Becky and I make a left turn at the Red Zone to Mecca....aka the Great Hall. I am consumed with anticipation. I really do hope the Lombardis are on display. I had seen many pictures of them on the internet but I was not sure what the protocol was for the "Hope Diamond" of football trophies. Do they only show them on actual stadium tours? Are the under lock in key in the Rooney office? Are they in the locker room? Can I break into the locker room if need be?
As all of these thoughts are swimming through my head while we walk towards the entrance of the Great Hall, I find I have stopped dead in my tracks. My heart is racing. Before me are larger than life photos of some of the greatest men to ever play my beloved sport of football. I think to myself, Chrissy, you are about to enter the Camelot of the NFL. The Knights of the Round table are leading the way. You are Guinevere. Their queen has finally arrived home.
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| Camelot, Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
Okay, yea, it's a stretch, I know this. But...in addition to my utter fascination with all that is King Arthur, I have always wanted to be Guinevere, minus the whole Lancelot thing. And not the helpless Guinevere that is often depicted in the works of Camleot, but the lesser known but also written portrayal of a tough, independent, spirited, beautiful Guinevere who was utterly in love with and absolutely adored her king, her husband, Arthur. (I have read almost every King Arthur Tale ever written and Guinevere has been written as both a weak creature and a fierce spirit. I am in awe of the fierce spirit woman, Fire woman!)
Anyways, I am digressing again. I do that obviously. Let's get back to the heart racing as Becky and I enter Camelot. To say there is so much to see underneath the bleachers would not be a lie, and I will get to that in part VII. Right now the topic is Lomdardis..... and Lombardis there were.
We were not even in the Great Hall for 5 seconds when I spotted my first Lombardi. It was like a beacon of a dolphin using sonar to communicate with me that it was within range. I spotted that puppy immediately. This time I did start to cry.
"And I break right at the bend. We're here and now but will we ever be again. Cause I have found all that shimmers in this world is sure to fade....away...again."
This can't be real I tell myself. Becky, as always is so observant and lets me have my moment while we walk slowly but quickly over to the first of 6 Lombardis on display.
Super Bowl XLIII
Steelers Vs. The Cardinals
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
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| Super Bowl XLIII Lombardi Case |
Ranked as the #1 Superbowl of all time by many sportscasters and sports channels. I have to agree. I watched this one with friends. Let's just say, I had to walk out of my friend Dave's living room every five seconds only to come back into the room every five seconds. My nerves were on Defcon 5 with this one. What a game!
I chain smoked. I drank....a lot. I needed sympathy oxygen when James Harrison ran his record breaking interception back for a TD. 100 yards!! That record has since been broken by Jacoby Jones but I will never forget watching Silverback outrun Larry Fitzgerald, one of the leagues fastest and most talented wide receivers ever to play the game. #92 for the TD!!
However...Arizona came to play. In addition to Fitzgerald, the Cardinals had Kurt Warner, a very talented Superbowl winning QB (St. Louis Rams) in his own right. They also had one other key ingredient, and probably the most dangerous.....head coach Ken Whisenhunt, former offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers turned head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
Losing Whisenhunt hurt. It hurt bad. And was it not complete fate, and nothing but, that his first experience in the Superbowl as a head coach would be against his former beloved, the men of Steel?? Whisenhunt knew the Steelers. The Steelers knew Whisenhunt. It was karma.
Whisenthunt and his birds gave the Steelers a run for their money but the small ipso facto we all seem to forget, well all except me and Steeler Nation, is that the Steelers are known bird slayers. Yes, if you have a bird as your mascot, chances are, when it counts, the Steelers are gonna lay the smack down on your team. Once in awhile a bird team gets lucky, but not very often. Ask Seattle. Wait...we will get to that one. Trust me.
