Super Bowl heroes are remembered forever. Unfortunately, the same goes for the goats.

Only two words are more famous than Scott Norwood. Wide. Right.

For every Joe Montana, there is a Scott Norwood. It’s an unfortunate and unavoidable element of pro sports — for every success story, there is an equally emotional story of complete and utter failure.

It was no different in Super Bowl XLIV, when Hank Baskett impeccably etched his name in Super Bowl Goat history, as he failed to reel in a crucial onside kick to open up the second half. The Saints gained possession, as well as the momentum, and went on to trounce the favored Colts, 31-17.

But where does Baskett rank among the great Super Bowl Goats of the past? Surprisingly, not that high - though Kendra may disagree.

Turns out Mr. Baskett’s blunder wasn’t nearly the worst thing to happen on the Big Stage.

10. Rich Gannon, Raiders, Super Bowl XXXVII; We all knew Tampa Bay’s defense was tremendous. But Rich Gannon made them look like utterly unstoppable.

Gannon, the regular season MVP, turned in a performance that was in every way possible the exact opposite — getting sacked five times, fumbling once and throwing a Super Bowl record five interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.

Tampa Bay went on to route Oakland 48-21, a game which the Raiders came into favored by four points.

So close, yet so far away... (AP)

Football has and always will be a sport that is the ultimate team-based game — 11 vs. 11 each and every play, depending on all individuals to make an equally substantial effort.

So that’s why there is no excuse for Hank Baskett’s effort on New Orleans’ half-opening onside kick. He’s there because he has good hands, and fumbling around an onside kick is an inexcusable blunder, especially on such a huge stage.

But it’s obvious the Saints knew what they were dealing with. They had been practicing it all week, and knew exactly whom they would be kicking it at. If it’s any consolation however, Baskett is married to Playboy model and former “Girl Next Door” Kendra Wilkinson.

You win some, you lose some.

8. Donovan McNabb, Eagles, Super Bowl XXXIX; We all remember John Elway’s drive. We all remember Joe Montana’s drive. And we all remember Tom Brady’s drive(s). But unfortunately for Donovan McNabb, we also all remember his drive.

Trailing New England 24-14 with just under six minutes left in the game, the Eagles had a chance to begin a comeback. But instead of putting the pedal to the metal, McNabb gingerly lead a four-minute scoring drive that ultimately resulted in the Eagles’ demise.

The reason for the unsightly speed of the crucial drive? McNabb was dry-heaving in the huddle - and it wasn’t the first time (see below). Not to mention he tossed three interceptions over the course of the loss, a game that saw the Eagles finish just shy of the Patriots, 24-21.

7. John Kasay, Panthers, Super Bowl XXXVIII; A rare Super Bowl game where both kickers will be remembered forever; Adam Vinatieri for his game-winner with seconds remaining, and John Kasay for giving the Patriots possession on the 40-yard line six plays later.

Special thanks to John Kasay. (AP)

Kasay committed the cardinal sin of kicking the ball out of bounds following Carolina’s game-tying drive, and with just over a minute left in the game, booted the kick straight out of bounds, resulting in a flag — and a New England possession on the 40-yard line.

Brady already had a reputation for having ice-water in his veins in the final minutes. This time, he was given possession of the ball just 30-yards out of Vinatieri’s range; an opportunity No. 12 wouldn’t let slip away. One minute after Kasay’s miskick, the Patriots took home their second Super Bowl in three years, downing Carolina 32-29.

6. Eugene Robinson, Falcons, Super Bowl XXXIII; It was not a good Super weekend for the Falcons’ strong safety. He had a reputation for being a man of faith as well as one who always valued the community over himself — but prior to the Super Bowl, Robinson was arrested on charges of soliciting an undercover police officer for oral sex.

Atlanta Coach Dan Reeves played Robinson anyway, who responded by blowing two crucial coverages during the game, including an 80-yard touchdown strike to Rod Smith. The touchdown put Denver ahead 17-3, as they went on to rout Atlanta, 34-19.

