As most people who know me will attest, I'm a huge sports fan. I live and die for my teams.
Sports have been such a huge part of my life since I was a little boy. Being a diehard fan has made me do many things: Jump for joy. Scream at the top of my lungs. Swear with little kids around. And, of course, cry.
It has given me memories that will last a lifetime. I'll never forget where I was when my Steelers hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl XL and finally got that "One for the Thumb!" Or how awesome it was to see Ben Roethlisberger march the Steelers to a last-second Super Bowl victory and a record 6th title.
I also can look back and recall many times where I just wanted to throw my television out the window because I was just so disgusted and devastated after a heartbreaking loss. Those memories, too, will last a lifetime.
There have been moments that I will never look back on with fondness because the final chapter of the season was just so frustrating and bitter.
For example, anytime I look back on the 1992 NLCS and think about Sid Bream scoring the winning run in game 7 and destroying the Pittsburgh Pirates, I cringe; I wince as if it happened yesterday. Without a doubt, the most depressed I have ever been after a loss.
And I still think back in horror to the Steelers AFC championship game loss to the San Diego Chargers in '94. You want to talk about a kick in the gut? Every expert and fan had the Steelers going to the Super Bowl that year, but they famously came up three yards short.
And let's not forget Barry Goheen, Joe Nedney, Scottie Reynolds, etc, etc. All authors of some of the most disappointing and devastating sports moments for yours truly.
The ultimate dream of any die hard fan is to see their team win it all, and when they don't, it's usually very disappointing. But, if you can only enjoy sports years that end with championships, in my opinion, you won't enjoy the ride as much. Just because the destination wasn't quite what you wanted doesn't make the journey any less enjoyable. Sometimes sports fans need that trophy to validate the memories. But it doesn't have to be that way. The memories are still there even if the ending wasn't the best.
You really can have great memories from seasons that don't involve parades. For example, the Immaculate Reception, arguably the most famous play in the history of Pittsburgh sports, was followed by a loss the following week.
Some of the greatest sports moments of my life didn't end with the ultimate prize but I still look back on them with fondness.
Anyway, since I love lists, I've decided to make one about the most awesome times I've had following Pittsburgh sports that may have been forgotten because the dream was cut just a bit short.
I hope you enjoy.
The Steelers Upset the Denver Broncos in the 1984 AFC Divisional Playoffs
After the glory years of the 1970's, the inevitable mediocrity was starting to set in by 1984 as most of the players from the Super Bowl teams had retired. The 1984 Steelers were an average team playing in a very poor AFC Central division. They still had legendary guys like Mike Webster, Donnie Shell, and John Stallworth performing at high levels. In fact, Stallworth was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year after being slowed in '83 with injuries. The Steelers also had Louis Lipps, their rookie wide receiver, who captured the hearts of Steeler Nation with his deep threat ability and punt return skills. Lipps was named NFL rookie of the Year in '84. But the team was up and down all year, finishing at 9-7 and barely winning the division. They did seem to have a flair for the dramatic. They upset the 49ers in Candlestick Park, handing San Fransisco their only loss of the entire year. And they won the division on the last day of the regular season with a clutch victory in Los Angeles over the defending Super Bowl champion Raiders. Still, nobody gave them much of a shot going into Mile High Stadium to play John Elway and the 13-3 Denver Broncos. Somehow, some way, with guys like Mark Malone, Walter Abercrombie, Brian Hinkle and Frank Pollard, the Steelers pulled off a dramatic upset. With the game tied at 17 late in the 4th quarter, Steelers defensive back Eric Williams intercepted an Elway pass and returned it to the 2-yard line. Pollard punched it in and the Steelers won the game, 24-17. Even at 12 years old, I knew what a huge upset that was. No way should the Steelers have gone into Denver and won that game, but they did. I was mildly optimistic that they would defeat the Dolphins the following week in the AFC championship game and make it to the Super Bowl even though the odds were against them. They actually had the lead in the first half, but Miami was just way too explosive for them and they lost, 45-28. I was disappointed, but I knew the Steelers had done all they could that season. It was a very memorable year.
