Remembering My Celebrity Sightings in New York City

 

Living in New York, friends who live elsewhere often ask me about the celebrities I've seen.  This got me thinking about how many sightings I've had in the 40+ years I've lived here.  I'm sure many pass by me unrecognized because they're under hats, behind sunglasses, or I'm just not looking at faces as I go about my business.  (When I walk around my neighborhood in sunglasses during weekday afternoons I often wonder if tourists think I'm a celebrity.)  What follows is a list of nearly 80 celebs I've spotted, who I've grouped into the following categories: My Neighborhood; On the Subway; At Fire Island; At the Gym; Elsewhere in Manhattan; and Those I've Spoken To. 

 

- IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD (Greenwich Village) -

Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Actor) - I've probably seen him most since he lives in an apartment building across the street from me.  I've seen him walking with one of his his kids, one time on a bicycle, another time chatting on his cell phone.  The last time he was sitting outside with his family at a restaurant on Hudson St.  (This was written less than a week before his untimely death on Feb. 2 in 2014.)

 

 

Matthew Broderick (Actor) I've seen him a number of times, sometimes with his son, and once (in Sept. 2019) with wife Sarah Jessica Parker as they crossed Seventh Ave. South and walked to the Sheridan Square subway station (uptown side).

Susan Sarandon (Actress/activist) - In the winter of 2013 I spotted her shopping for veggies at Citarella, wearing a kerchief and sunglasses.

Jake Gyllenhaal - I spotted him walking down Christopher St. alone at the intersection with Seventh Ave. South.  Others I've passed on this street include Johnny Galecki from the Big Bang Theory, Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps and, in separate sightings, SNL alums Seth Meyers and Andy Samberg.

 

 

Bebe Neuwirth (Actress) - Three times I've sat across from her at The Village Den restaurant on Greenwich Ave.

Emma Stone (Actress) - She turned onto 6th Ave. from West 10th St. (on the block where Citarella is) and was walking behind me and I recognized her hearty laugh.  It was winter 2012 and she was wearing a very pretty purple-colored coat that contrasted nicely with her auburn hair.  She was with a young man.

 

 

I've walked past John Waters, Isaac Mizrahi, Ric Ocasek and Wallace Shawn all in the vicinity of the corner of 6th Ave. and 12th St.  By coincidence, I was going to see Waters' new movie Serial Mom (spring of 1994) when I spotted him.

Aziz Ansari (Comic/actor) - He was rushing somewhere while looking at his cellphone, heading west on W.4th St. after crossing 7th Ave. South.

 

 

Jason Sedakis (Sat. Night Live/actor) - He was walking along Bleecker St. (where he used to live).

Willem Dafoe (Actor) - Walking past Gourmet Garage on Seventh Ave. South.

Lauren Bacall (Actress) - She was shopping at Balducci's on 9th St./6th Ave (before it was bought by Citarella).

Leontyne Price (Opera singer) - Spotted just south of Bleecker St./7th Ave. South.

Everett Quinton (Off-Broadway actor) - He's probably only recognizable to a small number of New Yorkers who recognize his work with the Ridiculous Theater Company (which used to be across the street from my apartment).  I've seen him on numerous occasions walking about or having a meal at Manatus on Bleecker St.

 

 

Michael Urie (Actor) - He was walking into the CVS at the corner of 6th Ave./Washington Place.  This was in the fall of 2014 and he was finishing up his run in the one-man show Buyer Cellar at the Barrow St. Playhouse and this sighting was about an hour before the curtain.

 

 

Barry Diller (Movie/TV executive) - He and a much younger man were eating next to us at Mi Cocina.  This was in the late 1990s.

Mary-Louise Parker (Actress).  I was standing behind her and her daughter in the checkout line at Gristede's.

Harvey Weinstein (Film executive) - He was attending a dance performance at the Joyce Theater.  I also saw him crossing 7th Ave. South near Charles St. heading to the restaurant Morandi.

 

 

Anderson Cooper (CNN News Anchor) - On time he was riding a bike, the other time coming out of the David Barton gym in Astor Place.

Tim Robbins (Actor) - In May 2002 I was standing behind him and one of his sons on the up escalator at the Village East movie complex on 3rd Ave./12th St.