5. Neil O’Donnell, Steelers, Super Bowl XXX; You wouldn’t know it by looking at his final numbers — 28-for-49 and 239 yards — but O’Donnell’s Super Bowl effort made Rich Gannon’s look Montana-esque.

Is that Donovan McNabb? (AP)

The Steelers quarterback threw quite possibly two of the worst interceptions in Super Bowl history, resulting in a Cowboys win and an eternity of goat-ness.

On a third and 9 from his own 48, O’Donnell threw a pass that was mind-bogglingly awful, landing 10 yards away from his intended receiver and right in the arms of cornerback Larry Brown. Thirty-eight seconds later, Emmit Smith plunged in the end zone for six. Cowboys 20, Steelers 7.

Then trailing only 20-17 with four minutes remaining, O’Donnell once again found a wide open Brown, who ran it all the way back to Pittsburgh’s six-yard-line.

4. Lewis Billups/Asante Samuel, Bengals/Patriots, Super Bowl XXIII/XLII; And again, for every Larry Brown, there is a Lewis Billups and an Asante Samuel. Because thanks to those fine gentlemen, both Joe Montana and Eli Manning are forever ingrained in Super Bowl history, their late-game drives a part of the ever-growing Lombardi Trophy legacy.

For Billups it came early in the final quarter, when Montana’s end zone attempt for John Taylor landed squarely in the Bengals’ cornerbacks hands. Unfortunately, like a child trying to catch a butterfly, Billups let the chance of a lifetime clunk, slip and drop from his fingertips. Montana then hit Rice for six on the next play, tying the game at 13. San Francesco went on to win 20-16.

Samuels’ folly however, was much more immediately damaging. Eli Manning was in the process of leading the Giants on an improbable game-winning drive against the 18-0 Patriots, when Samuel let an easy interception slip through his fingertips like a fish, allowing the G-men to maintain possession. A few plays and a David Tyree miracle later, and the Giants defeated the undefeatable, 17-14.

But like the old adage says; if a defensive back had hands, he’d play wide receiver.

3. Thurman Thomas, Bills, Super Bowl XXVIII/XXVI; Oh, Thurman. To be honest, he could have his name twice separately on this list. But for Bills fans and their sanity, I’ll just lop them both into one.

The first, Super Bowl XXVI, came on the day after Thomas complained to the media about not getting enough attention despite being named the NFL MVP.

He responded to his own criticisms with a performance that would certainly net him plenty of attention — rushing for 13 yards on 10 carries, as well as missing the first two plays of the game thanks to a missing helmet.

The second, far worse, came in Super Bowl XXVIII, following three years of cursed Bills performances in the Super Bowl. Two of them had been decided thanks to Thomas’ uncharacteristically poor play. But this time, they had a 13-6 lead heading into halftime.

Unfortunately, Thomas took center stage once again, opening the second half with a fumble that was returned 46-yards for a game-tying touchdown. It was his second fumble of the game.

And it would result in Buffalo’s fourth Super Bowl loss.

2. Jackie Smith, Cowboys, Super Bowl XIII; Smith will go down in NFL history as one of the greatest tight ends to ever play the game.

Unfortunately, his Super Bowl XIII performance will also join him in the history books — for all the wrong reasons.

Used primarily as a blocking end throughout the 1978 season, the Cowboys tight end found himself wide open in the end-zone with Dallas trailing Pittsburgh 21-14 in the third quarter. Unfortunately, Smith would put on his best Billups impression and let the ball clunk off his paws and land on the ground.

Dallas had to settle for a field goal, cutting the lead 21-17, a crucial four-point swing; especially when you consider Dallas eventually lost the game by four points, 35-31.

1. Scott Norwood, Bills, Super Bowl XXV; And in a shocking turn of events, Scott Norwood finds himself atop a Super Bowl Goat list. Who knew?

