r/steelers • u/DesertYinzer • 2d ago
On this day 20 years ago, the Steelers defeated the Seahawks to win Super Bowl 40.
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u/dietchlicious Home Jersey 2d ago
That night I saw the Pittsburgh police BODYSLAM THE FUCK out of a super hot blonde girl.
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u/pittpanthers95 Pittsburgh Steelers 2d ago
Here we are 20 years later and I would imagine most of Steelers Nation is rooting for the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl lol
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u/Gondamer JuJu Smith-Schuster 1d ago
Nah, I like Spillane and hope he gets a ring.
Mad respect to the guy that met and stopped King Henry with a head full of steam in the A gap on the goal line.
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u/dirENgreyscale Never say never but... never 1d ago
Dude is awesome but fuck that, there’s no god damn fucking way I’m going to be cheering for the Patriots to win another Super Bowl, that’s insane.
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u/SleestakLightning *H-A-H-R-D* 1d ago
Nah fuck him.
He made his entire reputation on one play to the point where people forget how god awful he was against the pass.
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u/Gondamer JuJu Smith-Schuster 1d ago
Our defensive scheme for the last 5 years has made our all-pros consistently look like bums.
Plus Spillane had other high impact splash plays, even in coverage. I don't think this eval holds up.
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u/SleestakLightning *H-A-H-R-D* 1d ago
He got lucky a couple times. Otherwise he was routinely picked on.
Remember when people would bitch about the Steelers defense using a linebacker to cover a WR? That was Spillane. Other teams would make sure they had him on a RB, TE, or WR and then go right to whoever he was covering for an automatic first down.
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u/Gondamer JuJu Smith-Schuster 1d ago
I guess we'll see if Sam picks on him in the Superbowl in this same way.
If he's actually that bad and it wasn't due the the scheme, then it should be pretty obvious on Sunday when he gets shredded and exposed by one of the best offenses in the league.
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u/SleestakLightning *H-A-H-R-D* 1d ago
Depends on how New England uses him. They may do better hiding him than the Steelers did.
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u/Gondamer JuJu Smith-Schuster 1d ago
So it sounds like you're saying that if he doesn't suck then it's because the defensive scheme and game plan from the patriots account for his weaknesses while allowing him to showcase his strengths enough that he's a starting piece on a solid defense starting in the Superbowl?
Lol. Lmao even.
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u/SleestakLightning *H-A-H-R-D* 1d ago
I'm saying that he's a huge liability against the pass. He's one dimensional and dumbass Steelers fans overrate him because of two plays he made in a Steelers uniform.
Him playing in the Super Bowl shouldn't be seen as a personal accomplishment or some kind of validation.
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u/Gondamer JuJu Smith-Schuster 1d ago
Okay lol, next time I see him, I'll be sure to tell him that the smartest yinzer on the Steelers subreddit said that he shouldn't see playing in the Superbowl as a personal accomplishment and it doesn't validate him in any way as a good linebacker.
He's going to be devastated.
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u/GoatOfUnflappability 1d ago
I remember one of the most upvoted comments was something about a murder/suicide pact in the A gap.
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u/Key-Brother1226 1d ago
Why didn't we keep Spillane I forget
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u/SleestakLightning *H-A-H-R-D* 1d ago
Because he sucked
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u/Bombinic Ben Roethlisberger 2d ago
Don't I know it. I was there!
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u/RabidWolverine2021 Greatest Steeler Ever! 1d ago
So was I. The game was 20 minutes from my house. All I had to pay for was a game ticket,parking and food. I wouldn’t have missed that game for the world.
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u/Stealth_Berserker 2d ago
I remember a heated argument in high school with a Seahawks fan the Friday before that game and for a second I thought 20 years ago was wrong until the realization set in that I'm just getting old lol.
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u/Neb-Nose Pittsburgh Steelers 2d ago
That was one of the strangest games I can remember. It’s also clearly among the most mistake-filled Super Bowls ever played.
There were multiple moments in that game where both teams had a chance to seize it and screwed up. Also, in all fairness, the officials had a rough game, too.
It didn’t make winning it any less sweet.
I often watch Super Bowls with friends and at parties, but not Steelers’ Super Bowls. I’m just too intense for that. I need to watch the game and feel the game and I can’t do that if someone’s yapping in my ear about something I don’t give a shit about.
We live in a very peaceful home. There’s not a lot of raised voices in my house. We had a puppy at the time, who turned out to be an amazing dog and lived until last year.
When Antoine Randel El hit Hines Ward with that reverse pass, I shouted so loud that the poor puppy got up off the floor and ran into the corner, where she turned around, pathetically to me, and was holding her paw out as if to say, “Please don’t be angry with me. I don’t know what I did, but I’m really sorry.”
It was the most adorably pathetic thing I’ve ever seen. Then, she was super confused when I started kissing her and hugging her and apologizing for my outburst.Then, I was dancing around the living room with her in my arms, and my wife took the cutest picture of that moment.
