I was born in Pittsburgh and it's a moment I will never forget and it's as clear in my head now as it was then. I was 15 and my dad had season tickets that year and the next year. We went to every home game that year (of course) and I believe the price of a ticket was around $7.50. Boy have times changed! We sat on the visitor's side, 4 rows up from the field and on the 35-yard line near one of the dugouts. I remember it was a boring game offensively but a great defensive battle. I believe it was 0-0 at half-time. The reason you see the enormous explosion of emotion after Franco's catch and TD that sealed the victory was two-fold. One, the Steelers finished the season 11-3. A record the Steelers had never come close to in their 40-year history at the time. No one knew what kind of season the Steelers were going to have and I doubt anyone predicted 11-3 was possible especially since the previous year they were 6-8 and 5-9 the year before that. It was already a year that far exceeded expectations. Second, the game looked like it was well in hand for the Steelers with just less than 2:00 minutes to go when Ken Stabler ran around the left end untouched for a 40 yard TD. But not all was lost. What the film doesn't show is Terry Bradshaws 3 successive incomplete throws from the Steeler 40 yard line. I remember being frustrated as to why he was throwing so deep downfield on those throws as they only needed to go about 20 yards to get into field goal range. The goalposts were on the goal line back then so if they could get to the 40 of Oakland Gerela had a makeable kick to win the game as the score was only 7-6 Oakland. Then the miracle happened. Fans erupted and 40 years of pent up frustrations came flowing, more like erupting, out. I, like many, jumped onto the field which wasn't too hard for me as we were just 4 rows up and the stands on both sides of the field went nearly to field level. 1st-row fan's feet were just a foot or so off the field. My dad said to stay on the sideline, which I did and stood next to linebacker Gerald Irons who I thought was the largest person I had ever seen. I witnessed either Pete Banaszak or Marv Hubbard throwing their helmet into the bench. Recently an NFL Films documentary was produced that covered what became known as the Immaculate Reception. It analyzed the Tatum, Fuqua collision frame by frame like they were forensic experts going over the Zapruder film. Conclusion: the ball never touched Fuqua. Close up frame by frame stop-action sequence showed the ball above Fuqua's fingertips. And the fact that Fuqua's running in the direction of the ball- with 2 energies going in the same direction. Tatum's direction, and energy, was going into the ball. When the collision happened the ball careened back towards the line of scrimmage - obviously from being influenced by Tatum's direction of energy. If it had hit Fuqua in the hands it would have dropped to the ground right there. Or if it had hit him in the back - which it clearly didn't as the ball was way above his out-stretched hands it still would have dropped to the ground at that point as Fuqua's direction and energy were going with the ball. Only Tatum's was going against the direction of the ball. Sorry Raiders fans.
Gary, I too was at the game that day. I was 16 years old. We had season tickets that year. In fact we had a 4 seat section on the visiting side line at around the 40 yard line about 15 or 20 rows up from the field. Great seats all season. However, we did not have the same seats during the playoff game and we only had two tickets. My seat was in the opposite end zone from where Franco scored. I think we were under the upper deck cover. The seats were not great, but we could see everything. I took my high school buddy. My mother was married to the CEO of Pittsburgh Testing Lab in Greentree, and that is where I got the tickets for the game. I grew up in McKees Rocks and when to Sto-Rox and played football for Sto-Rox. On the historic play, my buddy, said he could not watch the Steelers lose, so he put his head down and missed the greatest play of all time. After the play happened he asked me what happened. I told him he missed the great play of all time and will just have to watch it on tv tonight. The stadium and fans were ecstatic as you probably all ready know. In the parking lot people were honking horns and going crazy. A moment in time I will never forget. I just wish I kept my ticket stub. Thanks for sharing your story.
Growing up in the 70s I loved the Steelers (even tho I'm from ATL). I met Franco Harris once in a restaurant in Buckhead Atlanta (I served there) in 1995. He looked in great shape, was happy and as nice as he could be! So great to meet a guy you looked up to and he turns out to actually be a cool guy in person!
I love stories like that. I actually met Dennis Rodman in a mall in downtown SLC in 1990 when he was with the Bad Boy Pistons. I was in high school. He could not have been more cool and kind.
Good to know. Was he the same guy that narrated some of the old Steve Sabol “NFL Films Presents”...? Loved those when I was a kid. I’m thinking he was the same guy that did “The Autumn Wind is a Raider”... Good stuff. (And I’m not even a Raider fan.).
I remember that play - amazing and it play on Monday night football for years...... that was a great decade of football Don't forget the Hail Mary pass by the Great Roger.
Love seeing this play...I was 14 at the time and a huge Dolphins fan. The next week we played for the AFC championship and though we were undefeated at the time (15-0) due to AFC championship scheduling procedures at the time, the AFC Central hosted. So we beat the Steelers in Three Rivers the week after this game to get to the SB and complete our '72 undefeated season.
Great video. These kind of videos say that it made Franco a star, but for those who lived through this, he was a huge rookie star that year. That's part of what makes the play so great is that Franco made the play after his incredible rookie year. This play made him a legend.
This was the bes time of the Steelers with a group of players that make history and give glory to the team Franco Harris was a GREAT player but not the only one that was a TERRIFIC team not only Franco and I love each one of them
Having grown up in the Pittsburgh area at that time I remember that Franco was already a star even before that game - Franco's Italian Army was everywhere. Even Frank Sinatra was a member. The game just solidified his image and created a cult, but Franco was already a star player for the Steelers - along with Joe Greene and Andy Russell. I once met Frency Fuqua - he did have gold fish in the heels of his shoes.
I teach English as a second language. In the advanced classes we get into figurative language and idioms. When the term "divine intervention" comes up in chapter 6, I always show this video as an example.
Henry, have you ever thought about teaching the 700 or so Siamese Twins? I wrote the article at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_twins_(linguistics) so I thought I would see if that might help... or blow everyone's mind?
Forgetting about whether it was a legal catch or not, I prefer to view this as the day the Snake was born. What a TD run! You just knew Madden would have a short leash on Lamonica the next season and the Raiders went from the Mad Bomber to the Snake shortly into that 1973 season.
As amazing as this play was. What I took away from this...man I miss the old days of 🏈. These men were tough. The hits..by God the hits. If someone hit a receiver like Tatum did to Fuqua., that player would serve a life sentence in prison.
I was a 15 year old kid eating dinner on a tray, jumped up and screamed, spilling everything on the floor as I watched Harris run into the EZ! I remember so well how everyone in the stands just poured on to the field in celebration! Those were the days!
Yes, but according to the Raider guarding Franco he was a lazy bum in the right place at the right time. He is wrong. Raidercomplainer then said he was clipped but not called. He outta be grateful. Wouldn't of landed a hand on Franco in time and had he tried, Franco would have stiff armed "em like Titans Derrick Henry does and really given him something to he really embarrassed about. Lol.
