Steelers' Terry Bradshaw Shares 'It Was Best I Stay Away' From John Madden Because Of Legendary Grudge

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Art Rooney joined the NFL in 1933. Rooney was an amateur boxer who forfeited his opportunity to compete in the 1920 Olympics. He had accepted money for playing semi-pro baseball, and the memory of Jim Thorpe's forfeiture of his gold medals in similar circumstances was still fresh. His consolation prize was purchasing the Steelers for $2,500 a few years later in the newly established league. Things worked out okay for the Rooney family after that investment. 

The first 39 years of their existence did not go very well. Pittsburgh managed to make one playoff appearance under Jock Sutherland in 1947. They lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 21-0, and for the next 25 years, they toiled in obscurity. The Steelers employed 16 head coaches in their first 35 seasons, and being traded to Pittsburgh was a tangible threat to other players in the NFL as a disciplinary tool. All that changed in 1969 when Dan Rooney hired Chuck Noll. 

Steelers' Terry Bradshaw Shares Fascinating Story About Immaculate Reception 50 Years After The Fact

Terry Bradshaw joined Julian Edelman on Tuesday's Games With Names podcast on YouTube. Bradshaw and Edelman work for Fox Sports and had a great time swapping stories about the New England Patriots and Steelers. The Immaculate Reception game featured 19 Hall of Fame players, coaches, and owners on both sides of the ball. The play has consistently been voted as the No. 1 play in NFL history. Edelman asked Bradshaw if he had any good stories about his interactions with John Madden while they both worked as broadcasters.

“When he was at CBS and Fox, and I was with both networks, we had no communication,” Bradshaw revealed. “It was best that I stay away.”

The other side of the jubilation that Pittsburgh experienced was the crushing defeat for Madden and the then-Oakland Raiders. Instant replay was not a part of the NFL in 1972, but the referees did everything in their power to throw the ruling of a catch and touchdown under suspicion. A couple of popular theories surfaced courtesy of the media and NFL Films. 

The Oakland Tribune reported that then-Steelers publicist Joe Gordon told reporters that the decision was made using replay. It was alleged by Raiders players during an NFL Films documentary that referee Fred Swearingen asked if there was enough police presence to contain the crowd if they ruled it incomplete. Art McNally, the supervisor of officials at the time, denies both claims. 

“No matter how many times I watch films of the Immaculate Reception play, I never know for sure what happened,” Madden wrote years later.

Madden, allegedly, was bothered more by the delay between the end of the play and the final signal of the touchdown. He maintained until his death that he would never get over the play. Based on the revelation by Bradshaw, he held onto a grudge against one of the authors of the famous play long after they were both retired and making a living in broadcasting.

“John went to his grave thinking he got hosed by Pittsburgh and the refs,” Bradshaw confirmed to Edelman. “Who is to say he didn’t? Like I said, that’s what made the next match against them good. Well, he wouldn’t have won anyway.”

The Immaculate Reception game was a Divisional Round matchup. Whoever won was set to face the undefeated Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship game. Bradshaw and the Steelers lost to the Dolphins 21-17 the following week in Three Rivers Stadium. An NFL scheduling quirk at the time forced the Dolphins on the road despite being undefeated because they had hosted the Championship game the previous year. The Raiders were red hot on what would have been a seven-game winning streak if they had won, but the Dolphins were a team of destiny in 1972.

It seems hard to imagine that a Hall of Fame head coach like Madden would hold onto a grudge until he passed away. It did cost him an opportunity to play the ultimate spoiler against the perfect Dolphins. Madden blamed the referees for the confusion, but held onto his hatred of the Steelers for the rest of his life. That could explain Pittsburgh's low ratings during the annual release of the popular video game that bears his name. Paraphrasing Bradshaw, 'Who is to say it isn't.'