Giants win! Giants win! (AP)

With a chance to win the game for the Bills, Norwood lined up for the most famous 47-yard field goal in NFL history. Unfortunately, just like he had in warm-ups, Norwood shanked the kick, and it sailed to the right of the uprights - giving the Giants a 20-19 last-second win.

Eighteen years and an Ace Ventura movie later, Norwood still finds himself at the top of nearly every single sporting blunder’ list ever created, damming him with the likes of Buckner, Bartman and Smith. Not only that, but Norwoods miss-fire was a key plot point in Buffalo ‘66, proving that some Goats can even make it big in Hollywood.

But it’s the necessary evil of sports. Because as cliché as it sounds, in order for someone to win, someone else has to lose.

Because if there were no Hank Baskett, there might not be a Drew Brees. If there were no Asante Samuel, there would be no David Tyree. No John Kasay, no Tom Brady.

It’s a vicious cycle, but it makes the sporting world go round. Plus, without Scott Norwood, there might not have been Ace Ventura. And what kind of world would we be living in then?

Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup, where we’ll get you caught up on what’s going on in the sports world and beyond.

Now that the dust has settled, here’s a look at what people are saying about the Super Bowl experience as the Saints revel in their first title. The game was the most-watched TV show in history. Real Clear Sports has the top 10 most memorable Super Bowl commercials of all-time (none from this year made the list). The latest contrived controversy about a player/coach walking off the field without shaking hands involves Peyton Manning. In the Indianapolis Star, columnist Bob Kravitz takes a look at why the Colts lost — he says it simply comes down to the Saints’ willingness to take risks and the Colts being too conservative.

FOOTBALL: The NFL is headed into an uncertain offseason. The Browns released receiver Donte Stallworth, who is due to be reinstated after serving time in jail.

BASKETBALL: Paul Flannery looks at some options for Ray Allen should the Celtics decide to move him.

Vince Carter scored 48 points as the Magic rallied past the Hornets. Despite missing Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom, the Lakers beat the Spurs.

Injured Cavaliers guard Delonte West might return tonight. Same thing with Bobcats big man Tyson Chandler. Pacers center Jeff Foster is done for the season with a back injury. Clippers center Chris Kaman will replace injured Trail Blazer Brandon Roy in the All-Star Game.

Boston College will be without Joe Trapani when it plays at Wake Forest tonight. Fourth-ranked Villanova won at No. 5 West Virginia. Top-ranked Kansas turned away No. 14 Texas.

HOCKEY: Bruins coach Claude Julien said David Krejci is looking good for tonight’s game vs. the Sabres.

The Kings’ win streak ended at nine with a loss to the Ducks. The Sharks edged the Maple Leafs. The Flyers edged the Devils. Matthew Lombardi had five points as the Coyotes routed the Oilers. Bob Gainey stepped down as Canadiens general manager. The Stars activated center Mike Ribeiro.

BASEBALL: Twins owner Jim Pohlad talked about trying to re-sign Joe Mauer. The White Sox are taking Luis Aparicio’s No. 11 out of retirement so fellow Venezuelan Omar Vizquel can wear it. Mariners ace Cliff Lee is recovering from minor foot surgery. The Brewers are going to erect a statue of Bud Selig. Really.

MISC.: Danica Patrick will make her NASCAR debut this weekend at Daytona.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 9, 1991, which Celtic won the All-Star slam dunk competition?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “This thing lay in my bed next to me last night, rolled over it a couple times. I probably drooled on it. But man, there’s nothing like it.” — Saints coach Sean Payton, talking about the Super Bowl trophy

STAT OF THE DAY: 3 — Number of Mountain West teams (New Mexico, BYU, UNLV) in the AP Top 25 college basketball poll, one more than the ACC

‘NET RESULTS: Fans jump around at Wisconsin’s outdoor hockey game vs. Michigan.

The “Who Dat” dog has become an Internet sensation.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Dee Brown

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Carole King is 68 today.

And Barbara Lewis is 67 today.

Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup, where we’ll get you caught up on what’s going on in the sports world and beyond.

You’re looking for the best commercials from last night’s Super Bowl? Here they are. Here’s a look at the night’s most memorable moments involving commercials, celebrations and announcers’ comments. And our own Kirk Minihane has a running diary from the night.

FOOTBALL: Here’s the recap of the Saints’ victory over the Colts, and the reaction in New Orleans. Chris Price has the 10 Things We Learned. Saints coach Sean Payton made the right calls. Peyton Manning made one wrong one, and Tracy Porter took advantage.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he wants to make the game safer, and that might include eliminating the three-point stance. Former defensive lineman Warren Sapp was released from jail Sunday after being arrested for allegedly choking a woman in his hotel room.

Florida State will vacate 12 wins as part of an academic cheating scandal.

BASKETBALL: The Celtics fell to the Magic. Paul Flannery has the Three-Pointer of Things We Learned. Chris Bosh lifted the Raptors over the Kings.

Third-ranked Syracuse took care of Cincinnati. Maryland routed North Carolina, which is a half-game out of last place in the ACC.

HOCKEY: The Bruins beat the Canadiens to end their 10-game skid. Graig Woodburn has the Hat Trick of Things We Learned.

The Capitals won their 14th straight game, beating the Penguins. The Sharks acquired defenseman Niclas Wallin from the Hurricanes.

BASEBALL: Left-handed pitcher Erik Bedard will return to the Mariners.

MISC.: Somebody won a golf tournament.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 8, 1981, the Celtics retired No. 18 in honor of which player?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “One of the guys said, ‘We’re better than Orlando,’ and I said, ‘No, you’re not.’ They knocked you out of the playoffs last year. Orlando’s better than us right now. Atlanta’s better than us right now. [The Lakers are] better than us right now.” — Celtics coach Doc Rivers, after Sunday’s loss to the Magic

STAT OF THE DAY: 19 — Consecutive points scored by the Magic in the third quarter of their victory over the Celtics Sunday

‘NET RESULTS: Here’s a silly spoof of Peyton Manning preparing for the Super Bowl.

Diminutive Knicks guard Nate Robinson blocks a Shaquille O’Neal shot.

Here’s AccuWeather.com meteorologist Jim Kosek freaking out over the Mid-Atlantic’s enormous storm.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Dave Cowens

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Actor Creed Bratton from “The Office” is 67 today. Here he is when he was in the band Grass Roots. That’s him at the start, closest to the camera.

Ah, the Super Bowl. The biggest game of the year is Sunday in Miami, and the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints will finally end the waiting as they fight for the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLIV.

But what makes the Super Bowl the greatest game of the season is much more than just the matchup itself, even if few games have had as much hype as this year’s. Yes, the Super Bowl is the spectacle that it is because of the myriad betting opportunities it presents. And while Super Bowl squares are always fun, nothing is better than prop bets.

You can always bet the over/under or the spread, but isn’t it more fun to wager on whether Austin Collie catches the first touchdown or not? (He is at 10-1 odds right now.) So without further ado, here are some of the ridiculous prop bets to be watching for this year.

Okay, one quick disclaimer here: WEEI.com in no way, shape or form encourages gambling, even on the most hilarious of the bets below. Use your money for more important things, like party supplies.

Carrie Underwood’s national anthem: Over/under 1 minute 42 seconds

A little bit of research shows that Underwood, the country music star and former American Idol winner, sang the Star Spangled Banner back in 2006 for the NFC Championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers.

If you notice, that video is 1 minute 45 seconds long. It’s going to be a close call, but on an even bigger stage Underwood might embellish the performance a little bit.

Which commercial will have the highest rating on USA Today’s Ad meter?

