Top 10 Images in Pittsburgh Sports History

10.) Jerome Lane

"Send it in, Jerome."

9.) Jack Lambert

Jack Lambert was a 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and was a key component to the greatest defense the NFL has ever seen, the Steel Curtain of the 70's.  This picture personified the toughness that Lambert played with and the fear that the Steel Curtain instilled in every team they played.

8.) Lynn Swann

Talk about hand-eye coordination. With a name like Swann, it was only fitting for him to make this catch.  It remains one of the most acrobatic, graceful catches in Super Bowl history. Swann became known for this catch over the years and I can't see him complaining about that.  He caught four passes for a then Super Bowl record 161 yards and one touchdown pulling in the MVP of Super Bowl X. 

7.) Talbot Ices It

When you think of the current Penguins you think of Crosby, Malkin, or Staal, but Max Talbot is forever part of Penguins history with his clutch 2 goal performance in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals against the Red Wings.  The Penguins wound up winning 2-1 with Talbot scoring both goals.  His second one being an absolute snipe of the top right corner on Wings goalie Chris Osgood.  Osgood is still trying to figure out how that puck slipped past him.  The Penguins got revenge on the Red Wings for beating them in the previous Stanley Cup Finals and this marked the 3rd Stanley Cup in Pens history.

6.) The Immaculate Redemption

The Colts came into this game as heavy favorites against the 6th seeded Steelers, having already smacked them 26-7 earlier that year.  No-one expected the Steelers to hold up against against the Colts lethal offensive attack led by their maestro Peyton Manning.  The Steelers had others plans in mind and thoroughly dominated the game with their defense.  Manning was rattled from start to finish and this game should have been over with a late Troy Polamalu interception, but the refs blew the call and left the door open for one of the craziest endings in sports.  Up 21-18 with a little over a minute to play, all the Steelers had to do was run the clock out.  Jerome Bettis was called in to ice the game, but ended up fumbling the ball on the Colts 2 yards line and Nick Harper scooped it up and looked like he was going to take it all the way for the game clinching touchdown.  The only man back for the Steelers was Roethlisberger and somehow he managed to make the most crucial tackle in recent Steeler history.  The Colts went on to miss the game tying field goal, making Roethlisberger the hero for his remarkable defensive effort. The Steelers would go on to win the franchise's 5th Super Bowl against the Seahawks later that year.

5.) Clemente's 3000th

This picture epitomizes Roberto Clemente and his ever lasting humility.  His last and final hit in baseball was the historical milestone of 3000.  Clemente died the next off season when his plane crashed en route to  the country of Nicaragua where he was racing to aid earthquake victims.  My dad always claims Roberto Clemente was the greatest baseball player of all-time, I can't disagree.

4.) Le Magnifique raising the Stanley Cup

In 1984, Mario Lemieux wanted a seven figure contract from the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Eddie Johnson, the team's General Manager, was hesitant on giving him one.  The Penguins drafted Lemieux with no promise of this contract and Lemieux refused to walk on stage when his name was called.  A few weeks later, Johnson gave him that contract and what ensued was extraordinary.  Lemieux was the greatest and most talented hockey player in NHL history and in 1991, he carried the Penguins to winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup.  Simply the best.

Top 5 Steelers/Ravens Games

"Us and the Ravens. It'd be a big game if it was a scrimmage." Mike Tomlin was responsible for this quote right before the two teams faced off in the 2009 AFC championship and he couldn't be more right.  These two teams play this game like the Yankees play the Red Sox, like Duke plays North Carolina; they play this game with pure hatred.  With words like kill, brawl, gang fight , and evil being a mainstay throughout the week leading up to this game, you would think the media were talking about the crime rate throughout the city, not a football game.  This game and this rivalry has the reputation of being the best in the NFL with no close second.  And to honor this rivalry, here are our 5 best Steelers/Ravens games....

