So the Super Bowl is over and another NFL season has ridden off into the sunset of our memories. Oh you mean there’s one more game a Pro Bowl in Hawaii? Is that where the NFL stars go bowling? Oh they play football I rather watch them go bowling.
All-Star Games as a whole are dull interruptions in the middle of a season; if you need any proof of that just remind your memory back a few weeks to the NHL All-Star Game in Dallas, the few of you that watched it. Even as far as NHL All-Star Classics go this was duller then dishwater.
First they played the game midweek where there was no juice for the game. Then they put it in Dallas, and don’t get me wrong Texas has taken well to hockey and the Stars have been a huge success in Dallas. However, most Stars fans only care about their Dallas Stars and there was just no electricity in the building. The fans even sounded bored as shouted “Stars” every time star was mentioned in the Star–Spangled Banner. Once the game began it was pure dullness as the only check was in the mail as the West won 12-9, as Daniel Brierer won the All-Star Game MVP despite playing on the losing side and acted like he was getting junk mail as he received his car for winning the games MVP. This is not to mention the day before when the NHL did the Skills competition against the President’s State of the Union Address, as the clock for the fastest skater was malfunctioning and a hand held stop watch was used.
Next week will be the NBA All-Star Game and that’s much of the same as it turns into a game of horse with no defense being attempted on either side. This year it’s in Las s so fans can lose their shits while the NBA players collect that Tyrus Thomas “Free Money. Originally this game was to be in Sacramento, but when all the NBA players execs, fans and basketballs did a collective groan they decided to move the game to Vegas, in a warm up for when the Kings actually move there in a few years with the Casino owning Maloof Brothers. In past years the dunk contest was worth watching, however that too has jumped the shark as players get 90 attempts to make one dunk even if they fall on their face and miss.
Even the MLB All-Star Game is not what it used to be as the difference between the National and American Leagues has become non-existent with players regularly changing uniforms and switching leagues. Even the gimmick of making it count for home field n the World Series has failed to restore the game’s luster that was hopelessly lost following the 2002 All-Star Tie.
Even with the MLB All-Star Games lost luster and the NBA and NHL All-Star Games’ offensive dullness are 1,000 times more exciting then the Pro Bowl. Even with the game being in Hawaii many players find an excuse not to go. With it coming at the end of the season after the Super Bowl, there’s a feeling that you are stuffed with football and don’t need any more. It’s akin to Thanksgiving diner when you just finish a delicious Turkey Diner and someone comes over with a Swanson Turkey TV Diner. Like the NBA and NHL there is no true defense, in that both teams must run the same defensive schemes, and are not allowed to blitz. Not be allowed to blitz is like not being allowed to tackle and it just takes away so much of the game’s strategy.
However, what can the NFL do? If they played the Pro Bowl at the end of Training Camp or the start of the Pre Season many fans starved for football would be very interested but the risk of injuries is too great. Even without blitzing, there’s a chance for injuries with every tackle or turned ankle, that could ruin a team’s season before it even starts. The Pro Bowl is stuck where it is in no-mans land. Truth be told if the NFL cancelled the Pro Bowl nobody would miss it, and perhaps it is time the NFL thinks seriously of doing so, as only a hand full of Hawaiian NFL fans will miss it, and if they love the NFL so much perhaps the NFL could make up for it by having a regular season game in Aloha Stadium. That would more then make up for it.
As for recognizing the NFL ‘s All-Stars just name the top player at each position as an All-Pro, and give them an award of a bonus, after all that’s what matters most to these players any way. Even still award the free trip to Hawaii, and avoid the NFL ending its season with a TV diner when its much better to remember the Turkey Diner. After all does anybody if even know how won last year’s Pro Bowl does anybody care. Heck does anybody even remember the game’s MVP? Dose the MVP even remember who won?
I. 1972 Miami Dolphins Winner Super Bowl VII –As Herm Edwards said, “You play to win the game.” The Dolphins won every game in 1972, maybe their schedule was not the strongest but they beat all challengers and did so with a back up QB half the season. Then they were a botched Garo Yeprmian Field Goal from the only shutout in Super Bowl history.
