Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction to Tom Brady’s stolen jersey – the most controversial moments in Super Bowl history
The NFL’s Super Bowl is famous for its thrilling plays, last-second victories and saturation of entertainment superstars. But the Super Bowl is also famous for controversies. GettyJustin Timberlake and Janet Jackson in Super Bowl XXXVIII before the show went off script[/caption] Down the years, we’ve seen many from Tom Brady’s winning jersey being stolen, Janet Jackson revealing a little too much before a worldwide TV audience, and a player awarded for ‘high moral character’ being arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer the night before the big game. “That was the worst night of my life,” former Atlanta Falcons safety Eugene Robinson said. “The worst. Nothing else compares.” With the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles set for Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, talkSPORT looks at the 10 most controversial moments in Super Bowl history. 10. M.I.A. gives NFL fans middle finger This event has somehow mostly been forgotten. But just imagine the social media fury if Kendrick Lamar flipped the bird while performing at the halftime show in New Orleans this weekend… Singer M.I.A. did just that in 2012 while supporting Madonna on stage at Super Bowl XLVI. The offensive act didn’t go unpunished. M.I.A was forced to reach a confidential financial settlement with the NFL, which at one time valued the cost of the middle finger at $16.6 million. 9. Patriots wrongly accused of illegal filming This one is complicated, so it’s best just to lead with the fact that it eventually was proven completely wrong. While the Patriots definitely had Spygate and Deflategate issues, there was never any proof that they filmed the Rams’ walkthrough practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI. The Boston Herald was forced to publish a major apology for a false story. But fiction later became accepted by some as fact, leading to ESPN also having to apologize to New England for getting it wrong. View Tweet: https://twitter.com/hashtag/Patriots?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw 8. Tom Brady’s stolen jersey There was a lot of drama that went along with the Patriots’ dynasty. There was also an international mystery. After New England rallied from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons for the first overtime victory in Super Bowl history, Tom Brady noticed that his jersey was missing. Brady’s famous No. 12 was eventually recovered in Mexico. “Through the cooperation of the NFL and New England Patriots’ security teams, the FBI and other law enforcement authorities, the Super Bowl LI jersey worn by MVP Tom Brady has been recovered” the NFL said in a statement. “Also retrieved during the ongoing investigation was the jersey Brady wore in the Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks in 2015.” Tom Brady soon realized his jersey from Super Bowl LVI in Houston was missingGetty Images - Getty 7. Joe Namath guarantees Jets win Simply associating the New York Jets with winning the Super Bowl is controversial in 2025. When Namath guaranteed victory in Super Bowl III way back in 1969, he made national news and became legendary. Namath’s guarantee is still referred to more than 50 years later. It’s also still the only time the Jets have been to the Super Bowl. Namath was ahead of his time in embracing the spotlight and proclaiming his team’s greatness. GettyJoe Namath still holds the record for the biggest guarantee in Super Bowl history[/caption] 6. Stanley Wilson‘s cocaine problem The Super Bowl is normally a career high for NFL players. Stanley Wilson’s drug problem became a serious issue for the Cincinnati Bengals, who lost Super Bowl XXIII to the San Francisco 49ers 20-16 in a close game that could have changed with Wilson being available. During a pregame team meeting, Wilson was discovered after using cocaine in his room at a hotel. The running back was suspended just before the Super Bowl and was soon out of the league. “Members of the Bengals’ staff collected from Wilson’s hotel room and preserved all materials relating to the incident,” the team said. “This material was delivered to the security personnel of the National Football League, which is conducting an investigation.” GettyJerry Rice and the San Francisco 49ers held off the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII[/caption] 5. Lights go out in Superdome One of the most unbelievable moments in Super Bowl history occurred in the dark. A large section of stadium lights suddenly turned off during SB XLVII in New Orleans inside the famed Superdome. For 34 minutes, teams, players, coaches and officials scrambled to figure out what was going on, then had to wait while full power returned to the huge indoor venue. When the lights were flipped back on, John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens held on for a 34-31 victory over brother Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaeperni
The NFL’s Super Bowl is famous for its thrilling plays, last-second victories and saturation of entertainment superstars.
But the Super Bowl is also famous for controversies.
Down the years, we’ve seen many from Tom Brady’s winning jersey being stolen, Janet Jackson revealing a little too much before a worldwide TV audience, and a player awarded for ‘high moral character’ being arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer the night before the big game.
“That was the worst night of my life,” former Atlanta Falcons safety Eugene Robinson said. “The worst. Nothing else compares.”
With the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles set for Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, talkSPORT looks at the 10 most controversial moments in Super Bowl history.
10. M.I.A. gives NFL fans middle finger
This event has somehow mostly been forgotten.
But just imagine the social media fury if Kendrick Lamar flipped the bird while performing at the halftime show in New Orleans this weekend…
Singer M.I.A. did just that in 2012 while supporting Madonna on stage at Super Bowl XLVI.
The offensive act didn’t go unpunished.
