Super Bowl XXV, on Jan. 27, 1991, was memorable for several reasons.
It was played nine days into the Desert Storm invasion of Iraq.
It is still the only Super Bowl decided by only one point, as the New York Giants defeated the Buffalo Bills, 20-19.
It was decided by a last-second miss on a 47-yard field goal attempt by Bills kicker Scott Norwood that sailed to the right of the goal post.
Because of that miss, it's sometimes known as the "Wide Right Game."
But mostly, it is remembered as the "Whitney Houston Game."
Ms. Houston was so talented that she could even make the vocally challenging "Star-Spangled Banner" a huge hit.
If you have access to a computer, Google the rendition of the national anthem she performed before the game. If you don't get chills down your back, you were probably born in another country.
Except maybe Canada. In addition to the song being a huge seller in the United States, it also climbed the charts in Canada, too. In 1991, Houston donated her royalties from the song to raise funds for soldiers in the Gulf War and their families. She did the same for firefighters and victims after the 9/11 attacks. That's when it hit No. 5 in Canada.
Whitney Houston was an immensely talented singer. She was beautiful. She more than held her own on-screen acting with Kevin Costner in "The Bodyguard."
She seemingly had it all.
Then she lost it all.
We won't know for sure what led to Houston's death at age 48 on Saturday until final autopsy results, but reports said it was a fatal combination of prescription drugs and alcohol.
Sadly, as much as there is a sense of loss, there is little if no surprise.
For more than a decade, Houston was a human train wreck, hooked on crack cocaine and other drugs, destroying her voice, her looks, and despite earning more than $100 million in her career, she reportedly died broke.
Singing star Celine Dion put it as well as anyone when she spoke to the "Good Morning America" program.
"It's just really unfortunate that drugs, bad people, bad influences took over her dreams, her motherhood.
"When you think about Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse, to get into drugs like that, for whatever reason," she said. "... What happens when you have everything?"
Everything obviously wasn't enough. It wasn't enough for Janis Joplin or Jimi Hendrix or Judy Garland or Heath Ledger or John Belushi or Chris Farley or River Phoenix or Jim Morrison or Kurt Cobain ... or ... or ... or ...
Whitney Houston.
Opinion
Drugs ruined Houston's voice, life
- Opinion
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In Memoriam
This message appears each Memorial Day weekend in The Daily Star.
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Letters to the Editor: May 26, 2012
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Letters to the Editor: May 25, 2012
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Facebook’s fizzle was no surprise
Facebook’s IPO last week was supposed to be a moment of triumph for the social network, but the event quickly devolved into an ugly tale of duplicity, hubris and greed, as the stock lost 18 percent of its value in the first two days of trading.
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Letters to the Editor: May 24, 2012
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Heegan must show vision for Chamber
In selecting Barbara Ann Heegan as its executive director last week, the Otsego County Chamber would seem to have chosen a safe rather than a bold path for its immediate future.
- Wednesday, May 23, 2012
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Letters to the Editor: May 23, 2012
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Can't have a third party without a candidate
What if they gave a party ... and nobody came?
- Tuesday, May 22, 2012
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Cheers
To Bike to Work Day, Cooperstown Quiz Team, Arts Field Day, the SUNY Delhi Centennial.
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Letters to the Editor: May 22, 2012
- Monday, May 21, 2012
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Letters to the Editor: May 21, 2012
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The world does move
To look at a newspaper from 1912, 1937, 1962 or 1987, it can seem as though positively everything has changed.
- Saturday, May 19, 2012
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Letters to the Editor: May 19, 2012
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Graduates, take acquired skills, set sail on job voyage
This weekend, many colleges and universities -- including SUNY Delhi and SUNY Oneonta -- will bestow degrees of various levels and types upon their students.
- Friday, May 18, 2012
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Letters to the Editor: May 18, 2012
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'Whale' failure shows how little has changed
One positive development resulting from JPMorgan's recent $2 billion trading blunder is increased scrutiny of the regulations put in place since 2008 to prevent a repeat of that year's financial collapse.
- Thursday, May 17, 2012
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Taxes spoke louder than sentiment in voting
It has become a virtually immutable fact of modern-day industry and politics. Given the choice between financial interest and sentiment, money always wins.
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Letters to the Editor: May 17, 2012
- Wednesday, May 16, 2012
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Letters to the Editor: May 16, 2012
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Gas companies need to play nice with residents
"You need to assure me that you are going to talk to the towns." This was Rep. Chris Gibson's plea to the gas companies that are seeking to lay natural gas pipelines through the local area.
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In Memoriam
