The Pittsburgh Steelers are less than two weeks away from celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. The Steelers will play the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Eve at 8:15 p.m. on the NFL Network. Franco Harris is going to have only the third number in the franchise’s history retired at halftime of what promises to be a heavy dose of nostalgia. Harris, a fixture in Pittsburgh for decades, is richly deserving of joining Ernie Stautner and Joe Greene.
Last night the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inducted the greatest play-by-play announcer of this generation, Joe Buck & the heart & soul of FOX Sports, Terry Bradshaw. They also paid tribute to the late great Jack Simmons. Cheers to Joe, TB and Jack! pic.twitter.com/0RAfJnd4iW
— Jacob Ullman (@jacobu) December 14, 2022
Terry Bradshaw is a regular target for social media criticism, but this week drew the heaviest attention since the early season on air struggles led to his cancer announcement. It is unknown whether the Hall of Fame quarterback has had a relapse or if his health is under some new attack, but he is 74 years old and father time catches everyone eventually. Ironically, the criticism of the performance preceded his induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame on Monday night.
This past Sunday, Bradshaw again struggled on the air doing the NFL highlights. The garbled segment saw a renewed call for Bradshaw to hang up his microphone. He called J.K. Dobbins, J.K. Robbins and D.J. Chark, D.K. Clark. The four-time Super Bowl Champion has never been eloquent, but that wasn’t the point. His everyman charm and occasional gaffes were part of his persona, just a good old country boy getting to live out a football dream for half a century.
Terry Bradshaw is too old to be doing this halftime report. Dude can hardly keep up.
— 5Deuce4Tre’ (@TreAtTheCrib) December 11, 2022
Last month, Bradshaw revealed on NFL on FOX he went in for an MRI of his neck after having pain in the area. During the exam doctors discovered a tumor and diagnosed him with Merkel cell carcinoma -- a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer.
After agreeing to another season of "The Bradshaw Bunch" on 'E Entertainment' Bradshaw was forced to cancel the show citing the need to focus solely on his health as the reason.
Photo Credit: AP Photo / Harry Cabluck
Harris, the man who plucked the ball out of the air, is all set to enjoy the moment, and deservedly so. He's just as integral as being the man who threw the pass. As of now, Bradshaw has not announced plans to join the festivities and celebrate his teammate. The Immaculate Reception is still the most exciting play in Pittsburgh Steelers' history, and it would not be the same if Bradshaw skipped the ceremony.
Pittsburgh fans haven’t had much to cheer about in 2022 and this celebration is the perfect opportunity for fans to remember a simpler time when the Steelers announced they were a contender and then dominated the decade of the 1970s. Bradshaw is a huge part of Steeler lore, and you can’t tell the story properly without discussing the first overall draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1970. He won two Super Bowl MVPs and for a time was regarded as the ultimate winning quarterback in NFL history. Now it seems he is barely recognized as the original TB12.
The NFL On Fox Sports Pre-Game Show fixture has struggled with his health over the past two years and has battled cancer into submission. Earlier this season, Bradshaw generated huge concern from all corners of football fandom when his on-air gaffes and times when he seemed out of breath during a segment caused him to address his health and assure fans, he was okay. He was noticeably absent during the NFL on Fox trip to the middle east to visit troops but returned the following week.
SAN DIEGO, CA - DECEMBER 17: Quarterback Terry Bradshaw #12 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs onto the field for the second half during an NFL game against the San Diego Chargers at San Diego Stadium on December 17, 1972, in San Diego, California. The Steelers defeated the Chargers 24-2 (Photo by James Flores /Getty Images)
The fans in Pittsburgh are going to be celebrating some significant milestones over the rest of this decade and the Immaculate Reception is just the first golden anniversary celebration. Bradshaw was intimately involved with the play and fans of the black and gold may have precious few chances to let him know just how loved he is in Pittsburgh. If he is healthy and able, he should show up to the celebration.
The NFL didn’t do the fan base any favors, scheduling the game in prime time on Christmas Eve night. The game is on NFL Network when many younger fans will be busy preparing for Santa’s arrival and others will be shuffling children off to bed. A huge swath of Steeler Nation were kids in the 1970s and grew up living and dying with the exploits of the black and gold. When you start ticking off 50th anniversaries, that huge swath and their heroes are going to start shrinking.
Photo Credit: HBO Going Deep
It hasn’t always been the best relationship between Pittsburgh fans and Terry Bradshaw. If you ask him, he will say he made his peace with his time in the black and gold. Bradshaw isn’t required to be in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve, and it would be understandable if he was not at Acrisure Stadium at 10 p.m. when the stockings are hung by the chimney with care. As one of those kids who was eleven when Bradshaw delivered the fourth championship, we are hoping for one more chance to stand and cheer our boyhood heroes and it won’t feel like a proper celebration without him.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Are you hoping Santa can deliver Terry Bradshaw to the Christmas Eve ceremony? Comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
#SteelerNation