5) 2004 Week 2 (in Baltimore)

Roethlisberger celebrates after throwing the
first of many touchdowns to Hines Ward

I know what you all are thinking. Your asking yourself what the hell happened in week two of 2004 that deserves be on this list?  Well if you remember correctly, the Baltimore Ravens knocked Tommy Maddox out of that game during the first half and in came a young rookie named Ben Roethlisberger. You may have heard of him. The Steelers lost that game 30-13 but all 13 of the Steelers points were scored in the 4th quarter by Roethlisberger.   I guess that game and quarter were a sign of things to come.  Ben started the next 13 games and set an NFL record by going 13-0 as a rookie starting quarterback.  And the rest is history......

Final Score- Baltimore 30- Pittsburgh 13




4) 2010 Week 13 (in Baltimore)

With both teams coming in with identical 8-3 records and the Ravens already beating the Steelers once that year, the Ravens looked poised to use the home crowd as an advantage and finally take control of the division.  I guess the Steelers didn't get the memo.  The game started out as a defensive struggle with points coming at a premium. Roethlisberger struggled to lead the Steelers to points so it was the defense's turn to make a play.  With the Steelers down 10 -6 late in the 4th quarter, their strong safety, Troy Polamalu, came up with the big play he has become known for.  Coming off the right side unblocked, Troy strip sacked Joe Flacco and what felt like slow motion, Lamarr Woodley picked the ball up and went to the house.  The Steelers won the game and home field advantage on virtually that play setting them up for another playoff run.  The Steelers would meet the Ravens again that year in the AFC Divisional Round and a game you may see later on this list.

Final- Pittsburgh 13- Baltimore 10


3) 2008 Week 15 (in Baltimore)

Entering their second game of the season against the vaunted Ravens, the Steelers defense ranked first in the league, with the Ravens defense not far behind in second.  With a win, each team had a chance to take a stranglehold on the division with only 2 weeks left.  Coming in everyone expected a hard fought, defensive struggle and that's exactly what they got.  Ravens fan will have hard time forgetting what ensued in this battle.  The game was intense from the start and with the Ravens grasping a 9-6 lead late in the 4th quarter, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steeler's offense were trapped deep in their own territory. Roethlisberger proved why he is currently the best money quarterback in football, not named Brady, and led the Steelers on a 92 yard touchdown drive in a little under 3 minutes.  In classic Big Ben fashion, he started to his left, then turned back to his right, and threw a bullet to Santonio Holmes in the end zone.  The debate was about the ball's location and if it really did cross the goal line.  The play was reviewed and the refs ruled that the ball did end up breaking the plane.  With that touchdown, the Steelers ended up winning the game 13-9, taking the division, and setting themselves up for a home rematch against the Ravens in the AFC championship game later that year (seen later on this list).

Final Score- Pittsburgh 13- Baltimore 9

2) 2011 AFC Divisional

Antonio Brown's memorable 3rd down catch

This was one of the strangest games I can ever remember watching.  To begin the game, the Steelers drove right down the field on the opening drive and Mendenhall plowed into the end zone for a quick 7-0 lead.  Those are the only points the Steelers would score in the first half, after that it was all Baltimore.  The Ravens quickly answered with Ray Rice rushing for a touchdown, but then all hell broke loose.  On the next drive, Ben Roethlisberger was sacked by Terrell Suggs and fumbled, but no-one realized it was  fumble, every player on the field thought it was just an incomplete pass except Corey Redding who managed to scoop the ball up and run it in for an uncontested touchdown.  The Steelers and the Heinz
Field faithful were stunned and could not believe the turn of events that took place.  The Ravens ended the first half up 21-7 and looked poised to exorcise their demons of not being able to beat the Steelers in the playoffs.  However, the second half started with a change of misfortune for the Steelers.  It all began when Ray Rice fumbled a routine catch across the middle, which led to a Heath Miller touchdown not even two minutes later.  Then Joe Flacco threw a careless pass down the right sideline that was intercepted by Ryan Clark.  Roethlisberger found the ageless wonder Hines Ward for a touchdown on the ensuing drive and all of a sudden the score was knotted at 21.  To make things even worse for Flacco, he fumbled the snap on the very next drive.  Everything that could have possibly went wrong for the Ravens in the second half did, and yet the game was far from over.  With the score tied at 24 with only 2:07 left in the 4th quarter, the Steelers were looking at a gruesome 3rd and 19.  In one of the most exciting Steeler plays in recent history, Ben Roethlisberger unleashed a rocket throw to a streaking Antonio Brown that set the Steelers up at the 5 yard line.  This marked Antonio Browns coming out party and showed his ability to make big plays for the first time.  The Steelers sealed the game with another tough Mendenhall run and once again sent the Ravens home for another long offseason.