The Steelers 1989 Wildcard Win in the House of Pain
Fast forward to five seasons later, and the Steelers mediocrity had turned into downright bad. They finished the 1988 season at 5-11 and Chuck Noll was in danger of losing his job. The 1989 season didn't start out any better as the Black and Gold lost their first two games by a combined score of 92-10. My uncle and I actually had tickets to the third game of the year against the Minnesota Vikings, who were considered strong Super Bowl contenders that year. The Steelers won that game, 27-14, and it seemed to jumpstart their season. Other highlights included a late-season, blow out win in Miami during a huge rainstorm and a 17-7 win in Cleveland to the same team that defeated them, 51-0, in the first game of the year. Despite those highlights, Pittsburgh didn't appear to be much of a playoff team. They were 6-7 with only three games left. They managed to win those three games, but their hopes for the postseason still seemed pretty dim. They were 9-7, but only 1-5 in their own division. They didn't hold many tiebreakers. Call it divine intervention, but every scenario that needed to unfold, did. Pittsburgh was in the playoffs for the first time in 5 years. They were the 5th seed, and headed to Houston to play Jerry Glanville and those hated Oilers. I was in 11th grade at the time and on Christmas break. I was super-excited for this game all week and couldn't wait for it to start. The Steelers lost to the Oilers twice in the regular season and were double-digit underdogs for the wildcard game. It turned out to be a great contest as the Steelers controlled the game for three quarters before Houston fought back to take a 23-16 lead late in the game. Pittsburgh managed to tie the score in the last minute on a Merril Hoge touchdown. In overtime, Steelers all-world cornerback, Rod Woodson, caused and recovered a fumble near mid-field. A few plays later, Gary Anderson kicked a 50 yard field goal for the dramatic 26-23 win. I think that was the first time I ever had a euphoric feeling following a game. I was literally on Cloud 9 the rest of the night and the remainder of the week. The Steelers lost a tough game the following week to those Broncos, and at the time, I was really disappointed, but, thankfully, unlike other losing moments, time has lessened the blow. That Gary Anderson field goal is one of my alltime favorite moments watching sports.
The Pittsburgh Pirates Win the 1990 National League East
The Pirates were pretty awful when I started watching them as a 12 year old. Starting in 1984, they finished in last place for three straight seasons. There was very little talent to speak of and not much interest. There was even the infamous drug scandal that rocked Major League Baseball and ground zero was right here in Pittsburgh. The team also nearly relocated to Denver. It was just a horrible time to be a Pirates fan. Even worse than now, in my opinion. Fortunately, the Pirates hired General Manager Syd Thrift and Manager Jim Leyland in 1986 and started to turn a corner. They promoted highly touted prospect, Barry Bonds, and acquired young, talented players like Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke, Doug Drabek, John Smiley, RJ Reynolds, Sid Bream, and Mike Lavaliere. By 1988, the nucleus was in place and they finished 2nd in the NL East behind the New York Mets. After an injury-riddled 1989season, the team was ready to take another run at the NL East in 1990. Spurred on by an early season 10-3 road trip, the team came of age. They stayed ahead of the New York Mets for most of the year before briefly slipping into 2nd place late in the season. But after a three-game sweep of the Mets at Three Rivers Stadium, the Buccos took control of the division for good. Their magic number was three heading into the last week. The Mets really didn't back off that last week, but the Pirates never faltered. Finally, on September 30th, 1990, in St. Louis, the Pirates clinched their first division title in 11 years with a 2-0 shutout of the Cardinals. It was so awesome watching them celebrate at Busch stadium. I watched a lot of baseball growing up and often wondered what it would be like if my Pirates got a chance to celebrate. Well, it was truly a great feeling and something I'll never forget. I used the word euphoric before and it applies even more so in this case. I was so happy that day and that week heading into the NLCS against the Reds. The Pirates lost a tough series in six games to the eventual World Champions, but that season was one I'll never forget.