The next game the Steelers played was the '72 AFC Championship game, which due to AFC league rules at that time the game rotated between the divisions, so even though the Dolphins were undefeated/untied and had the better record they had to play the AFC Championship on the road in three rivers stadium in Pitt...but the Dolphins still won and obviously went on to win the SB and complete the Perfect Season.
This play has more historical significance than people realize. The truth about the phone call was that it was to the league office where Bob Swearingen took the call. The ref told him that Pat Harder and Adrian Burk, two of the on-field officials and two former NFL players themselves, had ruled double touch. Both Tatum and Fuqua had made contact with the ball; therefore , the catch was legal and the touchdown should stand. Swearingen said that the on-field officials had the right call. And that is how the Immaculate Reception was the first play in NFL history to be determined by instant replay.
The narrator of this NFL film was Jeff Kaye who worked for WBEN 930 radio in Buffalo, NY--when John Facenda passed away NFL films was looking for an announcer to complement the great Harry Kalas--Mr. Kaye's program director at the radio station (unknown to Mr. Kaye)-sent a demo tape to NFL films--they obviously loved what they heard and hired Mr. Kaye without hesitation--Mr. Kaye went on to have a stellar career with NFL films and also became a very close friend of Mr. Kalas
We finally know now that the ball hit Tatum since that have the video from the original broadcast. You can even see Harris cleaning catching the ball as well. No doubt about it. What a great play, one of the best and most exciting in all of sports still to this day.
RandomPlayIist Besides the "who the ball hit" controversy, I remember some questioning whether or not, the ball hit the ground as Harris caught it. There's no clear video of the catch. So there's two questions involving this play.
Anthony DelVecchio Well, I'll admit I didn't study "trajectory of objects", I just know what's on video, (no proof of catch or non catch), and the comments of commentators at the time. And as for assuming only raiders fans dispute the play, wrong yet again, that game, I became a Steelers fan (they're actually second after the Bears). But I am glad you know so much about velocity, spin rate, and tumble frequency of a non thrown football to assure all of us how, and in which direction, that ball would bounced had its' nose brush the ground while Franco was simultaneously catching it.
@@ANTHONY0808able for most of my early 'sports fan' life, I was a closet Steeler fan..." closet" because I was born in Dallas and raised in central Texas. Do you have any links to these better video angles? The 'stock' game video doesn't give enough clarity.
You already know he's lying about the clip. HE DIDNT EVEN FALL OVER HAHA. Plus back in those days. The "tougher" days of the NFL. There's no way that's a clip. Case closed. I have pics of the ball hitting Tatum and of the ball never hitting the ground. I can send them to you if u want.
That was one of the most bitter defeats I have ever witnessed on a football field. Especially since Phil Villapiano said he was in position to make the tackle and got clipped on the play, and no flags were tossed by the refs.
Villapiano could not have reached Harris, he was about five yards behind. The so-called clip, the blocker barely touched Villapiano. also. I think the Raiders and Al Davis changed their tune from 'the ball wasn't batted by Tatum' to Villapiano got clipped. Even with instant replay today, neither play is clear (and you can't challenge a penalty anyway, apart from timing plays). The batting of the ball wouldn't be overturned today, if the rule had not been changed.
I was at that game first row end seat end zone . the players had to enter the locker room there. all I rem is how pissed the raider players were when the game was over as they entered the locker room.
You know, even if the play was ruled illegal, I say Tatum committed pass interference when he knocked down Fuqua & could have been called for that. That would have put the Steelers in field goal range. But history didn't mean it to turn out that way.
At about age 3 I learned just how deeply mom's Pittsburgh roots run. Of course though we live In southern California ( which mom detests.) Steelers are the family team. When I think of my childhood the first thing I think of is football. How important it was. Those killer Superbowls against Dallas were the best games to me. The players were just beasts. Not crying or pouting for not getting his way. Mostly.
Having watched 15,000 hours of televised football between then and now or whatever, it looks pretty clearly like a catch based on position of Franco's hands and how fast the ball came up. It was under control the whole time whether or not the tip touched the ground off camera. Whether it was an illegal double-touch is another question... That I don't know. But it looks like a clean catch from the one Zapruder film that we have... Top of the football is controlled at the top of his sock and dips a couple inches lower for a fraction of a second and comes up hard.... (P.S. I was a Raider fan and this was a crushing play. I listened to it on the radio...)
(8:30) This is what happens when "too many rules" are attached to such a simple game. Look, Bradshaw threw the frickin' ball, it bounced off of two colliding players, Harris ended up with it and ran it in for six. It's not rocket science, it's not a bad call nor should it be considered in any way controversial! ........It's just frickin' football!
I agree with that. With that said, there were a lot of other flagrant fouls on that play such as the clip on Villapiano. So yes it was a catch by Franco but it should have been negated by all the other extra curricular activity on that play.
It hit the Pitt player first and then Tatum all in a mills second thus making 2 offensive touch rule come into effect thus it wud have turned the ball over to oak time expired thus the game wud have ended with an incomplete pass
Timeless great moments in NFL history. I'm a die hard Raider fan. This wasn't a stolen game. The tuck rule game was the biggest ripoff in sports history.
Actually, the Tuck Rule was enforced against the Patriots earlier that year. But the biggest ripoff was when Ben Dreith stole that game from the Patriots, and gave it to the Raiders. When the Patriots went to Super Bowl XXXVI, a Raiders fan ran into Patriots announcer Gil Santos. He said, "You guys don't deserve to be here." Santos replied, "I remember 1976, and YOU guys didn't deserve to be THERE. Payback's a bitch, ain't it?"
At least the tuck rule was a rule that was in place for 3 years. It was called against the Pat's week 2 vs the Jets and nobody said anything. It was called the year before for the Tampa bay Buccaneers, Vinny Testaverde was the Q.B and nobody said a thing. When it happened in the Raiders vs Patriots game, morons said the rule was made up that night. Come on people! If you don't watch football at least do your research. December 18 1976 was the WORST call in NFL history. Phantom roughing the passer call against the Patriots vs the Raiders. NEVER EVEN HAPPENED! GOOGLE IT
@@davidgoff2530 you cant defend that fumble not even with the tuck rule and Vinnys situation was way different. Tuck rule was wrongfully applied and when you freeze the play before he is hit the ball had completed the pump fake.
@@916Smoke It was a stupid rule but at least it could be backed up on that. The phantom roughing the passer call never happened. Explain that. There were riots and everything. New England had a really good team in 76
Franco avoided the block and "jogged" in front of the pocket to be open for a ten yard pass to get them first down. It was strategic, not lazy. If he was lazy, he would not have run toward the ball once it was passed. He learned that from the Penn State coach.