Watching Santonio Holmes pirouette on ballerina toes to stay in bounds in the end zone for the game winning TD that his gunslinger, renegade QB hurled at him was the stuff Superbowls are made of. I remember holding my breath during the whole review. I may have passed out. Not sure. I know I drank and screamed and stomped on the floor when they declared it an official Touchdown!
I have watched that play over and over again in slow motion. Holy Shit!!! Steelers 27 - Arizona 23!
I gaze at the Lombardi, in a trance. I recall the post game Super Bowl celebration. Hines and Heath touched this trophy. NFL Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu touched this trophy. The James' (Harrison and Farrior), Brett, Casey, Lawrence, Ryan and Lamar touched this trophy. I want to touch it. I want to hold it. I want to kiss it. Yea, that's not gonna happen. I settle for touching the glass and adding my fingerprints to the slew of other fingerprints already scattered about the glass case.
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| Me and Lombardi XLIII |
I am in heaven, gently touching the glass while whispering sweet nothings to the Lombardi. Yep, there is something really wrong with me. Do I care? No. I am beaming from ear to ear. My sense of elation and exhilaration are through the roof. I am in one of my heavens. And...If heaven had a football team it would be the Pittsburgh Steelers. All is right with my world at this moment.
I walk around the glass case. There is game memorabilia also encased with the Lombardi. I take it all in. Every last detail. Becky was right, coming here early was the best idea. Yes, there were lots of people here, but it was not yet at a point where there were large lines and huge crowds gathered around all the many displays. It was comfortable. I was not only able to get close to everything, but I was also able to take a few moments to really absorb and entertain the wonderment of these beautiful trophy displays.
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| Super Bowl XLIII Lombardi Case |
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| Super Bowl XLIII Lombardi Case |
As I turn and slowly walk away from the Superbowl XLIII Lombardi, I notice that the Superbowl XL Lombardi is directly in front of me. Ahhhh....the controversial one. I walk over to the Lombardi, smiling, and laughing to myself. There are people taking their picture in front of it. As I wait my turn to be near it, I think of Ben Rothelisburger on the Dave Letterman show after the Super Bowl. He was smiling sheepishly as he admitted that he went up to Coach Cowher after he ran in that TD and said "Coach, I don't think that was in but the Referees do."
Super Bowl XL
Steelers vs. The Seahawks
Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
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| Super Bowl XL Lombardi Case |
As I gaze upon this "Controversial" Lombardi and the memorabilia on display allow me to defend my team on this one. Yes, I disagree with the referees that Ben scored that TD. I also believe that the call on Hassleback for illegally blocking Ike Taylor was a "tough" call. However, bottom line, regardless of the calls, the Steelers were the better team in this Super Bowl. Unlike the Seattle team of today, the Seattle team that played in Super Bowl XL was outplayed and out of their league. Blown calls or not, the Steelers were going to win that game. End of story!
Now that I got that off my chest, let's talk about the Swan Song of Super Bowl XL. That Swan is actually a Bus. And that Bus is actually Detroit native Jerome Bettis, alumni of the Fighting Irish! Jerome is no doubt one of the best running backs to ever play the game. He is #6 all time rusher. He is among the elite, as he should be, because he too is elite. And this elite man, just like all elite men, was nearing the end of his career.
Running Backs in the NFL have one of the shortest career spans of any position. They take enormous beatings. They get tremendous injuries. They are game changers at the 1 yard line. (Well, unless you are Marshawn Lynch and your coach is Pete Carroll.) They are the true warriors of the offensive line. Jerome was one of the fiercest warriors. He was downright breathtaking to watch. Seriously, you would literally gasp and hold your breath watching this guy rush the ball while 5-7 hulking defensive linemen clung to him like screaming children, trying to bring him down. It was fantastic football.
But all good things come to an end eventually. Willie Parker had become the starting running back the year the Steelers went to Superbowl XL. Jerome was battle torn and scarred but he hung in there, like true warriors do. He definitely contributed to the Steelers winning season with key plays and more importantly, his zealous spirit and larger than life personality. There was no doubt his teammates genuinely adored this charitable, kind hearted, beast of a man. You could see it in their faces. You can feel it in their smiles.
