Super Bowl XXXV - January 28, 2001


For Tampa to host its third Super Bowl, the vote of the team owners was not the most important. It would come down to the voters of Hillsborough County. Tampa Stadium was showing its age and, when Malcolm Glazer purchased the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was no secret that a new stadium would have to be built to keep the NFL team. The September 3, 1996 ballot included a referendum on a "Community Investment Thirty-Year Half-Cent Sales Tax." If approved, the tax would build new schools, improve public safety and infrastructure, along with building the new stadium. There was a record turnout in Hillsborough County and the voters said yes to the sales tax by a 53% to 47% margin.

On October 31, 1996, the league owners met in New Orleans to award Super Bowls XXXIII and XXXIV. Miami, as expected, was selected to host Super Bowl XXXIII. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue had promised a Super Bowl, if the voters approved the tax, so Tampa Bay anticipated being named as host for the next game. There was competition, as Phoenix and Atlanta also put on presentations. Phoenix was eliminated on the first ballot and Atlanta won out over Tampa Bay on the second ballot. It seems that Atlanta could not bid again until 2005, due to convention commitments, and the owners wanted to do something for terminally ill Falcons owner Rankin Smith. Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer complained of the oversight and reminded the owners of the commissioner's agreement. They had not planned to award Super Bowl XXXV, but as a compromise, that game was granted to Tampa Bay.

The Baltimore Ravens made their first trip to the Super Bowl and the New York Giants appeared for the third time. The Giants last trip was ten years ago when Tampa Bay hosted Super Bowl XXV. New York came as NFC East champions after a 12-4 regular season with losses to Detroit, St. Louis, Tennessee and Washington. They defeated Philadelphia 20-10 in the playoffs and blew out Minnesota 41-0 in the NFC Championship Game. Baltimore also posted a 12-4 regular season, but qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team. Their regular season losses were to Miami, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Washington. The Ravens won playoff games over Denver 21-3 and Tennessee 24-10, then won the AFC Championship Game at Oakland 16-3. They brought a ten game winning streak into the game. It was the first Super Bowl for both head coaches, the Giants Jim Fassel and the Ravens Brian Billick. Another person playing in his first Super Bowl was Baltimore quarterback Trent Dilfer. Almost exactly one year after he was released by the Bucs, Dilfer's return was one of the big media stories leading up to the game.

Additional end zone seating was added at Raymond James Stadium and a crowd of 71,921 watched the game. The television network broadcast the pregame show from the stadium's pirate ship. The Backstreet Boys sang the National Anthem before what was anticipated to be defensive struggle. Baltimore had posted four shutouts in the regular season and was favored by three points.

Trent Dilfer (12 of 25 for 153 yards) threw over the middle to wide receiver Brandon Stokley for a 38 yard touchdown and the game's first score. In the second quarter, a 44 yard Dilfer pass to Qadry Ismail set up a Matt Stover field goal and gave Baltimore a 10-0 lead at the break. The defenses were showing, as there were thirteen punts in the first half on the way to a Super Bowl record 21 punts. Brad Maynard punted a record eleven times for the Giants.

photo Kerry Collins (15 of 39 for 112 yards) had a horrible game for New York and was intercepted a Super Bowl record tying four times. In the third quarter, cornerback Duane Starks returned an interception for a Ravens touchdown and an apparently comfortable 17-0 lead. The Giants got a spark when Ron Dixon returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for the score to cut the gap to 17-7. When Jermaine Lewis answered, returning the next kickoff 84 yards for a TD, the wind was out of the Giants sails. Three touchdowns were scored in just 36 seconds and the Ravens now held a 24-7 advantage. Jamal Lewis (102 yards rushing on 27 carries) ran for a fourth quarter score and a 34-7 Baltimore victory.

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. Baltimore became the first team to score on offense, defense and special teams. They also did not turn the ball over. Trent Dilfer was gracious all week and never had a bad word to say about his former team. "I am not bitter toward Tampa. Not at all. Bitterness and anger and vindication are not what I'm about." Defensive tackle Tony Siragusa, who spent much of the week playing to the media, was blunt. "For everyone who said Trent Dilfer couldn't lead this team to a Super Bowl championship, I have this to say, kiss my ass."



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