The Conspiracies Behind The Immaculate Reception | A Football Life

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[@PhilAndersonOutside]

One thing people seem to wrongly assume is that this was the AFC Championship, and the winner (Pittsburgh) won the Super Bowl. But it wasn't. This was a divisional game, and Pittsburgh went on next week to face the unbeaten Dolphins, and lost. Even being a Raider fan, I don't think the Raiders could have beaten Miami either. But what makes this game, this play, so great, is that it started a rivalry that lasted years. Two working class cities, two tough teams. Legendary. Terry Bradshaw once stated people think they had a rivalry with the Cowboys, because they played in the Super Bowl. But in the 4 times the Steelers and Cowboys met in this era, the Steelers won all four times. The Raiders were the true rival to Pittsburgh then.

[@ryetim32]

The Steelers had Miami Beat until the fake punt

[@michaelf6705]

RIP Franco, from Raider Nation.

[@DwayneIsK1NG]

Respect brother 💪🏿

[@RONGEE2099]

Well said

[@davidpallin772]

Respect to Raider Nation.

[@radar0412]

Very gracious of you given that Franco rushed for a combined 190 yards and 3 touchdowns against The Mighty 70's Raiders in 74/75 AFC Championship games. Franco loved playing against the Mighty 70's Raiders.

[@Physics072]

On his deathbed he reached over to the Dr. and whispered "I trapped it" then passed. I thought he caught it but it seems no.

[@BTLAGS]

This game was the butterfly effect. What happened here forever changed the NFL and the 2 teams years later

[@centerfield34]

Nah. It didn't really matter either way as the Dolphins won the Super Bowl for the next two years in a row...

[@eyeofthescar6890]

It started a Dynasty that would dominate the rest of the decade.

[@Chiefs_fan1595]

There's an overhead camera view of the play and to me that angle sealed it for me. It was a catch. It never bounced off of fuqua. It didnt hit the ground

[@dougrigel1997]

I would like to see this overhead camera view. Got a link?

[@proper1420a]

@@dougrigel1997 I guess it's this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWLKo4mdjNqaaJI

[@mike-te7qd]

Exactly! What is Bradshaw doing?

[@mike-te7qd]

@@dougrigel1997 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnmsiXmBp9eInqM&ab_channel=SavageBrickArchive

[@macmiles278]

​@@dougrigel1997kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5uwpJRrjtRpp7Msi=B2-to5O8a4cCtzsy

[@2010OEFvet]

If anyone wants to claim the ball hit the ground, the tip of the ball visible was at Francis knee or just below, that would mean the football is roughly 24 inches long

[@stephaniegormley9982]

Also Franco being unable to say if he trapped it proves nothing. There's many times in a game (football, baseball etc) where the person involved might NOT have the best vantage point, biases aside.

[@Novelcharlie1]

I was 8 years old. I was watching and heard my dad scream....."He caught that ball, he caught that ball, run Franco run!!!!!!"

[@perry.produces1]

damn unc

[@aaacomp1]

If the raider's defense didn't give up on the play they might have gotten a better angle on franco as he ran towards the sideline. They literally stood there and did not move as the ball is coming down into franco's hands. Never stop playing until the ball is completely dead.

[@jlobiafra]

I still think that was a clip and I don't care about either team

[@markmoore4237]

They didn't go into detail on the Fuqua theory. Back then in the NFL, it was a rule that if a pass touched or glanced off a receiver's hands, another offensive person could not catch the ball. It had to be touched by a defensive player first. Looking at the film, it looks as if it is simultaneous touching of the ball therefore a legal catch by Harris.

[@curiouscreativenottalented6259]

Thanks for clearing that up. I assume it’s no longer a rule?

[@markmoore4237]

@@curiouscreativenottalented6259 No, no longer a rule. Changed in the 80s

[@jerseyguy1274]

I’m from Mt. Holly NJ, where I still live this day. Franco Harris went to school here at Rancocas Valley High School and lived in the house next to the high school. God Bless Franco Harris.

