A 9/11 tribute was part of an emotional halftime during Super Bowl XXXVI.getty images
There’s plenty of debate about which was the most tense Super Bowl on the field, but for the people who ran the event, there’s no debate about which was most stressful off the field: Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans in 2002.
Those who watched the New England Patriots’ 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams remember it best for being the first of six titles for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, one that was decided on a 48-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri as time expired. Those who planned the game, however, remember it most for being the first Super Bowl after 9/11.
“We were all shit scared, wondering if they were going to attack again, and if this Super Bowl would be the prime target,’’ said former Fox Sports President David Hill, whose network broadcast that game. “It became the most important Super Bowl ever, because we were going to show the world that America hadn’t lost a step.’’
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the NFL suspended play for a week, eventually moving the Super Bowl a week later, to Feb. 3. The Office of Homeland Security designated it a “National Special Security Event,” necessitating unprecedented levels of security and the installation of metal detectors, as well as insisting on a 300-foot perimeter security zone around the Superdome. The league changed the Super Bowl logo to a patriotic theme.
“We basically redid the game in a few months,” said Don Renzulli, former NFL senior director of events. “No one had ever been through anything like that,” he said, but Jim Steeg kept everyone focused.
Recalled Steeg: “I’m biased, of course, but I think that’s the most important sporting event in the history of the country. No one was getting on airplanes; no one was going to events; everybody was afraid. Our success in that game, and the [Salt Lake City Winter] Olympics in the days that followed, got everyone back on airplanes.”
U2 did a poignant halftime show honoring those who died on 9/11. An hour after the game, Steeg and Hill met on the field for a celebratory hug.
“With a lot of help from Jim and his guys, we got it done,’’ said Hill. “So, one of my fondest memories ever will be of two tubby, middle-aged men, embracing at that 50-yard line, in tears.”