Final Score- Pittsburgh 31- Baltimore 24


1) 2009 AFC Championship

First of all, to put this game into words would be an injustice.  Each team played with such physicality and reckless abandon that it cannot be fully appreciated unless watching live.  The Steelers and Ravens met for the 3rd time of of the 2008-2009 season for a chance to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.  What resulted on that cold January night wasn't a football game, it was an all out war.  This game cemented the rivalry as the best the NFL currently has to offer.  The Steelers jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead sparked by Santonio Holmes' ridiculous catch and run through the entire Ravens secondary.  The key to the touchdown was Ben Roethlisberger's ability to improvise and extend the play.  The Steelers looked like they were going to cruise easily to victory, but the Ravens had other aspirations in mind.  The game turned into a defensive struggle with the Ravens continually chipping away at the Steeler's lead.  Midway through the 4th quarter Joe Flacco was trying to continue his cinderella run through the playoffs by threatening to finally take the lead.  Flacco dropped back and launched a pass to running back Willis McGahee who was 20 yards downfield.  Ryan Clark read the play perfectly and hit McGahee head on, with both players colliding at full speed.  Neither could get up after the ferocious hit that I'm sure could be heard all the way back in Baltimore.  With that collision the drive stalled, but the Ravens managed

Polamalu seals the game with his late touchdown.

to get one last shot to take the lead when they managed to get the ball back with a little more than 4 minutes left on the clock.  On a 3rd and 13, rookie Joe Flacco made his first rookie mistake of the postseason and tried to squeeze a pass into a cutting Derrick Mason, but Troy Polamalu was ready for it and jumped the route for an interception.  He took the interception to paydirt and sent the Steelers to their 7th Super Bowl appearance.  It was a fitting ending for a game, that boasts the 2 best defenses of the decade, to end on such an amazing defensive play.  This marked the 3rd time the Steelers beat the Ravens that season and set the stage for the greatest Super Bowl in NFL history.

Final Score- Pittsburgh 23- Baltimore 14

Keys to a Steeler win against the Patriots

With a combined 7 Super Bowl appearances since 2001, these two teams have defined greatness in the AFC and the NFL.  Now, Tom Brady comes into Heinz Field with a record of 6-1 against the Steelers. The Patriots are the one team the Steelers have had virtually no success against and last year's 39-26 Patriots win at Heinz Field proves just that.  But I got a feeling this year will be different and here's why.......

1.) Big Ben

• The Steelers have to put the ball in Ben's hands to be able to win this game.  This is the most explosive offense that Ben has ever had and they need to let him utilize it to try and make some plays.  The Patriots secondary is suspect and we finally have the receivers to exploit them.  No matter what we do on defense, Brady is still going to put up points.  That means we have to put points up of our own, we have to answer them every time down the field.  I'm not saying we need to completely abandon the run.  The running game is also crucial to control the clock and keep Brady off the field. The more Brady is off the field, the better, but we also need to let Roethlisberger do his thing and make plays with his arm.  The NFL is a passing league now and the only way we are going to hang with the vaunted Patriots offense is by fighting fire with fire.  Ben needs to take control of this game early, get into a rhythm with his receivers, and show Brady why he has won 2 super bowls since Bradys won his last in 2004.  

2.) The Steelers defense must change.