Jesse Eisenberg (Actor) - The first time I saw him he was walking into the restaurant Dublin 6 on Hudson St. wearing a ski cap.  The next time he was checking out at Gourmet Garage during the time he was directing/acting in the play The Revisionist (with Vanessa Redgrave) at the Cherry Lane Theater in the Spring of 2013.

Louis CK (Comic/actor) - I was eating dinner in a Thai restaurant at the corner of Cornelia and Bleecker Streets when he walked by alone, hands in pockets.  Then during the summer of 2013 I saw him with his kids on Grove St. in Sheridan Square.  And then in the winter of 2021 I walked by him on Seventh Ave. South where he was eating lunch at an outdoor restaurant.

 

 

Liv Tyler (Actress, Steven Tyler's daughter) - She was walking out of my apartment building, and I have no idea who she might have been visiting.

Mark Adsit (30 Rock) - He was strolling through the Union Square Christmas fair with his wife and child in 2012.  Then three years later I saw him, also in December, at the West Village restaurant Gaetana's (corner of Christopher/Greenwich Streets).  This time he was with a woman who may have been his mother and he was sporting a beard.

 

 

Gregory Hines (Deceased dancer/actor) - Dining with friends at an outside table at a restaurant on Hudson St.

Lee Delaria (Comedian/actress) - She was walking up 5th Ave. and was dressed like she was shooting a scene from The Hunger Games as she was wearing a long black leather trench coat with black boots and was sporting a severely cut/punk hairstyle.

 

 

Malcolm Gladwell (Author, contributor to The New Yorker) - I've seen him a number of times walking in the neighborhood.)

John Cameron Mitchell (Director/actor) - He lives on Greenwich Ave., where I've seem him a number of times.  The last time was in April 2014 when I was going to work and he was in my subway car.

 

 

Kyan Douglas (Hair stylist from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) - I was eating dinner at Bus Stop Cafe with a few friends and I spotted him there with a group of eight guys.

Parker Posey (Actress) - On a Saturday evening n Feb. 2014 she was sitting at the bar chatting with friends at Gene's, an old-school Italian restaurant on W. 11th St. that attracts a neighborhood crowd. 

Zachary Quinto (Actor) - My most recent encounter, in June 2014.  He was wearing a backwards-turned baseball cap, t-shirt and jeans and was walking his two dogs on the main path of Washington Square Park heading in the direction of Sixth Avenue.  And he wasn't wearing glasses.  

Alec Baldwin (Actor) - On the Saturday of Labor Day weekend 2016 he pedaled by on his bike in the middle of the afternoon, turning from Greenwich Ave., east onto West 10th St. heading to 6th Ave.  He may have been coming from Equinox Gym, where a friend of mine has seen him working out.

 

 

Wynton Marsalis (Jazz Musician) - On Election Day 2016 he and one of his children were walking into my polling place at PS 41 on W.10th St. as I was leaving at around 9:30AM.  He was wearing a suit.

Kyle Mooney (SNL writer/actor) - I was walking behind him on Sixth Ave. between Waverly Place and Washington Place on a fall evening in 2017.  I've also seen him at my gym (NY Sports Club).

Andy Cohen (Bravo executive) - As I was taking a run along Hudson River Park on a warm Saturday afternoon in April 2019 I made split-second eye contact with Andy Cohen, who was sitting on a park bench with his baby, a cute dog (which is what got my attention) and a younger woman.

 

 

John Mulaney (stand-up comic) - On an unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon in November 2020 (the day Joe Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election) I spotted him strolling with a woman pushing a baby carriage in Hudson River Park across from Christopher St. (I assume they were his wife and child).  I wouldn't have noticed him, but when I heard his distinctive voice I looked behind me and saw him.

 

 

- ON THE SUBWAY -

Cherry Jones (Tony Award winning actress) - She was seated and chatting with a friend on the downtown #1 train.  Then in April 2014 I saw her entering the West 14th entrance to the #1 train on 7th Avenue.  

 

 

Keith Hernandez (New York Mets) - I spotted in my car on the downtown Lexington line during mid-afternoon, standing alone.  This was years after he was Met.

