Top 10 SuperBowl Controversies of All Time
#10: Poor Sport Patriots
“Super Bowl XLII” (2008) The heat surrounding the Spygate scandal for the New England Patriots had barely cooled off in 2008 before yet another controversy made headlines. This brought up similar allegations against New England from Super Bowl XXXVI when the Pats faced the St. Louis Rams. The Rams called foul against coach Bill Belichick and his organization after allegations arose against New England’s Super Bowl activities. A source claimed that a Patriots employee had secretly taped pre-game Rams strategy prior to the game. This cast an even longer shadow against the undeniably successful Patriots, further tarnishing their winning legacy.
#9: Blackout
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“Super Bowl XLVII” (2013) A lot of incredible things can happen during a Super Bowl game, but this is probably not what those in attendance had in mind during Super Bowl XLVII. That’s because this match-up between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers actually had to be delayed, thanks to a blackout. The loss of power resulted in 34 minutes being lost, and there were a lot of pointed fingers and accusations tossed around after the fact. In the end, New Orleans’ Mercedes-Benz Superdome suffered from issues with its electrical systems, with some interconnection equipment failing on-site.
#8: Triple X Content
“Super Bowl XLIII” (2009) The stadium audience here at this Super Bowl bout between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals may not have seen anything, but some home viewers definitely got an eyeful on this night back in 2009. Specifically, Comcast customers in and around the Tucson, Arizona area had their analog broadcast of the Super Bowl interrupted by a hacker named Frank Tanori Gonzalez. The FBI and Tucson police collaborated in an investigation that revealed Gonzalez fed adult content from the Playboy Channel into viewers' homes. He was arrested and was sentenced to three years probation for the incident.
#7: Jim McMahon’s Bad Behavior
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“Super Bowl XX” (1986) The 1986 Chicago Bears were the sort of team that featured larger-than-life personalities. As a result, they entered the cultural zeitgeist of the time, thanks to publicity stunts like their hit song, “The Super Bowl Shuffle.” One lightning rod for controversy was Bears quarterback Jim McMahon, an unabashed “bad boy” who relished the spotlight and didn’t shy away from making some outlandish statements. The week prior to Super Bowl XX was full of bad behavior from McMahon, but one incident, in particular, was directed at the media pool. The brutish QB pulled his pants down and mooned a press helicopter that was flying above, giving just about everyone in attendance a huge eyeful.
#6: Barret Robbins Disappears
“Super Bowl XXXVII” (2003) It’s very important that you have all of your players ready to go before a Super Bowl. This should go without saying, but Super Bowl XXXVII made headlines for one strange and high-profile incident. It involved Oakland Raiders player Barret Robbins, who disappeared the day before the big game. After a search, Robbins was found to have actually skipped across the border to Tijuana, Mexico. He did this because he mistakenly thought his team had actually already won the Super Bowl. Robbins’ treatment at a local hospital resulted in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and it was a resulting manic episode that led to the player’s disappearance.
#5: Stanley Wilson Caught
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“Super Bowl XXIII” (1989) Our next entry also has to do with a pre-game Super Bowl controversy, but this incident was a little different. It occurred when Cincinnati Bengals fullback Stanley Wilson was caught the day before the big game with illegal narcotics in his hotel room. Wilson faced severe and stiff penalties as a result of this infraction. Not only was the Bengal not allowed to play in the Super Bowl, but he was also banned from playing full stop. This was the result of Wilson consistently failing drug policies within the league. In other words, this was his last straw.
#4: Wardrobe Malfunction
“Super Bowl XXXVIII” (2004) This might be the most well-known Super Bowl controversy on this list, and perhaps one of the most viewed halftime show gaffes ever. It was the incident that helped popularize the term “wardrobe malfunction,” and it occurred during a performance featuring Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. There’s been a lot of back-and-forth over the years as to whether or not the event was accidental or some kind of intentional plan. What IS certain is that a certain part of Janet (Miss Jackson, if you’re nasty) was exposed during her performance, bringing the entire halftime show into the realm of infamy.
#3: Officiating Issues
“Super Bowl XL” (2006) We’ve had a lot of extracurricular activity dominate this discussion of controversies, so now it’s time to bring it back to the game itself. Specifically, it was the officiating of Super Bowl XL that everyone was talking about after said game. Were the NFL officials intentionally making calls to penalize the Seattle Seahawks? Some seemed to think so, while others claimed that the Steelers were also victims of bum calls. Still, others chalked up the officiating on this night to just being plain bad. The NFL, for its part, defended its officials, although this didn’t stop both players, fans, and media personalities alike from talking about what went down.
#2: Eugene Robinson Arrested
“Super Bowl XXXIII” (1999) Man, talk about poor timing. Eugene Robinson was a safety for the Atlanta Falcons, ready to take on the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII. He also woke up on the day of January 30th, 1999, ready to receive the Bart Starr Award from the NFL, due to his “high moral character.” Then, that same night, Robinson was arrested for soliciting prostitution. The woman in question was an undercover cop, and the incident quickly made the rounds on all major sports media outlets. Robinson still played in the game, but that Bart Starr Award sure took on a whole new meaning, huh?
#1: The Joe Namath Guarantee
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“Super Bowl III” (1969) It was the prediction heard ‘round the world, from one of the biggest mouths in the game. “Broadway” Joe Namath was his name, and he unequivocally promised that his underdog New York Jets were going to win Super Bowl III against their opponents, the Baltimore Colts. Braggadocio is one thing, but guaranteeing a win is not only ballsy. It’s borderline insulting. However, that didn’t stop the flashy QB from standing by his words. It should be said that the Jets win was a result of a rushing touchdown, and three field goals. Namath was named MVP, sure, but he actually didn’t throw a single touchdown pass during this game. Still, a win is a win, right? And it made Namath’s promise feel like a spoiler.