This game was the beginning of one of the greatest rivalries in NFL history. Oakland and Pittsburgh along with the Miami Dolphins took turns beating each other and going to the Super Bowl in the 1970's. Steelers went back to back twice winning 4 times. The Dolphins when 3 consecutive times winning twice and Oakland finally broke through and won SB XI in 1976.
1st of 5 straight years when the teams would see each other in the postseason. The Steelers would win 3 of the 5 meetings, including AFC championship game after 1974 & 75 seasons, although 1 of the Raiders wins came during their 16-1 Super Bowl 11 title year of 1976
That referee definitely called the police, only would have had 6 cops to escort his crew out of Three Rivers, would have been a full scale riot in Pittsburgh if he overturned the play in favor of the Raiders, don't think any amount of cops would have got the officiating crew out alive.
Not in 72. Miami beat Steelers in Conference Championship, and won the SB . Miami lost to Oakland then Oakland lost to Steelers in74 and the Steeler's won the SB in74(well Jan 75) Their 1st one of the 4
@@utahsilvey5930 Yeah, they think Bradshaw might of suffered a concussion on the first TD score of the game. Although, it was stupid that an undefeated team had to play in Pitt.
@@mjoven1975 To this day. Frenchy Fuqua sells photos of this play, of Him and Jack Tatum colliding , and the ball just arriving. He autographs it "FRENCHY FUQUA...I'LL NEVER TELL" I bought one off him a few years back. I got to meet him and his wife.. Down to earth people. 2019
The three points of controversy regarding the Immaculate Reception, the dispute as to who touched the pass before it was caught, whether it was caught at all, and whether or not there was a block in the back have been voiced for many years, so I guess I'll add my thoughts about them. First, there should be no controversy at all regarding whether it was deflected directly from one Steelers player to another without a defender touching it at any time. The mere fact that the ball caromed 30 yards away toward the sidelines and back toward the line of scrimmage says that Jack Tatum had to have knocked the ball out of there, because the ball went in the direction he was going, and away from where Frenchy Fuqua was heading. That would have made it a legal catch, according to the rules at the time. The second point of controversy is, by far, the most obvious. Whether Franco actually caught the ball or trapped it off the artificial turf. No video evidence is known to exist that shows either whether Franco definitively caught the ball or trapped it. However, Gene Upshaw saw that part of the play as it was right in front of him, and he insisted that Franco did, indeed make the catch. Based on that, I'd have to say that Franco caught it. The third point of controversy, the one regarding whether or not LB Phil Villapiano was blocked from behind, is the hardest to speculate on, but if anything, I would say that he might have been tripped up by the blocker in question. If he was behind Villapiano, it was so close that it would have been nearly impossible to determine whether he was completely behind him, or had any part of his body even with, or in front of him, so I would say that it was a good no-call. If anything, I would consider that to be a cut block, a play infringed upon at that time, but not illegal. There have been numerous controversial calls against the Raiders, that they would have a right to be very mad at over time. To me, this is not one of them, unlike the botched call of Rob Lytle's fumble in the 1977 AFC Championship Game, another play that involved Tatum, or the "Tuck Rule" in the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff where they got jobbed by the head referee in Foxboro. That said, there have been many controversial calls that went in the Raiders' favor over the years, some of which have been bad calls. The most notable among those being the "Holy Roller" in San Diego in 1978, when Ken Stabler clearly threw a shovel pass that should have been called incomplete and then Pete Banasak illegally batted the ball forward before Dave Casper recovered it in the end zone for the GW TD. Another controversial call involving the Raiders was the roughing the passer call on Sugar Bear Hamilton in the 1976 AFC Divisional Playoff Game that, had it not been called, would have resulted in the Patriots advancing to the AFC Championship Game. However, that was the right call, as Hamilton clearly hit Stabler's head on that play, but it's been a source of consternation for Patriots' fan ever since. Another thing about the Immaculate Reception is that Fred Swearingen, who was the head referee for that game would also be the official that called the controversial PI penalty on Benny Barnes in Super Bowl XIII. In fact, the Steelers have gotten more than their fair share of breaks from the officials over the years. In Super Bowl IX, there was the 30-yard pass to Larry Brown that Vikings fans, to this day, believe he fumbled, but Ed Marion, the official who botched the Rob Lytle play, overruled the original call and gave the Steelers the ball back. Then there was the collection of mysterious calls in Super Bowl XL vs. the Seahawks that all went the Steelers way, as they finally won their fifth Super Bowl title. And in 2008, there was a controversial overrule that determined a late-season game in Baltimore, as the Steelers went on to win their record sixth Super Bowl title.
There is a NFL film clip of this play from the opposite side of the field, Seen it one time when it was showed with other big game high lights. All were showed from an angle that is different than the traditional ones. It was done as a commercial. Funny thing is this different angle really showed what really happened on that play
@Wes Peeble Yes but did it hit the ground?. The replay is pretty obvious that Tatum hit the ball since the speed of the deflection could have only happened with someone running towards the ball, i.e. Tatum, rather than Fuqua who was running downfield. The real controversy of the play is did Harris trap it or catch it clean? I suppose Harris is the only person who knows for certain and he'll likely take it to his grave before spilling the truth.
As a Raiders fan I will admit the ball hit Tatum first then bounced off Fuqua second right into the hands of Franco.The great Curt Gowdy called the game on NBC. I call still hear a game announcer say" And there's a collision! And its caught out if the air by Franco Harris!" I was 14 years old at the time.The Steelers lost to the undefeated Dolphins 21-17 the following week in the AFC championship game.
I purchased a DVD of the history of the Steelers and concerning this play I understand that Madden is still piss over that play he John Madden get over it
Playing football in that time compared to now was like flying P51 Mustangs compared to being a drone pilot. I big hit on a defenseless receiver was something you got congratulated for. A late hit was when you hit a guy after he was halfway back to the huddle.
4:06 Looking at where Franco Harris hands are the ball had to have touch the ground. Never could understand why they didn't rule that incomplete (Outside of fear on the Referees part)
+Joseph Dungee At 4:06, you can't see Franco's shoes or the Raider's shoes running in the opposite direction, so I don't know how you could see the tip of the football touching the ground, the truth of the matter is the league didn't have cameras running along the ground, I'm sure this play led to many rule changes
cityofchamps66 Its easy to draw a logical conclusion that the ball hit the ground. A football is 11 inches in length and where Franco Harris was holding the ball there is no other way he could be holding it without it being on the ground. The referee was going to rule incomplete but out of fear of being mugged took the safe way out (Can't blame him, if the NFL wasn't willing to insure his safety why put his life on the line)
Joseph Dungee Whatever, kinda silly to argue about a play 44 years later, Steelers lost the next week to Miami so it wasn't like Oakland got robbed of a Super Bowl title
cityofchamps66 Because I liked the Raiders as well and I felt the NFL just gave the Steelers this game. Also, I hated that crap of not being honest on calls when its obvious what happened by simple deduction. Sheez, do the math. Why do you think Franco Harris nor Frenchy Fuqua will tell what really happened...ANSWER? It was incomplete and they know it.
