SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2016 SPORTS Super Bowl champions haven’t always been ‘super’ NEW YORK: They have the gaudy rings mistake-prone offensive mess. Oakland the Redskins overcome shaky quarter- was scatback Dave Meggett (39 recep- round, dominating Aaron Rodgers at and the rest of the swag that comes with turned it over 44 times and finished 16th back play as Jay Schroeder and Doug tions) and the ghost of O.J. Anderson Lambeau Field in mid-January. They being a Super Bowl champion. The prism in total yards. Jim Plunkett completed Williams took turns winning the job ... averaged 3.5 yards per carry. avoided catastrophe at rainy Candlestick of history, however, isn’t so kind. Some just 51 percent of his passes and had 16 and then losing it. The defense was 24th WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! Oh, right, Park to top the 49ers in overtime in the years, the team that rampaged through interceptions to go with 18 touchdown against the pass and 18th overall. The LT. The league’s best defense allowed NFC title game, then stunned the the fall doesn’t celebrate on a confetti- passes. While Plunkett was markedly four regular-season losses were to teams less than two touchdowns a game, Patriots and Tom Brady in the Super strewn field in winter, Lombardi Trophy better in the playoffs, Oakland needed who went a combined 24-36. picked off 23 passes and found a way to Bowl for the second time in five years. thrust aloft in giddy celebration. For the Browns to be ... well, the Browns in WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! Coach Joe upset the two-time defending champion The defense that couldn’t stop anybody every ‘85 Bears and ‘72 Dolphins, there’s the divisional round. Trailing by two in Gibbs finally settled on Williams midway San Francisco 49ers on the road in the during the regular season held Brady in a group whose grasp on the national the final minute and well within field through the regular-season finale NFC championship. Then, Hostetler and check in Indianapolis and gave Eli one imagination faded not long after the goal range, Cleveland’s Brian Sipe was against Minnesota and the Redskins Anderson played keepaway from more Super Bowl title than big brother MVP’s parade at Disney World. picked off in the end zone on a play infa- took off. Darrell Green’s exquisite hur- Buffalo’s “K-Gun” offense in the Super Peyton ... regardless of whether he’s Eli- Sure, everybody loves an underdog, mously known as “Red Right 88” and the dling punt return for a touchdown Bowl, leading to a 20-19 upset in what te or not. but underdogs aren’t born, they’re Raiders escaped with a 14-12 win. sparked an upset over Chicago in the remains the greatest Super Bowl ever. made. Somewhere along the way, they WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! Cornerback divisional round and Williams went off (Save it, 2004 Patriots and 2008 Steelers HONORABLE MENTION tripped up before capturing the elusive Lester Hayes and his stickum-laden fin- on the Broncos in the Super Bowl. fans.) 1967 Green Bay Packers: Even with all “it” that carried them through the final gers picked off 13 passes and the Washington ripped off five touchdowns those Hall of Famers, Vince Lombardi’s Sunday of a six-month slog from training Raiders collected seven return touch- in the second quarter of a 42-10 annihi- TEAM: 2011 New York Giants (9-7) injury-decimated group was in the bot- camp to triumph, a team of the year if downs to bail the offense out that sea- lation, an imperfect team that represent- WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS? Does it tom half of the NFL in total offense and not for the ages. son. In a relatively easy Super Bowl win ed an imperfect year after the league seem like we’re picking on the Giants? turned it over 36 times (including 17 To call them the “worst” of the best over the Eagles, the defense was domi- endured its second strike of the decade. Well, maybe we are. Still, these guys kind picks by Bart Starr). would be a snarky misnomer. After all, nant. Rod Martin picked off three passes of deserve it. New York is the only Super 2001 New England Patriots: were 5-5 the championship banners all come in in a 27-10 romp. TEAM: 1990 New York Giants (13-3) Bowl winner to finish the regular season in November before Brady started to fig- the same size, right? Still, looking back, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS? So what if with a negative point differential (minus- ure it out. 2012 Baltimore Ravens: only it’s a wonder some got there at all. TEAM: 1987 Washington Redskins (11-4) they started 10-0? The Giants went 3-3 six), ranked 25th in total defense, lost 11th in the league in point differential WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS? Don’t let down the stretch and lost quarterback four of five in the middle of the year and (plus-52) and if Denver’s Rahim Moore TEAM: 1980 Oakland Raiders (11-5) the record fool you. Washington’s NFC Phil Simms to a foot injury in Week 14, was just 7-7 going into a “road” game times his jump properly on Joe Flacco’s WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS? The first East-leading mark received a major leaving the offense - such as it was -in against the Jets on Christmas Eve. late heave to Jacoby Jones, the Ravens wild-card team to win the Super Bowl, boost by the replacement players, who the hands of a largely unproven Jeff WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! The Giants don’t escape with the “Mile High the Raiders spent most of the year as a went 3-0 during the ‘87 strike, helping Hostetler. New York’s leading receiver upset the 15-1 Packers in the divisional Miracle.”—AP Vakatawa, Plisson shine as France edge out Italy PARIS: Virimi Vakatawa and Jules Plisson side sometimes defended awfully. shone in a new-look France team who “We were a bit dominated but pre- secured a hard-fought 23-21 victory over vailed thanks to the crowd,” said captain Italy in their Six Nations opener yester- Guilhem Guirado. “We can build on this day. victory but there’s a lot to do and next Coach Guy Noves made a winning week comes Ireland.” Italy went ahead start as sevens stalwart Vakatawa, who with a fine drop goal by Canna but had not played 15-man rugby in more France hit back when the burly than two years, scored the first try from Vakatawa, perfectly set up by fullback the wing. Maxime Medard, sidestepped a tackler Damien Chouly and Hugo Bonneval and touched down for the first try of the also crossed the line and flyhalf Plisson tournament. kicked a conversion and two penalties. Louis Picamoles limped off the pitch Italy responded with tries by Sergio with a right leg problem after less than Parisse and Carlo Canna, who also added 20 minutes. Parisse dived over with the a drop goal, a penalty and a conversion. ball in his armpit when the Italy forward Kelly Haimona kicked a penalty. drove over the try line after a lineout as The Stade de France was under tight Italy regained the lead. security as the gates opened for the first Les Bleus, playing in a tricolore shirt, time since last November’s Paris attacks scored their second try shortly before the when assaults on bars, restaurants, a con- interval after Gael Fickou took a tap cert hall and outside the stadium killed penalty and Chouly dived over at the 130 people. French president Francois end of an overlap. Hollande attended the game. Canna slotted home a penalty to put Former Toulouse coach Noves was in the Azzurri in front again and the flyhalf charge of his first game since taking over picked up the ball and touched down from Philippe Saint-Andre after France after Parisse was halted a couple of were knocked out of last year’s World metres before the line. He converted his Cup with a record defeat by New Zealand own try to give Italy an eight-point lead. in the quarter-finals, and it was a close However, Vakatawa made the decisive shave for his team. break for Bonneval’s try, which was con- They showed great attacking inten- verted by Plisson, who slotted home the ANAHEIM: Anaheim Ducks’ Mike Santorelli (25) steals the puck from Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23) during the second tions, passing the ball around quickly, winning penalty from almost 50 metres. period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif, Friday.— AP but scrumhalf Sebastien Bazy misfired France take on Ireland at the Stade de three times before handing over the France next Saturday and Italy play kicking duties to Plisson, and the home England next Sunday. —Reuters Ducks beat Coyotes for 6th straight win ANAHEIM: Corey Perry and Andrew Cogliano Staal and Justin Faulk scored in the first period, scored less than two minutes apart early in the and the Carolina Hurricanes held on against the BLUE JACKETS 2, FLAMES 1 third period to break open a tie game, and the Winnipeg Jets. The Hurricanes scored four times Columbus rookie William Karlsson broke out Anaheim Ducks beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-2 on on their first nine shots, taking a 4-0 lead just of a slump with two goals to lead the surging Friday night for their season-high sixth straight 10:04 into the game.