Number Three:

Super Bowl XXXVIII
Feb. 1, 2004
Reliant Stadium
Houston, Texas

MVP: Tom Brady, QB, New England

Carolina Panthers 29
New England Patriots 32

Only three things kept this from being the greatest game ever: it was played in Houston, which hopefully will never host another Super Bowl again. That wasn't smoke from pre-game fireworks that clouded our view of the game -- it was smog. Yuck. Reason Number Two: Jake Delhomme. Hard to take any game historically serious when the Del-Homeboy's name is mentioned. And Number Three: two words -- wardrobe malfunction.

The game itself was pretty spectacular -- close at halftime, plus a furious trade-off of five touchdowns in the fourth quarter that lit up Reliant Stadium. The Panthers could have pulled a Super upset, if not for a coach's bad math skills and a kicker's bad kicking skills. Headman John Fox unnecessarily went for two twice in the final period -- missing both conversions. If he kicks extra points, the Patriots' last-second field goal ties the game, instead of winning it. Said field goal was set up by Carolina kicker John Kasay's Super Boner -- let me rephrase that -- Super Mistake. His out-of-bounds kickoff after the Panthers' tying TD gave New England the ball at the 40, with just over a minute to go. The locker crew room immediately set fire to the Panthers' championship t-shirts. This one was over.