Raiders sure were involved in some great playoff finishes back ; then they finally got a break a few years later, in that Sea of Hands game against the Dolphins , another fantastic finish
I remember the Stabler td and the Harris td. The Steelers were ridiculously lucky(was cheering for neither,was only ten). Like how the announcer declares a Harris td before he reaches the end zone.
Football was better in the '70s. Back then, you were a Raider, you were a Steeler, you were a Cowboy...etc. Now they are just football players drifting from team to team. These guys in this video spoke with a passion for their team that you will not find anymore.
3:55 - "and Bradshaw, back and looking again....Bradshaw, running out of the pocket....looking for somebody to throw to...fires it downfield....and there's a collision!.....as...it's caught out the air!...the ball is pulled in by Franco Harris!....Harris is going for a touchdown for Pittsburgh!!"
I turned my tv off I couldn't watch but, then I said what the hell they had a good year then turned the tv back on just to see Franco running down the sidelines. I went cool slam crazy! 😂
I have seen this play many times, and I am still convinced the ball bounced off the Raiders S shoulder pad and not off of the Steelers RB. And I read somewhere that it was proven by a physicist, too. Impossible to tell though if the ball hit the ground before Franco caught it or not
The ball shot back pretty fast. it had to be the defender hitting it. A mistake by Tatum, he just had to tie Fuqua up after a catch, which would not have been hard with all the Raiders in the backfield.
The Steelers announced on Tuesday that the team will retire Franco Harris' Number '32' in a halftime ceremony on December 24, when the team hosts the Las Vegas Raiders at Acrisure Stadium. That weekend the Steelers will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Immaculate Reception.
Al LoCasale's account (7:52) of what the referee said on the phone is something I've always wanted to know. I was 12 years old and wondered "why is the referee on that phone so long?" Hahahahahaha!
i don't know but i remember hearing as a kid that the raiders had a hit list - certain players from each team. Apparently Jack Lambert was on it. Several Steelers were. And the ultimate hit - supposedly - was to maim, paralyze or kill a player. not saying this is the truth, because there are always crazy rumors in sports. But it is true that this is what I *heard*.
RIP Franco Harris and John Madden. I still get chills watching it 50 years later.
And Tatum and Stabler and Atkinson too.
I was born in Pittsburgh and it's a moment I will never forget and it's as clear in my head now as it was then. I was 15 and my dad had season tickets that year and the next year. We went to every home game that year (of course) and I believe the price of a ticket was around $7.50. Boy have times changed! We sat on the visitor's side, 4 rows up from the field and on the 35-yard line near one of the dugouts. I remember it was a boring game offensively but a great defensive battle. I believe it was 0-0 at half-time. The reason you see the enormous explosion of emotion after Franco's catch and TD that sealed the victory was two-fold. One, the Steelers finished the season 11-3. A record the Steelers had never come close to in their 40-year history at the time. No one knew what kind of season the Steelers were going to have and I doubt anyone predicted 11-3 was possible especially since the previous year they were 6-8 and 5-9 the year before that. It was already a year that far exceeded expectations. Second, the game looked like it was well in hand for the Steelers with just less than 2:00 minutes to go when Ken Stabler ran around the left end untouched for a 40 yard TD. But not all was lost. What the film doesn't show is Terry Bradshaws 3 successive incomplete throws from the Steeler 40 yard line. I remember being frustrated as to why he was throwing so deep downfield on those throws as they only needed to go about 20 yards to get into field goal range. The goalposts were on the goal line back then so if they could get to the 40 of Oakland Gerela had a makeable kick to win the game as the score was only 7-6 Oakland. Then the miracle happened. Fans erupted and 40 years of pent up frustrations came flowing, more like erupting, out. I, like many, jumped onto the field which wasn't too hard for me as we were just 4 rows up and the stands on both sides of the field went nearly to field level. 1st-row fan's feet were just a foot or so off the field. My dad said to stay on the sideline, which I did and stood next to linebacker Gerald Irons who I thought was the largest person I had ever seen. I witnessed either Pete Banaszak or Marv Hubbard throwing their helmet into the bench. Recently an NFL Films documentary was produced that covered what became known as the Immaculate Reception. It analyzed the Tatum, Fuqua collision frame by frame like they were forensic experts going over the Zapruder film. Conclusion: the ball never touched Fuqua. Close up frame by frame stop-action sequence showed the ball above Fuqua's fingertips. And the fact that Fuqua's running in the direction of the ball- with 2 energies going in the same direction. Tatum's direction, and energy, was going into the ball. When the collision happened the ball careened back towards the line of scrimmage - obviously from being influenced by Tatum's direction of energy. If it had hit Fuqua in the hands it would have dropped to the ground right there. Or if it had hit him in the back - which it clearly didn't as the ball was way above his out-stretched hands it still would have dropped to the ground at that point as Fuqua's direction and energy were going with the ball. Only Tatum's was going against the direction of the ball. Sorry Raiders fans.
Gary, I too was at the game that day. I was 16 years old. We had season tickets that year. In fact we had a 4 seat section on the visiting side line at around the 40 yard line about 15 or 20 rows up from the field. Great seats all season. However, we did not have the same seats during the playoff game and we only had two tickets. My seat was in the opposite end zone from where Franco scored. I think we were under the upper deck cover. The seats were not great, but we could see everything. I took my high school buddy. My mother was married to the CEO of Pittsburgh Testing Lab in Greentree, and that is where I got the tickets for the game. I grew up in McKees Rocks and when to Sto-Rox and played football for Sto-Rox.
On the historic play, my buddy, said he could not watch the Steelers lose, so he put his head down and missed the greatest play of all time. After the play happened he asked me what happened. I told him he missed the great play of all time and will just have to watch it on tv tonight.
The stadium and fans were ecstatic as you probably all ready know. In the parking lot people were honking horns and going crazy. A moment in time I will never forget. I just wish I kept my ticket stub.
Thanks for sharing your story.
I could listen to Villipiano describe this all day. He was hilarious...
I know Right!!!
Growing up in the 70s I loved the Steelers (even tho I'm from ATL). I met Franco Harris once in a restaurant in Buckhead Atlanta (I served there) in 1995. He looked in great shape, was happy and as nice as he could be! So great to meet a guy you looked up to and he turns out to actually be a cool guy in person!
I love stories like that. I actually met Dennis Rodman in a mall in downtown SLC in 1990 when he was with the Bad Boy Pistons. I was in high school. He could not have been more cool and kind.
