Super Bowl XXXVIII

Super Bowl XXXVIII
29	32
Date	February 1, 2004
Stadium	Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
MVP	Tom Brady, quarterback
Favorite	Patriots by 7
Referee	Ed Hochuli
Attendance	71,525
Hall of Famers
	Panthers: Julius Peppers, Sam Mills (Asst. Coach) ; Patriots: Ty Law, Richard Seymour
Ceremonies
National anthem	Beyoncé
Coin toss	Earl Campbell, Ollie Matson, Don Maynard, Y. A. Tittle, Mike Singletary, Gene Upshaw
Halftime show	Jessica Simpson, Ocean of Soul, Spirit of Houston, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, P. Diddy, Kid Rock, and Nelly
TV in the United States
Network	CBS
Announcers	Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, Armen Keteyian and Bonnie Bernstein
Nielsen ratings	41.4 ; (est. 89.8 million viewers)
Market share	63
Cost of 30-second commercial	$2.2 million
Radio in the United States
Network	Westwood One
Announcers	Marv Albert, Boomer Esiason, John Dockery and John Riggins
	← XXXVII ; Super Bowl ; XXXIX → ;

Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2003 season. The Patriots defeated the Panthers by a score of 32–29.^[5] The game was played at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, on February 1, 2004. At the time, this was the most watched Super Bowl ever with 89.8 million viewers.^[6]

The Panthers were making their first ever Super Bowl appearance after posting an 11–5 regular season record. They also made it the second straight year that a team from the NFC South division made the Super Bowl, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning Super Bowl XXXVII. The Patriots, led by head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, were seeking their second Super Bowl title in three years after posting a 14–2 record.

NFL fans and sports writers widely consider this game one of the most well-played and thrilling Super Bowls; Sports Illustrated writer Peter King hailed it as the "Greatest Super Bowl of all time."^[7] Although neither team could score in the first and third quarters, making the first Super Bowl with two scoreless quarters, they ended up with a combined total of 868 yards and 61 points. The game was scoreless for a Super Bowl record 26:55 before the two teams combined for 24 points prior to halftime. The clubs then combined for a Super Bowl record 37 points in the fourth quarter. The contest was finally decided when the Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri's 41-yard field goal was made with four seconds left.^[8] Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time in his career.

The game is also known for its controversial halftime show in which Janet Jackson's breast, adorned with a nipple shield, was exposed by Justin Timberlake for about half a second, in what was later referred to as a "wardrobe malfunction".^[9] Along with the rest of the halftime show, it led to an immediate crackdown by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and widespread debate on perceived indecency in broadcasting.^[9]

^ DiNitto, Marcus (January 25, 2015). "Super Bowl Betting History – Underdogs on Recent Roll". Sporting News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
^ "Super Bowl History". Vegas Insider. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
^ "Super Bowl XXXVIII Box Score: New England 32, Carolina 29". NFL.com. National Football League. February 1, 2004. Archived from the original on March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
^ "TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
^ Hack, Damon (February 2, 2004). "Patriots Win 2nd Super Bowl in 3 Years". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
^ "America's Game". NFL Network. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
^ King, Peter (February 3, 2004). "Peter King: Super Bowl XXXVIII had it all, making it the best ever". SI.com. Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 5, 2004. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
^ The Associated Press (February 1, 2004). "Vinatieri Kicks Patriots to Super Bowl Win". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Apologetic Jackson says 'costume reveal' went awry". CNN. Associated Press. February 3, 2004. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2007.

[1] DiNitto, Marcus (January 25, 2015). "Super Bowl Betting History – Underdogs on Recent Roll". Sporting News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.

[2] "Super Bowl History". Vegas Insider. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.

[3] "Super Bowl XXXVIII Box Score: New England 32, Carolina 29". NFL.com. National Football League. February 1, 2004. Archived from the original on March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.

[4] "TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2010.

[5] Hack, Damon (February 2, 2004). "Patriots Win 2nd Super Bowl in 3 Years". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2022.

[6] "America's Game". NFL Network. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2007.

[7] King, Peter (February 3, 2004). "Peter King: Super Bowl XXXVIII had it all, making it the best ever". SI.com. Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 5, 2004. Retrieved February 16, 2016.

[8] The Associated Press (February 1, 2004). "Vinatieri Kicks Patriots to Super Bowl Win". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2022.

[apologeticjackson-9] "Apologetic Jackson says 'costume reveal' went awry". CNN. Associated Press. February 3, 2004. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2007.

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