The Super Bowl – the biggest event in the US sporting calendar – does not fall short of incredible moments that have fans on the edge of their seats.
From high-pressured performances on stage to the gruelling chase of the ball – the 57th edition of the Super Bowl will be no different as the Eagles and Chiefs go head to head.
Before the big game, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look back at the most iconic moments in NFL history.
Santonio Holmes scores in the last few seconds
Image: Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes. Pic: AP
Super Bowl XLIII, Tampa Bay, 2009 saw the Pittsburgh Steelers claim a dramatic victory against the Cardinals.
With 35 seconds left on the clock, a perfectly placed ball in the back corner of the end zone was grabbed in a victorious occasion by Santonio Holmes – breaking the hearts of many Cardinals fans, as the Steelers took the win.
The Blackout Bowl in 2013
Image: San Francisco 49ers cheerleaders perform during a power outage at the Superdome in 2013. Pic: AP
Super Bowl XLVII had a 34-minute delay due to a power outage, plunging parts of the Superdome into darkness.
At the height of a nail-biting clash between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers most of the lights in the 73,000-seat building went out.
Officials revealed that an “abnormality” in the power system triggered an automatic shutdown, which forced backup systems to kick in, according to the official NFL site.
Taking a knee
Image: San Francisco 49ers Eric Reid (35) and Colin Kaepernick (7) take a knee during the National Anthem at an NFL football game in 2016
A protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
The act of solidarity first started in 2016 with quarterback Colin Kaepernick taking a knee, followed by other players.
This was in response to former President Donald Trump‘s remarks and the oppression against black people across the country.
During the Super Bowl half-time show in 2022, rapper Eminem took a knee.
Image: Eminem and Dr Dre perform in the half-time show during the NFL Super Bowl in 2022. Pic: AP
As speculation began about over NFL resisting the gesture, the football league quickly pushed back and denied the reports.
“We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said.
Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception
Image: Malcolm Butler pulled off an incredible catch to win the Super Bowl for New England Patriots (L). Pic: AP
Super Bowl XLIX saw an unforgettable save that had the crowds roaring.
With a few seconds left on the clock,New England Patriots cornerbackMalcolm Butler brilliantly caught the ball in the end zone to deny Seattle Seahawks.
“Unreal,” shouted the commentator as Butler sealed the Patriots’ victory.
The Wide Right or 47 Wide Right by Scott Norwood
Super Bowl XXV might seem like a distant memory, but it is indeed a scene many fans remember.
It was ready, set, go for a field goal attempt by the Bills.
Norwood was ready to make his move but ended up kicking the ball wide right.
“It is no good,” the commentator said as the victory was given to the Giants in a 20-19 win.
Super Bowl LI saw a tie at 28-28 between the Falcons and Patriots.
After a nerve-wracking coin toss, the Patriots became were victorious within four minutes of overtime.
James White ran with the ball through the field and grappled through the crowd for the final touchdown.
An epic win that will surely be remembered.
Destiny’s Child reunite
Image: Beyonce reunites with, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Pic: AP
Beyonce always has a way of capturing the hearts of her fans and her reunion with Destiny’s Child in 2013 will live long in the memory.
Queen Bey took centre stage with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams for the half-time show of Super Bowl XLVII.
It was a blast from the past, as fans were heard roaring to the sound of their famous track Bootylicious.
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake
Image: Janet Jackson performed with Justin Timberlake. Pic: AP
Justin Timberlake rocked the stage with his Rock Your Body hit song, along with Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl XXXVIII half-time show.
Towards the final few seconds of the song, Timberlake ripped Jackson’s top open, briefly exposing her breast on stage.
Dubbed “nipplegate”, Timberlake infamously described it as an unintended “wardrobe malfunction”.
CBS, which had aired that year’s Super Bowl, was fined $550,000 by the Federal Communications Commission – but it was later was overturned.
David Tyree’s Helmet Catch
Image: New York Giants receiver David Tyree (85) holds on by his fingertips to a 32-yard pass. Pic: AP
Super Bowl XLII 2008 shocked many with the New York Giants Tyree’s epic helmet catch that is seen as one of the greatest plays in NFL history.
In the heat of the game, with two minutes to spare, the ball shot its way through the field after a forward pass.