“… bothered me then, bothers me now and will, probably, bother me until the day I die.”
It did. RIP Coach Madden. You were one of the greats.
without "probably" 😄
The voice of this narrator takes me right back to when I was a kid.
The narrator was Jeff Kaye. Kaye once worked at WBEN AM 930 in Buffalo, NY
Good to know. Was he the same guy that narrated some of the old Steve Sabol “NFL Films Presents”...? Loved those when I was a kid. I’m thinking he was the same guy that did “The Autumn Wind is a Raider”... Good stuff. (And I’m not even a Raider fan.).
Yes Jeff Kaye
Jeffery Baker that would be the great John Facenda.
Jeffrey Baker
It was Jack Fleming, he used to do WVU games.
I saw my father cry three times.
1) Cyrano de Bergerac
2) The Immaculate Reception
3) The Death of My Mother
He cried because he knew it was incomplete and justice would never happen.
Greatest play of all times! You got to love the Steers and its HISTORY!!! Thanks for sharing this video!
I agree
right the ball hit the ground
I remember that play - amazing
and it play on Monday night football for years......
that was a great decade of football
Don't forget the Hail Mary pass by the Great Roger.
I can't believe that Fuqua was so concerned about who got the credit. Franco just wanted to help the Steelers win, so he deserved all the glory.
The Steelers put Pa. back on the map. I grew up with this team and ill love this crew forever.
Ball hit the ground
@Anthony DelVecchio Terry Adams is a troll. Nothing more.
Agreed!!!!
Love seeing this play...I was 14 at the time and a huge Dolphins fan. The next week we played for the AFC championship and though we were undefeated at the time (15-0) due to AFC championship scheduling procedures at the time, the AFC Central hosted. So we beat the Steelers in Three Rivers the week after this game to get to the SB and complete our '72 undefeated season.
Seiple fake punt---correct?
@@christopherdunne7848 Yes sir!
Great video. These kind of videos say that it made Franco a star, but for those who lived through this, he was a huge rookie star that year. That's part of what makes the play so great is that Franco made the play after his incredible rookie year. This play made him a legend.
This was the bes time of the Steelers with a group of players that make history and give glory to the team Franco Harris was a GREAT player but not the only one that was a TERRIFIC team not only Franco and I love each one of them
Having grown up in the Pittsburgh area at that time I remember that Franco was already a star even before that game - Franco's Italian Army was everywhere. Even Frank Sinatra was a member. The game just solidified his image and created a cult, but Franco was already a star player for the Steelers - along with Joe Greene and Andy Russell.
I once met Frency Fuqua - he did have gold fish in the heels of his shoes.
Franko Harris looks the teacher from welcome back Kotter
Franko Harris was my favorite player
franco went to penn st under the great joe paterno who defends him to this day. dad went to penn too. graduated in 1964
STRAIGHT OUTTA PITTSBURGH!
Franco was a rookie ...... hardly a star
I remember watching this on TV as a little kid w/ my Dad. It was unbelievable
Greatest play in NFL history.
I became a Steeler fan that day and still a fan today!!! Go Stilers!!
I didn't become a Steeler fan until they beat Dallas in the Super Bowl
I teach English as a second language. In the advanced classes we get into figurative language and idioms. When the term "divine intervention" comes up in chapter 6, I always show this video as an example.
Henry, have you ever thought about teaching the 700 or so Siamese Twins? I wrote the article at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_twins_(linguistics) so I thought I would see if that might help... or blow everyone's mind?
My favorite play of all time. Even though I was only 5.
Forgetting about whether it was a legal catch or not, I prefer to view this as the day the Snake was born. What a TD run! You just knew Madden would have a short leash on Lamonica the next season and the Raiders went from the Mad Bomber to the Snake shortly into that 1973 season.
A moment I’ll never forget!
The greatest fantastic finish in the history of the NFL.Without question.
No it isn’t. You must have quit watching football after that play.
As amazing as this play was. What I took away from this...man I miss the old days of 🏈. These men were tough. The hits..by God the hits. If someone hit a receiver like Tatum did to Fuqua., that player would serve a life sentence in prison.
It hit Tatum then back to Harris which he caught the ball. That's just plain physics right there.
Without doubt one of the top 3 classic plays in NFL history.
#1 Bart Starr's QB sneak to win the Ice Bowl.
I was a 15 year old kid eating dinner on a tray, jumped up and screamed, spilling everything on the floor as I watched Harris run into the EZ! I remember so well how everyone in the stands just poured on to the field in celebration! Those were the days!
My cousin Dave was SUCH a Raiders fan. I still remember the disappointment and disbelief in his voice as he described that play.
🖤💛RIP FRANCO🙏Great player, better man!🖤💛🏈✌️
Franco Harris Was At The Right Place At The Right Time.
Raymond Malcuit Yes he was!!
Yes, but according to the Raider guarding Franco he was a lazy bum in the right place at the right time. He is wrong. Raidercomplainer then said he was clipped but not called. He outta be grateful. Wouldn't of landed a hand on Franco in time and had he tried, Franco would have stiff armed "em like Titans Derrick Henry does and really given him something to he really embarrassed about. Lol.
I was 9 years old and the next day in school I thought everyone was talking about some guy named Frank O'Hariss.
Ummm...the game took place on Saturday, December 23, 1972. I don't think you went to school the next day.
Yea, the Irish guy. Mr. O'Harris. I remember him!!!!
When I was a kid they were advertising a new show Adam 12 I thought it was madam 12 about a brothel with a dozen prostitutes!
Frank O'Hariss' Irish Army
Franco's Italian army gotta love it!
Love the mill hunk yinzer screaming cmon Franco! Let's go!
Adam Hough I got a good chuckle out of that. Classic yinzer accent.
Lets go before they see the ball hit the ground
I have no idea what any of that means but I noticed that guy too. Lol!
The next game the Steelers played was the '72 AFC Championship game, which due to AFC league rules at that time the game rotated between the divisions, so even though the Dolphins were undefeated/untied and had the better record they had to play the AFC Championship on the road in three rivers stadium in Pitt...but the Dolphins still won and obviously went on to win the SB and complete the Perfect Season.
This play has more historical significance than people realize. The truth about the phone call was that it was to the league office where Bob Swearingen took the call. The ref told him that Pat Harder and Adrian Burk, two of the on-field officials and two former NFL players themselves, had ruled double touch. Both Tatum and Fuqua had made contact with the ball; therefore , the catch was legal and the touchdown should stand. Swearingen said that the on-field officials had the right call. And that is how the Immaculate Reception was the first play in NFL history to be determined by instant replay.
