Title/Author:
“Hell With the Lid Off:
Inside the Fierce Rivalry Between the 1970’s Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh
Steelers” by Ed Gruver and Jim Campbell
Tags:
Football (American),
professional, rivalry, Steelers, Raiders
Publish date:
October 1, 2019
Length:
400 pages
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)
Review:
Sometimes the best rivalries in
sports are not necessarily the longest lasting ones, but shorter ones between two
excellent teams in their times when they play several meaningful games. Such
was the case in the 1970’s with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland
Raiders. They met each other in the playoffs every year between 1972 and 1976,
with the winner between them ending up as the Super Bowl champion three of
those five years. Both teams played hard-nosed,
hard hitting football, drafted many future Hall of Famers and provided fans
with very memorable playoff games. Those five years of the Steeler-Raider
rivalry are captured in this excellent book by sportswriters Ed Gruver and Jim
Campbell.
Because Campbell is not only a
writer but also was an employee of the Steelers during this time frame, the
book does slant a little toward more coverage of the Steelers than the Raiders.
But that doesn’t mean Oakland get shortchanged in the excellent writing,
detailed accounts of their seasons, or interesting stories on their best
players. Both teams are praised for their play on the field, their smart
drafting, and their coaching staffs from the head coaches (Chuck Noll and John
Madden) on down, both teams are given their proper due for their success in the
1970’s.
The book’s tone is set early
on. The first chapter is an excellent
account of one of the most famous plays in NFL history, the “Immaculate
Reception” when Steelers rookie Franco Harris caught a deflected pass just
before it would fall incomplete and ran it all the way for a touchdown to give
the Steelers a 13-7 victory over the Raiders in the 1972 AFC divisional
playoffs and begin what would be the fiercest NFL rivalry over the next five
seasons. Every aspect of that play was
dissected and each of the main players involved not only shared his
recollection of the play but was also portrayed in that chapter. Then the book provides insight into the two
owners and their very different philosophies on how to win, Art Rooney of the
Steelers and Al Davis of the Raiders.
After them, each season of Raider and Steeler football is recapped along
with their playoff matchup and the Super Bowl results on the three times one of
them won that game during this time frame covered.
This book does a wonderful job of
portraying both franchises and its players and coaches throughout the entire
five year stretch and concentrates strictly on the football. There is very
little commentary on the social or political situations of the cities or the
nation at the time. That is what makes this book one that hard-core football fans
of that era will want to read, even if they are not fans of either one of these
teams. That includes this reviewer – I did
not care for either of them but respected their success and reading about them
brought back some great memories of their classic battles.
I wish to thank University of Nebraska
Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
Hardcover
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