The Pittsburgh Steelers have an incredible history that includes six Super Bowl championships. There have also been two losses in the big game since it originated back in 1967. The franchise has played in a total of 16 AFC Championship Games with an even .500 record of 8-8. As far as the the 21st century goes, the organization has appeared in six and prevailed in three. The first in the century came during the 2001 season when the Steelers took on the New England Patriots as well as a young Tom Brady and his eventual injury replacement in Drew Bledsoe. Pittsburgh was listed as a 10-point favorite heading into the big matchup.
Steelers former elusive quarterback, Kordell Stewart (#10) gets ready to make a throw during a game. | Photo Credit: George Gojkovich / Getty Images
The team learned quickly that it would be anything but a breeze after going down 14-3 through the first two quarters. The Patriots then extended their lead early in the third quarter and the 21-3 deficit was too much for the Steelers to overcome. New England went on to win 24-17 and booked a trip to Super Bowl XXXVI against the St. Louis Rams.
One of the things that came to light afterwards was that Pittsburgh was already planning on heading down to New Orleans before the AFC Championship game even begun. Fast forward to 2023 and it appears the Miami Heat could be making the same mistake as they prepare to take on the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
The Heat have a flight scheduled to Denver, not Miami, after the game tonight, per FAA records.
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) May 29, 2023
The Denver Nuggets have already clinched a berth in the NBA Finals and await the winner of the deciding game on Monday evening. The Heat come in as big underdogs, which is the opposite of what Pittsburgh was back in 2002.
Miami Heat forward, Jimmy Butler drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard, Malcolm Brogdon in the first half of Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. | Photo Credit: Charles Krupa / Associated Press
Twitter user, Anthony Martucci, reminded the entire Steelers fanbase of when Pittsburgh booked their ticket prior to winning over 20 years ago. He used an NFL Films clip that detailed what happened back in 2002.
Steelers tried this against the patriots in the 2001 afc championship game. I hope the heat have insurance on those flights https://t.co/YgX6lR4adw pic.twitter.com/gx5UrAuFho
— Anthony Martucci (@Mar2chainzz) May 29, 2023
It's not exactly the same because the Steelers would have had two weeks to prepare for Super Bowl XXXVI while the Heat would have to get to Denver for Game 1 by Thursday, but a self-jinx is never the way to go, especially in sports. Miami didn't just pack their bags, but even have the flight ready to go in lieu of a win on Monday evening.
Steelers Hall of Fame Head Coach, Bill Cowher roams the grounds at Heinz Field before a football matchup. Photo Credit: Mike Fabus / Pittsburgh Steelers
It's Too Late For The 2001 Steelers To Warn The 2023 Heat
The big game is quickly approaching and the Heat are on the brink of one of the biggest collapses in sports history. There have been 151 teams (including this year's Miami Heat team) up three games to none in an NBA playoff series and none have gone on to lose (so far). Miami could be the one outlier if they are unable to hold off the Celtics. Booking their trip to Denver is more reasonable than the Steelers preparing to play in the Super Bowl given the timeframe, but it surely was a big mistake on Pittsburgh's end. The Heat can only hope theirs isn't a look back on as a jinx, too.
Who are you pulling for in Game 7? Do you remember the Steelers making the big mistake at the end of the 2001 season? Let us know in the comments below!
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