Saturday, April 19, 2008

The Immaculate Reception

I was watching FoxSports on television this evening and they had a replay of the 50 Most Spectacular Plays in Sports.

The progressed from number fifty to number one. I felt I knew what number 1 was, but as I had not seen the episode before, I waited until the end to see their pick.

I was not disappointed. It was the "Immaculate Reception" in the AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 23, 1972.

At the time, I was a freshman in college and a die-hard Steelers fan. I lived and died with the Steelers. I had relatives in Pittsburgh and was brough up to root for the Steelers and the Pirates. That was a hard choice living in Texas, but the Steelers, as they are now, was MY team. I remember watching the game on television and am proud to say I remember the day, the play, and the excitement.

Anyone who knows and follows sports knows the game and the play. I have found a clip from YouTube and posted it below.

View it and see if it doesn't bring back memories. It certainly did for me.

"I've played football since the second grade and nothing like that ever happened. It'll never happen again." - Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw.



6 comments:

Law and Order Teacher said...

I watched the Immaculate Reception on Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS). It was an incredible moment in NFL history. I am not a Steelers fan, but that was pretty cool. I am a Bengals fan, although that might not be a great thing today. Good post.

The Vegas Art Guy said...

ahd?

And yes that's a great play all right!

Texas Truth said...

Law and Order Teacher: I do not watch football as much as I used to, but am still a Steelers fan. In fact, I have a REAL "Terrible Towel" that was given to me, by way of my mother, by Art Rooney Jr. He and my mother went to high school together.

On a different note, I believe great plays should be recognized whoever make them. Such things are much too rare not to acknowledge, no matter who does them.

Texas Truth said...

The Vegas Art Guy: That pesky spelling devil strikes again.

W.R. Chandler said...

Nothing does it for me like the end of the 1980 game between the U.S. Olympic hockey team and the Soviet Union.

Tears bubble up every time.

Texas Truth said...

Chanman: I agree. The 1980 USSR-USA hockey game was the greatest game in sports history. I was in Lake Placid a while back and went to the the 1980 Rink. I reached down and touched the ce. It was very symbolic for me, being a student of the Olympics, to be in that same arena. It is a great place to visit.