Today in Sports History: January 18th
(Swann pulls in his famous grab. Photo courtesy of the Associated Press)
1/18/1976 - Swann’s grab highlights Super Bowl X
In a matchup between Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys and Chuck Noll’s Pittsburgh Steelers, the Steelers come away with a 21-17 win in Super Bowl X, giving them back-to-back championships. With 1:48 to go in regulation, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach completed a 34-yard touchdown pass to Percy Howard, bringing the Cowboys within four. Howard, a rookie, never played in another game and his touchdown stood as the only reception of his NFL career.
On Pittsburgh's next possession, the Steelers had the ball on their own 41 with a minute-and-a-half to go. Pittsburgh was on fourth-and-9, and instead of punting, Chuck Noll elected to go for it on fourth down, citing a fumble that had occurred earlier in the game that had allowed a Dallas touchdown. Pittsburgh ran the ball and got nowhere, and the Cowboys were given the ball back at Pittsburgh's 39 with 1:22 remaining. "I had confidence in our defense," Noll said after the game. "We were giving them the ball with no timeouts, and I figured our defense could do it."
Noll’s decision would be second-guessed, but his faith in the Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defense was justified. Staubach was unable to get into the end zone, although he still managed to get off a pair of passes to Percy Howard in the end zone -- one of which the Cowboys argued was pass interference. Staubach had previously given the Cowboys a win in the divisional round with his famed “Hail Mary” pass, but in Super Bowl X, Staubach’s final attempt to Howard was picked off by Glen Edwards as time expired. The Associated Press described the contest as “easily the most thrilling Super Bowl game played yet,” noting the Super Bowl’s previously lopsided outcomes.
Winning the game’s MVP award was Steelers receiver Lynn Swann, who caught four catches for 161 yards and a touchdown while making one of the greatest catches in football history. Swann, who had suffered a concussion in the AFC championship game and was questionable to start, made a 53-yard leaping grab despite nearly tripping over Mark Washington, Dallas’ cornerback. Swann’s catch made it onto the cover of Sports Illustrated and was hailed as one of the best ever, although after the game, Swann would actually describe his 64-yard touchdown reception as “the best catch I’ve ever made in professional football,” and not the one on the cover of SI.
After the game, some questioned if the Steelers were capable of doing what no team had done before -- winning three consecutive Super Bowls. That dream died the following year, when the Oakland Raiders crushed them in the AFC championship game. The Steelers would win two additional titles in 1979 and 1980, with their ‘79 triumph once again coming at the Cowboys’ expense.
1/18/2006 - Antonio enters the crowd
Knicks center Antonio Davis hops into the stands to confront a spectator who he believed was heckling his wife.
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