[@jrb2280]

Phil Villapiano of the Raiders was also from NJ. He grew up in Ocean Township near Asbury Park.

[@bunpeishiratori5849]

I grew up in Willingboro. About ten years younger than Franco. Always hated the Steelers though.

[@michaelf6705]

@@jrb2280 Villapiano, is so cool, he will talk and sign not a problem,

[@cheeseman9967]

This one play cemented one of the best rivalries in sports history. I'm grateful it happened if for only that reason.

[@ronleight9341]

I love it that this haunts these Raiders 50 years on, the gift that keeps on giving!!

[@henrybarbosa9711]

Raider fans love blaming bad calls on their losses. “Franco trapped it, the tuck rule was BS(never mind that their defense could stop them on next drive), Tony Siragusa purposely fell on Rich Gannon, if our center didn’t go to TJ the night before the Super Bowl(Even though our new coach didn’t change a single play of the previous coach’s playbook, who happened to be on the other sideline having his defense call out EVERY PLAY🙄”

[@Soylntgrnisppl]

@@henrybarbosa9711 What fans of any team in any sport do you and I know that don't cry and obsess over devastating loses? It comes with the territory. It's not just a Raiders' fans "thing". Besides, the fact that the Raiders went on to win 3 Super Bowls and won a game on the miracle Holy Roller Play, made a lot of Raiders' fans (certainly, not all of them), feel like things finally evened out a little bit. The Football Gods giveth and the Football Gods taketh away.

[@PhilAndersonOutside]

@@henrybarbosa9711 Yeah, like the tuck rule. Right?

[@Zack29810]

@@henrybarbosa9711 I’m not a raiders fan and the tuck rule was clearly a garbage call. that was the refs intervening and giving the patriots some help.

[@ckapi6467]

Amen.😅

[@ShawnMcClurg]

The thing that nobody mentions when talking about the Immaculate Reception is that Jimmy Warren, #20 for the Raiders, was celebrating when the pass was deflected off of Jack Tatum. If he didn't do that, then chances are he would've made the tackle around the five, maybe even earlier. But who knows, what happened happened, and here we are today. RIP to Franco Harris, a true Pittsburgh icon. Edit: ball was deflected off of Tatum, not Fiqua.

[@john-ic9vj]

100% true. But they were only down by 1 with 5 seconds left. So they likely would've still won with a field goal

[@ShawnMcClurg]

@@john-ic9vj I agree, but the Steelers kicker shanked the extra point after Franco’s touchdown. If you move the ball back ten or twenty yards, I don’t think he would make it. Again, this is just speculation, since Roy Gerala ended up a 2x Pro Bowler anyways.

[@pellenorr697]

Tatum nailed the ball. If he hadn't stopped, the chances are both he and Warren would have stopped Franco.

[@Eddie-uf6bs]

He is dead and took that lie to hell with him

[@stephaniegormley9982]

Correct. Also Tatum s/have gone for knocking down the ball, rather than a vicious hit on Fuqua. What's the purpose of doing that on the last play? Doing so early in the game creates a mindset in the receiver of intimidation. He's looking for you the rest of the game and may drop a few easy catches. But on the LAST play? No reason, just knock the ball down.

[@jeffreynobile2335]

Great catch by a great man. RIP Franco, from a Steelers fan in Rhode Island

[@satinwhip]

Jack Tatum had a excellent chance at an interception or surely batting it away if he hadn't been so focused on decapitating Fuqua, but that was Tatum's style of football. I'm glad he was more brawn than brains. It lit the fuse for a great football dynasty. As a teenager growing up in Pittsburgh in the late 70s it was an amazing time.

[@ckobo84]

Every member of the Raiders secondary is equally culpable, they all just stood and idly watched thinking the play was over.

[@jrb2280]

Great point, Tatum had the ball in his hands for a second but was more concerned about a violent & debilitating hit, than making a smart play.