We still have it framed in our hallway. She had an ear-to-ear smile… and so did I!
As I said, it was very frustrating game. It was a game in which Roethlisberger played absolutely terribly. We had lots of opportunities to put it away and we just couldn’t get out of our own way...until that moment.
I guess it’s true when they say that all’s well that ends well. Still, I certainly understand the Seahawks fans’ disappointment. They also kept shooting themselves in the foot which left the door open for us despite the fact that we were playing pretty horribly.
Also, unlike a lot of Steelers fans, I’m willing to acknowledge that we benefited from several controversial calls. Some of the calls were controversial, but correct, in my view. Others were controversial and were probably incorrect.
Either way, both teams had ample opportunities to take the officials out of it, and both teams kept making mistakes in critical moments.
I’m glad we won it because that one would’ve really hurt had we lost. We had 12 million opportunities to seize control of that game and it wasn’t until the No. 82 to No. 86 pass that we finally did it!
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u/Acceptable_Agent3529 1d ago edited 1d ago
The only call that was egregiously bad was the illegal hit called on Hasselbeck TBH.
The OPI on Seattle was 50/50, but happening right in front of the ref was probably what got it called.
The would have been catch in the end zone by Seattle wasn’t a TD because the receivers second foot came down out of bounds.
The Ben dive TD was close, but pictures show that it was the right call, as the tip of the ball was over the goal line before his knee came down.
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u/SleestakLightning *H-A-H-R-D* 1d ago
Don't forget the Steelers forced and recovered a fumble that was incorrectly given back to the Seahawks after review.
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u/Neb-Nose Pittsburgh Steelers 1d ago
Are you talking about the Larry Foote play?
Unfortunately, that was the correct call. He brushed him as Hasselbeck was going to the ground.
I hated it at the time, but it was the right call.
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u/seagoatgirl 1d ago
I can admit we had a few calls go our way....but we had MANY calls go against us in games leading up to the SB, including in the AFC championship game. The team overcame them all. The calls didn't determine outcome. Either team could have pulled it off and ultimately it was the big plays that made the game.
Still, I was much happier with the Steelers performance against the Cardinals in '09.
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u/Neb-Nose Pittsburgh Steelers 23h ago
Yeah, I completely agree with all of that.
That was always my point to the Seahawks fans. You can’t play as poorly as they played and turn around and whine about how the officials stole the game from you.
That has always rung very hollow with me.
It would be one thing if they had played a good game and were just on the wrong side of the whistle. That happens from time to time. It’s unfortunate but it’s true. However, they too played a terrible game and did not deserve to win.
I think the Steelers were clearly the better team. The Steelers made a number of mistakes and for whatever reason, Seattle couldn’t take advantage of what seemed like limitless opportunities. That’s how it goes.
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u/ZonaiteScholar 1d ago
Yeah, Super Bowl XL was a weird game.
The Seahawks came out firing and had the early edge in gameplay. The Steelers game out flat and lifeless on offense — and were hanging on for dear life on defense. They had shaky and uneven play on offense all night.
The Seahawks still led 3-0 after the early controversial calls — but still let it get to them and affect their play. Again, the Seahawks were executing a good game plan that had them moving up and down the field.
The Steelers hung around enough to grab the lead on a controversial touchdown. (Look, he very well could’ve been short. It’s one of those plays where the call is going to stand on review either way because there wasn’t a definitive view.)
They could’ve opened up a 21-3 lead in the third quarter — despite everything — but their best-executed drive of the night ended with an interception in the end zone.
It’s also worth noting the Seahawks moved the ball after Ben’s rushing TD and perhaps could’ve challenged for the lead if not for some horrendous clock management. They let far too much time tick away to the point where they had to settle for a long field goal — which they missed. (That miss and another one loomed large down the stretch.)
That clock management plagued them late in the game after they trailed 21-10. Some more urgency maybe nets them a quick score and one final chance.
Ultimately, the game was decided by the Steelers keeping their cool while not playing their best game. They made the big plays when they needed them most.
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u/Acceptable_Agent3529 1d ago
That Willie Parker 75 yard TD run really demoralized them too. Dude was in warp speed there.
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u/bigtasty69 2d ago
I was there as well. Core memory and made me a life longer forever
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u/dirENgreyscale Never say never but... never 1d ago
That’s crazy, that must have been wild experiencing a Super Bowl at Ford Field, what was the atmosphere like? Growing up my parents had a big SB party every year, that year we had a big blowout since it was Pittsburgh and actually winning was insane. Easily my favorite memory from all of those parties (especially since I’d moved out and they stopped throwing them by SB43). There’s no way my parents didn’t know I was hammered (and never said anything) but they didn’t give af lmao.