Chris Parnell (Sat. Night Live) - Seated, reading a folded up piece of paper, perhaps a script.

 

 

Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) - He was waiting for the uptown Express train with friends at Times Square station late on a Saturday night.  I was heading uptown after seeing Bye Bye Birdie in the winter of 2010.

Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) - On my way to work one autumn morning in 2015 I saw him going through the turnstile at the West 4th Street subway station.  He was carrying a skateboard.  Because of his height the turnstile was at neck level.   

Norm Lewis (actor) - Coming home from work on the 1 train downtown in the summer of 2017, I got out at 14th St. because the train was skipping my stop (Christopher St./Sheridan Sq.).  Standing next to me on the platform was Broadway actor Norm Lewis, wearing a t-shirt and shorts.  For the life of me I couldn't remember his last name and this, combined me being tired and wilted from the warm platform, kept me from telling him that I enjoyed his performance in Porgy & Bess that I saw in 2012.  We both got on the next train and he got out at my stop and then went to Starbucks in Sheridan Square.

 

 

 

David Muir (anchorman, ABC World News Tonight) - I was on the uptown platform at the Christopher St. station on a weekday afternoon in late March 2018 when he came through the turnstile and sat down on a bench.   

Richard Kind (actor, Spin City) - On my way home from work on the evening of Sept. 25, 2018 he passed me on the stairway leading up from the subway platform at the Times Square station.

Fran Leibowitz (author, raconteur) - In May 2021, about half an hour after returning to New York after an extended visit with my mother, I left my apartment to go food shopping, and at the corner of my street and Sixth Ave., Fran Leibowitz walked by, and I thought to myself that I really felt like I was back in New York!

 

 

 

- AT THE GYM (Crunch/Archive Building) -

Dean Winters (The All-State 'Mayhem' guy) - He was working out with a trainer.  Then in the winter he walked by  me at the corner of Greenwich Ave. and West 10th St.

Andrew Sullivan (blogger/political commentator) - On another occasion I was walking behind him, his husband and dog on Bleecker St. near the now-closed Manatus restaurant.  

 

 

Rupert Everett (actor) - Saw him on numerous occasions in 2000 and 2001.  He usually wore a cap, white sweatshirt and blue sweatpants.

John Lutz (30 Rock/comedy writer) - A regular on the treadmill beginning two or three years ago.  Over the course of this time he slimmed down noticeably.

 

 

Chris Meloni (LA Law/HBO's Oz) - I stood behind him at the water fountain.

Sandra Bernhard (Comedian/actress) - I also spotted her in the checkout line at Citarella where she was dressed all in white (including a hat).

Calvin Klein (fashion designer) - This was my most recent sighting (January 2016) but it wasn't at Crunch, but at the New York Sports Club on Seventh Ave. South, which I switched to in 2013.  During a Saturday afternoon weight workout I saw him working out with a trainer.  I overheard them discussing men's briefs.  Calvin was touting the 2xist label while the trainer was raving about the H&M brand.  This sighting surprised me because I had heard CK was a member of the more exclusive Equinox gym.  After this sighting I saw him at the gym three or four other times.

 

- FIRE ISLAND -

Neil Sedaka (composer/singer) - He was one of many guests who attended our house's annual Hat Party, in August 2003.

 

 

Sam Champion (TV weatherman) - This was in the late 1990s when he was still the local weatherman on Channel 7.  The first time I saw him he was playing in the surf with his dog.  The second time he was sashaying ever so slowly down Fire Island Boulevard with his long haired boyfriend at the time.

Jerry Mitchell (Tony Award winning choreographer) - Saw him at Sip'n Twirl during evening tea dance, summer of 2013.

 

 

Andy Cohen (Bravo exec/Real Housewives) - Buying cold cuts at Pines Pantry grocery store, August 2013.

David Geffen (Record executive) - He briefly owned a house at the end of the walk where my house was the was previously owned by Calvin Klein - who I also saw out there.

 

 

Carson Kressley (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) - Mr. Personality, I've passed by him on Fire Island Blvd. and seen him at low tea.