[@lwmson]

I totally agree.

[@MrBeyondbelief]

Yep, look at what he did to Darryl Stingley of the Patriots later that decade in an EXHIBITION GAME!!!

[@Phil-ui4tm]

I used to think that, but after seeing angle from behind Bradshaw it appears that he’s going for the interception and it bounces off his chest. The collision is more incidental contact that likely causes him to miss ball. He does appear to give a “soupbone” shove after missing ball, but that’s relatively tame for Tatum.

[@ia5662]

A bird's eye angle of this exact play can be found on KZbin which was FINALLY released to the public a year or two ago for the first time (obviously Raiders were hanging on to that one for as long as possible lol) - Franco undoubtedly catches the football perfectly in stride above his ankles. It without question never hit the ground. As for who it hit - between Tatum or Fuqua, it really seems like it hit them both at the same time which nullifies any ruling on another offensive player touching it first and it does look like Tatum gets the most of the ball itself. You have to love the intrigue, but if there was a year to put it to rest and appreciate the significance of not only how lucky, but how head's up of a play it was - it's this year with Franco's passing. It's almost morbid to say because we love the guy, but he couldn't have picked a better time to bow out gracefully - they'll be honoring his jersey retirement this weekend as well as the 50th Ann of this play itself. Go Franco and Go Steelers!

[@Music--ng8cd]

No the replay at the game from behind Pittsburgh showed Franco catching the ball. The announcers called it live, then called it again on replay. Really no conspiracy. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnmsiXmBp9eInqM

[@DwayneIsK1NG]

I hate the Steelers, but I don't see how anyone can think differently. It's clear as day that it hit the Raider player first, and Franco obviously caught it. Look at the close up and the way the ball is falling, he wouldn't have caught it cleanly if the tip would have touched the ground. It's easy to see

[@TheDreadedRaider]

That's cool because the ball was illegally touched before that anyways lol

[@aztlanholywarrior6860]

Stfu rat NFL hates the Raiders

[@chadb7252]

@@TheDreadedRaider How was it illegally touched when Tatum clearly touched it? Fuqua might have as well, but that doesn't matter.

[@CBM16668]

@@TheDreadedRaider sour grapes make the best whine huh?

[@scott1564]

The only remotely questionable part of the play was whether the tip of the ball touched the ground at the same time Franco caught it. That's it. Everything else is definitively clear: Tatum touched the ball; there was no illegal block against Villapiano (that's just stupid -- the block was not only clearly from the side there was NO WAY Villapiano was ever going to catch Franco); and while Swearingen (sp??) shouldn't have gone into the dugout, the touchdown call was correct. I can't stand the Steelers and rooted for the Raiders in every game they played in this rivalry but unlike the Raiders players on here, I'm not going to be dishonest. Sorry, Raiders fans. You need to get over it.

[@mjb9984]

Tatum definitely hits it. The aerial footage shows it as a catch. RIP #32

[@andrewgrove1691]

Yes

[@SocialAssasin]

Was there a rule at that time that prevented Fuqua from touching it before Franco?

[@nicholasmuro1742]

@@SocialAssasin I believe the rule back then was the ball couldn't be touched by the same team twice in a row for a reception. The opposing team had to touch it. So it's illegal: Fuqua, Harris. But it's legal: Tatum, Harris OR Fuqua, Tatum, Harris. I think. Not sure 100%

[@888strummer]

@@SocialAssasin Yes; if it went off of Fuqua then Harris catching it would be a penalty. I think it clearly went off of Tatum as Bradshaw said because it went a good 5 yards back off Tatum's shoulder. But I also think Harris trapped it and agree with Bradshaw on that also because if Harris caught it clean he would have simply said he caught it clean, but he always claimed he didn't know. As for Villapiano saying he was clipped or he would have made the tackle; he might have been slightly clipped but Franco had already blown by him and he had no shot to catch him.