The narrator of this NFL film was Jeff Kaye who worked for WBEN 930 radio in Buffalo, NY--when John Facenda passed away NFL films was looking for an announcer to complement the great Harry Kalas--Mr. Kaye's program director at the radio station (unknown to Mr. Kaye)-sent a demo tape to NFL films--they obviously loved what they heard and hired Mr. Kaye without hesitation--Mr. Kaye went on to have a stellar career with NFL films and also became a very close friend of Mr. Kalas
We finally know now that the ball hit Tatum since that have the video from the original broadcast. You can even see Harris cleaning catching the ball as well. No doubt about it. What a great play, one of the best and most exciting in all of sports still to this day.
RandomPlayIist Besides the "who the ball hit" controversy, I remember some questioning whether or not, the ball hit the ground as Harris caught it. There's no clear video of the catch. So there's two questions involving this play.
Anthony DelVecchio Well, I'll admit I didn't study "trajectory of objects", I just know what's on video, (no proof of catch or non catch), and the comments of commentators at the time. And as for assuming only raiders fans dispute the play, wrong yet again, that game, I became a Steelers fan (they're actually second after the Bears). But I am glad you know so much about velocity, spin rate, and tumble frequency of a non thrown football to assure all of us how, and in which direction, that ball would bounced had its' nose brush the ground while Franco was simultaneously catching it.
@Anthony DelVecchio The newer video angles show the ball clearly hitting Tatum and Franco clearly catching it in the air. Case closed.
@@ANTHONY0808able for most of my early 'sports fan' life, I was a closet Steeler fan..." closet" because I was born in Dallas and raised in central Texas. Do you have any links to these better video angles? The 'stock' game video doesn't give enough clarity.
"Just win, baby!!!"
As a Steelers fan, Franco Harris is a damn legend
5:57... Phil Villapiano's version of wat happened has me in tears... hahahahaha
He was cool and a tough cat his whole career! Speaks with so much PASSION!
Always hated that prick!
Villapiano - what a whining cry-baby!
Yep...big-mouth Italian douche-bag
You already know he's lying about the clip. HE DIDNT EVEN FALL OVER HAHA. Plus back in those days. The "tougher" days of the NFL. There's no way that's a clip. Case closed. I have pics of the ball hitting Tatum and of the ball never hitting the ground. I can send them to you if u want.
That was one of the most bitter defeats I have ever witnessed on a football field. Especially since Phil Villapiano said he was in position to make the tackle and got clipped on the play, and no flags were tossed by the refs.
DetTigerFan I saw my father cry three times. Cyrano de Bergerac, The Immaculate Reception, The Death of My Mother.
Villapiano could not have reached Harris, he was about five yards behind. The so-called clip, the blocker barely touched Villapiano. also. I think the Raiders and Al Davis changed their tune from 'the ball wasn't batted by Tatum' to Villapiano got clipped. Even with instant replay today, neither play is clear (and you can't challenge a penalty anyway, apart from timing plays). The batting of the ball wouldn't be overturned today, if the rule had not been changed.
The Raiders are just sore losers, plain and simple.
so many great players in that game, hall of famers. never to see a game like that ever again
milton steele You’re right about that!!!
And so began that great rivalry between Steelers and Raiders in the 70s and 80s
Sometimes all it takes is being at the right place at the right time.
It works that way with women also
Ball hit the ground
"This is us" Season 3, Episode 1 brought me here. Incredible piece of Football history. Love it, go Steelers.
That ball hit the ground
I was at that game first row end seat end zone . the players had to enter the locker room there. all I rem is how pissed the raider players were when the game was over as they entered the locker room.
The ball clearly bounced off Tatum's shoulder.
+Nate Dogg it only bounced off Tatum
+Charles Tompkins only raider fans say that.
You know, even if the play was ruled illegal, I say Tatum committed pass interference when he knocked down Fuqua & could have been called for that. That would have put the Steelers in field goal range. But history didn't mean it to turn out that way.
The pass before was even worse. They would be p/i today but then you could get away with more.
Such a case of amnesia that younger football fans have. This doesn’t rank in even the top 3. They just don’t have any sense of History.
3:14. "That's alright, Franco's here. Come on Franco...LET'S GO!" So funny when you play it back!
Incredible Yinzer accent. Top notch.
At about age 3 I learned just how deeply mom's Pittsburgh roots run. Of course though we live In southern California ( which mom detests.) Steelers are the family team. When I think of my childhood the first thing I think of is football. How important it was. Those killer Superbowls against Dallas were the best games to me. The players were just beasts. Not crying or pouting for not getting his way. Mostly.
Terry Bradshaw: "What happened, what happened??"😂
You’re right about that!!!
In 2019 pass interference would probably had been called on the Raiders.
Black and Gold, till I'm Dead and Cold. Go STEELERS NATION!
jack went for the hit and gave the game away ,awesome !
Having watched 15,000 hours of televised football between then and now or whatever, it looks pretty clearly like a catch based on position of Franco's hands and how fast the ball came up. It was under control the whole time whether or not the tip touched the ground off camera. Whether it was an illegal double-touch is another question... That I don't know. But it looks like a clean catch from the one Zapruder film that we have... Top of the football is controlled at the top of his sock and dips a couple inches lower for a fraction of a second and comes up hard.... (P.S. I was a Raider fan and this was a crushing play. I listened to it on the radio...)
(8:30) This is what happens when "too many rules" are attached to such a simple game. Look, Bradshaw threw the frickin' ball, it bounced off of two colliding players, Harris ended up with it and ran it in for six. It's not rocket science, it's not a bad call nor should it be considered in any way controversial! ........It's just frickin' football!
I agree with that. With that said, there were a lot of other flagrant fouls on that play such as the clip on Villapiano. So yes it was a catch by Franco but it should have been negated by all the other extra curricular activity on that play.
It hit the Pitt player first and then Tatum all in a mills second thus making 2 offensive touch rule come into effect thus it wud have turned the ball over to oak time expired thus the game wud have ended with an incomplete pass
the greatest play in the history of the NFL no doubt about it Steelers forever🤗🤗🤗🤗
Timeless great moments in NFL history. I'm a die hard Raider fan. This wasn't a stolen game. The tuck rule game was the biggest ripoff in sports history.
Actually, the Tuck Rule was enforced against the Patriots earlier that year. But the biggest ripoff was when Ben Dreith stole that game from the Patriots, and gave it to the Raiders.
When the Patriots went to Super Bowl XXXVI, a Raiders fan ran into Patriots announcer Gil Santos. He said, "You guys don't deserve to be here." Santos replied, "I remember 1976, and YOU guys didn't deserve to be THERE. Payback's a bitch, ain't it?"
