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STUDIO: Warner Home Video
MSRP: $49.98
RATED: NR
RUNNING TIME: 205 Minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES: Player, coach profiles
The Pitch
Every freakin’ thing you ever wanted to know about the last 10 years of NFL football and its championships.
The Humans
Brett Favre, John Elway, Kurt Warner, Steve McNair, Tom Brady, Adam Vinatieri, Ben Roethlisberger, Jerome Bettis and a few hundred other gridiron behemoths.
"Dude, what are you doing? This is the pre-game warmup!"
The Nutshell
This set chronicles damn near every play of the last 10 years of NFL action, breaking down each season almost to the yard and showcasing in detail the path that every team took to reaching Super Bowls XXXI – XL (that’s 31 – 40 for those of you who don’t read Latin). NFL Films gives you ringside seats to every snap, profiles every player of note, every coach, every big play. You can relive the most historic moments, including the Music City Miracle and others, and see in depth analyses of every big game for the last decade.
"Ladies! Party in my room. Bring some friends…"
The Lowdown
I’ve been doing so many sports reviews lately I feel like Stephen A. Smith quite frankly. Just recently I’ve chimed in on NBA (here), the NHL (here) and even the last Super Bowl (here). But none of them even comes close to this set. This is a must have for any football fan and you’ll feel like you’re right there. I’ve said before that NFL Films is hands down the best chronicler of sports history around. They get you almost in the huddle for each play, give the best breakdowns of the action and can put a human interest spin on any situation. They show the biggest, baddest and meanest athletes at their best, worst, most human and most inhuman. I’ve been a football fan since I was a kid and haven’t missed a Super Bowl in the last 20 years. I think the string of the last 10 Super Bowls might be the best of the forty so far and Super Bowl XXXI – XL Collector’s set gives you the best coverage you could probably ask for for each one of them.
"…and make sure that when they line up in man to man…uh, Herm, you wanna maybe throw on a shirt or something please…"
There’s five discs, each with two one-hour presentations of the seasons leading up to the championship game and in-depth coverage of the big show itself. They even spend time on teams that hardly got anywhere near the Super Bowl as they tell the story of that year. Every playoff game, every fumble, big catch and historic run. It’s phenomenal. There’s special features for each season, usually profiles of two major players of the year or the Bowl itself. The coverage of this set is simply excellent, and is another example of why NFL Films is unparalleled at what they do.
Disc 1
Super Bowl XXXI: Green Bay 35, New England 21 – Pretty good game. I most remember Desmond Howard’s two kick returns for touchdowns on his way to the MVP. The Minister gets his long awaited ring.
Profiles: Bayou Boy: Brett Favre, Minister of Defense: Reggie White
Super Bowl XXXII: Denver 31, Green Bay 24 – Excellent game. The Mile High Salute, Terrell Davis running over anything in cleats on his way to the MVP, John Elway in the grittiest performance of his career. I was stoked to see him finally get that ring.
Profiles: John Elway: The Trade, Xs and Os of Super Bowl XXXII
Newest illegal performance enhancer: force fields.
Disc 2
Super Bowl XXXIII: Denver 34, Atlanta 19 – Game was pretty much a snooze from the get go, but it was one last hurrah for Elway as he slices the Falcons defense on the way to the MVP, Ring #2 and retirementville.
Profiles: Mike Shanahan, Terrell Davis
Super Bowl XXXIV: St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16 – First half is fairly boring, second half is some excellent football on the way to the most heart stopping finish in Super Bowl history. You think Kevin Dyson wouldn’t sell his soul, his parents’ souls and any present or future kids’ souls for one more yard? Former Arena Football Leaguer turned instant phenom Kurt Warner puts up single season legendary numbers on the way to the MVP. Year of the Music City Miracle. Great game.
Profiles: Shooting Star: Kurt Warner, The Ultimate Weapon: Marshall Faulk
One of Tedy Bruschi’s lesser know talents was his inverted butt cheek interception method…
Disc 3
Super Bowl XXXV: Baltimore 34, New York 7 – The most boring Super Bowl not only of the last 10 years, but possibly ever. Baltimore had one of the best defenses to ever put on pads, and we all suffered for it as a result. I got wasted on margaritas with the wife and passed out.
Profiles: For All Time: Shannon Sharpe, The Goose: Tony Siragusa
Super Bowl XXXVI: New England 20, St. Louis 17 – Probably Top 5 of Super Bowls played and exactly what the country needed after 9/11. Outmanned New England upsets heavily favored St. Louis on a last second Adam Vinatieri FG. And some young punk QB named Brady wins the MVP. Saw this with some friends and the wife, had drinks, had a great time. Another great game.
Profiles: The Sleeper: Tom Brady, The Winner: Adam Vinatieri
"This is great coach! We won the Super Bowl! We’re gonna be together forever and win even more!"
"Uhhh…sure…"
Disc 4
Super Bowl XXXVII: Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21 – Another snoozer. Raider Nation returns to the big game and proceeds to get stomped by Warren Sapp and their former coach, Chuckie.
Profiles: Meet the New Boss: John Gruden, Bucs Losing Streak
Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England 32, Carolina 29 – Another great New England game with the same outcome as two years previous: Adam Vinatieri clutch FG for the win. First half started kind of slow on route to a stellar second half. The punk kid grabs another MVP.
Profiles: Belichick and Lombardi, 2004 Ring Ceremony
"WTF! Who moved the friggin’ goal line?!!"
Disc 5
Super Bowl XXXIX: New England 24, Philadelphia 21 – The Patriot dynasty is solidified as more emphasis is put on the McNabb/TO controversies than the game itself. Game wasn’t bad. A McNabb INT at the end seals it for the pats. WR Deion Branch is MVP.
Profiles: Respect: Rodney Harrison, 2005 Ring Ceremony
Super Bowl XL: Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10 – I covered this game in depth here. Glad to see the Bus and Cowher finally get the bling. Game wasn’t too exciting. Plus I was quite drunk, surprise surprise.
Profiles: Family Values: Bill Cowher, Man of Steel: Hines Ward
Friends, there’s not much more to say. This set kicks all kinds of ass. All kinds.
Before the Browns play, fireworks. Afterwards, not so much…
The Package
This is a five disc set with the Lombardi Trophy on the cover and great photos of the games on the inside covers. As I’ve said before, NFL Films shoots simply gorgeous footage with great narration to tell the tale of each game. The audio is also good, as NFL mics nearly every inch of the field during the games. I think they even mic the toilets. The profiles on every disc are also good and all around this is just an excellent piece of football presentation.