Steelers Legend Terry Bradshaw Divides Social Media Mob After Disgusting Attempt To Smear Him

The Pittsburgh Steelers used the last first-overall pick in the NFL Draft in franchise history on a quarterback. It was in 1970 when they took Terry Bradshaw. Eight Super Bowl appearances and six Lombardi Trophies have followed, and the Steelers have not had a top-five draft pick since. The Steelers have only had seven losing seasons since Bradshaw and Franco Harris connected for the Immaculate Reception.

Steelers' Terry Bradshaw Threw Away His Career To Win The AFC Central

Bradshaw was responsible for four trips to the Super Bowl for the Steelers. He won two Super Bowl MVPs, a league MVP, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. According to a recent interview on Dinner Drive With Kyle Petty, the former Steelers signal-caller never officially retired. He went straight from a second elbow injury that ended his playing career into the broadcast booth.

Bradshaw transitioned from a game analyst into the studio, and when Fox Sports won the NFL package in 1993, he was the foundation of the group that became Fox NFL Sunday. The program is celebrating it’s 30th Thanksgiving covering football. After a recent pregame incident, Bradshaw has found his way into social media’s crosshairs again.

Bradshaw is 75 years old. He has three daughters who were famously featured in The Bradshaw Bunch on E! Network. Bradshaw takes his job as a girl dad very seriously. In a People Magazine article, he shared his thoughts on how hard it is with Katie Mannion. Bradshaw suggested that beating Roger Staubach and the Dallas Cowboys might have been a picnic in comparison.

"I thought winning four Super Bowls was hard," Bradshaw quipped. "It's nothing compared to having three girls."

The disgusting social media attempts to turn an awkward moment into something sinister are ludicrous. A vocal portion of fans want to see Bradshaw stop doing the halftime highlights on Fox NFL Sunday, and some want him to lose his job altogether. They seized on this incident to renew demands for the Hall of Fame quarterback's removal from his national platform. 

It is an unfortunate sign of the times that what Bradshaw saw as an innocent gesture touched off a firestorm. Chef Antonia Lofaso did not invite affection from Bradshaw, but even she has agreed it was not an unwanted advance. Shortly after the mob formed on X (formally known as Twitter), Lofaso attempted to defuse the venom with her own statement on social media. 

This isn't about an incident that the supposed offended party has dismissed. It is an attempt to use an all too familiar playbook to attack public figures and force the company that employs them to fire them. It started in politics, moved on to the entertainment industry, and has bled into professional sports. Attempting to label Bradshaw a predator for this incident is offensive and wrong. Thankfully, Lofaso is refusing to participate even tacitly in the attempt. 

The wonderful thing about sports is that we can forget about our differences for three hours on autumn Sundays and come together as Steeler Nation. Bradshaw is a huge component of the Steelers' legacy. He has had a complicated relationship with the fans and the organization at times, but he is a Steelers legend. That does not entitle him to blind support when he does or says something that is wrong. This isn't that. 

Hopefully, Fox Sports will take the totality of the incident into context if they choose to address it at all. The outrage is manufactured and should not be rewarded by tossing Bradshaw to a small, but vocal social media mob. It will be interesting to see if and how the network addresses it on Sunday. Bradshaw, by nature, is transparent and forthcoming; if he thinks he made a mistake, he will address it. If it happens, it won't be another meaningless statement to avoid cancel culture; it will be genuine, just like the man himself. 

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Is this much ado about nothing, or does he owe the chef an apology? Please comment below, or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq. 

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