Serious Lessons from an Unserious Event: Super Bowl Truths

The Super Bowl is the least serious event Americans take seriously. And, yet, why should we waste the day without learning?

I have thought about each Super Bowl over the course of a life spent loving the Packers and taking the Super Bowl more seriously than it deserves. I rooted for the Bills four times. I know the meaning of “wide right.” I can still see Favre with arms up lifted and then failing on fourth down against Denver.

So here are forty-eight life lessons (with a bonus prediction!) from each of the Super Bowls:

I Jan. 15, 1967 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Green Bay 35, Kansas City 10 Perfect the little things and you will win the big one.  (And Mr. Bellichick: the “best coach ever” doesn’t ever lose the big one.)

II Jan. 14, 1968 Orange Bowl (Miami) Green Bay 33, Oakland 14 Aging talent generally can find one last win, but don’t push it. OR Retire when your Lombardi leaves.

III Jan. 12, 1969 Orange Bowl (Miami) New York Jets 16, Baltimore 7 Success is impacted by belief, but only if the talent is there. OR One lucky guess can fool a great many people into overlooking reality.

IV Jan. 11, 1970 Tulane Stadium (New Orleans) Kansas City 23, Minnesota 7 You can learn from losing and end up winning, unless you are the Vikings.

V Jan. 17, 1971 Orange Bowl (Miami) Baltimore 16, Dallas 13 Sometimes being great consists of being good enough on the day.

VI Jan. 16, 1972 Tulane Stadium (New Orleans) Dallas 24, Miami 3 Good things come to those who wait, but who learned during the waiting.  And a man may be judged by the quality of his hat.

VII Jan. 14, 1973 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Miami 14, Washington 7 Winning doesn’t have to be interesting or pretty.

VIII Jan. 13, 1974 Rice Stadium (Houston) Miami 24, Minnesota 7 Success breeds success, unless you are from Minnesota.

IX Jan. 12, 1975 Tulane Stadium (New Orleans) Pittsburgh 16, Minnesota 6 The start of somethng historic is not always obvious.

X Jan. 18, 1976 Orange Bowl (Miami) Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 17 Being close is another name for failing.

XI Jan. 9, 1977 Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.) Oakland 32, Minnesota 14 Good leadership can turn cast offs into champions and a video game franchise.

XII Jan. 15, 1978 Superdome (New Orleans) Dallas 27, Denver 10 You cannot win with the other group’s losers.

XIII Jan. 21, 1979 Orange Bowl (Miami) Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31 Sometimes you run out of time: throw caution away sooner.

XIV Jan. 20, 1980 Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.) Pittsburgh 31, Los Angeles 19 Better talent generally beats being on a roll: get talent and keep it.

XV Jan. 25, 1981 Superdome (New Orleans) Oakland 27, Philadelphia 10 Sometimes nobody cares if you win, you are still disliked.

XVI Jan. 24, 1982 Silverdome (Pontiac, Mich.) San Francisco 26, Cincinnati 21 One key win can start a Big Thing, while one key loss brands a group.

XVII Jan. 30, 1983 Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.) Washington 27, Miami 17 It isn’t enough to get to where you wanted to go, you have to perform when you are there.

XVIII Jan. 22, 1984 Tampa (Fla.) Stadium Los Angeles 38, Washington 9 Sometimes evil triumphs for a season. Read Job.

XIX Jan. 20, 1985 Stanford (Calif.) Stadium San Francisco 38, Miami 16 Do not stand in front of a rolling train for it is large and you are small.

XX Jan. 26, 1986 Superdome (New Orleans) Chicago 46, New England 10 You can win by keeping the other group from executing their plan.

XXI Jan. 25, 1987 Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.) New York Giants 39, Denver 20 Get a good team and a few stars, not a few stars and a bad team.

XXII Jan. 31, 1988 Jack Murphy Stadium (San Diego) Washington 42, Denver 10 Flash cannot cover up holes.

XXIII Jan. 22, 1989 Joe Robbie Stadium (Miami) San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16 Kill the king when you can or do not attack the king.

