RSS Top 10 - Most Forgettable Super Bowls

Well, it's Super Bowl week. And although I am slowly losing my sanity due to the Saints actually being in the big game for once (check out my fan diaries in the archives on the right of the page), that won't stop us from pumping out another Top 10! This time of year, most folks want to remember all of the great moments in Super Bowl history. We'll get there, eventually, but first we thought it'd be fun to walk down memory lane and try and remember the games that we're most likely to forget. Here now the Top 10 Most Forgettable Super Bowls!

10) Super Bowl II - Green Bay 33 Oakland 14

-This game isn't just forgettable because it was a long time ago, but it was never an exciting game. The Packers dominated throughout and only a late Oakland score got them within 3 touchdowns. Darryl Lamonica was a robust 15/34, and the Packers leading rusher Ben Wilson sat out most of the second half due to a missing contact lens. That's the most interesting storyline. Most folks assume it was Lombardi's last game to add some mystique to it, but he went on to coach for a season in Washington in 1969.

9) Super Bowl VIII - Miami 24 Minnesota 7

Although Super Bowl VII might have been just as uncompelling as VI and VIII, the Dolphins did go unbeaten that season. Their second title in a row didn't produce a barnburner either. Even though Larry Csonka had a great day on the ground (145 yards and 2 TDs), the whopping 7 passes Bob Griese threw in the game would not make for a thrilling affair. The Vikings didn't even score until the 4th quarter to avoid an embarrassing shutout. The game was played within the historic confines of... Rice Stadium. Yawn. Hey though, at least Fran Tarkenton still hates Brett Favre!

8) Super Bowl XL - Pittsburgh 21 Seattle 10

From the minute the Seahawks were going to be in the Super Bowl, you knew it was going to be an ugly, ugly game. Add to that the worst performance by a winning quarterback (and remember, Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer won rings) by Ben Roethlisberger (9/21 123 yards, 2 INTs) and you get a big pile of cow plop. Aside from Antwan Rande El's reverse TD pass and Willie Parker's 75-yard TD run, this game was boring with a capital B. Sure The Chin and The Bus (did you know Jerome Bettis was from Detroit...what an astonishing storyline?!) finally got their ring. And a few dozen unbalanced Seahawks fans still go nuts if you mention the officiating...but, other than that, this had all the excitement of a Minnesota Wild/Phoenix Coyotes game.

7) Super Bowl XXXVII - Tampa Bay 48 Oakland 21

This was supposed to be the culmination of the new Raiders, which had been slowly building a contender under Al Davis, who wasn't revealed to be legally insane yet. One clue might have been giving away Jon Gruden to the Bucs before the season and hiring in his place Bill Callahan, the dumbest coach in America. Not only did C Barret Robbins go missing for much of Super Bowl week under Callahan's watch, but Callahan failed to change any of his offense's signals prior to the game. And whose offense were the Raiders running in Super Bowl XXXVII...Jon Gruden's! And who was the coach of the Bucs (aka THE OPPOSITION)...Jon Gruden! Who might know what plays the Raiders were runnning...duhhhh Jon Gruden!!! No wonder Rich Gannon threw a record 5 INTs, including 3 that were run all the way back for TDs. As Bucs safety John Lynch pointed out after the game, "It's uncanny how the plays we ran in practice showed up, same formation, same motion." So in one way, this game was memorable, for the worst coaching performance in any championship game...ever!

6) Super Bowl XXVIII - Dallas 30 Buffalo 13

Ask anyone who loves the Super Bowl about the Bills and Cowboys in the Big Game, and you'll hear about the blowout in Super Bowl XXVII, the Leon Lett play, and all sorts of details that aren't from this forgettable affair. Fans across the country were anticipating Buffalo's revenge against the Cowboys and finally winning the big game. But as the Cowboys slowly and methodically took control with a 24-0 second half, the culmination of what could have been a memorable Super Bowl turned into a Super Dud. But hey, at least the premiere of the John Larroquette Show followed the game, ugh!

5) Super Bowl XXXV - Baltimore 34 New York Giants 7

Ok, the Ravens defense was one of the best in history, but Super Bowl XXXV was one of the most boring, lopsided affairs in recent memory. One, the most dynamic offensive player on the field was Ravens RB Jamal Lewis. Second, 21 of the points came in a 36 second stretch in the 2nd half which saw back-to-back kickoff returns, admittedly, kind of cool. But, then you remember the starting quarterbacks were Trent Dilfer (153 yards and 1 TD) and Kerry Collins (4 INTs)...yuck! Maybe the game would have been more interesting if Ray Lewis was being interviewed by the media with Shannon Sharpe by his side, instead of playing the Giants. Oh yea, and the starting QBs were Trent Dilfer and Kerry Collins.

4) Super Bowl XXIV - San Francisco 55 Denver 10

Of course the biggest blowout in Super Bowl history has to be on the list of forgettable games. Not only was this the most uncompetitive Super Bowl in history, its devoid of any memorable plays that other blowouts had, like the Fridge rumbling into the endzone, or Don Beebe tracking down Leon Lett. No Bill Walsh, no Elway comeback, no drama whatsoever. It was 27-3 at halftime, 41-3 in the 2nd half, and fans across the nation were pulling hamstrings trying to find reruns of The Cosby Show.

3) Super Bowl IX - Pittsburgh 16 Minnesota 6

Is it a bad time to bring up the Vikings Super Bowl performances, because their Super Bowl history is just awful. Along with these two on the list they also suffered blowouts to the Chiefs and Raiders in IV and XI as well. This Super Bowl snoozer featured a halftime score of 2-0 to the Steelers, with the first field goal or touchdown scored well into the 3rd quarter. Minnesota's only points would come on a blocked punt in the 4th quarter, and of course they followed that effort up by missing the extra point! Not to mention, the game was supposed to be played in the brand new Superdome, but had to be moved out into the dreary confines of Tulane Stadium at the last minute. Thankfully the Vikings have had a lot to cheer about recently...

2) Super Bowl VI - Dallas 24 Miami 3

-Say Super Bowl 6 to someone and just see if anything comes out of their mouths other than drool. This may be one of the worst championship games in history. Sure, Miami would go on to a historic season the next year, but their performance here was nothing short of awful. 10 first downs and only 185 total yards! The Dolphins should have known they were in trouble when Richard Nixon called in a play to Don Shula after the AFC Championship... and Shula ran the play! Thankfully it was only an incompletion, and at least Shula had a better post-SB6 career than Dick Nixon.

1) Super Bowl XII - Dallas 27 Denver 10

Super Bowl XII was supposed to be a battle between former teammates Roger Staubach and Craig Morton. Unfortunately, Morton and the "Orange Crush" were crushed by the Doomsday Defense. Morton turned in the all-time stinker in terms of QB performance going 4/15 for 39 yards and 4 INTs. Yeah, he completed as many passes to the Cowboys as he did his own team. As a team, the Broncos had 7 turnovers in the 1st half...7! That's almost how many points they had for the game! Not that Roger the Dodger fared all that great for Dallas, throwing for 1 TD and under 200 yards. The fact that Harvey Martin and Randy White had to share the MVP shows you how many memorable performances there were during the game. Undoubtedly the most forgettable Super Bowl of all-time.