[@ckobo84]

Man times have changed. In a game played today New England scored on a Hail Mary where the New England receiver just straight away batted the ball to his teammate.

[@stephenp4285]

The Immaculate reception happened before my time, but know this: I would have been so ecstatic to see this play live. RIP Franco Harris. Your legacy will live on.

[@pittsburghsports4459]

Rip you will be missed ❤❤❤❤

[@bartholetbay412]

Great video, have always known there’s more to life than meets the eye, I feel like in this life i am supposed to be doing more than i am doing for the people i love. been seeking for an eye opening enlightenment, a way to be more influential, powerful and protected~

[@haynesatteh4463]

oh well you can achieve that by being a part of the illuminatus brotherhood, i know it sounds like a mystery but there are ways you can actually get in contact with them

[@bartholetbay412]

@@haynesatteh4463 Hi, isn't the brotherhood a myth?

[@haynesatteh4463]

@@bartholetbay412 Well it is not and you can't actually expect it to be open to everyone, but if you want to know more you can look up ANTHONY MARK SZYMON online you will find something interesting.

[@bartholetbay412]

@@haynesatteh4463 oh really, i just saw his website, interesting.i will leave him a message.

[@ddirtdid]

yeah i kinda do feel that way too sometimes.

[@CowSaysMooMoo]

50 years ago today December 23, 1972, ....I was decorating our fake christmas tree and watching on the then HUGE 25" Quasar TV we had as Curt Gowdy lost track of the ball momentarily and then ....the raiders were defeated. I'm sorry franco passed this week. And Ray Guy earlier this year. It was a great era.

[@elterrifico9522]

Quasar!!!! 🥳🥳🥳

[@coledoucette5116]

Literally putting this video on .25 shows it bounced off Tatum, I’m a Raiders fan but we just couldn’t stop that

[@michaelf6705]

It was really a bad play by Tatum, all he had to do was tie him up game over.

[@coledoucette5116]

@@michaelf6705 yup sucks how things happen

[@robertmog4336]

Nothing but respect to the Steelers. But, this was a stake into a young boy's heart who loved the Raiders for Blanda and many others. Yes, I am one of those Raider fans who literally could not believe it. RIP, Franco!

[@HotShotLion]

These guys are perfect examples of Dont hold on to your past, youll carry that anger with you for the rest of your life

[@rickwilliamson9248]

I've always thought The Immaculate Reception was a legit play. But now that Hayden agrees with me... I'm doubting myself.

[@SocialAssasin]

HAHA. So true. One of the many clowns who said Hunter's laptop was "Russian disinformation." I've lost so much respect for him and the Brennan's and all of these lifelong intel folks.

[@888strummer]

The video should not open and close with this ex-CIA chief. His opinion is the least relevant of everyone interviewed in this video. What I found most relevant are 2 things Bradshaw said. He said it slammed off Tatum and went 5 yards back. And he said that if Franco caught it clean; that Franco would have said he caught it clean, but that he never ever said he caught it clean. Franco saying he doesn't know if he caught it is the red flag which the ex-Cia chief doesn't address. The CIA chief knows that is a red flag but says nothing about it

[@chuckcribbs3398]

I wouldn’t trust that man with what he ate for breakfast. They live in a world of lies and deception, that they create.

[@robertglancy4474]

LOL.....don't trust anything that comes out of the CIA or FBI's mouth..

[@MrBeyondbelief]

@@888strummer Franco says he literally blacked out after running upfield, until after he caught the ball.

[@i12C.]

Stop the film between 2:04 and 2:05. The ball is clearly passed Fuqua and hits off the defenders chest/facemask. Now on to the "trapping of the ball. At it's lowest point (between 3:43 and 3:44) the top tip of the ball is at Franco's knee. Franco is 6'2" tall (I'm 6'2" tall) and from the knee cap to the ground is roughly 22" to 24" in length. An NFL football is 11" to 11.25" long. Do the math. There is no way the tip hit the ground causing a "trapping" of the ball. Even when his leg is at a slight (70°) angle. And then there is the "clip block". Play the film at .25 speed. McMakin's head hits off of the front of Villapiano's bicep as well as McMakin's left are hit's off of Villapiano's right thigh causing an effect of McMakin's body to spin in a clockwise motion. It's all there.

