For anyone who still believes the NFL to be legitimate:

These are the Super Bowls in the 21st century. Note that, for the purposes of this article, little (and zero direct) discussion will be made of whether the games are rigged or not. The question, for these purposes, is how a league can be considered legitimate when the following takes place:

Super Bowl XXXV: January 2001 Baltimore over Giants, 34-7.

One year before, Ray Lewis (the MVP of this Super Bowl and the stalwart linebacker of a historic defense that defied NFL tradition) was involved in a fight which resulted in a double-homicide at a Super Bowl party. Lewis was only not charged with the murders for his cooperation, and a plea deal to obstruction of justice. Lewis was fined $250,000 by the NFL (believed to be the highest fine ever levied a player outside of drug offenses), and his two friends were eventually acquitted.

Again, one year from that offense, and seven months after his friends were acquitted for a murder which has never been officially solved, he not only plays in the Super Bowl, not only wins it, but is the fracking MVP of the game.

At least Disney had the good sense to go to somebody else for the "Disney World" line.

Super Bowl XXXVI: (January 2002) New England over St. Louis, 20-17.

The SpyGate Bowl.

From the Wikipedia article on the Spygate situation:

"On February 2, 2008, the day before the Patriots' appearance in Super Bowl XLII, the Boston Herald reported, citing an unnamed source, that a member of the Patriots' video staff videotaped the St. Louis Rams' Saturday walkthrough prior to Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome, an accusation denied by the Patriots later that day. The NFL conducted interviews with Belichick and other members of the Patriots before and after Super Bowl XLII regarding the accusation, and found no evidence to substantiate the Super Bowl XXXVI allegations or any other transgressions beside those the NFL had already penalized the Patriots for."

The "member of the Patriots' video staff" was believed to be Matt Walsh. As a part of an agreement to idemnify him with respect to the NFL, Roger Goodell asked for all tapes Walsh still had. He didn't have tapes from Super Bowl XXXVI walkthroughs, but he did have four other tapes spanning three 2001-2002 games, including two tapes of a controversial AFC Championship win that year over Pittsburgh.

The matter was dropped both by the NFL and the Federal government -- no additional (official) penalties were imposed on the Patriots for their accused actions in Super Bowl XXXVI.

This Super Bowl would eventually spawn the legal case (Mayer vs. Belichick, New England Patriots, and National Football League) stating that a sports fan with a ticket to the contest had no right to anything from that ticket except a seat at the event. There was no inferred right as to the rules being followed, the players being lawful, or anything else.

In effect, it legalized sports-rigging in the United States.

Super Bowl XXXVII: (February, 2003) Tampa Bay over Oakland, 48-21.

The main thing which steps out from this game:

The departure from Oakland to Tampa Bay of coach John Gruden, and the fact that the succeeding coach, Bill Callahan, never changed the signals of his offense, allowing the #1 defense in the league (Tampa Bay) to run roughshod over the NFL's #1 offense (Oakland).

Super Bowl XXXVIII: (February 2004) New England over Carolina, 32-29.

Super Bowl XXXIX: (February 2005) New England over Philadelphia, 24-21.

Two pure extensions of the Belichick Spygate fraud. If the first one doesn't happen, neither do these two.

Super Bowl XL: (February 2006) Pittsburgh over Seattle, 21-10.

Regardless of those who believe that the game was fixed, it was known and has been admitted that this is probably on the short list of the worst-officiated championship sports events in the history of organized American professional sport.

When you have, according to the Super Bowl XL Wikipedia page, this admission:

"

On August 6, 2010, while visiting the Seahawks' preseason training camp for an annual rules interpretation session with the Seattle media, [XL Referee Bill] Leavy brought up Super Bowl XL without being asked, and admitted to having blown calls:

It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights, and I think about it constantly. I'll go to my grave wishing that I'd been better ... I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn't good enough ... When we make mistakes, you got to step up and own them. It's something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl it's difficult.

"

... it effectively admits that the game was marred beyond the point of legitimacy.

Rothlesberger didn't become Rapist-burger until 2008, the motorcycle accident which brought his judgement into question didn't come in until later in 2006.

Super Bowl XLI: (February, 2007) Indianapolis over Chicago, 29-17.

Lest we forget, Bears starting defensive tackle Tank Johnson needed court approval to simply play in the Super Bowl, as he was facing probation violation charges involving firearms, and the resulting firestorm surrounding the death of his bodyguard.

Super Bowl XLII: (February, 2008) Giants over New England, 17-14.

Spygate was revealed to the world by a Boston Globe article the day before the game took place. This would be, effectively, the fourth Spygate-aided Super Bowl for Belichick and the Patriots.

Plaxico Burress' legal troubles did not begin until the off-season after this Super Bowl victory.

Super Bowl XLIII: (February, 2009) Pittsburgh over Arizona, 27-23.

By now, Rothlesberger was already the subject of at least his first sexual assault investigations, of which more would follow - on top of the motorcycle incident. James Harrison had his first brush with the law (conveniently swept under the rug) about one year before, a simple assault. Harrison would be the Defensive Player of the Year for that season, and complete a classic 100-yard interception return in the game.

And then there's the story of Santonio Holmes, who would be the game's MVP because of a tip-toe catch in the corner of the endzone (*cough* Which never would been called a catch under the Calvin Johnson Rule *cough*) for the game-winning touchdown. A 2006 domestic violence issue was dropped, even after the prosecutor refused to do so the first time. He was a known drug-dealer out of Belle Glade, FL, where he lived as a teen. And yet he's allowed to play football for millions -- of people and of dollars.

Super Bowl XLIV: (February, 2010) New Orleans over Indianapolis, 31-17.

Bounty-Gate. See Favre section of previous post.

Super Bowl XLV: (February, 2011) Green Bay over Pittsburgh, 31-25.

By this point, the Pittsburgh Steelers believed, and with cause!, that they were official NFL Enemies of the State. Rothlesberger had now survived his SECOND sexual assault investigation, James Harrison was seen as one of the dirtiest players in the league (which eventually led to THIS classic article on my blog after he spouted off in Men's Journal, and becoming the first player to be suspended directly for repeated dirty hits under the new player-safety initiatives the dirty Pittsburgh defense of this season helped create!), James Farrior and others right behind him.

Super Bowl XLVI: (February, 2012) Giants over New England, 21-17.

Spygate Super Bowl #5.

With backstories like these (and this is *NOT* an exhaustive list), who needs legitimacy?