The choices presented to us are Doritos, Coca-cola, Anheuser-Busch, Godaddy.com, Career Builder, Focus on the Family or other. Now, maybe the appearance of Tim Tebow will push the “Focus on the Family” ad to greater heights. Maybe there is a Budweiser commercial on the level of this:

But curiously absent from the set list is the Super Bowl commercial that could be the most compelling: the McDonald’s remake of the classic Larry Bird-Michael Jordan “Showdown” ad with NBA superstars LeBron James and Dwight Howard.

So many questions can be asked. Will either wear an outfit as terrible as His Airness? Will they bother to say no dunking? And why remake the best commercial of all-time with someone who can’t even shoot? Those questions alone could make it the most-watched commercial of the night.

How many times will Archie Manning be shown on TV?

The line is set at two and a half. But Manning has two allegiances in this game: the Saints, and his son Peyton. That means he can be shown whenever either team is being discussed. Drew Brees throws a touchdown? The former Saints signal caller could be on the screen. Manning hits Dallas Clark for a big gain? You bet they will probably show his father beaming with pride. This could be the easiest prop bet of all to predict.

Anything with Kim Kardashian

How many times will Reggie Bush’s girlfriend be shown on screen? What color top will she be wearing? Will she be engaged to Bush by July 31st if the Saints pull out the win? All of these are actual bets for this game. She might end up playing a bigger role in this telecast than Dwight Freeney.

What CBS show will get the most promos during the game?

The logical choice might be Undercover Boss, the new show that will follow the game. From this sneak peek, it looks pretty intense.

I suppose that makes it a drama? But don’t discount NCIS. After all, it is America’s No. 1 show, for reasons described here. Who would have thought a naval crime scene show could be so popular? Another darkhorse? Any of the CSI shows, which, of course, feature theme songs by a certain Super Bowl halftime performing band.

How many times will Pete Townshend perform his legendary windmill move?

That clip is 19 seconds long. In it, Townshend does his patented windmill move twice. With a set list that includes a mashup of five songs, Townshend will have ample opportunity to strut his stuff on stage and rock out. If this one doesn’t entice you, you can always bet on whether any member of the band will break a guitar, and if so, what it will hit first.

The game.

And here we get to the game itself. There are too many bets to list, from the coin toss to whether either team will score in the last three minutes of the game. The best of the best? The over/under on Drew Brees’ passing attempts, which is set at 33.3, and whether Manning will have throw for more yards than in the Colts victory in Super Bowl XLI, when he passed for 247 yards. In what could be a shootout, both seem ripe for the over pick.

Dwight Freeney, step on up. You are this year’s biggest story leading up to the Super Bowl. It wouldn’t be Super Bowl week — weeks, actually — without a major story dominating the headlines.

During the Colts’ victory over the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game, Freeney went to rush Mark Sanchez but pulled up lame on his right ankle. This injury occurred late in the game, when it was already in hand, and it makes you wonder why the Colts would have their star player in at that juncture when they pulled their starters during a run at perfection. That’s for another day though.

Freeney is listed as questionable and according to this report that appeared on SI.com, he seems to be doing everything to try and get ready for play. Of course, it is also worth taking stock of what Adam Schefter said on the Dennis & Callahan Show on Friday: “Dwight Freeney as we know Dwight Freeney is not playing on Sunday.”

His status will probably not be set in stone until game time and the media has picked apart every scenario for the Colts. Whether Freeney plays, if he doesn’t, what type of impact he can make to help or hurt the team. The storylines have all been discussed ad nauseum.

New England fans don’t have their beloved Patriots in the Super Bowl this year, but there is still a vested interest in the game, because what true Pats fan wants to see Peyton Manning and the Colts raise the Lombardi Trophy? What true fan wants to see the Colts mentioned in the same breath with the Patriots’ dynasty earlier in the decade?

Fans all over New England will be hoping and praying Freeney won’t be 100 percent to do to the Saints’ offensive line what he has done to Matt Light and seemingly everyone else — except for Sebastian Vollmer — on the New England for years, which is cause havoc.

