Sometimes it's the players, sometimes it's the performances. Adrian Hasenmayer digs through the dirt for the juiciest Super Bowl scandals ever.

This is the mother of all Super Bowl scandals — strange considering it never affected the game or anyone's life. This was all about the Feb. 1, 2004 halftime act — Janet Jackson's notorious "wardrobe malfunction" in her duet performance with Justin Timberlake. The highly controversial MTV-produced show culminated with Timberlake ripping off Jackson's two-piece top, revealing the singer's breast covered by an obvious nipple shield. Jackson apologized, Timberlake was mortified and though the breast was exposed for just 9/16ths of a second on the CBS telecast, the NFL announced it would never let MTV produce another halftime show. CBS was fined $550,000 by the FCC — which was later overturned in 2008. — Adrian Hasenmayer

Falcons defensive back Eugene Robinson was known publicly as one of the league's true good guys, a real family man, in his playing days. In fact, on the day before Super Bowl XXXIII, Robinson had been presented with the NFL's Bart Starr Award — honoring his high moral character. Hours later, the highly respected Robinson was arrested in Miami for soliciting a prostitute. Robinson was bailed out by game day, but it didn't help his cause when he was burned badly for possibly the play of the game — Rod Smith beating Robinson (No. 41, pictured) for an 80-yard TD pass in the second quarter as the Broncos rolled to a 34-19 win.

Ray Lewis (pictured) has never hidden from the spotlight, but one incident that stains his past remains his arrest on the night after Super Bowl XXXIV (Jan. 31, 2000) in Atlanta in a case involving the fatal stabbing of two men. Although murder charges were eventually dropped, Lewis was convicted of obstruction of justice. When the Ravens reached the Super Bowl the following year, the morality story of the week centered around the Pro Bowl linebacker — with critics strongly complaining Lewis should instead be watching the game from a jail cell. Lewis played, and dominated the Giants in an MVP performance.

In the all-too-familiar Super Bowl eve story gone wrong, Bengals fullback Stanley Wilson failed to show up for a Saturday night team meeting after telling some of his teammates that he forgot his playbook in his room. Bengals players and coaches became concerned, then were shocked to find Wilson on the floor of his hotel-room bathroom suffering a serious cocaine overdose — shaken, sweaty and confused. Wilson never got his chance to play in the Super Bowl, and the Bengals lost to the 49ers without him, 20-16.

Early in the unbeaten regular season by the 2008 Patriots, Bill Belichick had been embroiled in the "Spygate" sideshow — accused of illegally videotaping signals used by opposing coaching staffs. Belichick and the Patriots were punished and forced to apologize by commissioner Roger Goodell. The topic faded by the time the Super Bowl rolled around, but resurfaced on the eve of the game. A Boston Herald report cited ex-Pats employee Matt Walsh hinting that Belichick authorized him to tape a Rams practice walk-through before Super Bowl XXXVI. Walsh was later exposed as shaky, and the author of the story was disciplined, demoted and embarrassed. But it was a huge distraction as the 18-0 Pats lost their legacy game vs. the Giants, 17-14.

The moral police fed off a pair of police-related incidents during Super Bowl weeks past. In January 1986, New England star Irving Fryar (pictured, left) was the subject of questions after mysterious cuts on his fingers became public. Word spread that Fryar's cuts resulted from a scuffle with his wife two weeks prior to the Super Bowl. Before Super Bowl XLI between the Colts and Bears on Feb. 4, 2007, the media glare focused on Chicago DT Tank Johnson (right) — who had been arrested for the third time in 18 months just six weeks before the game after police turned up several unregistered guns and assault rifles. The Bears suspended Johnson for a game, but he was allowed to leave the state of Illinois for the big game.

In the midst of winning one of his three NFL Most Valuable Player awards in 1996, Brett Favre's off-field story had gained as much attention as his on-field play — the admission that he battled addiction to alcohol and painkilling medication. So more than a few eyebrows were raised during Super Bowl week when the Packers QB was allegedly seen partying with beer in hand on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Favre and the team downplayed the rumors, but more mumbles were heard when Favre reportedly got dry heaves before kickoff on game day (the Packers said he suffered from the flu). Favre still led Green Bay to a 35-21 Super Bowl win over the Patriots.

Media began scrambling on Jan. 25, 2003, the night before kickoff of Super Bowl XXXVII between Tampa Bay and Oakland. Word leaked that Raiders head coach Bill Callahan had sent Pro Bowl center Barrett Robbins home from the San Diego Super Bowl site. Reports alleged that Robbins had ventured south of the border to Tijuana, Mexico, for a binge-drinking episode. Later the depth of Robbins' issues came to light — he was suffering from depression and bi-polar disorder. The Raiders went on to lose, 48-21, without their star center.

On Feb. 4, 2007, the Super Bowl halftime show was notoriously spiced up (thankfully, not to Spice Channel levels) by the one and only Prince. Only the purple one would dare test the NFL's morally and politically correct stance during his halftime show with his interesting guitar placement while playing Purple Rain. Behind a giant sheet, Prince's silhouette generated plenty of media debate over whether he had finally gone too far.

FOX NFL Sunday's pregame gang is always poking fun at Terry Bradshaw's supposed lack of intellect, with Terry often leading the way himself. But the reputation of Bradshaw as a dumb jock was put out in the open during Super Bowl week before the Steelers and Cowboys hooked up following the 1978 season. While being interviewed, quotable Dallas linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson told reporters Bradshaw "Couldn't spell 'cat' if you spotted him the 'C' and the 'T.' " Bradshaw (pictured with Henderson pursuing) had the last laugh by throwing four TD passes in a Super Bowl MVP performance during Pittsburgh's 35-31 win.