@@davidlafleche1142 yeah correctly except tom had fumbled the ball two different types of plays oh well
At least the tuck rule was a rule that was in place for 3 years. It was called against the Pat's week 2 vs the Jets and nobody said anything. It was called the year before for the Tampa bay Buccaneers, Vinny Testaverde was the Q.B and nobody said a thing. When it happened in the Raiders vs Patriots game, morons said the rule was made up that night. Come on people! If you don't watch football at least do your research. December 18 1976 was the WORST call in NFL history. Phantom roughing the passer call against the Patriots vs the Raiders. NEVER EVEN HAPPENED! GOOGLE IT
@@davidgoff2530 you cant defend that fumble not even with the tuck rule and Vinnys situation was way different. Tuck rule was wrongfully applied and when you freeze the play before he is hit the ball had completed the pump fake.
@@916Smoke It was a stupid rule but at least it could be backed up on that. The phantom roughing the passer call never happened. Explain that. There were riots and everything. New England had a really good team in 76
Franco avoided the block and "jogged" in front of the pocket to be open for a ten yard pass to get them first down. It was strategic, not lazy. If he was lazy, he would not have run toward the ball once it was passed. He learned that from the Penn State coach.
This game was the beginning of one of the greatest rivalries in NFL history. Oakland and Pittsburgh along with the Miami Dolphins took turns beating each other and going to the Super Bowl in the 1970's. Steelers went back to back twice winning 4 times. The Dolphins when 3 consecutive times winning twice and Oakland finally broke through and won SB XI in 1976.
3:20 - always come back to this to hear Jack Flemming's legendary call.
1st of 5 straight years when the teams would see each other in the postseason. The Steelers would win 3 of the 5 meetings, including AFC championship game after 1974 & 75 seasons, although 1 of the Raiders wins came during their 16-1 Super Bowl 11 title year of 1976
That referee definitely called the police, only would have had 6 cops to escort his crew out of Three Rivers, would have been a full scale riot in Pittsburgh if he overturned the play in favor of the Raiders, don't think any amount of cops would have got the officiating crew out alive.
Although they would soon lose to Miami, this was the start of the Steelers winning ways for the rest of the 1970s.
Mark Muffs aaaaaaand the Steelers beat Miami
Not in 72. Miami beat Steelers in Conference Championship, and won the SB . Miami lost to Oakland then Oakland lost to Steelers in74 and the Steeler's won the SB in74(well Jan 75) Their 1st one of the 4
It was a great postseason, the immaculate reception, followed by dolphins perfection
Dolphins were trailing the steelers in afc championship they only beat the steelers by 4
@@utahsilvey5930 Yeah, they think Bradshaw might of suffered a concussion on the first TD score of the game. Although, it was stupid that an undefeated team had to play in Pitt.
Pause the video at 8:24 you can see that the ball hit Tatum
Curtis Rupp I never suggested the ball hit the ground, for the play to be legal it had to have hit Tatum otherwise it wouldn't have counted
It shouldn't matter who touches it before someone actually catches it. What a stupid rule anyway. That rule is only cool for special teams.
Very easily could’ve hit off Fuqua’s left hand which is obscured. Only Fuqua truly knows if he touched it or not.
@@mjoven1975 To this day. Frenchy Fuqua sells photos of this play, of Him and Jack Tatum colliding , and the ball just arriving. He autographs it "FRENCHY FUQUA...I'LL NEVER TELL" I bought one off him a few years back. I got to meet him and his wife.. Down to earth people. 2019
A brutal game played in tough wintry conditions. Gotta love the old NFL.
so true !!!
The three points of controversy regarding the Immaculate Reception, the dispute as to who touched the pass before it was caught, whether it was caught at all, and whether or not there was a block in the back have been voiced for many years, so I guess I'll add my thoughts about them.
First, there should be no controversy at all regarding whether it was deflected directly from one Steelers player to another without a defender touching it at any time. The mere fact that the ball caromed 30 yards away toward the sidelines and back toward the line of scrimmage says that Jack Tatum had to have knocked the ball out of there, because the ball went in the direction he was going, and away from where Frenchy Fuqua was heading. That would have made it a legal catch, according to the rules at the time.
The second point of controversy is, by far, the most obvious. Whether Franco actually caught the ball or trapped it off the artificial turf. No video evidence is known to exist that shows either whether Franco definitively caught the ball or trapped it. However, Gene Upshaw saw that part of the play as it was right in front of him, and he insisted that Franco did, indeed make the catch. Based on that, I'd have to say that Franco caught it.
The third point of controversy, the one regarding whether or not LB Phil Villapiano was blocked from behind, is the hardest to speculate on, but if anything, I would say that he might have been tripped up by the blocker in question. If he was behind Villapiano, it was so close that it would have been nearly impossible to determine whether he was completely behind him, or had any part of his body even with, or in front of him, so I would say that it was a good no-call. If anything, I would consider that to be a cut block, a play infringed upon at that time, but not illegal.
There have been numerous controversial calls against the Raiders, that they would have a right to be very mad at over time. To me, this is not one of them, unlike the botched call of Rob Lytle's fumble in the 1977 AFC Championship Game, another play that involved Tatum, or the "Tuck Rule" in the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff where they got jobbed by the head referee in Foxboro.
That said, there have been many controversial calls that went in the Raiders' favor over the years, some of which have been bad calls. The most notable among those being the "Holy Roller" in San Diego in 1978, when Ken Stabler clearly threw a shovel pass that should have been called incomplete and then Pete Banasak illegally batted the ball forward before Dave Casper recovered it in the end zone for the GW TD. Another controversial call involving the Raiders was the roughing the passer call on Sugar Bear Hamilton in the 1976 AFC Divisional Playoff Game that, had it not been called, would have resulted in the Patriots advancing to the AFC Championship Game. However, that was the right call, as Hamilton clearly hit Stabler's head on that play, but it's been a source of consternation for Patriots' fan ever since.
Another thing about the Immaculate Reception is that Fred Swearingen, who was the head referee for that game would also be the official that called the controversial PI penalty on Benny Barnes in Super Bowl XIII. In fact, the Steelers have gotten more than their fair share of breaks from the officials over the years. In Super Bowl IX, there was the 30-yard pass to Larry Brown that Vikings fans, to this day, believe he fumbled, but Ed Marion, the official who botched the Rob Lytle play, overruled the original call and gave the Steelers the ball back. Then there was the collection of mysterious calls in Super Bowl XL vs. the Seahawks that all went the Steelers way, as they finally won their fifth Super Bowl title. And in 2008, there was a controversial overrule that determined a late-season game in Baltimore, as the Steelers went on to win their record sixth Super Bowl title.
There is a NFL film clip of this play from the opposite side of the field, Seen it one time when it was showed with other big game high lights. All were showed from an angle that is different than the traditional ones. It was done as a commercial. Funny thing is this different angle really showed what really happened on that play
Ref clearly signals TD @ 5:00 . Madden keep on denying it ..