 

 

- MANHATTAN, NORTH OF 23rd ST. -

Judd Apatow (Movie director) - During the summer of 2009 Apatow, his actress wife Leslie Mann, and their two daughters were standing behind me in the ticket line for the Titanic artifact exhibition at the Discovery Times Square Exposition Center.  And then very recently (April 2014) I saw him walking with one of his daughters along Bleecker St. near Bank Street tin the West Village.

 

 

Brooke Shields (Actress/model) - In the early 1980s, when she was still in her teens, I saw her walking through the first floor of Bloomingdale's with her mother.  She looked very self-conscious, walking quickly, eyes downcast and biting her lip.

Ron Darling (Mets pitcher) - I was walking to work in the late 1980s when I passed by him on East 30s/Madison Ave.  He lived in Manhattan's Murray Hill neighborhood at the time.

BD Wong (Actor) - We walked past each other in the Manhattan Mall a few weeks before Christmas 2008.

 

 

Liz Smith (Gossip Columnist) I was having lunch on the outside terrace of El Rio Grande on Third Avenue and East 38th St. in the spring of 2008 when she walked through the tables on the way to her apartment building which was adjacent to the restaurant.

Frank Perdue (Businessman) - I rode in the elevator with him at my office building at 800 Third Ave.  His account was with the ad agency I was working for at the time in 1980 - Scali, McCabe, Sloves.

Al Franken (Comedian, US Senator) - Another elevator encounter, this time in my office building at 3 Park Ave. in 2004.  Franken was on his way to the liberal radio network, Air America.  This was before he was elected to the US Senate.

 

 

Buck Henry (Sat. Night Live comedy writer and actor) - He was my first celebrity siting, occurring in July 1979 as I was walking to the big post office on 3rd Ave. between 55th & 56th Streets (FDR Station) with a co-worker at lunchtime. 

Hal Linden (Barney Miller) - Like Buck Henry I spotted him on 3rd Ave. in the 50s while I was out for lunch.  This was during the Spring of 1980.

 

 

 

- CELEBS I'VE SPOKEN TO -

Andrew Rannells (Broadway and TV actor) - This encounter was on a Friday afternoon in April 2014.  He walked into the Karavas pizza joint in Sheridan Square as I was waiting for a slice I had ordered for a late lunch.  I told him that I had just seen him perform at the Broadway Cares event, "Broadway Backwards", where he sang The Man That Got Away. 

 

 

Victor Garber (Broadway, TV and movie actor)- I was going to a Wednesday matinee of Evita in August 2012 and spotted him waiting for the #1 uptown local at 14th St.  I walked over to him and told him how much I enjoyed him in Showtime's sitcom Web Therapy (in which he plays Lisa Kudrow's gay husband).  I've also seen him walking in front of Gourmet Garage. 

 

 

Paul Schneider (Parks & Recreation/the movie The Family Stone) - I saw him on 6th Ave near my apartment as I was exiting the ATM at HSBC.  At first I didn't recognize him because his hair was long.  I told him that I was sorry he was no longer on the show and he told me that he left because his character wasn't developing the way he had hoped.

 

 

David Hodo (Construction worker character from the original Village People) - He was a guest at a brunch I attended in March 2013 on the Upper West Side.  He wasn't introduced as the construction worker, but a friend of mine took me aside and told me.

Tanner Cohen (Actor) - In 2008 he starred in a sweet gay-themed film Were the World Mine, which I saw.  Then a few months after I saw it I was walking through H&M on lower 5th Ave. when he walked into the store.  I stopped him and told him how much I enjoyed him and the movie - this was the first time I ever spoke to a celeb.

 

 

Cherry Jones (Actor) - In addition to seeing her on the subway, in April 2022 I found myself standing behind her in the checkout line at Westside Market (14th St. and Seventh Ave.).  I told her that I recognized her even thought she was wearing a face mask.  I then mentioned how I liked seeing her in the HBO show Succession.

 

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A Smorgasbord of Super Bowl Facts & Figures: A Game-by-Game Review (1967 - 2023)

 

 

 

Whether it's the game, the high-profile advertising, or its halftime show, the Super Bowl has something for nearly everyone - no wonder it attracts more than 100 million viewers.  (The only thing missing is a red carpet ceremony!)  To salute this all-encompassing event, what follows are brief summaries of each of the fifty-three Super Bowls, a quirky melange of milestones and fun facts - perfect for entertaining friends and family when they gather together for this year's game. 

