Immaculate reception...

[smackaholic]

in heaven, hell or where ever the hell it is you go afterwards.

RIP Franco Harris, one of my boyhood heroes.

Dude checked out just days before the 50th anniversary of one of the most famous plays in NFL history.

[Softball Bat]

One of the best backs of his era.
He moved the chains.





A statue of Franco making the famous catch is seen at the Pittsburgh International Airport.





Stunning.
One of the most iconic plays in NFL history.

50 years ago Saturday.

[smackaholic]

Tatum, of course, is going for the hit rather than the ball. Had he concentrated on slapping the ball down, it's game over.

[smackaholic]

Fuck you, NFL!!!!

[Diego in Seattle]

I'm surprised that Rocky Bleier didn't lead Franco Harris into heaven....

This really sucks, as the Steelers were my first favorite team in the NFL. The mid-70's Steelers were just incredible.

[smackaholic]

I'm surprised that Rocky Bleier didn't lead Franco Harris into heaven....

This really sucks, as the Steelers were my first favorite team in the NFL. The mid-70's Steelers were just incredible.

In 1975 New England was an NFL wasteland. All of my friends were either Steeler, Cowboy, Viking or Raiduh fans. Some of the older kids were still hanging on to Packer fandom leftover from the 60s. Can't recall a single GIant or Pats fan from that time as both teams were a joke.

[smackaholic]

Who was the best QB from that era?

I'd put my money on Roger the Dodger. Best 2 minute QB in history. And I absolutely hated the 'Boys.

Stabler was a close second for the same reasons. And I hated the Raiuhs even more than the 'Boys.

[Sudden Sam]

Steelers had been hammered shit until then. Never won anything for years.

Harris, Bradshaw, Frenchy Fuqua, Mean Joe, and the gang flipped the NFL script.

Franco Harris always seemed like a class act.

[Sven Golly]

He may be one of the last of the RB's to simply give the ball to the ref after scoring a TD. He acted like he'd been there, and HE HAD.

Barry Sanders was cut from the same cloth.

[Kierland]

I can understand why you like boring.

Dumbaholic and his front running buddies gave me a chuckle. What a bunch of chowd twats.

[Screw_Michigan]

Pats were irrelevant until Bill Parcells came along.

[FiatLux]

Franco always ran out of bounds instead of taking a hit and trying to get two or three or four more yards. Walter Payton. He was not.

Franco Harris was a pussy and overrated

[Kierland]

The best part of the play was when the ref asked the cops how many officers he had and dude says a few. Ref runs out on the field and signals TD.

[Softball Bat]

Who was the best QB from that era?

I'd put my money on Roger the Dodger. Best 2 minute QB in history. And I absolutely hated the 'Boys.

Stabler was a close second for the same reasons. And I hated the Raiuhs even more than the 'Boys.

Sir Francis Tarkenton led the Vikings to 4 Super Bowls (lost 'em all) and retired as the all-time NFL leader in passing yards.
We should not overlook him.

But I agree that Staubach and Stabler are at the top of the list of best QBs of the 1970s.

Ken Anderson is very underrated.

[Sudden Sam]

pop, if I’m mot mistaken, Joe Kapp QBed the Vikes in at least one Super Bowl.

[Softball Bat]

You are right.
I stand corrected.

Tarkenton QB'd the Vikings in the Super Bowls in '74, '75, and '77.

Joe Kapp Qb'd the Vikings in the Super Bowl in 1970.

The 1970 Super Bowl was played in Tulane Stadium, btw. :)

[Softball Bat]

The Conspiracies Behind The Immaculate Reception









Many of the Raider participants claim Oakland was robbed on 12/23/72.

There was no replay structure in place in 1972, and at any rate, the videos we see are really inconclusive.

[Kierland]

Exactly, no replay so why be on the phone if it’s not for security questions.

[Softball Bat]

Right you are.

As far as the outcome of the game was concerned, there was NO reason to be on the phone.
Call on the field stands. Period.
There is no recourse.

