The Super Bowl and World Cup final are two of the biggest games in all of sports, and in a span of seven months staff reporter Luis Arroyave witnessed both. From before, during and after, here’s a comparison of the Bears-Colts Super Bowl and the France-Italy World Cup final.
PREGAME STORYLINE
WORLD CUP: France’s Zinedine Zidane one win away from Hollywood ending to legendary career.
SUPER BOWL: The guy that can’t win the big one, Peyton Manning, gets his first shot in a title game.
EDGE: World Cup
Zidane’s unlikely rebirth in his final matches is the sort of thing you wish you could see more often.
SETTING
WORLD CUP: Berlin and its new stadium, Olympiastadion, provided an excellent stage. The hot July temperatures? Not as pleasant.
SUPER BOWL: Non-stop rain during the game and congested traffic were the only blemishes on a week of nearly perfect weather and even better Super Bowl parties.
EDGE: Super Bowl
When you’re walking down the host city’s streets, you want to see and feel the hoopla.
ENTERTAINMENT
WORLD CUP: No one moves like Shakira, and she proved it as she danced barefoot performing “Hips Don’t Lie” before the game.
SUPER BOWL: Super Bowl halftime shows have been yawners, but Prince delivered a classic “Purple Rain” in appropriately soggy conditions.
EDGE: Super Bowl
Nine times out of 10, Shakira gets the edge. But Prince’s performance may go down as one of the best.
THE GAME
WORLD CUP: During the nerve-wracking penalty shootout, France’s David Trezeguet misses his kick, allowing Italy to win 5-3.
SUPER BOWL: The Bears take the early lead but can’t keep up with the Colts’ Peyton Manning and Dominic Rhodes.
EDGE: World Cup
Some may not like deciding games by penalty kicks, but the truth is they made for an intense atmosphere.
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
WORLD CUP: Zidane floors Italy’s Marco Materazzi with a head-butt to the chest and is ejected.
SUPER BOWL: Devin Hester becomes the first to return the opening kickoff of a Super Bowl for a touchdown.
EDGE: World Cup
The head-butt became an instant YouTube classic, but Hester’s TD lost some significance with the Bears’ loss.