Tyree took a perfectly timed leap, catching the ball and pressing it against his helmet.
The Coin toss
Image: Billie Jean King flips the coin before the NFL Super Bowl 56 football game. Pic: AP
In 2022, Tennis legend Billie Jean King conducted the coin toss ahead of the Super Bowl LVI.
King was honorary coin toss captain along with members of the California School for the Deaf-Riverside Cubs and members of the girls’ youth tackle football players from the Inglewood Chargers and the Watts Rams.
King conducted the toss to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark sports gender equality legislation.
Title IX was passed in 1972 as part of the Education Amendments, which abolishes sex-based discrimination in school, universities and other educational programmes.
Donald Trump has claimed the use of paracetamol in pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of autism – but what does the evidence say?
Americans consume more than 40% of all the world’s paracetamol, spending in excess of $4bn a year on products containing acetaminophen (as it is known in America – or by its leading brand name, Tylenol).
Autism rates in the US are also on the rise – going up from about one in 150 children in the year 2000, to around one in 30 today.
There have also been a number of well-publicised studies suggesting a correlation between mothers who took paracetamol during pregnancy and the birth of a child with autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD.
So surely something must be going on?
Well, not necessarily.
In studies that have suggested a link, the authors have been unable to show the drug itself led to autism instead of other factors.
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These include: the genetics of the parents (autism’s genetic links are well established); the lifestyle or environment in which the mother lives; or most confounding of all, that the reason the mother was taking paracetamol – a viral infection perhaps – wasn’t a trigger rather than the drug itself.
A study showing a correlation is not the same as finding a cause.
Better understanding of autism has meant the criteria for diagnosing it have expanded over the last two decades to include far more people. Diagnoses may well be rising simply because we’re better at recognising it.
Image: Tylenol is America’s leading brand name for paracetamol. Pic: AP
What’s more, there are numerous studies showing evidence of no link to paracetamol at all.
Chief among them is a huge study from last year that included 2.5 million children in Sweden.
In Sweden, a mother’s use of paracetamol during pregnancy is added to her medical records.
The researchers found a marginal increase in the risk of autism and paracetamol use by the mother. But crucially, when they included data for siblings born to the same mothers from pregnancies during which she took no paracetamol, the apparent link disappeared.
“Which provides a pretty strong evidence against the notion that paracetamol would cause harm,” said Dr Viktor Ahlqvist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, who led the study.
Paracetamol still recommended in UK
The study showed not only that paracetamol wasn’t linked to autism, but that other studies, with poorer quality data were prone to seeing a pattern that wasn’t there.
This balance of evidence is why health authorities, including here in the UK, are confident in recommending paracetamol for use in pregnancy.
In fact, it’s now recommended as the safest choice, as other painkillers – even ibuprofen – have been shown to cause potential or actual harm to mother or babies.
Image: Talking up a link with the drug could anger people with autism or their parents, say experts. Pic: iStock
While most doctors would advise women only to take medicines in pregnancy when necessary, avoiding paracetamol could do more harm than good.
“While you’re pregnant, experiencing uncontrolled fevers or some of the side effects from pain, such as high blood pressure, will be a lot more detrimental to a developing baby and a mother than paracetamol will be,” said Dr Monique Botha, who studies bias in autism research at the University of Durham.
Talking up a link between autism and paracetamol is also likely to anger people with autism or their parents, suspects Dr Botha.
“Families with autistic children are often struggling with under-resourced care and someone standing up and declaring that they’ve potentially found the cause of autism – when it’s so misguided – isn’t going to change anything for them.”
Researchers worry too, that posing a link between a drug taken during pregnancy and autism adds unnecessary stigma to mothers of autistic children.
“We’ve seen this many, many times, going back to the scary stories of the 1960s, that the blame is usually on the mother and parents where a child has a condition,” said Dr Ahlqvist.
“With this current [US] administration, they’re again pointing the finger at mothers, when we have no substantial evidence to suggest that this is the case.”
So, if paracetamol doesn’t cause autism, what’s causing the Trump administration to talk about it?
With echoes of previous, and all too real, drug scandals like thalidomide, it’s the kind of story to generate controversy by association – however false.
And the Trump White House has form when it comes to finding issues to distract from genuine controversies surrounding the president.
