February 3, 2002: The New England Patriots' Underdog Win

February 3, 2002: Super Bowl XXXVI is played at the Superdome in New Orleans. Remember when the New England Patriots were considered plucky underdogs, and their opponents were arrogant swellheads? Never again.

The Patriots were founded as the Boston Patriots in 1960, with the American Football League. In 1963, they won the AFL Eastern Division title, but got clobbered by the San Diego Chargers in the AFL Championship Game. They bounced around from stadium to stadium, playing at Boston University's Nickerson Field, Boston College's Alumni Stadium, Harvard Stadium and Fenway Park.

In 1971, their 2nd season after the NFL merged with the AFL, they moved to suburban Foxborough, Massachusetts, a little closer to downtown Providence, Rhode Island than to downtown Boston. To tap into a regional identity -- something the Red Sox, the Celtics and the Bruins never found it necessary to do -- they changed their name to the New England Patriots.

In 1976, after 9 seasons seasons finishing .500 or less, they went 11-3, and won the AFC's Wild Card Playoff berth. But they lost the Divisional Playoff to the Oakland Raiders, in controversial fashion. In 1978, they won the AFC East, but lost the Divisional Playoff to the Houston Oilers. In 1982, they made the Playoffs, but lost to the Miami Dolphins in the 1st Round.

In the 1985 season, they did something no other NFL team had done: They won 3 Playoff games on the road to advance to the Super Bowl. (Only 1 team has done it since: The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers.) They beat the New York Jets at the Meadowlands, the now-moved Raiders at the Los Angeles Coliseum, and the Dolphins at the Orange Bowl. But they got slaughtered by the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX.

 

After a Division title and a Divisional Playoff loss to the Denver Broncos in the 1986 season, the Pats collapsed, falling into mediocrity on the field and disgrace off it. New ownership hired Bill Parcells to rebuild the team. He got them into the Playoffs in 1994, losing to the Cleveland Browns. In 1996, he got them to an AFC East title, and into Super Bowl XXXI, where they lost to the Green Bay Packers. This was followed by another Division title in 1997, and another Playoff berth in 1998.

In 2000, Bill Belichick was named head coach. He had been Parcells' defensive coordinator with the Patriots, and with both New York teams, the Giants and the Jets. But as a head coach, he had already failed with the Browns. But in just his 2nd season at the helm, he got them to 11-5 and the AFC East title.

The key game was the 2nd of the year. Mo Lewis of the Jets injured quarterback Drew Bledsoe on a tackle. In came Tom Brady, drafted in the 6th round, and not hyped much. After a 5-5 start, the Pats won their last 6 regular season games.

The Divisional Playoff was the last game played at Foxboro Stadium, as what became Gillette Stadium was being built next-door. In a blizzard, the "Tuck Rule" helped the Patriots beat the Oakland Raiders, 16-13, on an overtime field goal by Adam Vinatieri. The following week, they won away to the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning them a berth in Super Bowl XXXVI.

They would play the St. Louis Rams, whose passing attack, led by Kurt Warner, was known as "The Greatest Show On Turf." They had won the Super Bowl just 2 years earlier. They were 14-2, their only losses being by 3 at home to the New Orleans Saints, and by 7 at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They had beaten the Packers in the Divisional Round and the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.

They were talking big. They were talking dynasty. They were favored by 14 points, and they were talking like a team that deserved to be.

Boston had won 6 World Series, although none since 1918; 5 Stanley Cups, although none since 1972; and a record 16 NBA Championships, although none since 1986. The city had never won one in football. This was their chance to do so. Since the Celtics' 1986 title, Boston teams had gone 0-7 in finals, including the Patriots' loss in Super Bowl XXXI. New England needed a win.

The Rams' offensive starters were introduced first. Then the Patriots were introduced, collectively rather than individually. Trying to show that they were a team, rather than a collection of stars. Little did we know that one of them would become the biggest football star of their generation.