 

1967

The first "AFL-NFL World Championship" game aired on two TV networks.  It had the smallest stadium attendance of any Super Bowl - 61,946.

 

 

1968

The Packers won for the second year in a row.  "Cheeseheads" would then have to wait until 1997 until their next Super Bowl appearance.  Two weeks after this win the Packers iconic coach, Vince Lombardi, announced his retirement.   

1969

This Super Bowl set a record for the fewest combined touchdowns, two.  The New York Jets' stunning upset of the Colts (who were 18 point favorites) was replicated later that year with the Mets' improbable World Series victory over the Orioles.  

 

  

 

1970

The game was played with wet field conditions and under a threat of tornadoes.  Carol Channing provided halftime entertainment. 

1971

A field goal with five seconds left in the game broke a tie, giving Baltimore a victory over Dallas.  The cost of a :30 spot was 8% lower than the previous year (only four other years would have a price decrease).  Two years after singing the National Anthem, orange juice queen, Anita Bryant, performed this year's halftime show (this was six years before she became notorious for leading the charge against gay rights legislation in Dade Co.).  The game had the earliest East Coast kick-off time of any Super Bowl - 2 PM. 

1972

At kick-off the temperature at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans was 38°, making it the coldest of all Super Bowls (of those played outdoors).  The Cowboys defeated the Dolphins, who were limited to three points - the fewest points by a Super Bowl participant. 

 

 

1973

A year after the coldest playing conditions for a Super Bowl, this year's had the warmest as the temperature was 84° in Los Angeles at kick-off time.  Then the Miami Dolphins completed an undefeated season with a Super Bowl victory.  Their 14 points were the fewest scored by any winning team.  Their opponents, the Redskins, were held scoreless until 2:07 was left in the 4th Quarter.

 

 

1974

This was the first Super Bowl to charge $100,000 for a :30 commercial ($480,000 in today's inflation-adjusted dollars). 

1975

At halftime the score was Steelers 2 Vikings 0, the fewest combined points in the first half of any Super Bowl. 

1976

It was a very chilly day in Miami, with a kick-off temperature of only 57°.  The telecast had the highest share of viewing of any Super Bowl - 78%.  A Bicentennial themed halftime show featured the squeaky clean singers and dancers known as "Up With People". 

 

 

1977

Super Bowl XI took place on Jan. 9, the earliest date ever.  It was also the first game played before a crowd of 100,000+.  Rather than sing the National Anthem at the start of the game, Vikki Carr sang America the Beautiful.  This was the Vikings fourth, and last, Super Bowl appearance (they lost all four games). 

1978

This was the first Super Bowl played in a domed stadium, New Orleans' Superdome (it would be held there six more times).  It was also the first with a kick-off time after 6 PM on the East Coast (6:17). 

1979

The 31 points scored by the Cowboys was the most by a losing team (the Steelers won with 34 points).  This record was later tied by the 49ers in 2013 (the Ravens won with 35).

 

 

1980

Nearly 104,000 attended the game at the LA Coliseum, the largest Super Bowl crowd ever.  One of the game's participants was the Los Angeles Rams, the first Super Bowl participant to play in its own TV market.  For the second time the Steelers won back-to-back Super Bowls (the first time was in 1975 and 1976) - the only team to do so. 

1981

To honor the American hostages in Iran who were released five days earlier, attendees were given yellow bows to hold in the air.  The price of a :30 spot was 45% higher than the previous year - the biggest year-to-year increase of any year. 

1982

This was the highest rated of any Super Bowl, with a 49.1 household rating.  The first Super Bowl to be played in a northern city (Detroit), it was played in a domed stadium, thereby protecting spectators and players from outdoor temperatures that hovered around 20 degrees.

 

 

 

1983

The 1982 NFL season had been shortened by seven games due to a players strike in Sept/October.  Still, interest was quite high for the Super Bowl as the game posted its second highest rating.  After the game NBC premiered The A Team. 