The story also fits a key theme of US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s policy moves – like on childhood vaccines — that stem from his belief that children are being harmed by an overmedicated America.
But the whole point of science is that it doesn’t care what you believe, it’s about what the best quality evidence tells you.
So far, there’s been precious little of that behind the latest changes in US health policy.
Late night TV show presenter Jimmy Kimmel, who was taken off the air following a row over comments about Charlie Kirk, will return on Tuesday.
Kimmel, who was accused of being “offensive and insensitive” because of what he said on his show last Monday, will go back on air in his regular slot.
Disney said in a statement: “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.
“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.
“We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
Image: Jimmy Kimmel had criticised President Donald Trump for his response to the murder of Charlie Kirk. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
Earlier today, hundreds of Hollywood stars signed an open letter to defend free speech following Kimmel’s suspension.
More than 430 of the stars, including comedians, directors and writers, urged Americans to “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights”.
The letter is addressed to the American Civil Liberties Union, and argues the decision was a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation”.
The letter adds: “Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country.
Image: Robert De Niro was among those to sign an open letter in protest to Kimmel’s ban. (Pic: Reuters/Sarah Meyssonnier)
“We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power – because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us.”
The list of signatures also includes Emmy-winner Noah Wyle, Oscar-nominated Florence Pugh, comedian David Cross, Tony-winner Kelli O’Hara and Molly Ringwald. Pedro Pascal, Billy Crystal, Nathan Lane, Kerry Washington and Kevin Bacon have also signed the letter.
The letter concludes: “This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation. We encourage all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights.”
He said:“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Speaking about Trump, he added: “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Image: President Donald Trump had celebrated Kimmel’s suspension.(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
“Many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk,” he continued.
The Disney-owned ABC pulled the show following criticism from Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
Mr Carr had threatened to “take action” against Disney and ABC.
In an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, he said: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way”.
Mr Carr then praised the move, saying “it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values”.
But the decision sparked a global, furious backlash from the public and high-profile figures around the world.
Among them was former US President Barack Obama, who said on X: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.”
He added: “This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent – and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it.”
The decision came at a time Disney and Nexstar, the network operator, had FCC business ahead of them, with the former seeking regulatory approval for ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network and the latter need the Trump administrations approval to complete a $6.2billion purchase of broadcast rival, Tegna.
“I forgive him.” They were three little words, and yet, they were huge.
In a stadium packed to capacity, Erika Kirk’s address to an assassin was delivered in tears and received with silence until the crowd grew into applause.
“The answer to hate is not hate,” she added. It is, perhaps, the message America needs to hear most and the one it has heard least.
Image: President Donald Trump embraces Erika Kirk. Pic: AP
Image: Erika Kirk wipes tears from her eyes during her speech. Pic: AP
The memorial to Charlie Kirk felt like a Republican state funeral in all but name.
This was MAGA in mourning, an occasion that laid bare the influence of Charlie Kirk and his politics.
They had travelled in their tens of thousands to the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
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1:57
Charlie Kirk’s supporters pay tribute at memorial
They saluted a conservative icon and the dress code crafted a patriotic spectacle in red, white and blue.
It was an act of remembrance on a stadium scale, huge in size and sentiment. It was also big on politics.
From the president down, the Trump administration’s top tier spoke of politics after 10 September, the day Charlie Kirk was killed.
Image: Attendees listen as President Donald Trump speaks. Pic: AP
Image: A woman is overcome with emotion while watching a Charlie Kirk tribute video. Pic: AP
This was a Republican movement in one place, with one microphone, after an assassination that accelerated the tectonic shift in US politics.
A week and a half since the assassination, political reaction has distilled into a war over freedom of speech and that was revisited by the president, even if he reserved most of his speech to pay homage to Charlie Kirk.
The White House decanted a full team from Washington DC to Arizona.
They came for reasons of sympathy and bereavement, of course. It was also an occasion laced with politics.
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2:41
‘We speak for Charlie louder than ever’ – Vance
This was Washington’s travelling roadshow swinging by the support that Charlie built.
The same support was critical in helping Donald Trump back into power at the last election, and the challenge confronting the White House is in harnessing that vote in his absence and carrying it forward.
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