Janet Jackson’s Wardrobe Malfunction Was Osama Bin Laden’s Fault

As Janet Jackson gets inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Friday night, it’s worth revisiting something she has in common with other members of the Rock Hall such as Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Prince and Tom Petty. That’s right, we’re talking about the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

It’s interesting to note that at this time 15 years ago, Jackson was still reeling from that night – Feb. 1, 2004 – when the world saw a little too much of her during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston’s Reliant Stadium.

The New England Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers in that game, their second title in three years. The game was memorable … though not as memorable as the halftime show. Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” was seen by an international audience, and it created a backlash against the NFL and a hefty fine from the Federal Communications Commission levied against Viacom, parent company of CBS, which broadcast the game, and MTV, which produced the halftime show.

When Justin Timberlake, accidentally or not, grabbed a piece of Jackson’s dress to reveal her left breast, the FCC received more than half a million complaints. The FCC fined Viacom $550,000. Several years later, courts overturned that ruling and FCC officials admitted they had overreacted. But that was of little consolation to Jackson, who for a time had been blacklisted by Viacom and MTV following the incident.

Who was to blame for this fiasco? Osama Bin Laden, of course.

Here’s why: If not for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Janet Jackson would have been the headliner in the Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show, and as a solo act, not with Timberlake. “She was booked prior to 9/11,” said Jim Steeg, the NFL’s VP of Events at the time. “But she wanted out after 9/11. She was afraid to be in the building, with all the security concerns.” Things turned out just fine for the NFL with that scenario, as they got U2 to perform the Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show at the Louisiana Superdome, a show that became one of the most patriotic moments in sports history.

Two years later, MTV was producing the halftime show for the NFL, and they were pushing a hip-hop agenda that the league wasn’t eager to embrace. In addition the Jackson, MTV favorites P. Diddy, Nelly and Kid Rock were scheduled to be on stage.

“Janet was the tame act,” Steeg thought at the time. “Timberlake was a completely late addition. We thought those were the acts that were gonna tone it down.

“Little did we know.”

Super Bowl memories: Phil Simms, Janet Jackson and the streaker

Am I the only one who feels old when I hear that Phil Simms will be calling his seventh Super Bowl this Sunday? Wasn’t it just yesterday that Simms was pitching his perfect game masterpiece for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXI?

Okay, well I guess that was 26 years ago. And now, perhaps, there are young fans who don’t even think of Simms as a former NFL quarterback, the same fans who didn’t realize that John Madden used to be a coach. After all, when Simms broadcasts Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans Sunday between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens, only Madden (with eight) will have been the color man for more Super Bowls than Simms.

“I can’t believe I’ve done seven,” Simms said at a recent CBS Sports press event. “Of course I’m proud of it. And I’ve always said, ‘Sooner or later I wanna come out of one and be happy.’ … Broadcasting is a lot like playing in those terms. You go to bed and all you think about is the things you wish you’d have done.”

For the record, Simms called Super Bowls XXX and XXXII for NBC, then XXXV, XXXVIII, XLI and XLIV for CBS. Plenty of big moments from those games – John Elway’s first title, Tom Brady’s second, Peyton Manning, the Saints’ onside kick – but what’s the first thing Simms thinks about when he looks back at the big games he’s called?

“My most memorable moment probably is a bad one,” Simms said. “It’s the Janet Jackson thing.”

Ah, yes, Nipple-gate. Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime. Simms explained that he didn’t see it when it happened. But as he and Greg Gumbel made their way back to the booth before the start of the second half, he knew something was up.

“Before halftime was over, we had tons of executives running into our booth yelling, ‘Give us a replay!’ We had no idea.”

When Simms learned what the fuss was about, he shook his head in disbelief – not so much about what had happened as for the frenzy that followed. Simms had a job to do – call the second half of the Super Bowl. The Patriots held a 14-10 halftime lead over the Panthers, and a wild finish was about to ensue.

However, there was one more memorable Super Bowl moment that was unfolding. Players and coaches were pouring back onto the field for the second half when Simms noticed something odd.

“I just remember seeing the guy in the officials uniform. I saw him on the far sideline and wondered what he was doing there… because he looked funny.”

Indeed, it wasn’t an official. It was an imposter.

“He was the guy that got naked and ran onto the field,” Simms laughed.

Mark Roberts, a British streaker who has crashed several major events, probably would have received more notoriety for his Super Bowl stunt if not for the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. Still, it was a big deal.

“So I spotted him first," Simms said. "I’m not proud of that, but I saw him.”

So Simms missed the nipple during halftime, but he got the Full Monty just a few minutes later.

Predicting the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013

The 17 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Classof 2013 are, as they say, all worthy. Of course, at least 10 of them will come away disappointed when the class is announced in New Orleans one day before Super Bowl XLVII.

  

Unlike the Baseball Hall of Fame, whose voting process allows for a class of none, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is guaranteed to induct between four and seven new members. There are several angles to follow this year, leading with the always-popular debate over Cris Carter (in his sixth year as a finalist). Others:

* Will former Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell get a little extra love/sympathy from his vehement detractors now that he’s dead.

* Will the presence of three dominant offensive linemen on the ballot dilute the chances of all three getting in?

 * Will first-year eligibles Michael Strahan and Warren Sapp cancel each other out?

* Will one or both of the Seniors Committee nominees – Curley Culp and Dave Robinson – keep up a trend in which the voters continue to reward guys who couldn’t get elected the first time around?