1984

Apple's famed "1984" commercial aired during the game.  Before the game Barry Manilow sang the National Anthem.

 

 

1985

The game was played at Stanford Stadium in foggy conditions.  Featuring the 49ers and Dolphins, it was played just 25 miles from the 49ers stadium - the second Super Bowl participant to have close to a home field advantage (the first was the LA Rams in 1980).  The cost of a :30 commercial was 40% higher than that of 1984's game. 

1986

This was the first Super Bowl appearance by "Da Bears".  It was the last game to get a 70 share of viewing until 2012.

 

 

 

1987

Anheuser-Busch introduced Bud Light mascot Spuds MacKenzie during the game.  And after the game Disney unveiled its "I'm Going to Disneyland!" campaign.

 

 

 

1988

One year after the Giants set the record for most points scored in the second half of a Super Bowl, the Redskins set the mark for most in the first half, with 35.  All of these points were scored in the 2nd quarter - the most for any quarter.  The game's 41.9 household rating was the lowest in 14 years.  Herb Alpert performed the last instrumental version of the National Anthem. 

1989

Coke aired a commercial in 3-D during halftime (glasses were distributed at supermarkets).  Also, Anheuser-Busch aired a series of ads called "The Bud Bowl" between teams of animated bottles of Bud Light and Budweiser.  Hundreds of Elvis impersonators performed during halftime, but no Elvis songs were performed.  (On a personal note, I won $50 in the office pool for the First Quarter score.)

1990

This was the most one-sided Super Bowl as the 49ers crushed the Broncos 55-10.  It was also quarterback Joe Montana's 4th Super Bowl win, tying him with the Steelers' Terry Bradshaw.  This was the third time the Broncos appeared in the past four years - all losses.  The game's 39.0 household rating was the lowest since 1969. 

1991

This game is remembered for Whitney Houston's powerful rendition of the National Anthem.  The game was a heart breaker for Buffalo as their kicker missed a game-winning field goal in the game's final second.  With a final score of 20-19, this is the only Super Bowl decided by one point.

 

 

 

1992

Fox counter programmed the Super Bowl's halftime show with its comedy show In Living Color, and it created a noticeable viewing dip as the game's rating fell 24% from the 2nd quarter (a loss of 22 million viewers).  This was also the first Super Bowl to use a signer during the singing of the National Anthem.

 

 

1993

The Cowboys 21 points in the 4th Quarter was the most ever scored in that quarter.  Final score was 52-17.  To prevent counter programming from stealing its halftime audience, Michael Jackson performed - the beginning of high profile acts appearing at halftime.

 

 

1994

Despite the Bills' kicker Steve Christie kicking the longest field goal in Super Bowl history (54 yards), Buffalo lost the Super Bowl for the fourth year in a row. 

1995

This was the first Super Bowl to charge $1 million for a :30 ad unit.  As for the game, the 49ers were 18-1/2 point favorites, the biggest spread ever, and won by 23, 49-26.  49ers quarterback Steve Young set a Super Bowl mark by throwing six touchdown passes.  The two teams combined for 75 points, most ever.  This is the only Super Bowl played between two West Coast teams (the San Diego Chargers was the other team).  This was the 49ers' fifth Super Bowl win, and it would their last time at the Big Game until 2013.  During the game the Budweiser frogs, Bud, Wies and Er, were first introduced.

 

 

1996

Diana Ross headlined the halftime show and ended her performance with a dramatic exit by helicopter.  An episode of Friends aired after the game and delivered an audience of 52 million, making it the largest Super Bowl lead-out ever. 

1997

The 24 points scored in the 1st quarter (New England 14 Green Bay 10) was the most ever.  This was the Packers first Super Bowl appearance since Super Bowl II. 

1998

The pre-game show was hosted by Sat. Night Live's Phil Hartman, who was murdered by his wife three months later.

 

 

1999

Cher, whose latest single Believe was rising on the charts, sang the National Anthem.

 

 

2000

The average price of a :30 spot topped $2 million.  Host city, Atlanta, was plagued by two ice storms in the week leading up to the game.  This Super Bowl is often referred to as the "Dot-com Bowl" because nineteen dot-com companies aired commercials (nearly half of them were out of business within a few years, including Pets.com).

