It lasted for about nine-sixteenths of a second. But that was all it took. America saw Janet Jackson’s nipple. And nothing would ever be the same. (Can you imagine if we had Twitter back then?). From ESPN’s Marin Cogan: In the Beginning, There Was a Nipple. “If our children or our children’s children ever dig up a time capsule from the beginning of the new millennium, they will find that in February 2004, America collectively lost its damn mind.” This year, about the most excitement we can hope for is a lanky white guy screaming “Omaha” forty times.

+ The Atlantic: The forgotten history of the first star-laden Super Bowl.

+ Syndicated from Kottke: If you haven’t been watching the NFL at all this season but are planning on tuning into the Super Bowl, this video by ESPN will prepare you by recapping the entire season in under three minutes.

+ If you want to go a little deeper, here’s a look at some of the players before they became famous.

+ A former cheerleader tells all.

+ More interested in the commercials than the game? You can already see a bunch of the Super Bowl commercials right here.