Now, before you call the title blasphemous, this is about Super Bowls. We’re talking about 3 in particular today and John Elway happens to be in 2 of them. He is in the first and the last that we will go over today. The 31st of January produced some great blowouts to watch. So, as the immortal Samuel L. Jackson would say (in Jurassic Park) “hold on to your butts”.
January 31, 1988 – Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10 – Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, CA - “The Quarter, the 2nd quarter to be specific”. That’s all you have to know about this game. The Redskins were down 10-0 and scored 35 unanswered points in one quarter (the most in Super Bowl history) to complete the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. Doug Williams earned MVP honors with 340 yards passing and 4 TD’s. Timmy Smith rushed for a Super Bowl record 204 yards. The Redskins won their 2nd Super Bowl and 4th NFL title.
January 31, 1993 – Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17 – Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA - What didn’t the Cowboys do in this game? Buffalo was no match for the Cowboys as Troy Aikman earned MVP honors while going 22-30 for 273 yards and 4 TD’s. The only negative (and probably the most well-known play of this Super Bowl) for the Cowboys was Leon Lett showboating and getting stripped right before the goal line by Don Beebe. This was the Cowboys 3rd Super Bowl title and what would become the 1st of 3 titles in 4 years.
January 31, 1999 – Denver Broncos 34, Atlanta Falcons 19 – Pro Player Stadium, Miami, FL - The Denver Broncos were the best team all year and ended it in fashion by beating the upstart Falcons coached by their former coach Dan Reeves. John Elway earned MVP honors in what would be his last game, going 18-29 for 336 yards and 1 TD. The Falcons were no match for the dominant Broncos. Denver won it’s 2nd Super Bowl title in back-to-back years.
I can remember all 3 of those Super Bowls. Super Bowl XXII is the earliest memory I have for both my beloved Redskins and the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XXVII was a beautiful Super Bowl in the Rose Bowl (seriously NFL, why don’t you bring it back to the Rose Bowl?) but a horrid game and outcome (I guess Cowboy fans loved this one). Super Bowl XXXIII was a final cap on an all-time great career for the legend John Elway. I was rooting for the “Dirty Birds” Falcons but am glad Elway got another ring and an MVP to add to his legacy. He, in my opinion, is the 2nd greatest quarterback I have ever seen with my two eyes (Joe Montana being 1st).
The quote I put up on Super Bowl XXII’s blurb was from Jeff Kaye narrating Super Sunday: A History of the Super Bowl, which I highly recommend. You can check out the full “tape” on YouTube by clicking here. It is seperated into 5 parts and covers Super Bowl I to Super Bowl XXII. The quote I used is obviously in Super Bowl XXII on Part 5. All football fans should watch that video. I remember watching it over and over as a kid and still love it.
Chime in about what you remember of these Super Bowls and who you were rooting for, etc. Tomorrow we will tackle 2 really good Super Bowls.
