Fansided

Classic NFL games made for Twitter

By Andrew Hammond

American quarterback Johnny Unitas
American quarterback Johnny Unitas /
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Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back Franco Harris is mobed by fans at Three Rivers Stadium after scoring the winning touchdown, nicknamed the ‘Immaculate Reception,’ during the American Football Conference (AFC) semi-final game against Oakland. Harris made the touchdown, one of the most famous single plays in the history of professional American football, on a tipped pass from quarterback Terry Bradshaw to Frenchy Fuqua to Harris for the score in the fourth quarter in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back Franco Harris is mobed by fans at Three Rivers Stadium after scoring the winning touchdown, nicknamed the ‘Immaculate Reception,’ during the American Football Conference (AFC) semi-final game against Oakland. Harris made the touchdown, one of the most famous single plays in the history of professional American football, on a tipped pass from quarterback Terry Bradshaw to Frenchy Fuqua to Harris for the score in the fourth quarter in Pittsburgh. /

The Immaculate Reception (1972 AFC Divisional Playoff-Raiders vs. Steelers)

Possibly the strangest and one of the two most controversial plays ever (the next one is coming up). The Pittsburgh Steelers were down to their last play against the Raiders and they needed to convert or their dream season would be over. Terry Bradshaw dropped back throw a pass to running back Frenchy Fuqua, instead of it going directly to Fuqua it bounced off of him and landed in the fingertips of Franco Harris who scampered to the end zone giving the Steelers a 13-7 win.

What made it so strange and controversial? Well, the fact that Fuqua touched the ball before Harris touched it was illegal back then and would’ve given the Raiders the win regardless of what happened afterward. You also had the situation where nobody on the field actually saw HOW Harris got the ball so it’s possible that the Raiders really should’ve won it. It was the granddaddy to the popular Twitter debate “did Dez catch it or not.” Still, another great game that would’ve been made even better for Twitter.

Twitter worthy moments

-The great play before the “Immaculate Reception,” Kenny Stabler’s mad dash for 30-yard TD might’ve gone down as one of the great plays in NFL history.

-The referees controversial conference before confirming the TD. Now between the moment the touchdown was scored and the final decision being made, the refs were in one of the dugouts on the phone with the league office who had watched the game on TV. Three Rivers Stadium had already been a mad house and a reversal of the decision would’ve sent the place into an absolute riot.

Crying MJ Award: You can go a variety of places here but we’ve never seen a crying MJ on John Madden so yeah, Madden I love ya but it happens to everybody sometime.

Next: The Tuck Rule

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