The Rams scored first, a 50-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins. But in the 2nd quarter, the Patriots were really pressuring Kurt Warner. And after a 3rd-down incompletion, I saw a look in Warner's eyes. I'd previously seen that look in the eyes of Dan Marino, Tony Eason, John Elway, Jim Kelly, Neil O'Donnell and Kerry Collins. It was the look of a quarterback who knew he was going to lose the Super Bowl. And the Rams were still winning at this point. They were forced to try another long field goal attempt by Wilkins, this time from 52 yards out. It was long enough, but wide left.

On their next drive, Warner was intercepted by Ty Law, who took it in 47 yards to give the Pats a 7-3 lead. A Warner pass to Ricky Proehl was turned into a fumble by Antwan Harris, and Terrell Buckley recovered it. Brady took over, and in the last minute of the half, threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to David Patten. It was 14-3 New England.

After an emotional halftime show by U2, the 3rd quarter was comparatively dull. But Otis Smith intercepted Warner to set up a 37-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri.

This was before social media: We had Internet chat rooms and message boards, but no Facebook or Twitter. Still, there seemed to be a feeling around the country that, the longer the Patriots held the lead over the heavily favored Rams, the more surprised people got. Not me: I was getting less and less surprised. The Patriots had dominated the game. Even while they were down 3-0, they looked like the better team.

Then came the kind of comeback that would, over the next 20 years, come to be expected from the Patriots and (and, later, or) Brady. The kind that, if it was the Patriots (and/or Brady), would make you wonder if they were cheating again. At this point, we had no reason to suspect the Patriots (and/or Brady) of cheating. In hindsight, maybe they were, but it stopped working.

The Rams got to the Patriots' 3-yard line. On 4th & goal, needing 2 touchdowns in the last 10 minutes, they decided to go for it. Warner couldn't find anyone open, and was hit by Roman Phifer, and fumbled. Tebucky Jones picked it up, and took it back 97 yards for a touchdown. But the main reason no one was open was that Willie McGinest had committed a holding penalty on Marshall Faulk, preventing him from becoming an eligible receiver. The Rams got a new set of downs, and Warner scored on a quarterback sneak. The Rams were within 17-10 with 9:31.

With 1:51 left, the Rams had one more drive, starting on their own 45. Warner threw 18 yards to Az-Zahir Hakim, 11 to Yo Murphy, and 26 yards to Proehl for a touchdown. With 1:30 left in regulation, it was 17-17.

The question now was, How would the less experienced Patriots respond to blowing a 2-touchdown 4th quarter lead, with no timeouts left? The answer turned out to be, "Very well." Brady got the Patriots a little closer, a little closer, and a little closer. The key play was a 23-yard pass to Troy Brown. With 7 seconds left, they were in position for Vinatieri to kick a 48-yard field goal.

Three weeks earlier, in the cold, snow and wind of Foxboro Stadium, Vinatieri had made a game-winning field goal in overtime. This time, he was inside the Superdome, with no weather at all. If he failed, it was overtime. If he succeeded, he was a New England hero forever.

The kick was perfect. Final score: New England 20, St. Louis 17. The Patriots were World Champions for the 1st time. And, except in the St. Louis area, hardly anybody begrudged them this. They were the plucky underdogs that everybody could like.

Just like the University of Miami football team was in the 1984 Orange Bowl. Just like the Duke basketball team was in the 1991 Final Four. Just like the Atlanta Braves were in the 1991 baseball postseason. Just like Manchester United were in the 1992-93 Premier League season. Just like the Yankees were in the 1996 baseball postseason. Just like the Boston Red Sox were in the 2004 baseball postseason. Just like the Houston Astros were in the 2017 baseball postseason. Just like the Kansas City Chiefs were in Super Bowl LIV. Things change.

