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Tampa Bay Super Bowls: A brief history and some predictions for 2021

 
Santonio Holmes hauls in the game-winning touchdown in the Steelers' 27-23 Super Bowl XLIII victory over the Cardinals in 2009, the last time Tampa hosted a Super Bowl. [JAMES BORCHUCK | Times]
Santonio Holmes hauls in the game-winning touchdown in the Steelers' 27-23 Super Bowl XLIII victory over the Cardinals in 2009, the last time Tampa hosted a Super Bowl. [JAMES BORCHUCK | Times]
Published May 24, 2017

At last, Tampa will host a Super Bowl again. It used to be that the Cigar City would host one a decade, but by the time February 2021 rolls around, it will have been 12 years since the epic showdown between the Steelers and Cardinals. Because it has been awhile, let's revisit those past Super Bowls while also peering into the future.

SeasonScoreHeroGoatHow the Bucs finishedWhat was Tom Brady up to?PresidentWorld news
1984Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington 9Marcus Allen. 191 rushing yards, two touchdowns.Joe Theismann. With 12 seconds left in the first half, Theismann lobbed a screen pass to running back Joe Washington. Raiders linebacker Jack Squirek jumped the throw for an easy pick-six that gave the Raiders a 21-3 lead.After a 5-4 finish in the strike-shortened 1982 season, the Bucs went 2-14, the first of 14 straight losing seasons.With dreams of one day being as good as Joe Montana, 6-year-old Brady watched the 49ers play at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.Ronald ReaganDuring a commercial break in Super Bowl XVIII, Apple teased the introduction of the Macintosh computer.
1991New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19Ottis Anderson. 102 rushing yards, one touchdown.Scott Norwood. Wide right. The part of the story that often isn't told about the Bills kicker's miss: It wasn't a chip shot; it was a 47-yard try.Tampa Bay won three of its first four but then lost seven of its next eight. Coach Ray Perkins was fired after 13 games.In the fall of 1991, Brady played football at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. He was the backup quarterback.George H.W. BushPersian Gulf War began.
2001Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7Ray Lewis and the Ravens defense. Forced five Giants turnovers.Kerry Collins. He completed only 15 of his 39 passes and threw four interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.For the first time in team history, the Bucs finished with double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons. They lost to the Eagles in the wild-card round of the playoffs.Brady was the 199th pick of the 2000 draft. He attempted three passes on the last bad Patriots team known to mankind.George W. BushFCC approved the AOL-Time Warner merger.
2009Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23Santonio Holmes' toes.Kurt Warner. Yes, Warner led the Cardinals back from a 20-7 hole, but he was partly responsible for the deficit. With Arizona trailing by three at the end of the first half, he forced a pass into the end zone that linebacker James Harrison took 100 yards the other way.Tampa Bay appeared to be playoff bound after a 9-3 start, but then it dropped its last four games. In the aftermath, coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen were fired.The possibility of Brady playing in a Tampa Super Bowl ended in Week 1, when the quarterback suffered a season-ending knee injury.Barack ObamaU.S. government bailed out Bank of America.
2021London Royals 84, Diablos Rojos del Mexico 77

Contact Thomas Bassinger at tbassinger@tampabay.com. Follow @tometrics.