Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) made his Super Bowl debut during an upset win over the St. Louis Rams in 2002.
(Doug Mills / Associated Press)
Feb. 3, 2002, Superdome: New England 20, St. Louis 17
45. The first Super Bowl after the 9/11 terrorist attacks forever changed the way the NFL staged the game. That included going from simple paper credentials for media and thousands of others working the game, to full background checks on everyone. That system was devised in two months, remarkable for a change of that magnitude.
46. One of the biggest fears by organizers was the possibility of an Anthrax attack. The stadium’s massive air-filtration system was overhauled, and extreme measures were taken to secure it.
47. Security surrounding the game was so tight that Sunday morning one of the pregame performers was kept outside the stadium until authorities got permission to let him in. That performer was the “little-known” Paul McCartney.
48. In addition to the security perimeter and personnel from all types of federal agencies, there were water trucks poised outside the Superdome. That was in case of an Anthrax attack, and if fans needed to be washed down in an emergency situation.
49. U2 was the halftime act, and while performing “Where the Streets Have No Name,” the band scrolled the names of all the 9/11 victims on a massive screen behind the stage.
50. As a result of the NFL postponing a week of games in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the Super Bowl was pushed back a week. That made rescheduling incredibly complex, as the league had to pay $8.5 million to the National Automobile Dealers Assn. to reschedule its New Orleans convention. There were other groups that had to reschedule as well in order for the NFL to hold the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
51. Had New Orleans fallen through as a Super Bowl site, the NFL had drawn up contingency plans to play the game either at the Rose Bowl or in Miami.
52. The game was a shocking upset, as most people thought it would be a coronation for the mighty St. Louis Rams. Instead, a young upstart quarterback named Tom Brady made his debut on the game’s biggest stage.
53. David Hill, the legendary producer who started Fox Sports, did not insert a commercial break during the pregame show. He said the importance of the moment called for an unbroken tribute to the country.
54. Hill wanted the building to go completely dark when U2 finished its stirring performance. That required an 11-minute delay to “restrike” the lights and bring them back up for the second half. The NFL allowed that, and during that time Fox aired a Terry Bradshaw interview of McCartney bracketed by commercial breaks.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