Brady was named the game's Most Valuable Player. As had been custom since Super Bowl XXI, the Super Bowl MVP was invited to do an "I'm going to Disney World!" commercial and participate in a parade at Walt Disney World. First, Brady had to get Belichick's permission to miss the team flight back home, and instead fly from New Orleans to Orlando.

Belichick looked at Brady as if he'd just heard the dumbest thing he'd ever heard. As if he was going to tell Brady, "No, practice is tomorrow in Foxborough, at 9 AM." Finally, he said, "Of course, you can go. How many times do you win the Super Bowl?"

If they only knew.

When the Patriots got back to Boston, there was a celebration at City Hall. And Larry Izzo, a backup linebacker who didn't have much more to do with the win than Mayor Tom Menino did, picked up the Vince Lombardi Trophy, held it up, and started a chant, which the crowd picked up: "Yankees suck! Yankees suck! Yankees suck!"

The Patriots did not beat the Yankees -- or any other New York team.

Seeing this, Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy wrote, "I guarantee you: If the Giants win the Super Bowl, nobody is going to be saying, 'Boston sucks!'"

Six years later, after 2 more Patriot Super Bowl wins, and an epic Red Sox Playoff win over the Yankees, when the New York Giants took on an 18-0 Patriots team in Super Bowl XLII, and won, Shaughnessy was proven wrong.

Years later, after "Deflategate," there was an accusation that the Patriots had illegally taped the Rams in this game, published in the Boston Herald, suggesting that the Patriots had been cheating from the beginning of their dynasty. The Herald got sued, and later issued a retraction.

But think of it this way: We have more investigated-and-proven instances of Belichick and/or Brady cheating, and the other benefiting from that cheating, than we have investigated-and-proven instances of them not cheating. So which is more likely: That these were the only times they cheated, or that they cheated in many more games?

In 2019, a poll ranked this game 20th on a list of the 100 Greatest Games of the NFL's 1st 100 years.

UPDATE: The Patriots have a team Hall of Fame. From their 2000s dynasty: Quarterback Tom Brady, running back Kevin Faulk, receiver Troy Brown, tackle Matt Light, defensive end Richard Seymour, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork; linebackers Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel; cornerback Ty Law, safety Rodney Harrison; assistant coach Dante Scarnecchia, cheerleading director Tracy Sormanti; and broadcasters Cappelletti and Santos.

Bill Belichick, who coached the Patriots to all 6 Super Bowl wins, is not yet in this Hall of Fame. Vrabel returned to coach the Patriots to the 2025 AFC Championship, but lost Super Bowl LX.

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February 3, 2002 was a Sunday. The Super Bowl was the only football game played that day. Baseball was out of season. And the NHL held its All-Star Game the day before, at the Staples Center (now the Crypto.com Arena) in Los Angeles. A North America team (4 Americans and 17 Canadians) captained by Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche lost to a "World" team (all 21 were Europeans, captained by Mats Sundin of Sweden), 8-5.

The NBA went against their usual policy of caving in to the long hours of Super Bowl programming, and only scheduling 1 or 2 games, usually involving a rivalry, and instead scheduled 9 games:

* The New York Knicks lost to the Miami Heat, 94-83 at Madison Square Garden.

* The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 104-91 at the FleetCenter (now the TD Garden) in Boston.

* The Washington Wizards beat the Indiana Pacers, 109-89 at the MCI Center (now the Capital One Arena) in Washington.

* The San Antonio Spurs beat the Orlando Magic, 105-98 at the TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando.

* The Charlotte Hornets beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 97-79 at the Great American Pyramid in Memphis.

* The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Dallas Mavericks, 101-94 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

* The Sacramento Kings beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 112-107 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

* The Phoenix Suns beat the Golden State Warriors, 98-97 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena (then named The Arena in Oakland).

* And the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Chicago Bulls, 101-96 at the Rose Garden (now the Moda Center) in Portland.

