By Rachel Puglia
Elm Staff Writer
On, Jan. 28, 2001 the Baltimore Ravens made their first Super Bowl appearance and defeated the New York Giants, with a final score of 34-7.
You may or may not know, but the Baltimore Ravens will play in their second Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013. The Ravens have a perfect record when it comes to Super Bowls, unfortunately for Ravens fans, so do the 49ers.
San Francisco has participated in five Super Bowls in its history. The 49ers have won in all five Super Bowl appearances.
If San Francisco wins this year, they will be tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins, even though the Steelers still hold the record for most Super Bowl appearances with eight.
History will certainly be made on Sunday when either the Ravens or the 49ers’ perfect Super Bowl record is broken.
Ray Lewis was named Super Bowl MVP back in 2001, when the Ravens won their first and only Super Bowl ring. Lewis has announced his retirement from the NFL after the 2012-2013 season, but he will make one more appearance at the Championship with the Ravens.
The Ravens set a Super Bowl record in 2001 when the team scored three touchdowns in a span of only 36 seconds. Two of these scores included a 49-yard interception return by Duane Starks, and an 84-yard kickoff return by Jermaine Lewis.
There have been 46 total Super Bowls throughout the history of the National Football League. Theoretically, the Super Bowl is supposed to consist of the best team in each of the two NFL conferences, the AFC and the NFC.
However, historically the Super Bowl has been a lopsided game with one team clearly dominating the other throughout the 60 minutes of football. The final scores may not always suggest this, but when the whole game is evaluated, the evidence is there.
But with all statistical data, there always seems to be a few outliers, and Super Bowl XXXVI was one of them. The New England Patriots, with leadership from rookie quarterback Tom Brady, managed to move the ball 58 yards down the field with only 1:21 left on the clock.
The game was tied 17-17, and the Patriot offense was able to get into field goal range so that Adam Vinatieri could kick the game winning field goal. The Patriots beat the Saint Louis Rams with a final score of 20-17.
Tom Brady and the Patriots were not so lucky this year. They were knocked out of the playoffs by Lewis and the Ravens in the AFC Championship.