to be there.Super Bowl XXVII = the Bills were becoming a joke, and the Cowboys destroyed them. I remember one play where Jim Kelly got hit in his own endzone and lost the ball for a 0-yard Cowboy TD. The only drama was when Kelly finally left the game and miracle worker Frank Reich came in and threw a long TD, but that was about it for the Bills. Seeing Jimmy Johnson win a Super Bowl was highly annoying.
Another AFC representative that didn't deserve to be there. No wonder why the AFC had such a long losing streak. Just a lot of bad matchups.Super Bowl XXIX = I thought this would be a blowout with the Chargers somehow making the Super Bowl, and I was right. I didn’t like this Niners (best team money can buy) squad, didn’t really care for the Steve Young narrative, and turned off the TV when the Chargers insisted on not tackling the Niners pass catchers.
I really didn't care to watch that one. I was at work for a lot of that game. I remember being in the back doing something, and a friend called the manager to tell him it was 7-0 49ers. Then, a few minutes later, he said that it was now 14-0 49ers. I wasn't shocked.
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Re: Icky Super Bowls
We all know that the Oilers should have beaten the Bills in the 1992/93 postseason but I felt the Bills deserved to be in the subsequent SB. Kelly had one of his best ever games beating the Raiders and then Thomas had his best game ever against KC. The Bills played well with Dallas in the first half of that SB but once Thomas and then Kelly had turnovers in the second half, the team just unraveled.
It seemed whenever the Bills had turnovers in the SB, going back to the Washington loss, the defense could never make a following stop and the team would quickly get in a hole, similar to the Vikings during their 70s SB games ...
It seemed whenever the Bills had turnovers in the SB, going back to the Washington loss, the defense could never make a following stop and the team would quickly get in a hole, similar to the Vikings during their 70s SB games ...