II. 1985 Chicago Bears Winner Super Bowl XX- No team has come closer to equaling the Dolphins unbeaten season then the 85 Bears who shuffled through everyone including the Patriots who they destroyed in the Super Bowl 46-10, after shutting out the Giants and the Rams in the NFC Playoffs.
III. 1989 San Francisco 49ers Winner Super Bowl XXIV-The 49ers have won five Super Bowls this was perhaps the best of them all as they won their second straight by humiliating the Broncos 55-10. A year late the same squad narrowly missed a shot at being the first three-peat Super Bowl Champ.
IV. 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers Winner Super Bowl XIII-The Steelers of the 70’s won 4 Super Bowls in 6 years, this year was probably the best of them all as a well rounded team on offense and defense beat a strong Cowboys team that a year earlier won its own Lombardi Trophy.
V. 1984 San Francisco 49ers Winner Super Bowl XIX-The 49ers rolled through the regular season with a 15-1 record, then shutout a Bears team poised for greatness in the NFC Championship before beating a strong Dolphins team in the Super Bowl played in their own backyard.
VI. 1966 Green Bay Packers Winner Super Bowl I-Compared with earlier Packers team from 1961 & 1962 these Packers were starting to fade, but their greatness was still almost unmatched as they turned the first Super Bowl into a predicted walkover. However, it was not the Chiefs that did not belong on the field it was the Packers were on a whole different level.
VII. 1993 Dallas Cowboys Winner Super Bowl XXVIII-The second straight for America’s Team came after an 0-2 start as Emmit Smith held out. However, after the Cowboys MVP RB returned they lost just two more games one of which was caused by a bonehead play by Leon Lett.
VIII. 1998 Denver Broncos Winner Super Bowl XXXIII-A year earlier John Elway erased years of frustration by finally winning an elusive Super Bowl trophy. This team was a curtain call as the Broncos started the season 13-0 before dominating the Falcons in the Super Bowl that was Elway’s final game as MVP.
IX. 1986 New York Giants Winner Super Bowl XXI-A year after the Bears dominated the NFL, the league was the land of the Giants as Big Blue led by Lawrence Taylor crushed the competition in the playoffs including a 49-3 win over the 49ers, while Phil Simms completed 22 of 25 passes in the Super Bowl.
X. 1976 Oakland Raiders Winner Super Bowl XI-After a series of heartbreaking losses in the AFC Playoffs the Raiders finally made it back to the Super Bowl and made it count as they crushed the Vikings to deliver the Silver and Black the Silver Trophy.
XI. 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers Winner Super Bowl X-A year after shaking off 40 years of losing by winning Super Bowl IX the Steelers returned and were stronger the ever beating the Cowboys in a classic Super Bowl highlighted by the dazzling acrobatic catches of WR Lynn Swan.
XII. 1994 San Francisco 49ers Winner Super Bowl XXIX-The NFL celebrated it’s 75th Anniversary as the 49ers became the first team to win five Super Bowls, doing so with a dominating win over the Chargers in Miami, as MVP Steve Young had a record 6 TD
passes.
XIII. 1973 Miami Dolphins Winner Super Bowl VIII-Coming off an unbeaten season the Dolphins were just as strong as they returned to the Super Bowl and ran the Vikings into the ground led by Larry Csonka who won the Super Bowl MVP.
XIV. 1977 Dallas Cowboys Winner Super Bowl XII-The Cowboys had always been a contender in the NFC, but did so without a star running back that all changed when they made a stunning draft day deal to get the second overall pick which they used on Tony Dorsett, the move made the Cowboys complete and Super Bowl Champs.
XV. 2004 New England Patriots Winner Super Bowl XXXIX-The Patriots were a dynasty when dynasties were no longer supposed to exist, doing so by simply out playing the other teams that were often more talented as they rarely made mistakes and never let an opportunity to capitalize on the opponent’s mistakes slip away.
XVI. 1991 Washington Redskins Winner Super Bowl XXVI-The Redskins won three Super Bowls with a system as opposed to stars as they beat the Bills behind MVP QB Mark Rypien. It was the third time in 9 years Washington ruled the NFL and it was the third different QB.
