Six Super Bowls which went wrong

For fans of the Packers, the Jaguars and the 49ers (among other teams), having New England and the New York Giants fight out Super Bowl XLVI is a blooper. However there have been much bigger howlers in Super Bowl history. Here are six:

6. Garo Yepremian, 1973

The Cypriot kicker was a great player from 1966-81 with the Lions, Dolphins, Saints and Buccaneers. In 1974 he achieved the startling feat of being named MVP in the Pro Bowl, an improbable accolade for a kicker. However, he will always be remembered for his failed attempt at a pass in the Super Bowl of 1973. His mighty Dolphins were up 14-0 late in the game when he lined up for a field goal. The kick was blocked, but instead of falling on the ball and killing the play he picked it up and tried to throw. The ball went backwards and upwards out of his hand, he batted it up again like a volleyballer, then it was snaffled by Redskin cornerback Mike Bass who jogged downfield for a touchdown.  Yepremian said after the match, 'This is the first time the goat of the game is in the winners' locker room'.

5. Worst anthem

The Super Bowl has never had a performance of the anthem that can match the sublime effort of Marvin Gaye at the NBA All Star match in 1983. Consensus has it that the best ever Super Bowl anthem performance was by Whitney Houston in 1990. Problem is, she lip-synched it into a dead microphone.

We reckon the dodgiest effort at The Star Spangled Banner was by Christina Aguilera last year. In amongst her woo-woos and showy vocal gyrations she bungled the words. In fact, according to the sharp-eared folks at 'The New York Times', at one point she sang 'What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last reaming' – a sentence which boggles the mind.

4. Eugene Robinson

Robinson was a gifted safety who went to two Super Bowls with the Green Bay Packers, winning a ring for the 1996 victory over the Patriots. He joined the Atlanta Falcons in 1998 and immediately helped them into their first-ever Super Bowl. Regarded as a fine role model, on the day before Super Bowl XXXIII he was presented with the Bart Starr Award by Athletes in Action, an evangelical Christian group, as the footballer who best exemplified 'outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community'. Unfortunately, later that night Robinson was caught propositioning a female cop working undercover as a prostitute, offering her $40 for oral sex. He had to hand back his Bart Starr Award, and played badly the next day as the Falcons were hammered by Denver 34-19.

3. Worst ad

For Americans who are so-so about the NFL, the Super Bowl can still be compulsive viewing – at least in the ad breaks. Big companies and major advertising agencies vie to showcase their best promotional pieces during the most valuable television timeslot of the year. There have been many successful advertisements run during Super Bowls over the year – but some shockers too. We cringed at the sinister Apple ad for Macintosh Office in 1985. We gagged at the casual racism of the tasteless Just For Feet ad in 1999.But our gold medal goes to the eye-popping, mind-boggling decision to link a pumped-up transsexual at a school reunion to the refurbishing of the Holiday Inn motel chain in 1997.

2. Nipplegate

The halftime show at the 2004 Super Bowl was moderately entertaining, but it went way down hill when Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake dueted on Rock Your Body. Acclaimed performers in their own right, the combination looked awkward on stage, with all the sexual frisson of a National Party AGM. The reason why Timberlake looked uncomfortable was revealed at the song's climax. Of course, that was not all that was revealed – he tore away a flap of Jackson's top to reveal her right breast complete with a sun-shaped nipple decoration.

All hell broke loose with hysterical suggestions from some quarters that the moral safety of the USA was imperilled. In the aftermath, host broadcaster CBS was fined $550,000 by the Federal Communications Commission, and any potential craze for mammary jewellery was snuffed out for good.

1. Leon Lett

Any mistakes made on football's biggest stage are destined to be remembered for a long time. Lett won three Super Bowl rings with the Dallas Cowboys. However his name will always be linked with two bone-headed plays. One came in a Thanksgiving Game against Miami and resulted in a Cowboys loss. The other was at the 1993 Super Bowl. Lett, a defensive tackle, latched onto a Buffalo fumble and ran it back 45 yards for what looked like a certain touchdown. However in his final few strides, while watching himself on the stadium screen, he stretched his right arm out in emulation of teammate Michael Irvin. Bills player Don Beebe, chasing from behind, slapped the ball from Lett's hand just before he carried it across the stripe. Lett's gaffe was embarrassing but did not affect the final score – Dallas triumphed 52-17.

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