Tomorrow the Packers and Steelers will take the field down in Texas in Super Bowl XLV. If it's even close to as entertaining as most of the past ten Super Bowls have been, we should be in for a show.
Many used to talk about how the game itself rarely ever lives up to the hype of Super Bowl week. But that hasn't exactly been the case over the past ten years or so. Only three of the past ten Super Bowls have been duds while four of them have been absolute classics - at least in my opinion. What I want to know today is which of the past ten Super Bowls do you feel has been the best.
Here are the candidates:
Super Bowl XLIV, Saints defeat Colts 31-17
Thanks to a surprise onside kick to start the half, the Saints stole the momentum away from the Colts. Still, entering the fourth quarter, the Colts held a one point lead. Trailing by seven with under five minutes to go, Peyton Manning had his team driving before throwing the game-sealing "pick six" - giving New Orelans their first Super Bowl win.
Super Bowl XLIII, Steelers defeat Cardinals 27-23
This one was bit of a snoozer entering the fourth quarter. But Pittsburgh's 20-7 lead quickly withered away. A surprising 64 yard touchdown pass from Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald with under three minutes to go set the stage for one of the great final drives in Super Bowl history, with Santonio Holmes making an insane catch with under a minute to go to give Pittsburgh the win.
Super Bowl XLII, Giants defeat Patriots 17-14
Not the most entertaining game. But considering few gave the Giants a shot to knock off the then unbeaten Pats, it became clear that the game would be closer than most thought. Thanks to one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history, the Eli Manning to David Tyree pass and catch with just over a minute to go, the Giants took a three point lead with 39 seconds left - knocking off the Pats and ruining their once perfect season.
Super Bowl XXXVIII, Patriots defeat Panthers 32-29
Even though the Pats won this game (and I had to watch it surrounded by a bunch of Patriot fans in New England), I always think back to this game when anybody asks me which Super Bowl in my lifetime was most entertaining. The final five minutes of the first half, where all 24 first-half points were scored, were just a preview of that ridiculous fourth quarter. A whopping 37 point fourth quarter really was as good as it gets in the Super Bowl. It wasn't the outcome I was hoping for. But I could not have been more entertained.
Those are the four I consider the best of the past decade. So tell me which Super Bowl you think is the best of the decade (and no, the Titans/Rams game is not eligible).