America Loves Countdowns

Countdown #7: Most Shocking Events in Pittsburgh Sports History

As fans, there are some events in sports that we remember fondly and others that bring us great pain. One thing that really heightens those types of events is the level of surprise associated with them. Whether it's a huge upset or a critical mistake, moments that shock us in sports tend to live on forever. Here are ten events which caught us all offguard and still have us shaking our heads to this day.

Jerome Bettis fumbles at the Colts one yard line
How shocking was it when The Bus fumbled while trying to ice the 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff game at Indianapolis? So shocking that it literally gave a Steelers fan down at Cupka's a heart attack. First of all, when has someone ever fumbled while simply trying to put the game away? Perhaps the only time we have ever seen this in pro football was the infamous Miracle at the Meadowlands play in 1978, and the reason it has been replayed so many times over the years is because it was a "once in a lifetime" type of event - until Bettis fumbled that is. The other aspect that made the play so improbable was the fact that Bettis was probably the most reliable RB in the league when it came to protecting the ball. Thank God for Ben Roethlisber's tackle (not to mention the Idiot Kicker). Otherwise this shocker would have become the most painful moment in Pittsburgh sports history.

Darius Kasparaitis beats greatest goalie ever to win playoff series
Darius Kasparaitis was the gritty defenseman who knocked people down. The fans loved him but they knew he wasn't a goal scorer. Dominik Hasek was perhaps the greatest goaltender of all-time. When the Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres went to overtime in the decisive game 7 of the 2001 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Kasparaitis slipped a slapshot past the right skate of Hasek to give the Pens the win. It was such a basic, simple shot that beat the mighty Hasek, and it was scored by a guy who had scored all of three goals that season. This moment always reminds me of why I love sports so much.

Penguins play in two marathon games
As event #9 also proved, there is absolutely nothing in sports that can compare to overtime in the NHL Playoffs. It is a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat event, and the longer it goes on, the more exciting it becomes. Penguins fans know all about this. The Pens played the two longest games in modern NHL history within four years of each other. When I sat through the Penguins-Capitals 4 OT playoff game in 1996, I didn't think I would ever see anything like it again. Amazingly, the Penguins and Flyers would play a 5 OT game in 2000.

Jose Lind makes critical error in 1992 NLCS
The pain of the Francisco Cabrera game-winning hit in the 1992 NLCS still lingers with Pirates fans to this day. I maintain that it was the single most demoralizing sports moment this town has ever witnessed. Everyone remembers Stan Belinda surrendering that hit and Captain Steroids not being able to throw out the hobbling Sid Bream, but none of that would have ever happened had 2B Jose Lind not bobbled a routine ground ball off the bat of David Justice earlier in the inning. The shocking part was that Lind was one of the best defensive 2B the team ever had, and 1992 was his prime. That year he beat out Cubs 2B Ryne Sandberg for the Gold Glove even though Sandberg had won it the previous 9 seasons. That's how good his defense was, and that's why it was so shocking that he made an error at the absolute worst possible time.

Steelers lose 1994 AFC Championship Game
After seeing the Steelers lose so many AFC Championship Games at home, fans tend to forget how truly shocking the 1994 loss was compared to all the rest. The Chargers were a scrub team for years, and they didn't exactly have a championship caliber team in 1994 (as proven by their lackluster performance in the Super Bowl that year). The Steelers were the hottest team in football and seemed destined to win big. But Stan Humphries, Tony Martin, and Dennis Gibson had different plans. I'll always remember the eerie silence in Three Rivers Stadium after Gibson batted down that final pass. I'd never heard anything like that before, and I haven't heard anything like it since.

Roberto Clemente's plane crashes
Clemente was a Pirates legend who had just gotten his 3000th hit to end the 1972 season. He was on an aid mission to Nicaragua in December of that year, bringing supplies to an area that had been rocked by an earthquake, when his plane crashed into the ocean killing everyone on board. It was both shocking and extremely tragic.

Ed Rendell and Bob O'Connor turn their backs on the Penguins
While the state of Pennsylvania found a way to build new sports facilities for the Steelers, Eagles, Pirates, Phillies, Flyers, and 76ers, they balked when it came to building one for the Pittsburgh Penguins. For years both the state and city always said that there just wasn't enough money and that the Pens needed to come up with their own plan. So the team did just that. The Penguins and Isle of Capri Casino currently have a deal on the table which will allow a new arena to be built using absolutely no tax money whatsoever. The city is guaranteed a casino, so all the state has to do is award that casino to Isle of Capri, and they will build us a free arena. Pretty simple plan to endorse if you are a politician, right? Not if you are scumbag governor Ed Rendell or his puppet of a mayor Bob O'Connor, who reportedly have back-door deals with another slots applicant. Vote Lynn Swann this November!

Pirates become worst team in pro sports
When baseball's economic system went in the tank in the early 1990's and the Pirates had to start dumping all of their superstars, everyone knew the winning was over. However, no one realized the losing would last this long. The Pirates are currently well on their way to a 14th consecutive losing season, the longest stretch for any professional sports team. That means that the Pirates now rank below the Kansas City Royals, LA Clippers, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, and Milwaukee Brewers in terms of futility. The franchise cannot do anything right. No one would have ever dreamed that they could have set the bar this low.

2004 Pitt team makes it to Fiesta Bowl
In 2003, Pitt started the season ranked in the top ten. Their offense featured a quality senior QB, a solid RB, an NFL-caliber TE, and the greatest WR in school history. That team disappointed its fans, and by the time the 2004 season rolled around, all those players were gone and expectations were much lower. In the second game of the season against Nebraska, Pitt's offense could barely move more than a yard at a time. It was going to be a long season. Shockingly, Pitt started winning big games against the likes of Boston College, Notre Dame, and WVU. Before anyone knew what had happened, the Panthers had qualified to play in a BCS bowl game. It was truly remarkable. The fact that they got whipped in that game by an undefeated Utah squad is an afterthought.

7-5 Steelers team wins the Super Bowl
The 2005 Steelers sat at 7-5 and had to win out just to squeeze into the playoffs, including a game against the NFC's #2 playoff seed. Then they had to beat the top three seeds in the AFC on the road (two of which had already beaten the Steelers that year). Then they had to beat the #1 seed from the NFC. It will ultimately go down as the greatest run in NFL history.

Honorable Mentions:

• Neil O'Donnell, who NEVER threw interceptions, throws two pics in Super Bowl XXX
• Rookie QB leads 2004 Steelers to 15-1 record
• Paul Spadafora allegedly shoots his girlfriend
• Pirates trade Ralph Kiner
• Franco Harris makes Immaculate Reception
• Pens star Michel Briere is killed in car crash