February 1, 2009: The Tampa Toe-Tap

February 1, 2009: Super Bowl XLIII is played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. It turns out to be one of the best NFL Championship Games ever played, under any name.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were in their 7th Super Bowl, looking for their 6th win. They had won the game 3 years earlier, under head coach Bill Cowher. Now, his former assistant Mike Tomlin was in charge. Ben Roethlisberger, their quarterback in Super Bowl XL, was going for his 2nd title.

In contrast, the Arizona Cardinals were in their 1st Super Bowl. As the Chicago Cardinals, they had won the NFL Championship in 1925, before there was an NFL Championship Game; won the NFL Championship Game in 1947 and lost it in 1948; left Chicago for St. Louis in 1960; made the Playoffs only 3 times; left St. Louis for the Phoenix area in 1988; finally reached the Playoffs again in 1998, winning their 1st postseason game in 51 years; and now, under coach Ken Whisenhunt, had reached the title game again for the 1st time in 61 years.

The quarterback for this most unlikely of NFL finalists was also unlikely, but not as unlikely as he had been 9 years earlier. Kurt Warner had fallen to the Arena Football League before getting a lifeline with the St. Louis Rams, helping them to win Super Bowl XXXIV and reach Super Bowl XXXVI. Now with the Cardinals, he joined Craig Morton as the 2nd quarterback ever to guide 2 different teams into the Super Bowl. Of course, both of Morton's had lost, so that wasn't a good sign.

The Steelers' Jeff Reed kicked a field goal in the 1st quarter, and Gary Russell's run gave them a 10-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter. Warner threw a touchdown pass to make it 10-7. But on the last play of the 1st half, Warner was intercepted in the end zone by James Harrison, who returned the ball 100 yards for a touchdown and a 17-7 Steeler lead. Michael Wilbon, columnist for The Washington Post and co-host of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, has called that the greatest play in Super Bowl history. Reed kicked a field goal late in the 3rd quarter, and it was 20-7 Steelers. Anyone calling this game a classic at this point would have been kidding himself.

But Warner kicked the Cards into high gear, leading them down the field for a touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald. With 3 minutes left, the Steelers committed a holding penalty in the end zone, which awarded the Cardinals a safety. It was 20-16. And Warner struck quickly, throwing a 64-yard touchdown pass to Fitzgerald, giving the Cardinals a 23-20 lead. The Cards had scored 16 points in less than 5 minutes of the 4th quarter.

The Steelers had 2:37 left. Roethlisberger went to work, including a 41-yard pass to Santonio Holmes. With 35 seconds left, "Big Ben" threw to Holmes again. Holmes snared the pass, came down, landed on his toes, getting both feet in bounds, and fell out. It was enough: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23.

That play, which became known as "The Tampa Toe-Tap," gave Holmes 9 catches for 131 yards, and the game's Most Valuable Player Award. It also gave the Steelers their 6th Super Bowl win, surpassing the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers for the most Super Bowls.

The New England Patriots have since reached 6 Super Bowl wins, but no one has won 7. Overall, the Green Bay Packers still lead the NFL with 13 league championships.

The Steelers have been to 1 Super Bowl since, losing it; the Cardinals haven't been to any. Despite the defeat, Warner's performance that season may have made the difference to getting him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as he was elected in 2017. Holmes is eligible for the Hall, but does not seem to have the career statistics necessary to gain election. Fitzgerald will be eligible for the Hall in the election of 2026; Roethlisberger, in 2027.

In 2019, a poll ranked this game 12th on a list of the 100 Greatest Games of the NFL's 1st 100 years.

UPDATE: Larry Fitzgerald was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2026.

The Steelers have a team hall of fame, calling it the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor. From their Super Bowl XLIII winners, they have inducted team owner Dan Rooney, executive Art Rooney Jr. (Dan's brother), assistant coach Dick LeBeau, scout Bill Nunn, broadcaster Tunch Ilkin; quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Willie Parker, receiver Hines Ward, tight end Heath Miller; defensive end Aaron Smith, defensive tackle Casey Hampton, linebacker James Farrior and James Harrison; and safety Troy Polamalu. Head coach Mike Tomlin has not yet been inducted.

