Pittsburgh sports lore

Notes Once again facing elimination in the "Fall Classic" and led by the 1978 NL Comeback Player of the Year award recipient, Willie Stargell, the Pirates rallied from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to claim their fifth overall World Series title and second within the decade of the 1970s.

As Schierholtz broke for home, McCutchen's throw, which was clearly off-line, was cut off by first baseman Justin Morneau, who was positioned near the pitcher's mound as the play unfolded.

Later that night, a loss by the Washington Nationals ensured the Pirates' first playoff berth since 1992, when they lost the deciding game of the NL Championship Series to the Atlanta Braves on an eerily similar play.

Cueto attempted to gather himself, but the next pitch he threw, a fastball over the heart of the plate, would be launched into the left-field bleachers by Martin, giving the Pirates a 2–0 lead and the momentum they would need to secure the win.

Three outs from returning to the World Series as the defending champs, normally dependable Pirates closer Dave Giusti surrendered a home run to Johnny Bench, tying the game.

Bob Moose throws a wild pitch and the Reds have won the National League Pennant!Twenty years later, history seemingly repeated itself for the Pirates.

At 2:00 am on July 26, 2011, in the bottom of the 19th inning (the fourth-longest game in franchise history), the Pirates were ironically handed another disheartening loss against the Atlanta Braves, this time in the form of a blown call by home plate umpire Jerry Meals.

Alvarez threw home to Pirates' catcher Michael McKenry, who appeared to apply the tag to the Atlanta base runner, Julio Lugo, in plenty of time.

In the 1972 AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Oakland Raiders, The Steelers found themselves trailing in the score, "4th and long", 60 yards from the end zone, and down to their last play.

January 14, 1996: Trailing by four points (20–16) and with five seconds remaining in the AFC Championship Game, the Indianapolis Colts needed to score a touchdown to defeat the Steelers, with the winner advancing to Super Bowl XXX.

The back judge, however, ruled that the ball hit the ground, and after a lengthy discussion, the referee declared the pass to be incomplete – which other camera angles would show was correct.

[15] Trailing by 17 points, a 24–7 disadvantage with 19 minutes left to play, the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Quarterback Tommy Maddox rallied the Steelers, scoring three passing touchdowns in four offensive drives.

Clinging to a 3-point lead, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made a game-saving tackle against Colts cornerback Nick Harper, who nearly returned a fumble by running back Jerome Bettis for the go-ahead touchdown.

In the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals stormed back from a 20–7 deficit to take a 23–20 lead on two touchdowns by All-Pro wideout Larry Fitzgerald as well as a safety caused by a holding penalty against the Steelers in their own endzone.

On second-and-goal from the Arizona 6-yard line, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw high to the right corner of the endzone where receiver Santonio Holmes made an incredible diving catch on his toes and miraculously kept both feet in bounds while maintaining control of the ball.

After briefly leaving the game due to injury and with the ball on his own 11-yard line with 1:23 left, Ben Roethlisberger returned to lead his team 74 yards in nine plays for the game-winning score.

On January 8, 2012, in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs, the Steelers played the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High as defending AFC Champions.

"[25] However, on the first offensive play of the game, center Maurkice Pouncey snapped the ball over Ben Roethlisberger's head and the Browns' Karl Joseph recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchdown.

Despite attempting to make a comeback over the subsequent three quarters, which included Roethlisberger setting several passing records, the Steelers were always playing catch-up and the Browns held them off for a 48–37 win.

In a play similar to the Pietrangelo save, Fleury dove across the net to knock the puck away as the clock ran out, giving the Penguins their third Stanley Cup in franchise history.

At 5:09 of the second overtime, Kunitz one-timed a Sidney Crosby pass from the high slot, which fluttered through a Jean-Gabriel Pageau screen, over the right shoulder of Senator's goalie Craig Anderson.

With one minute left in regulation, Rick Tocchet deflected a shot from Larry Murphy past Isles goaltender Glenn Healy, sending the game into overtime.

Hopes for a three-peat came to a sudden and shocking end, as the Islanders advanced to the Wales Conference Final, where they lost to the eventual Cup champions, Montreal, in five games.

In a high scoring first round matchup with the rival Flyers, Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel powered the Pens with six goals each, as they dispatched Philly in 6 games.

Back at PPG Paints Arena for Game 6, a goaltending duel broke out between Pittsburgh's Matt Murray and Washington's Braden Holtby, with each netminder surrendering only a single goal during regulation.

WVU's high-powered offense never found much cohesion, turning the ball over three times, while kicker Pat McAfee missed two crucial field goals, allowing the Panthers to remain within a single score at halftime.

[36] The reigning ACC Champion Panthers entered the season opener ranked #17 in the preseason AP poll, while the Mountaineers looked to shake off a disappointing 6–7 campaign the previous year.

The second half featured more dueling offensive outbursts from each team, though the Mountaineers claimed the momentum after scoring on consecutive drives to start the fourth quarter.

On the ensuing series, West Virginia QB JT Daniels threw a 56-yard pick-six to Panthers defensive back M.J. Devonshire, giving Pitt a 38–31 lead with 2:58 remaining in the game.

The Mountaineers mounted one last drive into Pitt territory trying to even the score, but fell short on an incomplete fourth down pass at the goal line with 22 seconds left.