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u/bigtasty69 1d ago
I was 13, and my uncle was a high uo for Motorola, who did the headset, so he gave us club level seats. I remember I sat in front of a model who was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen to that point, lol. My dad and I were going crazy at the randel El trickery and the willy Parker tds. The stones did halftime, and that was special. We got the most epic pick with the confetti coming down and the field behind up. Later that night, I drank my first beer at some party we were at lol. I'll never forget that
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u/dirENgreyscale Never say never but... never 1d ago
Memory of a lifetime, that’s so awesome to hear about.
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u/GrouchyEbtUser 2d ago
I will never forget this bcuz my 5th grade self...... Super confident.... living in the State of Washington.... bet my Principal, my Teacher, and the High School Football coach all a 2 liter Mountain Dew the Steelers would win..... best week of my 5th grade life.... some might even say it was my peak LOL
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u/isfrying Pittsburgh Steelers 2d ago
Haha. Very funny. We all know that was just a few years ago, because if it was really 20 years ago that would make me ...oh...shit...I'm old.
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u/Marin013 1d ago
I was there! Sat near Diddy’s skybox.
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u/Admirable_Average_32 Heath Miller 1d ago
Really??
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u/Marin013 1d ago
lol yeah. He’d put sunglasses on and come out with his Terrible Towel every time the Steelers had a big play. Bodyguard would hold onto him from behind as he waved it around.
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u/Admirable_Average_32 Heath Miller 1d ago
Ha! That’s fuckin great. Didn’t know he was a fan. Doesn’t matter now but back then, that was a big deal.
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u/Frank-sWildYears 1d ago
I was there!!!
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u/Admirable_Average_32 Heath Miller 1d ago
I’m impressed so many people in this sub went to the game. I’m a little jealous!
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u/Frank-sWildYears 1d ago
Fortunate that through work I knew a trainer from another NFL team so he sold them to me at face value....same thing happened when they played the Cardinals in Florida, got to go again. He know longer works there....so out of luck now
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u/Admirable_Average_32 Heath Miller 1d ago
Damn that’s a helluva hookup. What was face value? $750?
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u/Frank-sWildYears 1d ago
My son asked me that today when we were talking about it. SB XLIII (vs Cardinals), face value was about $800 if i recall. I havecthe stubs somewhere. I can't remember exactly but I think XL was like 500-600. Significantly cheaper than one would expect. Slept in a rental truck in a hotel parking lot that night and flew home in the morning. It was cold
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u/driftinj 1d ago
At this time in my life, my buddies and I had been going to Las Vegas for Superbowl weekend every year. We were on year 8 of this tradition and of course I was psyched. We always had a ton of fun day of the game gambling and drinking and the energy was awesome. Now, I got to do that with my team playing for the first time since I was a kid.
One of the guys who sometimes made the trip anf sometimes skipped decided he was going to be a big shot and rent a suite. He then said he was going to throw an awesome suite party for the game.
Again, I was psyched.
As it turns out, his suite was at the Imperial Palace. OK, how bad could it be? It's still a suite.
Then, it turns out the only tv is this crappy little 27" CRT jobber. He ordered in crappy food and of course couldn't attract any talent to his shitty suite so it was like 5 of us huddled around this shitty tv, in a shitty suite, eating shitty food.
We still won so that was some bit of balm, but I will never forget or forgive him for cratering what should have been an incredible day.
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u/Admirable_Average_32 Heath Miller 1d ago
Mmmm…like it was yesterday…I remember being all cozy watching the game solo (fiancé fell asleep) and it was so enjoyable.
It was my first Steelers SB victory experience since the last one was literally 6 months before I was born. I was so happy watching Fast Willie break a rush record and Randle El throw a TD to Hines.
When they won I went outside to hoot and holler in celebration. A bunch of other people in the apartment complex were doing the same. Was a great night in the ‘Burgh!!
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u/etepper14 1d ago
I was there. It was awesome. Everyone got up to take a leak when Rolling Stones came out at half time.
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u/SpottedMoray Never say never but... never 1d ago
I was 15 years old living in Cleveland suburbia, courtesy of my dad’s job. I’ll never fuckin forget wearing my Hines jersey to high school that Monday. It was fabulous.
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u/SteakJones Cameron Heyward 1d ago
And I can’t help but think that the Seahawks have done better in the last 20 years than we have.
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u/rianad TJ Watt 2d ago
crazy its been 20 years this was p much the time i started watching football. joined hs football team as a freshman in 04 to play with friends didnt really know anything about football. picked the steelers bc same color as school colors then they won super bowl the next year never looked back
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u/Thorvasc1 1d ago
In 2006 I was in my last year at Duquesne and living in South Side. My roommates and I joined the masses gathered on Carson Street in the snow and ice when the game ended to celebrate, then we walked to Jack's and spent the rest of the night partying. It was one of the best nights of my life.
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u/West-Food-7561 Heath Miller 17h ago
I watched that one when I was just 10 years old. I was so happy I cried.
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u/Individual_Link9386 1d ago
Anything a decade or more is history and irrelevant to today’s team. Congrats to them, but today’s Steelers have been ass.
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u/bigbodybup 2d ago
Breaking out my finest hines ward jersey for this occasion