• The Patriots west coast offense is the kryptonite of Dick's Lebeau's zone blitzing Superman. With quick accurate throws, Brady picks these Steelers apart.  Lebeau can't let that happen this year and if that means changing his zone scheme to a more man to man then he will have to do just that.  It seems Lebeau has been stubborn to change against the Patriots and I have no idea why.  A more man to man scheme will take away those quick outs and force Brady to make the long, tough throw.  The Steelers corners cannot give that 10 yard cushion because Brady will take it every time.  They need to get up on the line and be physical with the smaller receivers, Welker and Branch. Also, the Patriots love to exploit match-ups with running backs and tight ends.  Last year, Rob Gronkowski had 5 receptions for 71 yard and 3 touchdown's.  Apparently, Belichick game planned to throw to the tight end in key situations and it worked flawlessly.  Lebeau cannot be afraid to use 2 or 3 more cornerbacks on each given play.  Farrior and Timmons on Gronkowski, Hernandez, and Woodhead is a mismatch and Brady will find them if the linebackers are in man to man coverage.  So, I'll leave this point with one word of advice to Dick Lebeau, Adapt. 

3.) Young Money

• The self proclaimed receiving corps of the Steelers are getting a lot of hype these days, and deservingly so. Young Money has over 25 receptions of over 20 yards and with the Patriots being last in the league in pass defense, giving up 322 yards per game, look for Big Ben to take a couple deep shots down the field.    

• Lets look at Mike Wallace first.  Mr. Wallace has been a terror on opposing secondarys so far this year.  He's currently third in receiving yards with 730 while averaging 20.4 yards per catch.  If you're the opposing defense you have to account for Mike Wallace every time he's on the field and if you match him up one on one with one of your corners, well good luck to you.  The only person that might be able to stick with Wallace stride for stride is the Flash. He leads the NFL with 6 catches for more than 40 yards with his long being a 95 yard streak last Saturday against the Cardinals.  The knock on Wallace his first couple years in the league was that all he can do is run that go route and just use his speed to beat defenders.  Sure, he can do that better than anyone in the league, but this year he has been more of a possession receiver as well, especially in the games against Baltimore and Houston when he consistently moved the chains without getting a deep ball.  Wallace has that rare ability to make a corner think he has him covered one second and the next second Wallace is 3 yards passed him ready to break loose.  He's growing more and more as a receiver and soon this league won't know how to stop him.  Book it.  

• Next, lets look at Antonio Brown.  Brown was barely used in the passing game last year having only 16 catches for 167 yards. Just to show you how little that number is, Mewelde Moore managed to pull down 26 catches for 206 yards.  Well, the days of Mewelde out receiving Antonio are over.  Brown already has 25 catches for 364 yards this year in only 7 games.  He has overshadowed Emmanuel Sanders and is challenging both Sanders and Ward on who is going to play second fiddle to Wallace.  Brown has already shown his clutchness/dependency last year in the playoffs when he made that ridiculous grab to basically beat the Ravens and when he made the game clinching first down against the Jets.  Not to mention that Brown is one of the most dynamic return men in the game.  He usually always makes the first guy miss and is a threat to take to the house every time he touches the ball.  Get this guy into open space and he's lethal.  

• Finally, we make our way to Emmanuel Sanders.  Sanders came storming out of the gates last year as a rookie making 28 catches for 376 yards.  So far this year he's been overshadowed by Brown, but that doesn't take away from his spectacular rookie season last year.  He shattered everyone's expectations and was a key possession receiver that helped us get to the Super Bowl.  Injuries began to plague Sanders last year and have continued to slow him down so far this year, but he has continued to fight through it and is finally looking to be 100%.  He can be just as dynamic as Brown when healthy and every one of these 3 receivers can run right by you if your not careful.  The Steelers have managed to draft a track team that is ready to run at all times.  

P.S.- Remember the last time the Patriots came to Pittsburgh on Halloween?  It was back in 2004 and the Patriots came into Heinz Field in the midst of a NFL record 21 game win streak.  The Steelers came out and smacked them 34-20 and the game wasn't even that close.  All I have to say is history has a tendency to repeat itself.  Here we go.

By: Jon and Jeff Gingell