XVII. 1992 Dallas Cowboys Winner Super Bowl XXVII-The emergence of the triplets the reawaking of America’s Team, and a Super Bowl rout started the dynasty of the 90s that would see the Cowboys win 3 Super Bowls over a 4-year period as they and the 49ers faced off in the NFC Championship Game which truly decided the Lombardi Trophy.
XVIII. 1983 Los Angeles Raiders Winner Super Bowl XVIII-Facing a Redskins most thought to be superior as they were chasing a second straight Lombardi Trophy with a record break offense, it was the Silver and Black behind Marcus Allen that ended up stealing the show.
XIX. 1971 Dallas Cowboys Winner Super Bowl VI-After frustrating losses to the Packers that saw them fall just short of making the first two Super Bowls, and a blunder filled loss in Super Bowl V, the Cowboys finally win it all beating the Dolphins who were on the verge of greatness 24-3.
XX. 1996 Green Bay Packers Winner Super Bowl XXXI -When Brett Favre arrived a few years earlier it was like the thawing of a long dormant dynasty and the reawaking of football in Green Bay as the Packers won their first Super Bowl in 29 years by hammering the Patriots.
The Updates Continue with the first half of the 40 Winners 21-40 with Roman Numeral Rankings.
XXI. 1999 St. Louis Rams Winner Super Bowl XXXIV-Before the season began the Rams were in a decade long funk not having made the playoffs in since 1989. However, with a one time grocery bagger at QB the Rams came out of nowhere with a high flying offense that could not be stopped.
XXII. 1997 Denver Broncos Winner Super Bowl XXXII-The AFC had not won a Super Bowl in 13 years, John Elway was 0 for 3 and the Broncos were 0-4 when John Elway erased the ghost of Super Bowls past with one head first dive as the Broncos stunned the defending Champion Packers.
XXIII. 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Winner Super Bowl XXXVII-The pirate battle was more of a mismatch as the Bucs had all the Raiders battle plans thanks to Coach Jon Gruden as the Bucs ran back 3 picks for TDS and sacked Rich Gannon 5 times, as Al Davis watched in horror.
XXIV. 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers Winner Super Bowl XIV-The end of the Steelers dynasty came on a team that was still quite strong as they beat the Rams in the Super Bowl, but getting there they almost were tripped up by the Oilers, as the Steel Curtain began to show its age.
XXV. 1968 New York Jets Winner Super Bowl III-The most important team is in the middle of the pack, the Jets historic upset can not be over rated. However, the team can be they only made the playoffs once more with Joe Namath and played a Colts team that though strong was not very sharp.
XXVI. 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers Winner Super Bowl XL-The Bus rode into the sunset as Coach Bill Cowher made a good case for Hall of Fame Induction as the Steelers became the first ever 6th Seed to win two playoff games, reach the Super Bowl and of course winning the Lombardi Trophy.
XXVII. 1981 San Francisco 49ers Winner Super Bowl XVI-Dwight Clark made the catch and Joe Montana made the Super Bowl his very own showcase as he won the first of three Super Bowl MVP awards as the 49ers held off the Bengals in the Pontiac Silverdome.
XXVIII. 1982 Washington Redskins Winner Super Bowl XVII-Maybe it’s unfair to hold the strike against them, but it remains a fact that the 1982 season carries with it a gigantic asterisk. They went 8-1 and would have been a contender and deserved to win the Lombardi Trophy, but it still seems hallow with the way the whole season broke down.
XIX. 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers Winner Super Bowl IX-The Steelers dynasty started off quite humbly beating a Vikings team in capable of playing in any game that used Roman Numerals. An ugly game on a grey day in New Orleans, the score was 2-0 at halftime as the Steel Curtain smothered the Vikings.
XXX. 1988 San Francisco 49ers Winner Super Bowl XXIII-At one point late in the 1988 season the 49ers were considered the most disappointing team in the NFL as they struggled to win their division at 10-6 doing so only by tiebreaker. However, in the playoffs it was magic as Joe Montana led the game winning Super Bowl drive.
XXXI. 2003 New England Patriots Winner Super Bowl XXXVIII-The Patriots erased the argument that they only one by a fluke and it would have been a valid argument until they won again almost the same exact way with Adam Vinateri hitting the game winner as time expired.
