The Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw had a tough year in 2022. He battled cancer, yet beat it. Bradshaw also faced harsh criticism from social media about his ability to continue working as a broadcaster. Fans openly questioned if he should hang up his microphone. He handled it all with aplomb and is set to return to NFL on FOX in 2023.
Jerry Sisskind Reuters Via CNS
Steelers' Dan Rooney smiles as Terry Bradshaw holds up the pen he used to sign his rookie contract in 1970.
The Steelers drafted Bradshaw with the first overall pick in 1970. He faced more than his fair share of adversity during the first five seasons of his career. Bradshaw turned the ball over at an alarming rate. Head Coach Chuck Noll completely lost patience with his young quarterback and benched him multiple times early in his career.
Bradshaw is from Louisiana and is a good old boy at heart. He has a unique Southern charm that has endeared him to the public for over 50 years. It is one of his greatest gifts, but has also been a curse. An assumption about your IQ too often follows a Southern accent. Bradshaw’s early play, coupled with his country boy persona, helped to perpetuate a vicious stereotype that he privately hated.
Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Archives
Former Steelers legendary quarterback and Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw (#12) talks with his Head Coach, Chuck Noll.
Recently, Andre Castillo reminded fans in an article from Sportskeeda about an incident between Bradshaw and Kevin Spacey. In 2015, Bradshaw and Michael Strahan were asked to interview celebrities on the red carpet before the Emmy Awards representing the network and the NFL on FOX team. Strahan and Bradshaw make an excellent television team. The pair seemed to be genuinely enjoying the experience until they had the opportunity to visit with Spacey.
The interview began on a sour note when Strahan incorrectly identified how many times the pompous Spacey had been previously nominated for an Emmy. At that time, Spacey was considered a character with dry wit. Looking back with all that we now know about the disgraced actor, it is hard to see the exchange positively. After embarrassing Strahan, Spacey turned his attacks on Bradshaw after he tried to disarm the situation.
"I've never seen your show. Quite honestly, because (Spacey interrupts and says, 'You don't have Netflix')." Bradshaw smiled and retorted. "It's because I can't afford it."
It was a subtle attempt at humor by the Hall of Fame quarterback to help his partner. Bradshaw played in the 1970s before quarterbacks were paid the gross national product of a small country annually. He has thrived financially as a businessman, actor, rancher, and broadcaster since he hung up his cleats. A fact that the arrogant Spacey was probably aware of, but chose to ignore.
"No, no," Spacey corrected. "You can't figure out how to get Netflix to work."
The weighted barb was a poor attempt at humor if you give Spacey the benefit of the doubt. Award shows are usually heavily scripted, but this seems beyond the pale. Especially given Bradshaw's disdain for any attempt to ridicule his intellect.
"Why does everybody always come at me like that," Bradshaw asked.
The infamous actor was nominated for portraying a sleazy politician on the Netflix series House of Cards. Spacey’s recent acquittal for sexual assault has been well publicized. Before his precipitous fall from the elite ranks of Hollywood, Spacey was arguably at the height of his fame in 2015, and he is feeling every bit of his stardom in the interview you can watch here.
Ric Tapia | Credit: AP
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Terry Bradshaw.
The former two-time Super Bowl MVP and NFL MVP should take it to heart. The assumptions about Southern accents and intelligence did not start with him, and they won't end with him. If you live below the Mason-Dixon line, you just kind of get used to it. You can turn it into a cottage industry if you are savvy like Bradshaw.
Steelers Great Terry Bradshaw Makes Emotional Plea For Recognition Of His Ability As A Player
Despite what a social media segment insists, Bradshaw is one of the most beloved public figures in the last half-century. He has publicly stated how much he wishes he got the credit for outsmarting Tom Landry, Roger Staubach and the Dallas Cowboys twice in the Super Bowl. It isn't likely he will ever get the credit for being the play-caller on four Super Bowl winners in six years.
AP Photo
Steelers' Terry Bradshaw faced the Cowboys twice in the Super Bowl and came away victorious over Roger Staubach and the Doomsday Defense.
Noll might have been frustrated by Bradshaw's play at quarterback, but he trusted him to call his own plays on the field for the entire game. With all the modern advances athletes enjoy, it is almost unthinkable that a coach would tell his quarterback to run the offense how he sees fit.
The current NFL has taken a giant step backward regarding the freedom a quarterback has on the field. Maybe Bradshaw was just plain smarter than the modern signal-callers who pad their stats with 1-yard completions. The modern analytics experts who ridicule him as a lower tier Hall of Fame quarterback should sit a spell and ponder that.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you offended by the smarmy Spacey calling Bradshaw too dumb to work Netflix? I am. Let me know what you think. Please comment below, or on my Twitter X: @thebubbasq.
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