I think he hung in there because he was still hoping for one last shot at a Championship Ring with the team he loved so much. A championship ring was something that eluded the best Running Back ever, Mr. Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions. That had to be in the back of Jerome's mind. Not to worry though. Fate had something special in the works. This kind, giving man had good karma come back to him ten fold. That Sunday night, in his hometown of Detroit, Jerome Bettis and The Pittsburgh Steelers won their fifth championship. The Bus got his ring with his beloved coaches and teammates. Not too long after, he announced his retirement from the game. The culmination of an amazing career had come full circle.
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| Jerome Bettis' Swan Song! |
You will always be my favorite Pittsburgh Steeler ever Mr. Bettis! Proud you played for my team!
I walked away from Lombardi XL a little misty eyed. What a great story! What a great man. What a great team. That's when I saw it. I felt chills come over me for real. I was about to take a stroll through a Dynasty of years gone by. A football dynasty that to this day, still has not been replicated. Yes, some teams have come close. Joe Montana and The San Francisco 49ers Dynasty of the 80's, Troy Aikman, Jimmie Johnson and the Cowboys Dynasty of the 90's, and Tom, Bill and the Patriots of the new century all hold their own among the epic legends of football team dynasties. But..... the Steel Curtain of the 70's, The Noll Era, The Stalwart and Swan tandem, the Terry Brasdshaw gunslinger days, will always be the closest to perfection a team could ever be.
A walk amongst the mythical giants.....
Super Bowl XIV
Steelers vs. Rams
Rose Bowl Stadium
Pasadena, California
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| Super Bowl XIV Lombardi Case |
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| Super Bowl XIV Lombardi Case |
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| Super Bowl XIV Lombardi Case |
Super Bowl XIII
Steelers vs. Cowboys
Miami Orange Bowl
Miami, Florida
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| Super Bowl XIII Lombardi Case |
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| Super Bowl XIII Lombardi Case |
Super Bowl X
Steelers vs. Cowboys
Miami Orange Bowl
Miami, Florida
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| Super Bowl X Lombardi Case |
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| Super Bowl X Lombardi Case, My X pictures didn't come out as good. :( |
I was too young to remember these Super Bowls. I was too young to witness this Dynasty first hand. Everything I know about the Steel Curtain of the 70's comes from highlights, documentaries, football articles, conversations with my father and sports channels. I do vaguely remember XIII and XIV on our TV as a kid because my dad watches football, but do not recall enough to write about them.
Yes I have seen all four of these Super Bowls, but not until much later in life. I had the VHS collection of all 4 Super Bowls. Unfortunately I lent them out many moons ago and haven't seen them since. (Not that it matters now, they are kind of obsolete.) I knew the outcomes before I saw the games so it was not as nail biting for me to watch, well I shouldn't say that, but I knew who was going to win these games. LOL! I will also admit that I do not have the same kind of bond with the Steelers of the 70's as I do with the players I have been watching consistently since high school.
That is not to say I love them any less. I love them all, especially Jack Lambert. I watch highlights of him all the time. But to me, the Steelers of the 70's are genuinely legends. They are almost mythical. It is like they are not real because I did not spend my Sundays with them like I have with the Steelers of the last 25 years. It's weird, I know, but to write about them without my genuine, firsthand perspective just wouldn't seem right to me. I would feel like a fraud or a poser.
All I can say is, I recall enough about them that they stuck in my head and became my team before I really even knew much about football. I remember the Steelers and Dallas. I am so glad I gravitated towards my beloved Black and Gold. LOL! See, I was a smart child, even then! (Just busting all you Dallas fans. I loved Tom Landry.) My dad also had the can of Iron City with the 1978 World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers stashed in the attic, where I often played as a child. City of Champions baby!!!