M.I.A was forced to reach a confidential financial settlement with the NFL, which at one time valued the cost of the middle finger at $16.6 million.
9. Patriots wrongly accused of illegal filming
This one is complicated, so it’s best just to lead with the fact that it eventually was proven completely wrong.
While the Patriots definitely had Spygate and Deflategate issues, there was never any proof that they filmed the Rams’ walkthrough practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI.
The Boston Herald was forced to publish a major apology for a false story.
But fiction later became accepted by some as fact, leading to ESPN also having to apologize to New England for getting it wrong.
8. Tom Brady’s stolen jersey
There was a lot of drama that went along with the Patriots’ dynasty.
There was also an international mystery.
After New England rallied from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons for the first overtime victory in Super Bowl history, Tom Brady noticed that his jersey was missing.
Brady’s famous No. 12 was eventually recovered in Mexico.
“Through the cooperation of the NFL and New England Patriots’ security teams, the FBI and other law enforcement authorities, the Super Bowl LI jersey worn by MVP Tom Brady has been recovered” the NFL said in a statement.
“Also retrieved during the ongoing investigation was the jersey Brady wore in the Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks in 2015.”
7. Joe Namath guarantees Jets win
Simply associating the New York Jets with winning the Super Bowl is controversial in 2025.
When Namath guaranteed victory in Super Bowl III way back in 1969, he made national news and became legendary.
Namath’s guarantee is still referred to more than 50 years later.
It’s also still the only time the Jets have been to the Super Bowl.
Namath was ahead of his time in embracing the spotlight and proclaiming his team’s greatness.
6. Stanley Wilson‘s cocaine problem
The Super Bowl is normally a career high for NFL players.
Stanley Wilson’s drug problem became a serious issue for the Cincinnati Bengals, who lost Super Bowl XXIII to the San Francisco 49ers 20-16 in a close game that could have changed with Wilson being available.
During a pregame team meeting, Wilson was discovered after using cocaine in his room at a hotel.
The running back was suspended just before the Super Bowl and was soon out of the league.
“Members of the Bengals’ staff collected from Wilson’s hotel room and preserved all materials relating to the incident,” the team said.
“This material was delivered to the security personnel of the National Football League, which is conducting an investigation.”
5. Lights go out in Superdome
One of the most unbelievable moments in Super Bowl history occurred in the dark.
A large section of stadium lights suddenly turned off during SB XLVII in New Orleans inside the famed Superdome.
For 34 minutes, teams, players, coaches and officials scrambled to figure out what was going on, then had to wait while full power returned to the huge indoor venue.
When the lights were flipped back on, John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens held on for a 34-31 victory over brother Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers.
Let’s hope the lighting isn’t another talking point during the Chiefs vs the Eagles this Sunday night.
4. Barret Robbins goes missing
While the Oakland Raiders were preparing to play Super Bowl XXXVII against Jon Gruden’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Barret Robbins was living a personal hell.
Robbins, an All Pro center, disappeared just before the Super Bowl and wound up partying way too hard in Tijuana, Mexico.
Tampa Bay won 48-21 as the Raiders played without their key offensive lineman.
Robbins had stopped taking medicine for depression and bipolar disorder.
He was later released by the Raiders and had multiple run-ins with the law.
3. Beast Mode is called off by Seattle
Just run Marshawn Lynch…
Tom Brady’s dynasty case is bigger thanks to a Seattle play call that continues to haunt the Seahawks today.
After Pete Carroll’s crew blew out Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII, Seattle was set for back-to-back world championships.
Then the Seahawks took the ball out of Beast Mode’s hands.
Malcolm Butler intercepted a Russell Wilson pass near the end zone that effectively ended Seattle’s reign.
Lynch, Wilson and Carroll eventually left the Seahawks after the last-second Super Bowl XLIX heartbreak.
Bill Belichick and Brady won another trophy together.
2. Eugene Robinson arrested
Eugene Robinson made three Pro Bowls and spent 16 years in the NFL.
But one Super Bowl mistake changed Robinson’s playing career.
After receiving the 1999 Bart Starr Award, which honors high moral character, Robinson was arrested before Super Bowl XXXIII for soliciting sex from a prostitute, who was really an undercover police officer.
The Falcons lost 34-19 as John Elway won his second consecutive trophy.
Robinson was burned on an 80-yard touchdown in the defeat.
Years later, Robinson used his mistake to try and prevent others from doing the same.
“The sum total of my life is not defined by one Super Bowl mistake,” Robinson said in 2017. “It’s the daily interactions with people that’s really made a difference.”
1. Janet Jackson shocks the world
Sometimes the Super Bowl is more hype than reality.
For Janet Jackson, that’s still the case.
Jackson’s music career never recovered after the most infamous wardrobe malfunction in history.
While Justin Timberlake was allowed to successfully move on from the event, Jackson is still associated with an over-the-top halftime show that briefly removed part of her top.
Twenty years later, a brief nip slip appears to be much ado about nothing.