[Softball Bat]

John Madden explains toward the end of this video that no TD call was made by the officials on the field.
The officials were seemingly so stunned by what had occurred that they didn't know what to do.
So they left it hanging (while the stadium and field was going ape-shit), went over to the phone, chatted with someone for a few minutes, and then came out and said it was TD, game over.

lol

[Diego in Seattle]

So you're saying that the team that engaged in the "Holy Roller" is questioning the call on the "Immaculate Reception?"

[Softball Bat]

The Holy Roller.
Week 1 of the 1978 season.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roll ... _football)







Stabler and Banaszak both intentionally fumbled the ball forward.

The Bolts got skrewed on that one.

[Smackie Chan]

A statue of Franco making the famous catch is seen at the Pittsburgh International Airport.

I met him once in the Philly airport. Came across as a genuinely good guy.

[Kierland]

The Holy Roller.
Week 1 of the 1978 season.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roll ... _football)



Stabler and Banaszak both intentionally fumbled the ball forward.

The Bolts got skrewed on that one.

No because it was legal at the time.

[Kierland]

So you're saying that the team that engaged in the "Holy Roller" is questioning the call on the "Immaculate Reception?"

The Holy Roller was a legal play as evidenced by the fact that they changed the rule soon after.

[Bill in Houston]

Ethics and sportsmanship have absolutely no role in any sport. I have ardently and incessantly stood by this position as long as I’ve been posting, because I’m a douche.

Sin,
TVO

[Kierland]

WTF are you babbling on about now?

[Softball Bat]

So you're saying that the team that engaged in the "Holy Roller" is questioning the call on the "Immaculate Reception?"

The Holy Roller was a legal play as evidenced by the fact that they changed the rule soon after.

It was only legal if the officials determined that the player(s) did not intentionally fumble the ball forward.
If the officials had determined that the actions of Snake and/or Banaszak were intentional, the TD would not have been allowed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roll ... ootball%29

The officials ruled that Snake and Banaszak did not intentionally fumble forward, but watching the replay, it's hard to understand how they came to that conclusion.


The league did change the rule after the '78 season.
They changed it so that any forward fumble, intentional or not, cannot be advanced.

[Softball Bat]

^^^^^^ golden era of announcing

haha!

Yes, that is a classic call!



RIP, Bill King!

[Kierland]

That’s what it was legal because putting “intentionally” in a sports rule is asking for trouble. So changed the rule.

[smackaholic]

After thinking about it for a bit, the best QB of the era may have been Archie Manning. Too bad he was wasted playing for the aints.

[BSmack]

Franco was the beating heart and soul of Steelers football, and not just then, but throughout the years since. His passing leaves a canyon sized hole in the fabric of the Steel City. RIP Generalissimo Franco Harris. Your Army mourns you.

[mvscal]

Who was the best QB from that era?

I'd put my money on Roger the Dodger. Best 2 minute QB in history. And I absolutely hated the 'Boys.

Stabler was a close second for the same reasons. And I hated the Raiuhs even more than the 'Boys.

Define the era. Staubach was light years ahead of Stabler as a QB and Bradshaw for that matter. Fran Tarkenton is in the conversation as is Bart Starr.

[smackaholic]

Who was the best QB from that era?

I'd put my money on Roger the Dodger. Best 2 minute QB in history. And I absolutely hated the 'Boys.

Stabler was a close second for the same reasons. And I hated the Raiuhs even more than the 'Boys.

Define the era. Staubach was light years ahead of Stabler as a QB and Bradshaw for that matter. Fran Tarkenton is in the conversation as is Bart Starr.

70s.

Bradshaw was basically an offensive lineman who played QB. Not a great QB by any measure outside of his trophy case.

I agree that Staubach was the cream of the crop. Stabler was sort of Staubach-like in his ability to pull something out of his ass in the last minute. Tarkenton was one of my favorites. Just never got lucky enough to win the big game.