[@DanRaidersWarriorsSharksGiants]

That Franco wont deny it hit the ground should cause you to rethink that. Once he said something like only he and God know or close to that.

[@scottp1001]

1:40 to me is the definitive shot that proves it went off Tatum. It may have hit Fuqua too, but mostly off Tatum, which negates any complications of it hitting Fuqua first because if Tatum touched any part, it would have been legal at that time for Harris to catch it.

[@datsko6339]

I never understood why people think the ball hit the ground. Yeah, you can't see the bottom half of the ball, but you don't need to. Franco caught the ball at knee level. I don't know how long Franco's shins are, but I do know they're longer than half a football.

[@jeremicarr]

There might be conspiracies around the immaculate reception, but none around the Aiyuk-Kidding Me💯💍

[@natalieshannon7659]

I agree with the riot theory. Pittsburgh fans at Three Rivers Stadium were savage! They were the extra man not on the field. Rival teams hated playing at Three Rivers. Also the game was very important. For 40 years the Steelers never won a post season game. This was the first. To take that away would have been awful. Winning this game gave new hope to the Steelers and they ended up ruling the 1970s .If the touchdown was reversed, Franco's Itialian Army would have murdered those officals. Frank Sinatra himself would've had them killed. (He was a member of the Itialian Army.) Franco Harris was the savior of the Steelers. RIP

[@bobbytaylor6946]

Franco scooped it out of the air and was galloping like a horse he still galloping in heaven God bless his soul

[@bobbytaylor6946]

Phil Villipiano doesn't catch Franco Colzie couldn't catch him Franco had speed for a big man

[@bobknapp1182]

Frenchie's head went back and to the left. Back and to the left.

[@guppybill]

Gerber 325... more Infamous than Zapruder 313.

[@jaylucien669]

Wouldn't go that far.

[@TheHutchIsOn]

@@jaylucien669 I would

[@ia5662]

This reminds me of the Seinfeld "Keith Hernandez Spittle Incident" lol

[@Dominos-el7qr]

Raider fan, but I never gelt outraged over the play. Just a fluke, but nothing underhanded, and although I don't know where the championship game would have been played, the Dolphins almost surely would have won. Now, the championship game in 1974 . . . sorry, my tears still haven't dried. Hated the Steelers, but I sure appreciate them now. Wish you were still with us, Franco.

[@wvu05]

As long as Tatum hits the ball, it doesn't matter if the ball touches Fuqua.

[@Irisheddy]

If Jack Tatum played the ball instead of the receiver the game would have been over.

[@RogerPeet]

The NFL didn't like The Raiders because of their reputation. Tom Brady fumbled the ball.

[@MrBeyondbelief]

Back in 1972, maybe. But 40 years later, they haven't won anything. They got back there the year after the tuck rule, but somehow didn't change any of their offensive play book.

[@tomodonovan5931]

Lol!! The refs hated the Raiders back in the AFC championship game with Rob Lytle's non-fumble at the goal line that would have gave the ball to the Raiders, but refs ruled Lytle progress stopped. Denver scored the 6 on a sweep, and went on to get whupped by the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl. That was the 1977 season BTW. It's hard to say they were unlucky(Immaculate reception) or just plain screwed over, (Lytle fumble, and Brady)

[@AdamKlownzinger]

There ARE more angles of Franco’s catch than the NFL Films one. There’s a clear as day coaches’ booth video of it, and you can zoom in and slow it down and see that not only did it not touch the ground, but it was higher off the ground than you would ever have expected

[@danielcorreard3746]

and i don't think if they had the replay rule back then that they would've over turned it it just wasn't clear and obvious but it did look like tatum touched it rip franco my all time favorite football player.

