Top 7 Super Bowl #LeftShark moments

The Super Bowl is supposed to feature the two best teams in the NFL and the best football you’ll ever see. But every now and then, there are some flubs of epic proportions.

Here are SiriusXM’s top seven mistakes that couldn’t have come at a worst time – with the nation glued to the television for the NFL’s most important showcase.

1. Leon Lett’s fumble, Super Bowl XXVII

Probably the biggest “Yes, yes, yes, NO!” moment in Super Bowl history, Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Leon Lett was so close to making the play of his life. Late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXVII in 1993, Lett recovered a fumble by Buffalo Bills quarterback Frank Reich on the Dallas 35-yard line and looked to be on his way to a sure-fire touchdown. But hubris got the better of him and he held the ball out as he approached the goal line. Lett failed to account for the tremendous hustle of Bills receiver Don Beebe, who chased him down and knocked the ball out of Lett’s hand just before he reached the end zone, resulting in a touchback. Dang, Leon, don’t you know you can’t knock the hustle? Granted, the Cowboys won the game 52-17, so it’s not like Lett’s blunder had an effect on the game’s outcome.

2. Russell Wilson’s interception, Super Bowl XLIX

Ugh. This play is still so hard to watch. Down 28-24 late in the fourth quarter, the Seattle Seahawks looked to be completing an incredible comeback against the New England Patriots. After they were gifted some divine intervention with this catch by Jermaine Kearse to advance within New England’s five-yard line, the Seahawks looked to be on the verge of a game-winning touchdown. Run the ball in, right? Seemed simple enough. There was even talk about whether the Patriots should just let them score to save some time on the clock. But instead of keeping it simple and running the ball with Marshawn Lynch, Seattle dialed up a pass play on send down. Russell Wilson took the snap and fired a quick pass that was picked off by Malcolm Butler, and football fans everywhere were left stunned in disbelief. Relive this moment at your own risk.

3. Left Shark, Super Bowl XLIX

Katy Perry’s halftime show was the most-watched halftime show in Super Bowl history, garnering 118.5 million viewers. But the conversation afterwards wasn’t about Perry or the amazing Missy Elliot guest spot. Instead, everyone was talking about one of Perry’s backup dancers, the Left Shark. Helplessly flailing its arms around, Left Shark looked lost throughout the routine and tried its best to keep up. Unfortunately, not everyone is born with rhythm.

4. Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction, Super Bowl XXVIII

Living in infamy until the end of time, “Nipplegate” dominated headlines in 2004. What was a great halftime show turned ugly when Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson closed out the show by exposing Jackson’s bare breast. This supposed “wardrobe malfunction” was an embarrassment to everyone involved, and CBS had to fork up $550,000 to the FCC. The incident led to the influx of conservative acts being booked for the halftime show (looking at you, Paul McCartney).

5. The Superdome’s power outage, Super Bowl XLVII

This moment was special because it was unclear who exactly messed up. In the second half of the Baltimore Ravens’ 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers, play was interrupted for 34 minutes because of a partial power outage in the Superdome. At the time, the Ravens were leading 28-6 and in full control of the game – but the delay put a halt to their momentum. Once play resumed, the 49ers mounted a furious comeback to make things interesting. Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis later speculated that the blackout was no accident and there was some sort of conspiracy. San Francisco CEO Jed York accepted the blame, tweeting, “There is no conspiracy. I pulled the plug.”

6. Broncos’ botched snap, Super Bowl XLVIII

Could there be any worse start to a Super Bowl? Peyton Manning’s quest for a second ring went off the rails immediately as center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball while Manning was calling an audible. The ball whizzed past Manning and landed in the endzone, where running back Knowshon Moreno recovered the ball to prevent a Seattle touchdown. The play resulted in a safety to give the Seahawks a 2-0 lead just 12 seconds into the game for the quickest score in Super Bowl history. The Broncos were eventually laughed out of MetLife Stadium in a 43-8 loss, one of the most lopsided games we’ve ever been forced to watch.

7. Tom Brady and Wes Welker’s failed connection, Giselle’s tirade, Super Bowl XLVI

Super Bowl XLVI was a nail-biter with the New England Patriots leading the Giants 17-15 late in the fourth quarter. The Patriots were in position to put the game away with this pass from Tom Brady to a wide-open Wes Welker with 4:06 left, but Welker failed to haul in the high throw. Many have debated who’s to blame for the failed hookup, as the ball went off of Welker’s hands, but probably would’ve gone for a touchdown had Brady launched a pin-point pass for him to catch in-stride. Whatever the case, the Giants gained possession and scored the game-winning touchdown in the final minute to leave Lucas Oil Stadium with a 21-17 victory. After the game, Brady’s wife Gisele Bundchen infamously went on a tirade blaming the wide receivers for the loss.