Center Maurkice Pouncey was added to their team after the win in Super Bowl XLIII, and playing on the team that lost Super Bowl XLV.

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February 1, 2009 was a Sunday. Baseball was out of season. The NBA risked playing 4 games as distractions from the Super Bowl:

* The Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 109-101 at the TD Garden in Boston. Paul Pierce scored 36 points.

* The Orlando Magic beat the Toronto Raptors, 113-90 at the Air Canada Centre (now the Scotiabank Arena) in Toronto.

* The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons, 90-80 at The Palace in the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills, Michigan. LeBron James scored 33 points.

* And the Sacramento Kings beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 122-118 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Kelvin Martin scored 37 points for the Kings.

And there were 3 games played in the NHL:

* In an "Original Six" matchup, the Boston Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens, 3-1 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

* The Washington Capitals beat the Ottawa Senators, 7-4 at the Verizon Center (now the Capital One Arena) in Washington. Alexander Ovechkin scored a hat trick.

* And the Nashville Predators beat the Edmonton Oilers, 2-1 at the Northlands Coliseum (then known as Rexall Place) in Edmonton.

January 30, 2000: The Greatest Show On Turf

January 30, 2000: The franchises I grew up knowing as the Los Angeles Rams and the Houston Oilers play each other in Super Bowl XXXIV, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

But the Rams moved to become the St. Louis Rams in 1995, and the Oilers to Memphis in 1997, then to Nashville in 1998, and finally changed their name to the Tennessee Titans in 1999.

In midseason, the Rams, coached by former Philadelphia Eagles coach Dick Vermeil, replaced starting quarterback Trent Green with Kurt Warner, and the result became known as "The Greatest Show On Turf." Warner could throw passes to receivers Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Az-Zahir Hakim and Ricky Proehl, and to running back Marshall Faulk, who, in this 1999-2000 season, maybe have become the best all-around player in the game. Tackle Orlando Pace was then the best offensive lineman in the league.

It wouldn't have mattered much if they didn't also have a good defense, with tackles Ray Agnew and D'Marco Farr, ends Kevin Carter and Grant Wistrom, linebackers Lendon Fletcher and Mike Jones, and cornerbacks Dré Bly and Todd Lyght. So while the Rams had 9 games of at least 34 points, they also had 11 games of allowing 14 or fewer points.

They won 13 of their 1st 15, clinching the top seed on the NFC side of the Playoffs, before a meaningless loss away to the Philadelphia Eagles in their season finale. In the Playoffs, they won a 49-37 shootout over the Minnesota Vikings, and went the other way in the NFC Championship Game, winning a defensive struggle over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 11-6.

The Titans struggled in their 1st 2 seasons, as the Tennessee Oilers. But in their 1st season under the Titans name, their 1st season at the Adelphia Coliseum (now Nissan Stadium), coach Jeff Fisher's men were embraced by Nashville fans. The embracees included quarterback Steve McNair, running back Eddie George, receiver Kevin Dyson, tight end Frank Wycheck, center Bruce Matthews, defensive end Jevon Kearse (known as The Freak), safeties Blaine Bishop and Anthony Dorsett (son of Hall-of-Famer Tony), and ageless placekicker Al Del Greco.

The Titans weren't flashy, but they won 7 of their last 8 games, saving their biggest offensive outputs for their last 2, a 41-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at home, and a 47-36 battle away to the Pittsburgh Steelers. A last-minute kickoff return, featuring a lateral from Wycheck to Dyson, beat the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round, becoming known as the Music City Miracle. They beat Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts away, 19-16, and then went to Jacksonville and beat the Jags again, 33-14, for the AFC Championship.

