Super Bowl Anniversaries: 32 – Broncos v. Packers

By David “Large” Larzelere
When: January 25, 1998, ten years ago today
Where: Qualcomm Stadium hosted its second of three Super Bowls. One of only four stadiums to host the Super Bowl and a World Series game, Qualcomm became the only stadium to host both events in a calendar year when the Padres faced the Yankees in the ’98 Fall Classic.
Why: The Packers were the defending Super Bowl champions, and after their second consecutive 13-3 season, they were the consensus best team in the NFL. The Broncos had the second best AFC record at 12-4, and after beating the 13-3 Chiefs in the divisional playoff, they squeaked past the Steelers 24-21 in the AFC title game aided by 139 yards rushing from Terrell Davis and three interceptions by Pittsburgh’s Kordell Stewart.
Who: Two words – Terrell Davis. The game’s MVP was all but unstoppable, running for 157 yards and 3 TD’s. He did this despite suffering the most famous migraine in NFL history, one that impaired his vision and forced him to miss most of the second quarter. On the Green Bay side of the ball, Favre was strong (256/3/1) and Antonio Freeman was spectacular with nine catches for 127 yards and two TD’s. Finally, though his numbers were anything but gaudy, John Elway was certainly gritty, executing maybe the most famous play of his storied career when, with the game tied 17-17 late in the third quarter, he took a vicious helicoptering by the Pack’s LeRoy Butler to secure a first down in Green Bay’s red zone. It was one of those moments that sends chills down your spine.
National Anthem: Jewel. I was prepared to make a bunch of Jewel jokes here, but then I actually watched her national anthem performance and I have to say it was pretty solid. Also, it kind of turned me on.

Notable Entertainment: There was a Tribute to Motown halftime show (you know how they love their Motown in San Diego) that was painfully wack until Smokey Robinson hit the stage and showed everybody that his fastball still runs in the mid-90’s. I’m telling you, the man was electrifying. It reminded me of that time when Dylan was asked to name the greatest living American poet and without thinking about it, he said “Smokey Robinson.†Word to that.
Nuggets: What with The Migraine and The Dive, people forget what huge favorites the Pack were going in. The Broncos were getting eleven points at game-time, making them the fourth biggest underdog to win the Super Bowl behind the +14 Pats in SB 36, the +12 Chiefs in SB 4 and of course the +18 Jets in SB 3. Finally, if you really want to do the timewarp, consider this – after the game NBC aired a special one-hour episode of Third Rock from the Sun. And that was a big deal.
Final Score: Broncos 31, Packers 24↵