The 2001 PITT Panthers Very Unexpected Run in the Big East Tournament
The Panthers basketball program was very strong in the mid-to-late 80's. With guys like Charles Smith, Jerome Lane, Demetrius Gore, Sean Miller, and Brian Shorter, the program held its own in the very tough Big East conference. But despite all that talent, the team could never truly get over the hump, often losing early in both the Big East and NCAA tournaments. After years of coming up short, coach Paul Evans departed and was replaced by Ralph Willard in 1994. The program started to really decline during that period, only making the NIT once under Willard. Ben Howland was brought in to replace Willard in 1999 and by the 2000/2001 season, the team was at least somewhat respectable with a 15-12 mark. They had a low seed in the Big East tournament, and with their history up until that point, I wasn't expecting much. However, much to my surprise, the team went on a fantastic run, defeating Miami in the first round, Notre Dame in the second round, and Syracuse in overtime in the third round to make it all the way to the Big East championship game for the first time. Back to that Syracuse game, I was sick as a dog with a stomach virus that day and I was stuck in my apartment, in a huge ball on the couch wanting to die. I didn't have cable at the time, so I had to listen to it on the radio. When they finally knocked off Syracuse in overtime, that was the tonic I needed. The Panthers lost in the championship round to Boston College the next night, but it didn't take away from their magical run. And in my opinion, that run was the catalyst for their recent 9-year run of success.
The Steelers Come-From-Behind Victory Over the Browns in the 2002 AFC Wild Card Game
The 2002 Pittsburgh Steelers season was one I will never forget. It was quite the roller-coaster ride. Much was expected from the Black and Gold following their magical 2001 campaign which saw Kordell Stewart come of age (or so we thought.) The '01 Steelers finished the year 13-3 and made it all the way to the AFC championship game before being upset by the New England Patriots. They were considered favorites to take it at least one step further in 2002, but started out 0-2. Stewart looked horrible and was replaced by back up quarterback Tommy Maddox in the middle of the third game against Cleveland. Tommy Gunn led the Steelers to an overtime victory that day and went on to capture the imagination of Steelers fans everywhere. Despite the team's early struggles, they were able to tread water and take control of a very weak AFC North division. Stewart even came back and helped the Steelers win two very important late-season games after Maddox suffered a scary injury in Tennessee. Pittsburgh went on to win the division and was the 3rd seed in the AFC playoffs. Their opponent in the wildcard round was none other than the surprising Cleveland Browns. Nobody expected Pittsburgh to struggle at all against the Browns, but the team found themselves down, 14-0, pretty quickly as Kelly Holcomb shredded the Steelers defense. In-fact, Pittsburgh was down 24-7 in the second half and I had very little hope that they would come back. Fast-forward to very late in the game, and the Steelere were still trailing, 33-21, with only a few minutes left. Tommy Maddox hit Hines Ward with a touchdown pass, but I don't even remember much celebrating as there was only about 3 minutes left and the way the Browns offense was playing, I didn't expect the defense to stop them. They really didn't stop them here, either, as Browns' receiver Dennis Northcutt dropped a key third down pass that would have all but closed the curtains on the Steelers' season. Fortunately, the Steelers got the ball back and Maddox marched them down the field again before Chris Fuamatu-mafala' (close enough) scored on a delayed hand-off with less than a minute left. The Steelers were ahead, 34-33, and also converted the two-point conversion to go ahead, 36-33. I couldn't believe they actually had the lead. True to form for the 2002 Steelers defense, they didn't really stop Cleveland's offense on their last-ditch effort to kick a field goal. Fortunately, time ran out on Cleveland and Heinz Field was never louder. I collapsed in a heap on my uncle's living room floor. I was exhausted and I didn't even play! The following week, the Steelers once again found themselves down, 14-0, in Tennessee and even though they battled back to take the lead, their defense just couldn't put the Titans away and they eventually lost in over-time. It was a very bitter loss for me, mainly because of the running into the kicker call on Dwayne Washington which awarded Joe Nedney another shot at an overtime field goal after missing the first one. But with the help of the two recent Super Bowl victories, I was able to put that loss away and appreciate that Browns' game a lot more.