For the Rams, it was their 1st trip to the Super Bowl in 20 years, and they were looking for their 1st World Championship in 49 years, since Los Angeles beat Cleveland in the 1951 NFL Championship Game. For the Oilers/Titans franchise, it was their 1st trip to the Super Bowl ever. They had won the 1st 2 AFL Championships, in 1960 and '61, and also made it to the AFL Championship Game in '62 and '67. But except for back-to-back trips to the AFC Championship Game in '78 and '79, their NFL experience had been a bust. Until now.

For St. Louis as a city/metro area, there had not been a World Championship in over 17 years, since the Cardinals won the 1982 World Series. They had lost 2 World Series and a National League Championship Series in the interim. The NFL version of the Cardinals had moved to Arizona after the 1987 season. The NHL's Blues hadn't reached the Stanley Cup Finals since 1970. And there was no NBA team.

For Tennessee, this was all new. They'd had teams in "rebel leagues" like the ABA, the WFL and the USFL, but until now, with the NHL also adding the Nashville Predators for the 1997-98 season, they'd had nothing in the major leagues.

Vermeil had gotten the Eagles into Super Bowl XV, but they lost it. Before Super Bowl XXXIV, he got phone calls from many of his Eagle players, telling him they were pulling for him.

The Rams were favored by 7, possibly because the game would be played on artificial turf, which they usually played on at the Trans World Dome (now The Dome at America's Center), while the Titans played their home games on natural grass.

The 1st half was a defensive struggle. The Rams went 3-for-4 on field goal attempts, the Titans 0-for-1, and neither team could get into the end zone. The half ended with the Rams up, 9-0. On their opening drive of the 2nd half, the Rams blocked a Titan field goal attempt.

Finally, "The Greatest Show On Turf" took over, and Warner got the Rams going, leading to a 9-yard touchdown pass to Holt. It was 16-0 St. Louis. The Titans answered with a touchdown drive of their own, ending with a 1-yard run by George. They went for the 2-point conversion, but missed, and it was 16-6 Rams as the 3rd quarter ended.

The Titans forced the Rams to punt on their next drive. McNair took advantage of this by taking his team 79 yards in 13 plays, concluding with George running it in from 2 yards out. The Titans were now within 16-13, with 7:21 to go. The Titans forced the Rams to put again, and they got close enough for another field goal attempt by Del Greco. With 2:12 left, the game was tied, 16-16.

This was the 1st time a team had a lead of 16 or more points in a Super Bowl, and blown it. Could the Rams recover? Yes: On their next play from scrimmage, Warner threw a bomb to Bruce, who took it 73 yards for a touchdown. With 1:54 left, the Rams led, 23-16.

The Titans' last chance began at their own 12-yard line with 1:48 left. They were aided by a pair of dumb defensive penalties by the Rams, putting the ball on the Ram 40 with 59 seconds to go.

On a 3rd & 5, McNair escaped what looked like a sure sack, and passed to Dyson for a 1st down and the Ram 10. With 6 seconds left, the Titans called their last time-out. At this point, there had never been a Super Bowl go to overtime. Of course, if the Titans scored, and went for 2 instead of 1, there would be no overtime.

Fisher's plan for the last play (at least, of regulation time) was to have Wycheck run straight up the right side, as a decoy, to lure Jones away from Dyson. Dyson would then slant left through the middle and be open at around the 5-yard line. McNair would then pass to him for the touchdown that would make it no worse than 23-22.

It didn't work. Jones saw Dyson getting ready to catch the ball. Jones ran toward Dyson, and wrapped is arms around Dyson's legs to tackle him, less than 3 yards short of the goal line. But Dyson knew he was not yet down, and he reached out with his arm, holding the ball, hoping to have it break the plane of the goal line for the touchdown. But the way that Jones tackled him, his shoulder hit the ground, ending the play, and the ball was still about one full foot away from the goal line.

