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A Look Back at Superbowl XXV
submitted by: Lisa D.
source: The Bergen Record
Date: January 18, 2001
A Super Game In A Time Of Tension; Playersrecall Tampa 10 Years Later
By PAUL DOTTINO, Staff Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD - A squadron of military jets buzzed above the Giants Stadium press box, unleashing a chilling roar that sent spine-tingling ripples throughout Ottis Anderson's body. Emotions that had been buried for nearly 10 years suddenly surfaced and struck a chord inside the former Giants running back before last Sunday's NFC Championship game.
"It brings tears to your eyes. Those jets flew overhead about the same way they did in Tampa,"Anderson said Wednesday, recalling how military aircraft ripped through the sky prior to the Giants 20-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV. It was one of the most dramatic events in sports history, and it had nothing to do with the outcome on Jan. 27, 1991.
The world was embroiled in the Gulf War with Iraq, and a 1 national debate ensued over whether the game, played at Tampa Stadium, should be canceled for safety reasons. Then-President George Bush asked the NFL to go ahead, hoping the spectacle would demonstrate a feeling of patriotism and help rally the country's spirits. In addition, the game was aired over Armed Forces Radio and beamed via satellite to the troops, who watched the game in the early morning hours.
"I think it will always stick in our minds," Giants president Wellington Mara said.
Federal and local officials beefed up security in the city, blocking off air space, and setting up checkpoints around the perimeter of stadium. Armed guards, bomb squads, and attack dogs stood by as technicians electronically checked every person entering the stadium gates as if they were boarding an international flight.
"It was bizarre. I've never seen so much security in my life," Anderson said. "Everybody in that stadium was in the safest place in the world. If there as a crime to be committed, Tampa was not the place to do it."
"Your country is going to war, and the security concerns were on everybody's mind," said Giants left guard Glenn Parker, then a rookie with the Bills.
For the second straight game, the Giants wore yellow armbands in recognition of the troops.
"I remember watching all of the guards walking around, and it was kind of interesting,"said Giants tight end Howard Cross, who was a second-year pro at the time."There was more focus on that game because of what was happening in the world."
Each fan received a miniature American flag as they entered the stadium. The crowd fell silent as Whitney Houston stepped to the microphone and sang the"Star-Spangled Banner,"prompting fans to raise their flags high in the air. Many cried and others cheered, but everyone was affected as Houston finished and a squadron soared over the stadium and vibrated its foundation.
"Everybody thought if there was a terrorist act, it was going to happen at the Super Bowl, this is where it was going to go on," Parker said.
"So many different things came into your mind. You're sitting there ready to start playing, Whitney Houston is singing the anthem, and the jets are roaring, it choked you up. I was very moved. A lot of guys on both teams were emotional, and 1 so were the fans. It was a tough thing."
Once the field was cleared, the teams put on a dramatic show of their own that temporarily took minds off the international conflict.
The hard-fought game wasn't decided until Bills kicker Scott Norwood drilled the ball wide right on a 47-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds.
Anderson rushed for 102 yards and was named the game's MVP.
"My life has been pretty much the same since then,"said Anderson, who works for a sports marketing firm."A lot of Giants fans have acknowledged me with a 'Thank you for bringing home a win for them.
"And I've heard from a lot of guys from the Armed Forces who have said to me, 'Because of what you guys did, it helped us over there in the war. It was really special."
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