The PITT Panthers Destroy West Virginia's Hopes at the 2007 National Title
The 2007 Pitt Panthers were struggling much like they did the previous two seasons under Dave Wannstedt. They were 4-7 heading into the season-ending "Backyard Brawl" in Morgantown. Wannstedt took over for Walt Harris following the 2004 season. Harris left PITT (or was forced out as some have speculated) after taking the Panthers to a BCS game in 2004 and having a fairly successful run as head coach of the program. Wannstedt took over and immediately changed the philosophy from a pass-oriented attack to a more run-oriented attack and a solid defense. It took awhile for Wannstedt to recruit the players he needed for this philosophy and the team suffered through 3-straight non-winning seasons. The team came out on the short end of a lot of close games in 2007 and it looked like they might be turning a corner. But nobody gave them a chance against the Mountaineers, who were 2nd in the BCS and needed only to defeat the 4-touchdown underdog Panthers to earn a berth in the BCS Championship game. But it's games like this that make rivalries so sweet. Led by their front-seven, the Panthers totally shut down the Moutaineers potent spread-offense and even knocked quarterback Pat White out of the game. The defense only allowed one touchdown the entire game and PITT really should have won going away. Unfortunately, it looked like the Big East officials were trying everything in their power to hand WVU the game. Two very questionable holding calls kept the game close, but it was to no avail as the Panthers held on for a 13-9 victory that left Morgantown stunned. I remember remarking at the time that no bowl victory could have been sweeter than what the Panthers did that night. The victory seemed to be a turning point for the program as they've made two straight bowl appearances and are favorites to win the Big East this season.
The Penguins Stay Alive in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals
No, you're not seeing things. Believe it or not, the Penguins actually made this list. I know I'm not a diehard fan, but they have given me a thrill or two in my day. Back in 2008, I was pretty excited that the Penguins made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals even though they looked pretty overmatched by the Detriot Red Wings. They were in Detroit down 3 games to 1 and facing elimination. The Penguins didn't even score a goal the first two games in Detroit and the Wings were looking to close them out and capture another Cup. I was watching the game with my uncle at some private club in Mt. Washington and the Penguins were actually up early-on. It didn't last, however, as the Red Wings came all the way back to take a one-goal lead late in the 3rd period. The Penguins removed their goalie and were on a man-advantage with less than a minute left. The people in this bar were preparing for the worst. It looked like the season was going to come to an end, but out of nowhere, the superstar himself, Max Talbot, scored to tie the game. I've seen youtube videos of Detroit fans doing the "na na na na" stuff before being put in their place after that goal. It took three overtimes but the Penguins finally won on Petr Sykora's power-play goal. I actually celebrated as if the Steelers won a playoff game. The first and only time I've reacted to a Penguins game in that fashion. Truly a memorable night. Unfortunately, the Pens would lose a heartbreaker at home in Mellon Arena in game six, but would turn the tables on the Wings the following year and capture their third Stanley Cup.
