Top 10 Super Bowl Moments
BOSTON (CBS) - Sometimes the big game doesn't always live up to the hype, but in it's 48 previous installments, the Super Bowl has given us some truly unforgettable moments.
So as we get ready for Super Bowl 49 (or XLIX for the traditionalists) between the Patriots and Seahawks, let's take a stroll down memory lane and relive some historic moments.
Here's a list, in no particular order, of the 10 most memorable moments from Super Bowl's past:
1. So Close
The Rams were leading 23-16 in the fourth quarter with under two minutes to go. The Titans had one more shot to tie the game. With the Titans calling their last timeout with six seconds left on the Rams 10-yard line, they had time to run one more play to possibly tie the game. Quarterback Steve McNair's pass to Kevin Dyson was completed, but Dyson was stopped at the 1-yard line to end the game.
2. Santonio Holmes' Corner Catch
In the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIII, with Arizona seeking their first Super Bowl title, the Cardinals held a 23-20 lead with the Steelers in possession of the football with 2:31 left and two timeouts on their own 12-yard line. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger drove his offense down the field all the way into the red zone. With 43 seconds remaining on the 5-yard line, Roethlisberger threw a bullet to the right corner where wide receiver Santonio Holmes made a miraculous leaping catch to give the Steelers a 27-23 win over the Cardinals.
3) Celebrate The Good Times, When You Get There
The Dallas Cowboys faced off against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, and if there is one thing players should learn from this game, never celebrate too early. Defensive tackle Leon Lett recovered a Bills fumble on fourth down late in the fourth quarter on the Cowboys 35-yard line. Lett ran down the field thinking he was untouched and celebrated too early by holding the football loosely in his hand. Bills wide receiver Don Beebe came up behind Lett and knocked the football out of bounds, forcing a touchback. It ultimately wouldn't matter though, because the Bills got smoked 52-17, but this is a blunder America (and most certainly Lett) will never forget.
4. " The Sickest Man In America"
Super Bowl XIII was an intense one between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. In the third quarter of the game, the Cowboys trailed the Steelers 21-14. On third down from the Steelers 10-yard line, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach threw the ball to wide open tight end Jackie Smith who, in the end, dropped the ball. The Cowboys ended up losing 35-31. Smith retired after the season ended.
5. Helmet Catch
New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree made probably the greatest catch ever in NFL history, and it just so happened to come in the Super Bowl, on the biggest stage, against the undefeated New England Patriots.
Patriots safety Rodney Harrison tried to wrench the ball out when Tyree was going down, but in the end, Tyree had full control of it. Tyree's catch was voted 2008 ESPY Play Of The Year.
6. "Hey Don, What Time Is It?"
Don Shula pulled an historic undefeated season going 17-0 when his Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. As Shula was being carried off the field, he had his watch stolen. Shula was able to catch the thief and retrieve his watch. Winning a Super Bowl and solving a crime, can't get any better than that.
7. The Swann Leap
Before David Tyree's helmet catch, Pittsburgh Steelers Lynn Swann may have had the best catch in Super Bowl history. For Super Bowl X between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys, Swann put up a remarkable four catches with 161 receiving yards with one touchdown. Swann, who surprised people when he played after coming off a severe concussion, made a leaping catch for a 53 yards while bobbling the ball over Cowboys defensive back Ron Washington. Swann earned MVP honors with the Steelers win over the Cowboys 21-17.
8. The Field Goal Never To Be Forgotten
New England faced off against the St. Louis Rams, aka the Greatest Show On Turf, in Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans. With the game tied 17-17 with just seconds remaining, Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri nailed a 48-yarder to cap off an amazing postseason run, kick starting a dynasty in the process.
9. "We're Gonna Win The Game, I Guarantee It"
The NFL still had no respect for the AFL teams in the years following the merger. In Super Bowl III, Joe Namath's New York Jets were 18-point underdogs to the Baltimore Colts. Three days before the game, Namath appeared at the Miami Touchdown Club and predicted to the audience, "We're gonna win the game. I guarantee it."
They did win the game, with the Jets becoming the first AFL team to win the Super Bowl. Final score: New York Jets 16 Baltimore Colts 7.
10. Montana Magic
In Super Bowl XXIII, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana got some magic trailing late in the 4th quarter. Down 16-13 with 39 seconds to go against the Cincinnati Bengals, Montana threw the latest touchdown to decide a game in Super Bowl history. Montana lived for these clutch moments.
Bonus: Janet Jackson NipslipGate
Pop singers Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake performed at the Super Bowl halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII, a game in which the New England Patriots won their second Super Bowl in three seasons against the Carolina Panthers.
Although the Patriots won the Super Bowl, that wasn't what everyone was talking about after the game.
During the halftime show, Timberlake exposed the nipple of Jackson on national television. CBS was fined $550,000 from the Federal Communications Commission.
After that incident, the NFL changed direction and went (wayyyy older) with Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and The Who in subsequent years.
Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas were welcomed back in 2011, and even though the NFL has gone back to newer, relevant artists for the halftime show, I'm sure they'll remind Katy Perry this weekend to make sure to cover up!