I studied the players on that can with such intense curiosity that as I got older, and more aware of football, my interest in getting to know all I possibly could about this team and these guys became huge. I use my discovery of this can of beer in my dad's attic as the benchmark as to when I became a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Anyways, I walk through and take in the legendary Lombardis and memorabilia with such intense fascination of a time in which I was alive, but so very young. Then I happen upon the one that began it all. The beginning of the Dynasty. Lombardi #1 aka IX.
Super Bowl IX
Steelers vs. The Vikings
Tulane Stadium
New Orleans, Louisiana
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| Super Bowl IX Lombardi Case |
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| Super Bowl IX Lombardi Case |
Bradshaw vs. Tarkenton (aka one of my dad's most favorite football players of all time.)
Two future hall of famers leading their teams in the quarterback position.
Ironic that TE Larry Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers scored a TD for this Superbowl then 20 years later, Larry Brown of the Dallas Cowboys picked off two of Neil O'Donnell's (of the Pittsburgh Steelers ) passes. For the first time in the Steelers frnchise history, Art Rooney was watching his team play in a championship game. Who knew that this very team would become the dominant force of the 1970's NFL under the toolage of Hall of Fame coach Mr. Chuck Noll.
It was Mr. Noll's toolage and intelligence, along with the Rooney's trust in him, that built what would become the greatest Dynasty in football. In 1974 Chuck Noll managed to draft not only Iron Mike Webster and the tough as nails Jack Lambert, he also acquired the dream receiving team of Stalworth and Swann. Talk about a historical draft to add to an already incredible team. The recipe for the prefect team was now complete. To this day, no other football team in NFL history has drafted such talent in one NFL draft.
The football gods had smiled upon the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was their time. It was their decade. It was the the beginning of a momentous football experience for a hard working blue collar steel town as well as blue collar fans across the nation. And it all came to fruition in Superbowl IX against Tarkenton and the Vikings.
The game was low scoring. The defenses practically impenetrable. The first quarter of the game was scoreless. Neither team could rush nor pass the ball successfully. It was one of the most evenly matched Super Bowls in history. A Safety was the only score of the 2nd quarter. Yes...a safety. At the half the Steelers lead 2-0, a record still in the Super Bowl books as the lowest scoring first half of a Super Bowl.
The second half did have a Viking touchdown, but no extra point, They were held to one score for the entire game by the Steelers Defense. A Tarkenton interception in the last 3 minutes sealed the Steelers fate. They would win their first Super Bowl championship in the NFL. And this is how it all began peeps!
I got teary eyed again standing by the IX Lombardi. I was 1 1/2 years old when the Steelers won their first championship. I didn't even have a clue what football was then. All I cared about was my Weebles Tree House, my Weebles Yacht and my stuffed dog Joshua.
Becks and I take a photo in front of #1. I touch the glass. I touched all the glass. I tell Becky I would gladly work for Heinz Field as the Lombardi glass case cleaner. Give me some windex and some paper towels....best job ever! If they wanted to, they could even open the cases and let me dust the Lombardis. I would so much be glad to do so!
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| Becks and I in front of #1. |
I was so happy that I got to see the Holy Grail of football trophies in person. It was surreal yet, totally real. Yes, I saw not 1, but 6 Lombardis that day. 6!! One day there will be 7. I just know it! And I will go back and see that one to! But for now....there is so much more to see and do under the bleachers. I am craving a cold beer, which only happens when I am really hot and dehydrated. Time to grab a cold one!!
Chrissy
The Free Spirit Bucket List Football Weekend Series
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part I: Prelude
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part II: The Morning of the Big Day
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part III: You Are Now In Steelers
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part IV: 3 Rivers Run Through It
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part V: The Mothership
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part VI: May The Lombardi Be With You
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part VII: Under The Bleachers
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part VIII: Pre-Gaming It
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part IX: Game Time
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part X: Game Over
