Posts tagged 42StopsToSuperBowlXlii at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

I topped my 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII series with the fact that only 10 NFL MVPs have ever won the Super Bowl in the same season. Sure, not all of them got to the Super Bowl ... but 21 did. Now 22.

Amazing that the MVP is just 10-12 in Super Bowl history.

Tom Brady extends the MVP losing streak to three. Oakland's Rich Gannon won the MVP in 2002 but lost that year's Super Bowl. The Rams' Kurt Warner lost the previous year's Super Bowl during his MVP season.

Kurt Warner was the last player to win the MVP and the Super Bowl in the same season ... back in 1999.

More interesting tidbits after the jump:

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

I've been married for nine years now and it just recently occured to me that my wife doesn't watch the Super Bowl. I'm so engulfed by the game in my Sportz Room that it just doesn't click to me that people don't give a crap about the game. Shame on them.

So, for you guys out there who's wives, girlfriends or loved ones will be doing something other than watching the game ... here is a quick TV listing of alternate programming:

NBC: The Biggest Loser. From the fit to the fat.
ABC: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. For guys that like to cry.
CBS: CBS Reports. They spent two weeks with the Iowa National Guard.
ESPN: They know. It's figure skating all night long, baby!
NFL Network: Red Zone. As usual, they have nothing by the stats up for viewing. It is a nice companion piece to the actual game, provided you have a 2nd TV nearby.
Animal Planet: Puppy Bowl IV. I must admit, I've caught a few minutes of this on one of my non-Super Bowl TVs.
National Geographic Channel: In The Womb. Riveting imaging of a baby in the oven.

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

This will be sixth time the Super Bowl has been played in February. The AFC has won the previous five games:

• Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots beat Rams on February 3, 2002
• Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots beat Panthers on February 1, 2004
• Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots beat Eagles on February 6, 2005
• Super Bowl XL: Steelers beat Seahawks on February 5, 2006
• Super Bowl XLI: Colts beat Bears on February 4, 2007

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

There is nothing like the mayors of cities betting "placing a friendly wager" on a big sports contest like the Super Bowl.

For Super Bowl XLII, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino have set their wager:

In the bet placed Tuesday, the loser will donate local foods to charity in the other mayor's city.

If the Patriots win, that means Bloomberg will send a delivery to Boston that includes Manhattan clam chowder, pastrami sandwiches, New York pizzas, black and white cookies, New York steaks and a few gallons of lemon ice.

And if the Giants claim victory, Menino will send a package with New England clam chowder, Dunkin' Donuts coffee, Boston cream pies, chicken sausages and Brigham's ice cream.

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

Eli Manning will be the fourth different quarterback to start a Super Bowl for the New York Giants ... tying a record.

• Super Bowl XXI: Phil Simms started against Denver
• Super Bowl XXV: Jeff Hostetler started against Buffalo
• Super Bowl XXXV: Kerry Collins starter against Baltimore
• Super Bowl XLII: Eli Manning will start against New England.

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

Below are guys that made their names in the Super Bowl. Some of these guys were pretty good NFLers before their breakout games ... some we haven't heard of before or since ... but performing well on the biggest of stages makes them legends.

Doug Williams (Redskins): It wasn't that Williams was a no-name as much as things really didn't pan out for him. Dude really came off the scrap heap. Williams did nothing much of note in his first years at Tampa Bay or in his USFL stint. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs (who coached Doug in Tampa) gave him a shot in 1986 to back up Jay Schroeder. In '87, Schroeder had some shoulder issues late in the season and Williams did a good job taking over. So much so that there was a QB controversy. Williams got the nod and the rest is history.

What Williams did in the 2nd quarter of Super Bowl XXII is nothing short of remarkable. He was 9-of-11 for 228 yards and 4 TDs. Again, that was just in the 2nd quarter! Williams would win the game's MVP and become the first (and only, so far) black quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

Timmy Smith (Redskins): If Doug Williams didn't win the MVP, Smith would have. Smith rushed for 204 yards (still a Super Bowl record) and two TDs. Coming into the game, Smith had rushed for just 129 yards that season. His career lasted just 15 games after the Super Bowl.

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

You know, Super Bowl XLII isn't the first time that a team comes into the game undefeated and there are whispers of spying and cheating floating about. Same thing happened in Super Bowl VII when the undefeated Miami Dolphins took on the Washington Redskins.

Paranoia was rampant before Super Bowl VII. Watergate was the nation's headlining act. But in Washington, it was Redskins head coach George Allen that was famously worried someone was watching and/or filming his team's practices. He tried to keep his practices as secure as possible. He just knew some team wanted in on his game plan. He knew this because he would try to do it to opponents.

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

They all can't be winners! Some of these were just bad games. Others were just ugly blowouts with no real redeeming value. This isn't to slight the winners of these game ... but the fact that if I had to watch them over again, I wouldn't.

1-Super Bowl V: This one was nicknamed the "Blunder Bowl" for good reason. There were 11 turnovers in the game with the Colts ... who won ... committing seven of them. The Dallas Cowboys were called for 10 penalties. This game sucked so bad that the MVP award was given to Chuck Howley ... of the losing Cowboys (the only time the Super Bowl MVP played for the losing team). Sure, Jim O'Brien kicked the game winning field goal at the end of the game ... but even that was set up by a turnover.