The injury story is nothing new with New England fans during Super Bowl week. Here are a few cases where injuries were a major story during a Patriots run at a title and also some other great injury stories during the biggest game of the year.

Brady or Bledsoe

Remember when Tom Brady stepped into Drew Bledsoe’s shoes and brought the Patriots all the way to the AFC Championship? Well, the roles were reversed in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when Brady went down with a lower leg injury in the second quarter. Bledsoe came in and threw a touchdown pass to David Patten, then Troy Brown and the special teams took over from there.

Maybe you don’t remember, but there was a small controversy over who would start in the Super Bowl: Brady or Bledsoe. It wasn’t sure if Brady’s leg would be completely healthy for the big game and Bledsoe was hungry and ready to step back into the limelight.

Belichick decided on Brady, and the rest is history: Pats win, Brady becomes a superstar, Bledsoe sent packing to Buffalo.

Lynn Swann

This story probably wouldn’t have happened in today’s NFL. Swann was diagnosed with a concussion in the AFC Championship game against the Raiders and played in the Super Bowl.

Only to do this:

In today’s NFL, especially this season, Swann probably wouldn’t have been allowed back on the field. The mandates for concussions have changed since Swann made that miraculous catch back in Super Bowl X. Swann’s efforts to play in the game were heroic, but rather dangerous, considering what is known now about numerous concussions.

But, it’s a sign of the times, and Swann’s moment will go down in NFL history.

Terrell Owens

The question on everyone’s mind was if TO was going to play in the Super Bowl or if his broken leg was going to keep him out of the game.

Owens was going to gobble up the cameras no matter what he did before the Eagles played the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. The Eagles’ wide-out was in the prime of his career and playing at an extremely high level with Donovan McNabb.

Owens suffered a broken leg on a hit by Roy Williams in a December game, and was a question mark heading into Super Sunday.

Well, Owens did play, and he was a force for the Eagles. He caught nine balls for 122 yards, and made life miserable for the Patriots secondary…on one leg. Say what you want about Owens, but this was one of the boldest moves a player can make in his career. He risked the future of his playing career to win that game, but the Eagles came up short.

Owens would only last only one and a half seasons in Philly, as his usual off-the field antics led to his departure the following year, somewhere in the middle of some sit-up sessions with Drew Rosenhaus that were conducted in front of the media the following summer.

Jack Youngblood

While Owens put on an impressive show, Jack Youngblood, a 6-foot-4, 267 pound Hall of Fame defensive end, displayed what it really means to be a football player. In the 1979 playoffs while playing for the Rams, Youngblood broke his leg, an injury that would knock many players out for the game if not the entire postseason, but not Youngblood.

Read Peter King’s article right before the Super Bowl in 2005, when the Owens story was unfolding, and find out how Youngblood taped up his leg and played all the way to the Super Bowl.

Here’s a quick excerpt from Youngblood in the article: “I told the trainers, ‘Tape me up!’ And so they came in, strapped my leg as tight as they could. The pain was excruciating. I can’t even describe it. But they couldn’t shoot the bone with a painkiller; that stuff doesn’t work on bones.”

This story would be unheard of today with all the doctors, trainers and specialists on the sidelines. Owens and Youngblood both displayed amazing toughness in grinding out these injuries and playing large parts in their teams’ run to the Super Bowl.

Pursuit of Perfection

This one is tough to talk about, but heading into the game, the bad omen started after the Patriots displaced the Chargers in the AFC Championship Game.

Tom Brady was seen walking to Gisele Bunchden’s apartment in an air cast, and the speculation began about an apparent high ankle sprain. This also made major headlines because Brady was playing at a pace that was never seen before in the NFL. Fifty touchdown passes in the regular season, the leader of a 18-0 team heading into the Super Bowl … and now his status was up in the air.

Neither Belichick nor Brady was going to say if this was a ploy or a game, but this began one of the most stressed-filled weeks for New England fans, minus the Red Sox comeback versus the Yankees.

Brady would play and … yeah, you remember.