Here’s an excerpt from my TribLive.com column on the 49th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception.
The most intriguing thing about the Immaculate Reception is that, almost 50 years later, nobody is 100 percent sure what happened.
In today’s NFL the play would have been reviewed. A variety of camera angles would provide conclusive proof.
But no video of the Immaculate Reception reveals conclusively whether the ball went directly to Franco Harris after ricocheting off his teammate, Frenchy Fuqua. (That was then illegal under NFL rules.) There’s also no film that confirms Harris made a clean catch, without the ball touching the ground.
If you’re a Steelers fan, it’s a good catch. If you’re a Raiders fan, you’re still crying. Then-Raiders Coach John Madden still complains bitterly every time he discusses it.
To read the whole piece, click HERE.
Image courtesy of the Pittsburgh Steelers.