And, finally, my alltime favorite sports moment that didn't involve a championship:
The Steelers Defeat the Colts in the 1995 AFC Championship Game
I know this is out of chronological order, but I wanted to save my favorite for last. It was a bitter/sweet time being a sports fan in the early 90's. It wasn't horrible. There were a lot of fun times, but it seemed like my teams never really got over the hump. The Pirates won three straight division titles but lost in the NLCS every time, each one being more heartbreaking than the last. The Steelers were pretty average in the 80's and their run in the 70's seemed almost mythical to me as I was too young to really appreciate those years. By the early 90's, Chuck Noll was in his last days as coach. The Steelers were actually 3rd in relevance to the Penguins and Pirates. The Penguins had won back-to-back Stanley Cups but I didn't care about hockey at that time. In fact, I was very jealous of their success because my Pirates, who I followed with great passion, always came up short. By 1992, the Pirates were in their last days of being a great baseball team (little did we know how long their futility would last) and Bill Cowher succeeded Chuck Noll as head coach of the Steelers. They were huge shoes to fill, no doubt, but Cowher brought a new energy to the team and to the city. Surprisingly, the team went 11-5 in Cowher's first season and were actually the number 1 seed in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they were no match for the Buffalo Bills in the divisional playoffs, as they fell, 24-3. The next season, they started slowly, but rebounded to clinch the last wildcard spot in the AFC before losing a heartbreaker to Kansas City in overtime. The 1994 Steelers looked to be the team to get over the hump and bring glory to the Steel City once again. They finished the year 12-4 and nosed-out the Cleveland Browns for the AFC Central Division crown and the number 1 seed. The Steelers easily defeated the Browns for the 3rd straight time in the divisional playoffs and the only thing that stood between them and their first trip to the Super Bowl since the 70's was an underdog Chargers team that nobody thought highly of. It was a foregone conclusion that the Steelers would roll over the Chargers in the AFC Championship game. The guys even made a Super Bowl rap video the week prior to this game. The Steelers controlled things early but could never put San Diego away. They only led 13-3 late in the 3rd quarter before the Chargers scored two late touchdowns to take a 17-13 lead. Quarterback Neil O'Donnell led them on a furious march down the field but came up short on 4th and goal from the 3. I was devasted. I was almost in tears. Nobody could believe that they had lost. It wasn't quite as bad as the NLCS, but it was pretty darn close. I knew one thing: Once again, one of MY teams came up short in a big game.
The '95 Steelers were still considered the favorites in the AFC, but they seemed to be sleep-walking through the first half of the year. They even lost to the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars. The final nail in the apparent coffin was a Thursday night beatdown by the Cincinnati Bengals at Three Rivers Stadium. They were 3-4 and there was very little hope. Surprisingly, Pittsburgh got on a roll. They won a very big overtime game in Chicago to improve to 5-4 and then a few weeks later, they came back from being down, 31-13, to those same Bengals and won going away, 49-31. They would go on to win 8-straight games and capture the AFC Central division and number 2seed in the AFC. Their road to the Super Bowl wasn't initially as clear as the previous year. But in their first game, they had their way with Buffalo. And the Chiefs, who had the number 1 seed, were stunned by the upstart Indianapolis Colts. I couldn't believe it. It's as if there was divine intervention and God was fixing what happened the previous season. Once again, the Steelers were going to be home for the AFC championship game and this time, their opponent was an even bigger underdog. Surely, the Black and Gold wouldn't stumble again with the entire city watching, or would they? Well, I'll be damned if they didn't struggle. O'Donnell was intercepted early and the Colts had a 3-0 lead. Down 6-3 late in the first half, O'Donnell rebounded and hit rookie phenom, Kordell "Slash" Stewart with a touchdown pass in the back of the endzone and Pittsburgh led, 10-6 at the break. I figured that the team would step on the throats of the Colts, who were only 9-7 in the regular season, and dispose of them pretty early in the second half. I was wrong. The Steelers were only ahead, 13-9, late in the game when Colts' quarterback Jim Harbaugh connected with Floyd Turner on a 47 yard touchdown midway through the 4th quarter. The Colts were up, 16-13, and I couldn't believe it. My sister needed a headlight replaced