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Title details for Hell with the Lid Off by Ed Gruver - Available

Hell with the Lid Off

Inside the Fierce Rivalry between the 1970s Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers

by Ed Gruver
Jim Campbell
ebook
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Hell with the Lid Off looks at the ferocious five-year war waged by Pittsburgh and Oakland for NFL supremacy during the turbulent seventies. The roots of their rivalry dated back to the 1972 playoff game in Pittsburgh that ended with the "Immaculate Reception," Franco Harris's stunning touchdown that led the Steelers to a win over the Raiders in their first postseason meeting. That famous game ignited a fiery rivalry for NFL supremacy. Between 1972 and 1977, the Steelers and the Raiders—between them boasting an incredible twenty-six Pro Football Hall of Famers—collided in the playoffs five straight seasons and in the AFC title game three consecutive years.
Both teams favored force over finesse and had players whose forte was intimidation. Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain defense featured Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount, the latter's heavy hits forcing an NFL rule in his name. The Raiders countered with "The Assassin," Jack Tatum, Skip Thomas (aka "Dr. Death"), George Atkinson, and Willie Brown in their memorable secondary. Each of their championships crowned the eventual Super Bowl winner, and their bloodcurdling encounters became so violent and vicious that they transcended the NFL and had to be settled in a U.S. district court. 
With its account of classic games, legendary owners, coaches, and players with larger-than-life personalities, Hell with the Lid Off is a story of turbulent football and one of the game's best-known rivalries.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 1, 2019

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781496219138

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781496219138
      • File size: 2589 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      August 1, 2019

      Gruver (Hairs vs. Squares) and football historian Campbell tackle the bitter, violent, oft-contested rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders from 1972 to 1976. Both of these colorful teams have been the subject of several books in recent years. Although this latest entry doesn't break new ground, the story is multifaceted and well told, with the laser focus on the rivalry itself making for compelling reading. Interspersed throughout the chronological narrative are profiles of the lead actors in this five-year drama that stretches from the "Immaculate Reception," (or "Deception" to Raiders fans) through the Raiders' first championship in 1976. In that period, the teams battled five times in both the regular season and the playoffs, with each winning five times, facing off in the Conference championship three straight years in a row. In the 1970s, they combined to win five Super Bowls, four by Pittsburgh. Each chapter is supplemented with a coda written by Campbell, who worked for the Steelers during this period, and whose personal reminiscences at times add a deeper understanding of some of the characters in the story, though there is a clear Steelers slant. VERDICT Worthy reading for all fans of football history.

      Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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