XXIV Jan. 28, 1990 Superdome (New Orleans) San Francisco 55, Denver 10 It looks bleak for you, but Super Bowl XXXII is coming.

XXV Jan. 27, 1991 Tampa (Fla.) Stadium New York Giants 20, Buffalo 19 Talent is not quite enough without the ability to finish: the best team doesn’t always win.

XXVI Jan. 26, 1992 Metrodome (Minneapolis) Washington 37, Buffalo 24 A shot at redemption is only good if you end up redeemed.

XXVII Jan. 31, 1993 Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.) Dallas 52, Buffalo 17 Earning sympathy cannot be your goal.

XXVIII Jan. 30, 1994 Georgia Dome (Atlanta) Dallas 30, Buffalo 13 Being the best in a bad group can be humiliating. OR If at first you don’t succeed, try something different.

XXIX Jan. 29, 1995 Joe Robbie Stadium (Miami) San Francisco 49, San Diego 26 You may lose, but if you go home to great place then losing is tolerable.

XXX Jan. 28, 1996 Sun Devil Stadium (Tempe, Ariz.) Dallas 27, Pittsburgh 17 Sometimes winning marks an end.

XXXI Jan. 26, 1997 Superdome (New Orleans) Green Bay 35, New England 21 Waiting for victory can make it sweeter.

XXXII Jan. 25, 1998 Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego) Denver 31, Green Bay 24 “Don’t get cocky, kid.” isn’t just true in science fiction.

XXXIII Jan. 31, 1999 Pro Player Stadium (Miami) Denver 34, Atlanta 19 Knowing you can win often helps you win again. Leave when you accomplish your goals.

XXXIV Jan. 30, 2000 Georgia Dome (Atlanta) St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16 Are you a cast off? Find the place your talent is needed.

XXXV Jan. 28, 2001 Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Fla.) Baltimore 34, New York Giants 7 Better a great plan with good players than great players with a bad plan.

XXXVI Feb. 3, 2002 Superdome (New Orleans) New England 20, St. Louis 17 Take a risk when a risk is necessary.

XXXVII Jan. 26, 2003 Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego) Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21 You can win without key team members and a brilliant leader, but you cannot win with a bad leader.

XXXVIII Feb. 1, 2004 Reliant Stadium (Houston) New England 32, Carolina 29 Cinderella must not break the slipper or she will be forgotten.

XXXIX Feb. 6, 2005 Alltel Stadium (Jacksonville, Fla.) New England 24, Philadelphia 21 Virtue cannot triumph when represented by Philadelphia. OR Selling your soul brings short term gains, but Super Bowl XLII is coming.

XL Feb. 5, 2006 Ford Field (Detroit) Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10 Bad things you cannot control will happen, play on.

XLI Feb. 4, 2007 Dolphin Stadium (Miami) Indianapolis 29, Chicago 17 Good things don’t just come to those who wait, but to those who wait and learn.

XLII Feb. 3, 2008 University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, Ariz.) New York Giants 17, New England 14 Pride goes before destruction.

XLIII Feb. 1, 2009 Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Fla.) Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23 Nice guys finish last if they drag a bad company further than it should go.

XLIV Feb. 7, 2010 Sun Life Stadium (Miami) New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17 Cheaters can win, until next year. OR Today’s “feel good story” might make you sick later.

XLV Feb. 6, 2011 Cowboys Stadium (Arlington, Texas) Green Bay Packers 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 25 Nobody is indispensible: Starr, Favre, Rodgers. The next great player is coming. Be like Starr and not like Favre and rejoice in it.

XLVI Feb. 5, 2012 Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis) New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17 Those who deal with the devil, better sup with a long spoon.

XLVII Feb. 3, 2013 Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans) Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31

Better to be the unmovable object in life, than the irresistible force.

XLVIII Feb. 2, 2014 MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.) Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8

A good company or team is greater than the sum of its parts. A bad company or team is one of its parts.

XLIX Seattle 24- New England 21: Cheaters never win, the punishment for selling the Patriot soul continues or XLIX New England 35- Seattle 18 Get a theodicy.