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This week was bittersweet for soccer followers, however particularly for Pittsburgh Steeler followers. Legendary Steeler running-back Franco Harris handed away on Tuesday, and Friday marks the fiftieth anniversary of Franco’s Immaculate Reception, the play that the NFL designated the best in its 80-year historical past.
I used to be fortunate sufficient to be at Three Rivers Stadium in my hometown 50 years in the past to see the sport on the afternoon of December 23, 1972. However my reminiscence of the sport — and the catch — are just one many from that weekend.
First, it was the Steelers’ first playoff look within the staff’s lengthy (40-year) historical past. One of many authentic franchises within the NFL, the Steelers had been, for a lot of the years since 1932, one of many league’s worst — that they had by no means earlier than reached the playoffs. So, for long-suffering Steeler followers, and particularly for longtime season-ticket holders like my household, this recreation was a really particular occasion.
Sport day was additionally a really special day for my household. It was the day of my brother Ken’s bar mitzvah on the Conservative synagogue we attended in Pittsburgh, Beth Shalom. Ken did an important job main shacharit, the preliminary prayers, and reciting his haftarah. I’m positive that no 13-year outdated ever needed to handle the clock with the precision Ken demonstrated that day; there have been various in attendance who had been preserving shut watch, given the 1 p.m. recreation time. And, no query, multiple attendee prayed more durable for a Steeler miracle than that they had ever prayed earlier than.
My father was in a position to receive additional tickets for the sport from his buddy and shopper, Jack McGinley, brother-in-law of the Steelers’ founding proprietor, Artwork Rooney. So instantly following companies, a dozen or so male relations (and doubtless one-third of the remainder of the synagogue) had a fast kiddush and headed to the stadium. “Fortunate” Ken bought to remain behind for lunch with the “women,” glued to his radio as residence video games had been then blacked out on tv.
One of many causes Ken has ascribed for his all-star efficiency that day was the autograph of (none apart from) Franco Harris that I slipped into his hand earlier than companies. I had obtained that autograph the day earlier than when my father and I went to the airport to greet some out-of-town household and met Harris there; he was there to satisfy his dad and mom, and graciously penned his signature for us.
I have to admit that my reminiscence of the play exists largely from the 1,000 instances I’ve watched replays. I believe that, like me, most followers within the stadium that day regarded down in disappointment when Raider Jack Tatum violently knocked the ball away from Steeler John “Frenchy” Fuqua and missed seeing Harris’ miracle catch dwell. I’ll always remember the enjoyment I felt, nevertheless, as I watched Franco dash into the top zone for the Steeler win, and the joy we felt when my cousin Cary and I stormed the sphere with 1000’s of others to embrace Franco and the opposite gamers as they celebrated the victory.
This week, nevertheless, as we have fun the fiftieth anniversary of Ken’s bar mitzvah, we mourn the lack of the nice soccer participant — and man — who turned a special occasion for our household right into a sports activities historical past day for the ages. Could the reminiscence of Franco Harris be for a blessing.
One fascinating aspect word: The “Immaculate Reception” pun was first uttered on air by a Jewish sportscaster, Myron Cope, who added shade to Steelers broadcasts for 35 years. Cope, whose final identify was truly Kopelman, was the primary soccer announcer inducted into the Nationwide Sports activities Corridor of Fame; his catchphrases included some drawn from Yiddish, together with “feh!” and “yoi!”
However Cope didn’t coin the phrase: A girl known as him after the catch however earlier than his broadcast to recommend it, and he credited her by identify on air, noting that she was Christian. The girl, Sharon Levosky, was in actual fact a Presbyterian, however she stated many individuals mistook her for being Jewish due to her final identify and recalled greater than 20 years in the past that Cope had not requested about her faith.
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