While Bruce Springsteen was great fun at Super Bowl halftime, he couldn't overshadow a spectacular Steelers win marked by several game changing plays and an interception that will go down in the history books.
Despite momentum shifts and a tenacious Arizona Cardinal defence, the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to squeak out a breathtaking 27-23 victory to win a record sixth Super Bowl title.
The best play of the game belonged to the Steelers' James Harrison, who intercepted a Cardinal pass and the sprinted 100-yards to score a touchdown.
The return is the longest play in Super Bowl history and it also put the Steelers ahead of the Cardinals 17-7 at the half.
But it was far from over.
In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald got his team back into the game by leaping into the air and snagging a catch from quarterback Kurt Warner, who mounted a formidable comeback late in the game.
With just a sliver over three minutes left, Arizona was handed two points for a safety after Pittsburgh was nearly pushed into their own end zone.
Moments later, Fitzgerald struck again, catching a pass from Warner and sprinting into the end zone, handing the Cardinals a 23-20 lead.
The touchdown erased a 13-point lead and marked one of the biggest turnarounds in Super Bowl history.
But led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers rallied back late in the fourth quarter, and Santonio Holmes caught a spectacular touchdown pass with less than 40 seconds to play.
That play sealed the deal and put the Steelers up 27-23 after the conversion.
After the victory, thousands of fans poured into central Pittsburgh to celebrate the victory as about 500 police officers kept a close watch.
Before midnight, reports of arrests began to surface and local television showed images of fans leaping though fires sparked on city streets.
About five people were arrested for attempting to overturn a car, according to media reports.
Showbiz meets sports
When Bruce Springsteen kicked off the Super Bowl halftime show by launching his Fender Telecaster on a "Hail Mary" pass to a roadie, the gesture managed to sum up an event that was equal parts sports and showbiz.
"I want you to put the chicken fingers down and turn your television all the way up," the 59-year-old singer told an estimated 100 million television viewers as he hit the stage with the E Street Band.
And with Springsteen classics including "Born to Run" and "Glory Days" on offer and a field full of partying fans, it was easy to forget that the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers had a football game to finish.
Indeed, with a bevy of musical performances and an televised advertising bonanza that draws millions of viewers alone, the Super Bowl has ceased to be just about football.
"Super Bowl Sunday is a game, yes. But it's also a national party, and over the next five hours we'll capture as much of the football and frivolity as we can," said NBC commentator Bob Costas during the televised run-up to the kickoff.
Boy was he right.
While bookies often take cash for the big game's outcome, Springsteen's set-list was also highly anticipated, with Las Vegas taking bets on what tunes the Boss would play.
Just before kickoff, singer and actor Jennifer Hudson made her first public appearance since her mother, brother and nephew were murdered in October.
After a deep breath, Hudson delivered a note-perfect and rousing rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," which rivaled Whitney Houston's show-stopping version from the 1991 contest.
Before Hudson sang, country diva Faith Hill serenaded Raymond James Stadium with a compelling version of "America the Beautiful," where she was joined by a gospel choir.
With the song coming to a big finale, the crew from US Airways Flight 1549 -- which made a miraculous crash-landing in New York's Hudson River last month -- made a brief appearance, effectively pumping up the song's good vibes.