XXXII. 1990 New York Giants Winner Super Bowl XXV-The Silver Anniversary Super Bowl was perhaps the best of them all as it was decided by the slimmest of margins 1 point on a last second field attempt, as the Giants used the perfect game plan to stop the unstoppable Bills point a minute offense.
XXXIII. 1969 Kansas City Chiefs Winner Super Bowl IV-The AFL was to be absorbed into the NFL with all members getting equal treatment, but for those original AFL guys there had to be some satisfaction as they got the final blow with the Chiefs who were beaten in Super Bowl I hammering the Vikings to even the score 2-2.
XXXIV. 1967 Green Bay Packers Winner Super Bowl II-A year earlier the Packers waltzed through the first Super Bowl, and number two was not much different as the Raider put up little resistance. However, in the playoffs and regular season the Packers had to fight and claw their way as the Lombardi dynasty took its final bow.
XXXV. 1995 Dallas Cowboys Winner Super Bowl XXX-The first team to win three Super Bowl in Four Years, was not as good as meets the eye. The team had a new coach and players that were talented and knew how to win, as those lessons under Jimmy Johnson enabled the Cowboys to win despite Barry Switzer.
XXVI. 2000 Baltimore Ravens Winner Super Bowl XXXV-No offense Ravens fan this team really was not that good as they went through October without a TD. However, on defense they were quite ferocious and led by Ray Lewis some how were able to win a Lombardi Trophy even with Trent Dilfer at quarterback.
XXXVII. 1980 Oakland Raiders Winner Super Bowl XV-The Raiders had gotten off to a terrible start and when QB Dan Pastorini got hurt some how caught lighting in a bottle as Jim Plunkett once written off as a bust rediscovered his Heisman touch and became a late bloomer as the Wild Card Raiders stunned the Eagles.
XXXVIII. 1970 Baltimore Colts Winner Super Bowl V-Super Bowl V was the first to feature an AFC-NFC match up as two teams from the NFL a year before met in Miami with the Colts recovering from Super Bowl III to beat the Cowboys in the worst played Super Bowl of all time with 11 turnovers in a game dubbed the blunder bowl.
XXIX. 2001 New England Patriots Winner Super Bowl XXXVI-This team DID NOT deserve to win, they got lucky in a snow game at home when the NFL officials found some obscure rule to screw the Raiders, in the Super Bowl they got lucky as the Rams did not show, as they won the red white and blue Super Bowl in Cinderella fashion.
XL. 1987 Washington Redskins Winner Super Bowl XXII-If there is another strike in the NFL fly to Las Vegas and lay a healthy wager on the Redskins to win the Super Bowl as the 1987 season was also marred by a strike this time with replacement players being used for three games, and it puts another asterisk on the Redskins Lombardi Trophy.
Tommorow the Top 20
61. 1986 Denver Broncos-Losers Super Bowl XXI-The final score 39-20 was quite deceptive in that for the first 30 minutes the Broncos were in control of the game. However, with many missed opportunities it all fell apart.
62. 1980 Philadelphia Eagles- Losers Super Bowl XV- Making the Super Bowl was so big for Philadelphia in 1980 they forgot they actually had to win the game, and when they faced the Raiders they were not sharp at all.
63. 1969 Minnesota Vikings Losers Super Bowl IV-They entered the game as big favorites they left it as big losers as the AFL proved itself once and for all as the Chiefs hammered the Vikings.
64.1995 Pittsburgh Steelers-Losers Super Bowl XXX-A strong team that had chances to win the game, but lost when QB Neil O’Donnell kept connecting with Larry Brown. Unfortunately Brown played for Dallas.
65. 2002 Oakland Raiders Losers Super Bowl XXXVII They entered the game as Super Bowl Favorites they exited as big losers as the Bucs Defense knew the Raiders plays like the back of their hands.
66. 1996 New England Patriots-Losers Super Bowl XXXI-A few years earlier they were the Patsies as they were losing 10 games a year. In the Super Bowl they were soundly beaten but they were not embarrassed.
