Super Bowl XXXIV – One Yard Short

January 30, 2000 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The Rams entered their second Super Bowl in team history with an NFC-best 13–3 regular season record. It was the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 1989, when they were still in Los Angeles.

The Titans, who were originally the Houston Oilers, also finished the regular season with a 13–3 record. Tennessee finished in second place in the AFC Central division behind the 14–2 Jacksonville Jaguars. However, they advanced to their first Super Bowl in team history after entering the playoffs as a wild-card team.

Super Bowl at the Hickman’s I

In January 30, 2000, the Hickman’s lived in San Antonio. Since we recently moved to our new home we wanted to host a party. Furthermore. I wanted to show off my a new 50″ big screen TV with 5.1 surround sound system. The Super Bowl seemed like the perfect excuse. This was the first of what has become an annual  tradition.

The guests for SBATH I were three of my fraternity brothers and their wives. Like me, they transferred to San Antonio after starting their careers in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. John and Dianna still live in San Antonio and usually come. And despite their company move to Dallas, Marty, Denise, Steve, and Jana regularly make the journey to San Antonio.

The Game

The first two quarters of Super Bowl XXXIV were largely a defensive battle. Despite outgaining the Titans in total offensive yards in the first half, 294–89, the Rams held only a 9–0 halftime lead on three field goals. St. Louis later scored their first touchdown midway through the 3rd quarter to go up 16–0. Tennessee then responded by scoring 16 consecutive points to tie the game with 2:12 left in regulation. This was the largest deficit to be erased in a Super Bowl and the first deficit that was greater than 10 points. On the Rams’ ensuing drive, quarterback Kurt Warner completed a 73-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaac Bruce to regain the lead.

The Titans then drove to the St. Louis 10-yard line with six seconds remaining, but on the final play of the game, Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Tennessee wide receiver Kevin Dyson one yard short of the goal line to prevent a potential game-tying touchdown. This play went into NFL lore as One Yard Short, or simply The Tackle. Considering the magnitude of the Super Bowl, and the wild game that preceded it, “The Tackle” is considered one of the greatest and most exciting game-ending plays in modern NFL history.

The “dot-com” Super Bowl

This game is often referred to as the “dot-com” Super Bowl since it was held during the height of the dot-com bubble. Several Internet companies purchased television commercials.

Halftime Show

The E-Trade halftime show was produced by Disney and titled “Tapestry of Nations” after the Epcot parade of the same name. The show, narrated by actor Edward James Olmos, was inspired by Walt Disney World’s millennium celebration. It featured a full symphony orchestra conducted by Steven Byess; a multi-generational, 80-person choir; and singers Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, and Toni Braxton.