Clearly, the Seniors Committee wields considerable authority. At least one Seniors nominee has been inducted each of the last 15 years. In the nine years since the committee has been nominating two candidates, they’ve gone 2-for-2 five times.

For the sake of predictions, I’ll stick with the trend – but I’ll say only one of the seniors gets in.

Here are my picks for the Class of 2013:

LARRY ALLEN: As dominant an offensive lineman as there has been, Allen deserves to be in Canton every bit as much as his Dallas Cowboy teammates Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin.

CURLEY CULP: Why does Culp get the nod here over fellow Seniors nominee Dave Robinson? The last Seniors candidate who failed to get elected was Jerry Kramer in 1997. While there is a passionate group still pushing for Kramer, the fact of the matter is that there might be more than enough Hall of Famers from those great 1960s Green Bay Packers teams. Thus, Robinson endures the same fate. Culp, meanwhile, helped the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl IV and then became a stalwart for a Houston Oilers defense that played in back-to-back AFC title games.

CHARLES HALEY: A four-time finalist, momentum has been building for Haley, who has won more Super Bowls (5) than any other in NFL history.

JONATHAN OGDEN: The former Baltimore Ravens tackle is almost as much a sure thing as Larry Allen, which would make four offensive linemen elected in the last two years (joining Class of 2012’s Dermontti Dawson and Willie Roaf). That’s not too many… but it does kill the chances this year for fellow finalist Will Shields.

BILL PARCELLS: The difference for the Tuna in his fourth year as a finalist? The voters might finally be convinced that he is not going to unretire. And that paves the way to elect a coach who has taken two different teams to the Super Bowl and reached the playoffs with two others.

MICHAEL STRAHAN: Like it or not, let’s not forget that popularity does come into play when the 46 media members vote on this thing. And Strahan was a hell of a lot more popular with the media than Warren Sapp. Regardless of that angle, it may be unfair to compares these two players straight up, as we’re dealing with an interior defensive lineman (Sapp) vs. a defensive end (Strahan). Strahan is supposed to be the more productive pass rusher, and he was, but he was also a complete player.

There you have it. No Carter (or Tim Brown or Andre Reed). No Modell. Oh, and one more prediction: To capitalize on the inductions of Ogden, Parcells and Strahan, the 2013 Hall of Fame Game will feature the Ravens and Giants.

Giants' signing of TE Bennett: Will it affect the 'C' word?

When you’re team is coming off a Super Bowl victory and setting out to defend the title, the offseason can be tricky. Obviously, there aren’t many holes to fill, although it’s inevitable some players will be moving on and need to be replaced. But when you don’t have to worry about wooing uber free agents like Peyton Manning and Mario Williams, the blueprint is a little clearer. There’s really just one major philosophy to adhere to: Don’t screw up the team chemistry.

Which brings us to Martellus Bennett.

After losing both of their pass-catching tight ends – Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum – to significant knee injuries in the Super Bowl XLVI win over the Patriots, finding a short-term solution for the position was a key task for Giants general manager Jerry Reese. He accomplished that goal by signing Bennett.

The 24-year-old Bennett showed some flashes of being a dangerous tight end in his four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. But he hasn’t caught a touchdown pass since he scored four times as a rookie in 2008. More of a concern, though, might be that “c” word. Bennett is not exactly a wallflower. So how will he fit in the Big Apple?

I just wonder if Reese, when doing his research on Bennett, happened to read this NFL.com story. It’s a quiz from by buddy Adam Rank, who challenges readers to guess the source of some outlandish quotes – and the only two choices are Bennett or Charlie Sheen.

You’re in the same boat as Charlie Sheen. That means you’ve got some talent… and it also means you’re a little crazy.

The big winner here? Why it’s the New York press corps. They no longer have running back Brandon Jacobs as a go-to guy in the Giants’ locker room. It says here that Bennett will fill that role admirably.

If all he has to talk about is “chic farts” and Kim Kardashian’s butt (I’m giving it away some, but just check out the NFL.com link), then it’s all in good fun. But who knows? New York is not always a kind media market for loose cannons.

Will Bennett be comedy relief or bad chemistry? It remains to be seen, but when you’re the defending NFL champ, is that even a risk you want to take?

Whitney Houston's Super Bowl moment

I was glad to see this blog post on NFL.com recognizing Whitney Houston's place in NFL history. The music legend died Saturday at the age of 48. Which means she was just 27 years old when she took the field at Tampa Stadium to sing the National Anthem before Super Bowl XXV.

If you'll allow for a little first-person indulgence... I remember this well because I was a 25-year-old kid at his first Super Bowl that year, and I was on the field as well. Since the United States had just embarked on the Gulf War prior to that game, it was the first Super Bowl that featured hard-core security as you entered the stadium. It was the first time this country had been to war since Vietnam (tragically, it's old hat for today's generation of 25-year-olds), and there was an air of anxiety.

What I remember most about standing on the sidelines as Houston belted out an emotionally-charged "Star-Spangled Banner" wasn't her incredible singing (truth be told, it was lip-synced -- but it was still Whitney's voice). What I remember most was watching the reaction of the fans in the stadium.

Watching on TV could not have done it justice. Many of the fans in attendance were crying. Many more than usual were singing along. It was truly a stirring moment.

I'm not big on patriotic events, but this was one for the books. With the crowd in a frenzy after Houston's anthem, two teams that both wear red, white and blue took center stage for America's greatest sporting event, and they proceeded to play what is still the only Super Bowl ever decided by one point.

Super Bowl XXV remains a shining example of how sports in our culture can help ease tensions and bring people together. And Whitney Houston played a powerful role in it.