Memories of # 13

Memories of XVIII: The country, and much of the world, will sit down to eat and watch a football game today.  I remember the first one, or what was called the NFL vs. AFL championship game.  My dad, brother and I watched that game and no one had a….

Memories of XVIII – American Thinker https://t.co/dPrP7dWmNd

— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) February 9, 2025

The country, and much of the world, will sit down to eat and watch a football game today. 

I remember the first one, or what was called the NFL vs. AFL championship game. 

My dad, brother and I watched that game and no one had a clue of what this event would turn into. The hardest thing about watching a football game with my late Cuban father was explaining the extra point.  There was no extra point in baseball and that’s the only game he knew.  

As I recall, many of the pundits back then mocked the idea of the mighty Green Bay Packers having to prove anything against the Kansas City Chiefs.   

To his credit, Coach Vince Lombardi did not treat the game as an exhibition but the Packers were dominant anyway.  

This week, I watched Super Bowl 13 again, or, Dallas vs. Pittsburgh.    

Roger Staubach vs. Terry Bradshaw. Coach Tom Landry vs. Coach Chuck Knoll.   

It was the last post-season game played in the 1970s and a game between the two best teams of the 1970s.

Coach Landry’s Cowboys played in the 1971, 1972, 1975, 1978 and 1979 Super Bowls.

They won two of them.  Pittsburgh blossomed in the 1970s with great draft picks. They played in the 1975, 1976, 1979 and a year later in 1980. They won all 4 SBs.

Super Bowl 13 went down to the last minute. It is really worth watching the rerun!

Pittsburgh was up 35-17 but Dallas scored twice and made it 35-31 with seconds left.  I’ve seen it so many times:

Champions clashed, both two-time Super Bowl winners and both symbols of excellence. If the Cowboys were perceived as slightly flashier, the Steelers were perceived as slightly more physical. Three years ago, the Steelers had beatend the Cowboys for the crown. Now the Cowboys were the defending champions.

The Cowboys looked like champs in their opening drive until they fumbled on a razzle-dazzle play in Pittsburgh territory. Six plays later, Terry Bradshaw threw to John Stallworth for a 7-0 Steeler lead. Later in the period, Harvey Martin caused Bradshaw to fumble, and three plays later, Roger Staubach evened the score with a pass to Tony Hill.

Dallas went ahead early in the second quarter when Mike Hegman picked up Bradshaw’s fumble and raced 37 yards to score. Two minutes later, John Stallworth broke Aaron Kyle’s tackle on a short pass and ran for a 75-yard TD. Just before the halftime break, the Steelers went ahead on a Bradshaw to Bleier pass.

The Cowboys drove into Steeler territory in the third quarter, but when Jackie Smith dropped a pass while open in the endzone, they had to settle for three points.

The Steelers increased their four-point lead in the final quarter. A pass interference call against Benny Barnes moved the Steelers deep into Dallas territory, and then the classy Pittsburgh front line opened the way for Franco Harris to rumble 22 yards to score. On the following kickoff, Randy White fumbled a short kick. Bradshaw threw to Swann in the endzone on the next play to run the score to 35-17 with about six minutes left. Although Staubach rallied the Cowboys to two touchdowns in the final minutes, the Steelers, led by MVP Bradshaw, had secured their third Super Bowl title.

SB 13 will always be remembered for Jackie Smith dropping a “certain” Cowboys’ touchdown in the end zone.  It was a great game and that’s what’s worth remembering.

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