67. 1982 Miami Dolphins-Losers Super Bowl XVII-Much like the Redskins there is an asterisk on this teams neck, though not nearly the worst team ever in a Super Bowl, they are near the bottom as the terrible play of David Woodley led to the drafting of Dan Marino.
68. 1973 Minnesota Vikings Losers Super Bowl VIII-Fran Tarkenton returned to Minnesota, but the Vikings fared no better in the Super Bowl as the Purple People Eaters went home with Larry Csonka’s foot prints up and down their bodies.
69. 1976 Minnesota Vikings Losers Super Bowl XI-Before the Bills there was the Vikings who set the pace for Super Bowl futility when they lost their 4th Super Bowl in a blow out against the Raiders.
70. 1991 Buffalo Bills Losers Super Bowl XXVI-A year after losing to the Giants on a last second field goal the Bills fell behind early and never were able to get back in the game as Thurman Thomas forgot his
71. 1987 Denver Broncos Losers Super Bowl XXII-A strike year should not mar this Broncos team that much as they made it back to the Super Bowl where if you take out the 2nd Quarter they win 10-7, it’s just too bad the 2nd Quarter was 35-0.
72. 1967 Oakland Raiders Losers Super Bowl II-The Silver and Black after struggling in the early years of the AFL emerges as a new force as the Raiders face the Packers in the second Super Bowl. Too bad the game was not close.
73. 1998 Atlanta Falcons Losers Super Bowl XXXIII-On South Park a frozen man wakes up to find out the Falcons made the Super Bowl and freaks out. Even now 8 years later people are just as puzzled as they never returned, and are long since forgot.
74. 1977 Denver Broncos Losers Super Bowl XII-The Orange Crush became the Orange Crushed in the Super Bowl as the Cowboys Doomsday Defense hammered for teammate Craig Morton all day.
75. 2000 New York Giants Losers Super Bowl XXXV-The Giants a decade after their dramatic Super Bowl win returned to Tampa, but had no magic as the Ravens defense made the Giants look as tiny as ants.
76. 1979 Los Angeles Rams Losers Super Bowl XIV-Several times in the 70s the Rams had a good team that could not reach the Super Bowl, as the decade ended they had a mediocre team that some how did make it, as not even the home fans could help them beat the Steelers.
77. 1994 San Diego Chargers Losers Super Bowl XXIX-Another team that makes you say they made the Super Bowl with a raised eye brow. In the AFC Championship Game they upset the Steelers in the Super Bowl they were anticlimactic participant the 49ers coronation.
78. 1989 Denver Broncos Losers Super Bowl XXIV-Some Super Bowls are decided on the final play, some in the first quarter. This Super Bowl was decided during the National Anthem as the Broncos were humiliated by the 49ers.
79. 1985 New England Patriots Losers Super Bowl XX-William “The Refrigerator” Perry scored a Touchdown. The Bears won 46-10, and the Patriots went back to being the Patsies for another decade.
80. 1992 Buffalo Bills Losers Super Bowl XXVII-BOY I LOVE TO LOSE SUPER BOWLS, that’s what Bills stood for in the early 90s and it was never more true then in 1992 when they were humiliated by the Cowboys.
Coming Tommorow Super Bowl Winners XXI-XL.
ESPN.com has their list, and NFL Network has theirs ranking all the Super Bowl Winners and Participants. ESPN ranked theirs 1-80 and regardless of winning or losing ranked them 1 through 80. The NFL Network through its brilliant “America’s Game” Documentary has ranked the top 20 Super Bowl Winners, debuting a new one each week and this week a new one each day with the final two being shown on Super Bowl Sunday. NFL Network will later show 21-40, as this “America’s Game” will surely make a great collection once completed.
I have decided myself to get in on the fun 1 will ran the top 40 winners and the top 40 losers with the winners ranked by Roman Numeral I-XL, and the losers 41-80. I will break my list over four nights debuting with numbers 41-60, and continuing tomorrow with 61-80. On Saturday I will unveil by XXI-XL Super Bowl Winners, while on Super Sunday I will unveil my top twenty or in this case the Top XX. I hope you enjoy it and leave some feedback.