It's become known as "The Tackle" and "The Longest Yard." The Titans had fought bravely, but were one yard short of, at the very least, being tied at the end of regulation of the Super Bowl. The Rams had blown a 16-point 2nd half lead in the Super Bowl, but were still World Champions. They also became the 1st team to win NFL Championships in 3 different cities: Cleveland in 1945, Los Angeles in 1951, and St. Louis in 1999-2000.

Warner's story of being a supermarket bagger and an Arena Football League quarterback in Iowa to winning the Most Valuable Player award in a Super Bowl was made into the recent movie American Underdog, starring Zachary Levi. And Dick Vermeil, once again crying tears of joy after a big win, finally got his ring.

After failing to repeat, the Rams got back to the Super Bowl in the 2001-02 season, but lost to the New England Patriots on a last-play field goal. Soon, "The Greatest Show On Turf" broke up, and the Rams became a mediocre team again. Warner went, ironically, to the former St. Louis football team, now the Arizona Cardinals, and got them into Super Bowl XLIII, but lost.

St. Louis lost interest in the Rams, and when they moved back to Los Angeles in 2016, there wasn't much of a fuss over it. The Rams got back to the Super Bowl in the 2019 season, but lost. They're back in it this season, and will play the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI in their new home, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. (They had previously played Super Bowl XIV in the Rose Bowl, 14 miles from their home at the time, the Los Angeles Coliseum, but lost it to the Pittsburgh Steelers.)

The Titans reached the AFC Championship Game again in the 2002 season, but lost it to the then-Oakland Raiders, They were still a Playoff team as late as 2008, but fell apart. They have rebuilt, making the Playoffs in 4 of the last 5 seasons, including another AFC Championship Game in the 2019 season, which could have set up a Super Bowl rematch with the Rams, but they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

In 2019, a poll ranked this game 16th on a list of the 100 Greatest Games of the NFL's 1st 100 years.

UPDATE: On February 13, 2022, the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, and won Super Bowl LVI.

Rams Aeneas Williams, Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Orlando Pace, Isaac Bruce, D'Marco Farr, Kevin Carter, Mike Jones, Torry Holt, head coach Dick Vermeil and assistant coach Mike Martz have been elected to the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. Vermeil, Bruce, Trent Green and Grant Wistrom have been elected to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

The Titans have a Ring of Honor: Its inductees include:

* From their previous tenure as the Houston Oilers: Founding owner Bud Adams, 1960s quarterback George Blanda, 1960s safety Ken Houston, 1960s punter Jim Norton, 1970s head coach O.A. "Bum" Phillips, 1970s receiver Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, 1970s defensive end Elvin Bethea, 1970s linebacker Robert Brazile, 1980s running back Earl Campbell, 1980s guard Mike Munchak, 1990s general manager Mike Holovak, 1990s quarterback Warren Moon, 1990s guard Bruce Matthews.

* From their Titans era: Adams, Matthews, head coach Jeff Fisher, quarterback Steve McNair, running back Eddie George and tight end Frank Wycheck.

Adams, Fisher, McNair, George and safety Blaine Bishop have been elected to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

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January 30, 2000 was a Sunday. There were, of course, no other football games on this day. And baseball was out of season.

Traditionally, in order to avoid competing for TV viewers even with the interminable pregame programming on Super Sunday, the NBA avoids scheduling many games for the day. This time, they scheduled 2: The New York Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings, 120-111 at Madison Square Garden. And the Houston Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 89-83 at The Summit in Houston. (The arena has since been converted into the Central Campus of the Lakewood Church, Dr. Joel Osteen's "megachurch.")

The NHL scheduled 3 games. The Montreal Canadiens beat the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-0 at the Molson Centre (now the Bell Center) in Montreal. The Washington Capitals beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-0 at the MCI Center (now the Capital One Arena) in Washington. And the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Vancouver Canucks, 3-1 at GM Place (now the Rogers Arena) in Vancouver.