Have the Steelers had more luck, than being cheated in their history?

Alex Smith taking the football and the refs stopping the clock at the end of the half to get the kicking ball is just one example of how the refs have cheated the Steelers. There is the Jesse James catch, the Bettis coin toss, the Haden pass interference against New Orleans a couple of years ago, and the NFL screwing the Steelers schedule with all the Covid-19 BS. The Patriots spygate was more cheating, that the NFL basically swept under the rug. How else have the Steelers been cheated by the officials or the NFL over the years?

And what about luck? How have the Steelers benefited from luck or good fortune?

Coin toss to draft Terry Bradshaw
THE IMMACULATE RECEPTION
The Bettis fumble, and Roethlisberger tackle vs. Indy, plus the Vanderjagt missed field goal
Jackie Smith's dropped TD pass in Super Bowl XIII
THE 1974 DRAFT, plus Donnie Shell as a free agent
James Harrison's 100 yard interception return in Super Bowl XLIII

I am sure there are a bunch more on both sides of the ledger, but it seems the Steelers have had more good luck and fortune, than being screwed over by the NFL, but other fans may have a different perspective.

 

Every week there are good luck/bad luck, bad ref calls, spectacular plays that end games and stupid calls on D that allow those plays to be completed, Long FG's made against a swirling wind and shanked short XP's or FG's that lose a game. It is called a game of inches for a reason. While 'luck' can play some degree into your success or demise, I think the things you listed are just organizational awareness (or lack there of), and being the right (or) wrong person in that place and time. Seattle is still crying we paid the refs off when we won that SB, many fans still feel O'Donnel was paid off for throwing those blatantly stupid Int's against Dallas.

I do not think the Steelers have benefited or lost anymore in these situations anymore than any other franchise, because we are fans those things pertaining to us come into closer focus and our success even highlights those things further. I would think every franchise has these moments, at least on the field things, the draft scenario is really base on many things. From scouting, making the right choices, coaching, and then seeing the results..1974 was an exception no doubt...but if that was 'luck', our luck was certainly not there in many previous and succeeding drafts.

 

Just as an FYI, the Jesse James fumble and the Bettis coming flip were all correct calls by the refs.

The Steelers weren’t cheated on any of them.

The Alex Smith thing is half right half wrong. Smith did nothing wrong and should not have been penalized. Refs should have had a kicking ball ready. They screwed up.

 

Jesse James' catch was never a fumble. It was called a touchdown and changed to an incomplete pass. On the coin toss, Phil "Suckit" Luckett was demoted for a reason.

 

I read an article yesterday saying the clock stopping to get another ball for the FG was wrong. I think it should have been a penalty on Alex Smith instead. I'll find it.

 

Not a penalty, but the clock should have kept running according to this.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...on-extra-time-for-field-goal-before-halftime/

Stopping the clock to benefit Washington was a mistake. As noted by former NFL referee and NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay, when the offense’s actions cause a delay in getting the ball spotted, the officials are not supposed to stop the clock. In this case, it was clear that Smith’s action of taking the ball with him to the sideline caused the delay, and so the officials should have let the clock run while they got a K-ball to spot for the field goal attempt. The umpire, who signaled to the clock operator to stop the clock, should not have done that.

 

I never understood the reason for 'call it in the air' in the first place, even when flipping quarters in my own situations. I also never understood why they didn't just reflip the coin. I remember a reflip in the NFL at a different time. The wind blew the coin into someone or it stuck in the snow or something.

 

If the Steelers had lost that 2005 Divisional game to the Colts, the play where Troy Polamalu intercepted a pass did 2.5 barrel rolls on the ground, got up and had his knee pop the ball lose, should of been an INT.

They said it was an incomplete pass. If Colts ended up winning that it would of been the biggest screwing ever. Because Steelers had locked it up with that INT.

But typically I think Steelers have been more lucky. Look at the Immaculate Reception so much unknown to the play and it will always be known that way. That one play, and probably most famous in NFL history, talk about the ultimate luck given the circumstances.

 

Don't forget the Renfro "incomplete" touchdown pass vs Houston Oilers in AFCCG in 1979.

 

- I feel that the Renfro touchdown is complete revisionist history (when I tweeted this recently, I even got a like from Rocky Bleier!). I saw the game. When it happened it was not clearly a TD to the naked eye, nor do I think it would have been a TD under current rules. He was juggling it.
Even if it does go as a TD, then so what? The Steelers scored the next two times they had the ball. That would make the final a still decisive 27-17 score rather the 27-13 beating it was. The only legit Oilers score that day was a defensive TD.

As far as the 74 draft goes (when by the way my late friend Jimmy was drafted) it has to do with the skill of the Steelers scouts more than any luck. That's one of the reasons why Bill Nunn is likely going into the Hall of Fame next year.


Now, I do feel that the drafting of Ben and Rod Woodson was lucky, because they each dropped down the board when teams drafting ahead passed on them. Bad luck- the career ending injuries of Gabe Rivera and Ryan Shazier. Worse luck- letting Johnny Unitas and Len Dawson slip through the roster in the 1950's.

 

So glad to read this. Even 15 years later I am in disbelief in that call, one of the worst calls I've ever seen.

 

Got to disagree on the Bettis coinflip....that one we did get screwed on

 

Go Google it. Even Bettis admits it. He started to call heads then changed his mind and said tails. By rule they have to take the first answer. Audio enhancement of the call has verified this. It was on TV recently, that’s why it stuck in my mind.

 

In regards to Indy and the Bettis fumble, the Steelers also got seriously screwed over by the replay booth in that game.

Polamalu made a brilliant interception to essentially end the game - only for the replay booth to inexplicably overturn it. It was one of those rare times where the replay booth was wrong and the call on the field was right. I’m still steamed about it. It could have cost the Steelers a SB.

 

Every time I hear someone complaining about the refs benefitting the Steelers in that super bowl, I point them to that call for the Colts.

 

Mike Pereira, is that you?

 

You’re right. It was explained that Alex Smith didn’t do anything wrong since the offense left the field. The refs we’re supposed to toss in the K Ball and messed it up and stopped the clock to fix their mistake. The clock should have never been stopped.

 

I think Bradshaw and Sidney Crosby both came to the Burgh because of a coin toss. Without either the Burgh would have less championships.

 

I think all teams have had their share of luck and misfortune. The Steelera occurrences are highlighted because of all the success they have had over the years.