41. 1990 Buffalo Bills Lose Super Bowl XXV-They had no turnovers and scored a point for every minute they had the ball only problem is they only had it 19 minutes as Scot Norwood’s 47-yard Field Goal at the end sailed wide right.
42. 1984 Miami Dolphins Loser Super Bowl XIX-Dan Marino’s only Super Bowl was a 38-16 loss, but people forget just how good they were that year. Posting a 14-2 record they would have beaten any other team except the 15-1 49ers.
43. 1978 Dallas Cowboys -Loser Super Bowl XIII-Winners a year earlier a Cowboys team faced perhaps the best of all the Steelers team and lost a close exciting Super Bowl, that may have been decided by one dropped pass in the endzone.
44. 1997 Green Bay Packers- Loser Super Bowl XXXII Winners the year before the Packers faced a Broncos team playing with more determination then just about any Super Bowl Champion has ever had to date.
45. 1999 Tennessee Titans -Loser Super Bowl XXXIV Just one yard away, that’s gone to be what’s remembered best about the Titans who played in one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever that ended with a tackle on the 1 yard line.
46. 1968 Baltimore Colts- Loser Super Bowl III How does one game destroy a season? If it’s the Super Bowl it can do that and more, had these Colts beat the Jets this team would certainly be in any top 10 list.
47. 2001 St. Louis Rams- Loser Super Bowl XXXVI-Had the Super Bowl been a best of seven series the Rams would have beaten the Patriots in 5 games. However, a bad game plan and a clutch QB breaking into stardom doomed them.
48. 1988 Cincinnati Bengals Loser Super Bowl XXIII-The 49ers went 5-0 in Super Bowls and only one of these games was close, and oh was it close as the Bengals led until the last 37 seconds of the game.
49. 1983 Washington Redskins Loser Super Bowl XVIII Winners a year earlier the Redskins were looking to win without the strike asterisk. However Marcus Allen had the game of his life and the Skins hopes for a repeat were crushed.
50. 1975 Dallas Cowboys Loser Super Bowl X-They may not have won their division, but in the big game they gave the Steelers all they could handle as they were only done in by the acrobatic catches of Lynn Swann.
51. 2003 Carolina Panthers Loser Super Bowl XXXVIII-They were the surprise team facing the team that would become a dynasty and they gave the Patriots all they could handle for 60 minutes.
52. 1972 Washington Redskins Loser Super Bowl VII-The over the hill gang gave George Allen his only appearance the big game and they played a strong game, but were no match for the unbeaten Dolphins.
53. 2004 Philadelphia Eagles Loser Super Bowl XXXIX They had a strong season and played well in the Super Bowl, however it was not enough as the Patriots won by a field goal once again.
54. 1966 Kansas City Chiefs Loser Super Bowl I-Who were these guys from the other league, they got smashed by the Packers in this game, but three years later they returned and reigned supreme.
55. 1974 Minnesota Vikings Losers Super Bowl IX-Of all the Vikings Super Bowl losses this was the team that put up the best fight losing by just 10 points as the Steelers won a close defensive battle.
56. 1970 Dallas Cowboys Losers Super Bowl V-The Super Bowl was as ugly with 11 turnovers combined, as the Cowboys lost by a last second field goal. A year later though they would be back and stronger then ever.
57. 1981 Cincinnati Bengals-Losers Super Bowl XVI Two teams that a year before were bottom dwellers met in the Silverdome, as the 49ers dynasty was born. However a play here and a play there may have been a different story.
58. 2005 Seattle Seahawks-Losers Super Bowl XL-After the game a frustrated Coach Mike Homgren said “He didn’t know the Seahawks would have to face the officials too” He had a beef as the Seahawks had several calls go against them.
59. 1971 Miami Dolphins-Losers Super Bowl VI-How does a team that was beaten 24-3 respond? By going unbeaten the following year! The 1971 Dolphins were just on the door step of greatness though they had the door slammed in their face on this day.
60. 1993 Buffalo Bills-Losers Super Bowl XXVIII The last of the Bills four Super Bowl losers actually had the lead at halftime though it disappeared quickly in the 3rd as the Cowboys pulled away in the 4th Quarter.