on her car, and I was going to help my uncle fix it after the game. After the touchdown, he was disgusted and said something like, "Let's just go out and fix that light. They're done." And I was beginning to think they were done. They couldn't move the ball at all on Indianapolis when they needed to the most. The Colts actually had possession with only a few minutes left and it was 3rd and 1. Colts' running back Lamont Warren appeared to have clear sailing over the left side. It looked like he not only had an easy first down, but he could have gone all the way. Out of nowhere, Steelers cornerback Willie Williams came flying from behind and grabbed Warren by the ankle and stopped him short of the first down. The Steelers had one last shot to either tie the score or take the lead. Very early in the drive, Colts linebacker, Quentin Coryott nearly put the Steelers away with an interception, only to have it broken-up by Steelers receiver, Ernie Mills. Later in the drive, O'Donnell hit receiver Andre Hastings on a 4 and 3 to stay alive. The very next play, O'Donnell hit Mills for a 37 yard pass down to the Colts' 1-yard line. To this day, I can remember my two uncles jumping up and down and embracing one another after the play. Two plays later, Steelers running back Bam Morris punched it in and the Steelers were ahead, 20-16, with just 1:34 remaining. I thought it was in the bag. In-fact, tears started welling up, but I kept my compusure. And, it's a good thing I did because Harbaugh led the Colts down the field and despite a near-interception that would have sealed the game, the Colts were at the Steelers 30 yard-line with just 5-seconds left. There was time for one play. Harbaugh let loose on a hail-mary pass. The Colts receivers and Steelers defenders converged on the ball in the right corner of the endzone. The Steelers tried to bat the ball down, but Colts receiver Aaron Bailey had the ball on his chest as he fell to the turf, and all he needed to do was close his arms. Thankfully, he didn't and it fell to the ground. In the confusion of that last play, NBC's television crew wasn't sure what happened and Phil Simms screamed, "He caught the ball!" For a split second, I saw another heartreaking loss flash before my eyes, but then I saw the officials signal incomplete and I jumped up and ran into the kitchen and slid across the floor. My uncle Tony, who for some reason was cooking on the stove during this climactic moment, looked down at me and said, "Grow up." It was a tremendous feeling and a great relief. My Steelers had finally gotten over the hump. One of MY teams had finally made it to the last game. The Steelers were onto Super Bowl XXX. For the first time in my life, I had a reason to go out and honk a car horn. And conveniently enough, I had just gotten my license a couple of months prior so I got in a car and drove around honking my horn at complete strangers. The Steelers were to face the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl. For someone like me, who grew up watching highlights of the epic Steelers/Cowboys Super Bowls from the 70's, it couldn't get any better. I knew Pittsburgh would be the underdog and even though I was extremely optimistic, I was prepared for a loss. The Cowboys had just won two Super Bowls earlier in the decade and they were the team of the 90's. The two weeks leading up to the game were tremendous. I watched every Super Bowl special I could find on tv. I read every newspaper article I could find. I bought Super Bowl XXX memorabilia. I did it all. Truly one of the greatest times of my life. And the game was actually pretty exciting. The Cowboys dominated early, but Pittsburgh came back and actually outplayed them in the second half. We all remember the two infamous interceptions thrown by Neil O'Donnell that led to the Steelers downfall. To this day, people are bitter about that game and I don't know why. Well, I do know, it was the Super Bowl, but you would think the two recent Super Bowl victories would allow those feelings of anger and disappointment to dissipate, but they're still there. Anytime people talk about the worst losses in the history of Pittsburgh sports, Super Bowl XXX is up there at the top of the list.
The Steelers have been to the Super Bowl 7 times and that was their only loss. I think most sports fans would take that. Just ask the Bills or Vikings fans if they'd like to have just one championship, and I'll bet they'd say yes.
Don't get me wrong, I was disappointed. I even wrote "What Could have Been" on the vhs tape that I used to record the game.
But after so many near-misses, it was nice to see one of my teams at least play for a championship. I don't look back on Super Bowl XXX and cry. In-fact, I'm proud of that team.
I'll never forget that AFC championship game or any of the moments I have listed on here.
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