 

 

2001

Following the game the Season 2 premiere of Survivor aired, and its audience of 47 million was the second largest of any post-game programming. 

2002

The game was played at New Orleans' Superdome for the sixth time, most of any venue (a seventh time would be in 2013).  This Super Bowl had the distinction of having the latest kick-off time (on the East Coast) - 6:40 PM.  As for the game, the Patriots kicked a field goal with seven seconds remaining to win.  President Bush became the first president involved in any part of the game as he participated in the opening coin toss.  As U2 sang Where the Streets Have No Name during halftime, the names of all those who died on 9-11 were displayed on a white sheet behind the stage.  For the second year in a row the price of a :30 ad declined.

 

 

2003

In their first Super Bowl appearance, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won.  With a temperature of 82° at kick-off time, this was the second warmest Super Bowl.  This was also the fourth Super Bowl to be played on Jan. 26 - the most of any date. 

2004

This game is known for the "Nipplegate" halftime incident between Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson.  As for the game, the 37 combined points scored in the 4th quarter was the most scored in any quarter of a Super Bowl.  And two years after New England won with seven seconds left, this year they won the game with eight seconds remaining.

 

 

2005

Animal Planet aired its first Puppy Bowl opposite the game.  New England won for the second year in a row, the eighth time a team had back-to-back championships.

 

 

2006

The Rolling Stones provided the halftime entertainment.  This was the first Super Bowl to use a five-second delay during the show. 

2007

This is the only Super Bowl in which the opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown.  Prince's halftime show took place in a steady rain.  An ad for Snickers created controversy because it showed two kissing after eating a Snickers bar from opposite ends.

 

 

2008

In winning the Super Bowl, the Giants handed the Patriots their only loss of the season.  The E-Trade baby made his first appearance during the telecast.

 

 

2009

The Steelers came from behind in the final minute to beat the Arizona Cardinals for their sixth Super Bowl victory, the most of any team.  Despite the Great Recession, the price of a :30 saw a price increase. 

2010

The Saints won in their first Super Bowl appearance.  The night's most popular commercial was for Snickers in which Betty White gets tackled during a football game.

 

 

2011

Christina Aguilera sang the Star-Spangled Banner and got some of the lyrics wrong.  This was the first time Dallas hosted the Super Bowl. 

2012

Madonna provided the halftime entertainment and perhaps helped make this the Super Bowl with the largest TV audience -111.4 million (not to be confused with highest rating, which was in 1982).

 

 

2013

The game's second half was delayed 34 minutes due to a partial power failure.  Nine years after she was tapped to sing the National Anthem, Beyonce provided the halftime entertainment in a fierce get up that was a cross between Victoria's Secret and dominatrix.  The Ravens' Super Bowl victory was the first for the city of Baltimore since 1971 - when its NFL team was the Colts.

 

 

2014

This was the first Super Bowl played in an uncovered northern stadium, in northern New Jersey.  In the midst of a harsh/snowy winter the weather turned out not to be an issue as the temperature at game time was 49°.  (Eight inches of snow fell the following day.)  Renee Fleming was the first opera singer to sing the National Anthem.  As for the game, the Broncos gave up a safety on the opening play and it was downhill from there, with the Seattle Seahawks easily winning 44-8.  

2015

The Seahawks appeared in the game for the second year in a row and it appeared as if they were on their way to another victory, but then New England ended their scoring drive by intercepting a pass at the one-yard line with 24 seconds left to play.  Katy Perry  was the primary halftime entertainment which was marked by dancing sharks.  She ended by swinging across the field on a wire.  This was the first game to offer :15 commercials.  The game had the largest audience of any Super Bowl (but not the highest rating, which was posted in 1982), with peaks during halftime and in the game's closing minutes (121 million viewers).

 

 

 

2016

This was the Golden Anniversary of the Super Bowl (i.e., the 50th) and it was also the final game of Denver Bronco quarterback Peyton Manning's 17-year career, and he made it memorable with a victory - Denver's third Super Bowl championship.  This was the first Super Bowl to charge $5 million for a :30 commercial.  Carolina Panther QB, Cam Newton, came across as a sore loser when he walked out of the post-game news conference.