That ball CLEARLY bounced off Tatums neck or shoulder pad. Pause @ 8:23 Technology is a bitch isn't it raider fan !
But did Fuqua touch it before the hit? Just one touch is all it takes.
great stuff
I SAW THIS LIVE
Cool!
Awesome!!!!
@Wes Peeble Yes but did it hit the ground?. The replay is pretty obvious that Tatum hit the ball since the speed of the deflection could have only happened with someone running towards the ball, i.e. Tatum, rather than Fuqua who was running downfield. The real controversy of the play is did Harris trap it or catch it clean? I suppose Harris is the only person who knows for certain and he'll likely take it to his grave before spilling the truth.
Me too. Remember it like it was yesterday. Cant' believe that it has been 48 years, 2 months & 13 days ago. What a trip! Wow, life sure does fly by!
"I'LL NEVER TELL"
Everyone knows the ball deflected off you
What the ball hit the ground NEVER TELL
No team will ever be as great as the black and gold !
Being a Steeler fan, I hated all those Raider players and coaches in the 1970s. Now I see them as worthy rivals who played the game very hard.
Roberto Clemente' s spirit was present for help Franco Harris make this final seconds miracle in the NFL history " The Inmaculated Reception"
As a Raiders fan I will admit the ball hit Tatum first then bounced off Fuqua second right into the hands of Franco.The great Curt Gowdy called the game on NBC. I call still hear a game announcer say" And there's a collision! And its caught out if the air by Franco Harris!" I was 14 years old at the time.The Steelers lost to the undefeated Dolphins 21-17 the following week in the AFC championship game.
Not sure what is greater the play or listening to the Raiders whine.
I purchased a DVD of the history of the Steelers and concerning this play I understand that Madden is still piss over that play he John Madden get over it
The Raiders were the better team at the time, they had 3 quarterbacks on their roster better than Terry Bradshaw.
@@jonburrows8602 Yes, the Raiders to this very day cry like pussies about it HAHAHA !!
@@jonburrows8602 and?
That was the latest hit ever.
“This is Us” brought me here!
Playing football in that time compared to now was like flying P51 Mustangs compared to being a drone pilot. I big hit on a defenseless receiver was something you got congratulated for. A late hit was when you hit a guy after he was halfway back to the huddle.
4:06 Looking at where Franco Harris hands are the ball had to have touch the ground. Never could understand why they didn't rule that incomplete (Outside of fear on the Referees part)
+Joseph Dungee At 4:06, you can't see Franco's shoes or the Raider's shoes running in the opposite direction, so I don't know how you could see the tip of the football touching the ground, the truth of the matter is the league didn't have cameras running along the ground, I'm sure this play led to many rule changes
cityofchamps66 Its easy to draw a logical conclusion that the ball hit the ground. A football is 11 inches in length and where Franco Harris was holding the ball there is no other way he could be holding it without it being on the ground.
The referee was going to rule incomplete but out of fear of being mugged took the safe way out (Can't blame him, if the NFL wasn't willing to insure his safety why put his life on the line)
Joseph Dungee Whatever, kinda silly to argue about a play 44 years later, Steelers lost the next week to Miami so it wasn't like Oakland got robbed of a Super Bowl title
cityofchamps66 Yeah, whatever. I like to have my facts straight and not go on conjecture
cityofchamps66 Because I liked the Raiders as well and I felt the NFL just gave the Steelers this game. Also, I hated that crap of not being honest on calls when its obvious what happened by simple deduction.
Sheez, do the math. Why do you think Franco Harris nor Frenchy Fuqua will tell what really happened...ANSWER? It was incomplete and they know it.
I'm a 36 year Raiders fan, but this was an amazing play
Raiders sure were involved in some great playoff finishes back ; then they finally got a break a few years later, in that Sea of Hands game against the Dolphins , another fantastic finish
Steelers offensive line was the MVP's holding the great Raiders defense in check so Bradshaw could make the throw.
JUST WHINE, BABY!
playing on concrete back then...almost
Terry is so animated when he tell his story. Lol.
qntnbarrett88 I know Right!!!!
1:08. Lol...back when "continuation" continued for a few steps.
I remember the Stabler td and the Harris td. The Steelers were ridiculously lucky(was cheering for neither,was only ten). Like how the announcer declares a Harris td before he reaches the end zone.
The play was over theRaiders won!! That was football in the 70s!! Badass. I love it..
Football was better in the '70s. Back then, you were a Raider, you were a Steeler, you were a Cowboy...etc. Now they are just football players drifting from team to team. These guys in this video spoke with a passion for their team that you will not find anymore.
Omfg look at the carpet they played on lol
Louie Cypher I know Right!!
3:55 - "and Bradshaw, back and looking again....Bradshaw, running out of the pocket....looking for somebody to throw to...fires it downfield....and there's a collision!.....as...it's caught out the air!...the ball is pulled in by Franco Harris!....Harris is going for a touchdown for Pittsburgh!!"
I turned my tv off I couldn't watch but, then I said what the hell they had a good year then turned the tv back on just to see Franco running down the sidelines. I went cool slam crazy! 😂
I have seen this play many times, and I am still convinced the ball bounced off the Raiders S shoulder pad and not off of the Steelers RB. And I read somewhere that it was proven by a physicist, too.
Impossible to tell though if the ball hit the ground before Franco caught it or not
The ball shot back pretty fast. it had to be the defender hitting it. A mistake by Tatum, he just had to tie Fuqua up after a catch, which would not have been hard with all the Raiders in the backfield.
What's the music that plays when Franco catches the ball at 4:06?
crispinh1 "Super League" by Rod Argent (of Zombies/Argent fame) and Robert Howes. The music actually begins at 3:19.
Does anyone know the name of the song that starts at 1:30?
"Dynasty"...Erik Lasar
@@vicepresidentmikepence889 . Thanks!
The Steelers announced on Tuesday that the team will retire Franco Harris' Number '32' in a halftime ceremony on December 24, when the team hosts the Las Vegas Raiders at Acrisure Stadium. That weekend the Steelers will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Immaculate Reception.
Al LoCasale's account (7:52) of what the referee said on the phone is something I've always wanted to know. I was 12 years old and wondered "why is the referee on that phone so long?" Hahahahahaha!
Win is a win, no matter how much the Raiders talked down about Franco!
pure miracle
Didn't Jack Tatum paralyze a wide receiver from the Patriots? Darryl Stingley?
i don't know but i remember hearing as a kid that the raiders had a hit list - certain players from each team. Apparently Jack Lambert was on it. Several Steelers were. And the ultimate hit - supposedly - was to maim, paralyze or kill a player. not saying this is the truth, because there are always crazy rumors in sports. But it is true that this is what I *heard*.