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

Here are what I believe are the five best Super Bowls, ever. You can debate this all you want (which is fine), but these five were all great games with exciting finishes and are memorable in one way or another.

1-Super Bowl XXV: This was a great matchup in every way. With a backdrop of war, this game had all kinds of emotion as the game began (thanks, Whitney). That vaunted Bills offense against the stuffy Giants defense. The lead changed times on four occassions. In the end, an old guy like Ottis Anderson ate up the clock and Scott Norwood missed the only time the winner of the Super Bowl came down to the final play (even if Vinatieri missed those Pats FGs, the games would've went into overtime). Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick's defensive gameplan for this game in enshrined at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

Look, I know that there are people in America that will be attending Super Bowl parties because ... well, they love to party. Some won't know who's playing in the game until they get there. I've also come to find that there are actually guys out there that get dragged to Super Bowl parties because of their women (that's sad).

Don't worry. So the diehards around the party who actually care about the game won't think you're a wuss, I'm here to help. Here are a few vague quotes that you can use so you fit in among the football fans. You don't have to engage in a conversation with these, just drop these in from time to time the rest of us don't make fun of you once you leave. Just print this out, study it and you will at look somewhat less wimpish around the real men at the Super Bowl party.

After the jump, get your football smarts on:

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

This is just the ninth time that a wildcard team (read: non-division winner) has made it to the Super Bowl.

The wildcard was introduced in 1970 with the NFL-AFL merger. Then, the three division winners in each conference would be joined by one wildcard team (the non-division winner with the best record) from each conference into the postseason. In 1978, a second wildcard team was added to each conference. The two wildcard teams in each conference would play on the first playoff weekend. In 1990, a third wildcard team was added to each conference.

Back in 2002, the NFL expanded into four divisions in each conference and a wildcard slot was taken away to accomodate another division champ (now the postseason is made up of 8 division champs and 4 wildcard teams).

In the first 27 years of the wildcard, only four of them got to a Super Bowl, with only the 1980 Oakland Raiders winning it. In the 15 years since, there have been five more wildcards make the big game with three of them becoming champs:

• Super Bowl X: Wildcard Cowboys lost to Steelers
• Super Bowl XV: Wildcard Raiders beat Eagles
• Super Bowl XX: Wildcard Patriots lost to Bears
• Super Bowl XXVII: Wildcard Bills lost to Cowboys
• Super Bowl XXXII: Wildcard Broncos beat Packers
• Super Bowl XXXIV: Wildcard Titans lost to Rams
• Super Bowl XXXV: Wildcard Ravens beat Giants
• Super Bowl XL: Wildcard Steelers beat Seahawks
• Super Bowl XLII: Wildcard Giants ... ?

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

National Anthem: Jordin Sparks. Get the kids and soccer moms to the TV! Sparks, a Glendale native, gets to prove her pipes for her dad's old profession.

Halftime perfomer: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Since NippleGate, the NFL likes to go with people who were wild decades ago. I wonder if someone at Fox will say that the Giants and Patriots will be "runnin' down a dream"?

Pregame entertainment: Alicia Keys. Remember, we need an opening act now. Too bad it's the best of the bunch. Willie Nelson and Sara Evans will also have a little somethin' for us.

Super Bowl rings: Up to $5,000 for 150 rings. The NFL flips the bill for it ... plus buys rings for the losing team at no more than half the cost of the champion.

Home team: New England Patriots. The AFC champ is the home squad in even-numbered games.

TV: Fox. Game time is set for 6:00 pm. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will bring you the action. And you better have HDTV!

Radio: CBS/Westwood One. For all you truck drivers out there, this will be the 21st straight year that Westwood One will bring the Super Bowl to the air waves. Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason will bring the play by play.

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

Super Bowl XLII will be the 10th time that a member of the NFC East and AFC East have met for the title. That is, by far, the highest amount of meetings between two divisions in Super Bowl history (the NFC East v AFC West and NFC North/Central v AFC West have met five times apiece). The NFC East leads the series, 6-3.

• Super Bowl V: Colts beat Cowboys
• Super Bowl VI: Cowboys beat Dolphins
• Super Bowl VII: Dolphins beat Redskins
• Super Bowl XVII: Redskins beat Dolphins
• Super Bowl XXV: Giants beat Bills
• Super Bowl XXVI: Redskins beat Bills
• Super Bowl XXVII: Cowboys beat Bills
• Super Bowl XXVIII: Cowboys beat Bills
• Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots beat Eagles

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However, when Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom, Frontiere's late husband, traded the Colts for the Rams in a franchise swap in 1972, he decided he wanted to keep the Lombardi Trophy the Colts won in Super Bowl V.

When Super Bowl VII took place in Los Angeles, Rosenbloom told the Colts he was going to put on a display of Super Bowl trophies and asked them to bring it to the West Coast. They did. There was no display, and Rosenbloom never returned the trophy. After the Colts complained to the league office, former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle had a duplicate made for the Colts, which remains in Baltimore (it was originally shipped to Indianapolis when the team moved but a deal was struck and it was returned to Maryland). The original Super Bowl V trophy? It presumably was in Frontiere's possession and now belongs to her heirs.