 

2017

This was the first Super Bowl that went into overtime.  Down 28-3 near the end of the Third Quarter, the Patriots made the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, beating the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28.  This was the Patriots' fifth Super Bowl victory (one behind the Steelers).  Country singer Luke Bryan was the first male singer to perform the National Anthem in ten years (when Billy Joel sang it).  Halftime entertainment was provided by Lady Gaga.  With the game coming just two weeks after Donald Trump's inauguration, there was speculation about whether she would make some sort of anti-Trump statement since she was known for making political statements.  And while there was nothing overt, it was felt that her choice of two patriotic songs at the beginning of her set, God Bless America and This Land is Your Land, was intended to suggest the need for prayer for the nation, and a reminder of the ideals that were the basis of the nation's founding.

 

 

2018

This year a comeback by the Patriots' (appearing in their tenth Super Bowl) was thwarted by a fumble in the closing minutes, enabling the Philadelphia Eagles to win their first Super Bowl.  A very small consolation for New England was the fact that the 33 points it scored was the most to be scored by a losing team.  Despite the game being an exciting one the average viewing audience was the smallest in nine years.  Halftime entertainment was provided by Justin Timberlake, 14 years after his and Janet Jackson's controversial 'Nipplegate' performance during that Super Bowl's halftime.

 

2019

For the first time in ten years the Super Bowl, which was the lowest scoring ever (Patriots 13 Rams 3), had an average-minute audience of less than 100 million. The halftime show featuring Maroon 5 and some rap stars from Atlanta (which hosted the game) paled in comparison to previous halftimes starring the likes of Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Madonna and Katy Perry.  For me the most memorable part of the game was a commercial for Burger King that used footage from a 1960s documentary showing Andy Warhol unwrapping a BK hamburger and putting Heinz ketchup on it.  And although Burger King paid for the :45 ad (estimated cost of $7.8 million), Heinz had equally prominent placement.

 

 

2020

Six weeks before COVID shut down the nation, the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV after a memorable late-game comeback. Down 21-10 at the start of the 4th Quarer, Kansas City scored three unanswered touchdowns in the game's final seven minutes to defeat the 49er's 31-21.  This comeback somewhat one-upped J-Lo's and Shakira's scintillating halftime show.

 

 

2021

COVID restrictions were in place for Super Bowl LV, in which defending champions, the Chiefs, were beat by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-9, behind quarterback Tom Brady, his first season playing for Tampa Bay after his storied carrer with the Patriots (this was Brady's tenth Super Bowl appearance, and his seventh Super Bowl ring).   Space restrictions resulted in a crowd of fewer than 25,000 being allowed in (one-third of seats were given to healthcare workers).  The Wkend was the halftime performer and his show had a rather dramatic, sinister feel to it.

 

 

2022 

The Bengals went to 0-3 in Super Bowls after the San Diego Rams scored the winning touchdown with less then two minutes left to the game (final score: 23-20).  Those attending the game in Inglewood, CA were required to show proof of COVID vaccination and a negative PCR test within 48 hours of the game.  The match-up featured the youngest pairing of head coaches in a Super Bowl (both were under 40).  The halftime show was a tribute to legends of hip hop, with appearances by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blighe, and Kendrick Lamar.  Finally, Super Bowl LIV was referred to as the "Crytocurrency Bowl" because of a perponderance of commercials from crytpo-currency companies, including FTX which shelled out $15 million for a two-minute spot starring Curb Your Enthusiam's Larry David.     

 2023

Super Bowl LVII was the first to feature starting quarterbacks facing each other who were black - Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) and Jalen Hurts (Eagles).  In an exciting game that had constant scoring, the Chiefs scored the winning touchdown with about two minutes left to beat the Eagles, 38-35.  The 35 points scored by the Eagles were the most by a losing team.  Singing superstar Rihanna (who was in the early states of pregnancy performed at halftime on a platform suspended over the playing field that rose and dropped.  She sang a dozen of her hits, but didn't include early hits Pon de Replay, Don't Stop the Music, and Shut Up and Drive. 

 

 

 

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