[@PodiumTuningRacing]

You can use basic math too: Average length for a human tibia: 15in Length of a pro football: 11in When he caught the ball the top point furthest from the ground was near or slightly above his knee. Accounting the thickness of his foot with cleats and you would still have 6-7 inches left from the ground. That ball was caught.

[@67marlins]

@3knw Correct.....but there's no way a raiders fan can keep up with basic math.

[@MrBeyondbelief]

@@danielcorreard3746 You would hope, but these modern day NFL officials are very moody!!! LOL

[@marktele8061]

@@MrBeyondbelief They would have to check with the "gaming industry" to see if it was a catch.

[@murrethmedia]

RIP Franco.

[@tritonogletree2806]

I'm a 70's Raiders fan. I still appreciate them, but their mystique is pretty diminished at this point. As for the conspiracies: The ricochet is obviously off of (mostly) Tatum, otherwise, it doesn't sail ten yards away. That isn't to say that Frenchy didn't touch it but Tatum definitely hit it, which is all that matters. A semi-aerial view shows Franco clearly catching it just below the knees. That's obviously a catch. While Phil DID get hit in the back, the rule is that if your head "stays in front," it's a clean block. In other words, if you can see his head, it's not a clip. You can see his head. It's a clean block. Does Phil make the play without the hit? Possibly. Phil Villapiano was actually a fairly fast dude and a sure tackler, but he got blocked and that was that. That was a touchdown. 100% and it's not even questionable. That said, screw the Tuck Rule. I understand that it was called "correctly," but that was the dumbest rule since offensive players bouncing balls to other offensive players. Neither exist anymore.

[@MrBiscuit75]

I love listening to Phil talk but no way he's catching franco who was already in full stride. The remaining db's at the end of the run didn't catch hin in time and neither was phil

[@888strummer]

Totally agree. Franco had already blown by Villapiano who had no chance of catching him. He was slightly clipped but he would not have made the play

[@davidp3051]

Whether or not he would’ve made the play is irrelevant. If he was clipped, he was clipped and it’s a penalty. And he was clipped.

[@answerman9933]

@@davidp3051 This is the best point.

[@chrisbliss7]

the riot theory is the reason the Dallas Stars won the cup in 99, Star's bench cleared and the refs didn't want to review

[@magicsinglez]

It is the greatest play in the history of the NFL

[@thedolt9215]

Regardless, all of these guys are legitimate bad ass football players… The old-school type… The type that don’t exist anymore…

[@LoneRanger5150]

Even as a Cowboys fan, the call stands. Touchdown!!

[@GoodForNothingDrums]

Shut up

[@stevengrvp]

But you're team got screwed on the daz catch

[@LoneRanger5150]

@@stevengrvp agreed. Not sure what that has to do with this....lol

[@stevengrvp]

@@LoneRanger5150 teams getting screwed by bad calls didn't know it needed explanation

[@LoneRanger5150]

@@stevengrvp oh. Gotcha👍

[@sweet_T_]

wow they really roasted John mcmakin for his OBVIOUS clip and the best part is that have that dunce explain it saying “my helmet is clearly visible” but you can’t see it at all as it’s going into Villapiano

[@9Ballr]

Why in the world did it take so long for the Steelers to retire Franco's jersey?

[@Dr.Spatula]

They don't retire jerseys. His will only be the 3rd

[@AlexHernandez99220]

They don't truly retire jerseys very often. He's only the 3rd true jersey to be retired with Mean Joe and Ernie Stautner being the other 2. They have many unofficial Jerseys of the legends retired

[@robertsherman871]

When you have 683 Hall of Famers, how do you decide whose # to retire?

[@pulsarlights2825]

@@Dr.Spatula The Steelers never had anyone good enough to retire their jersey, the Steelers sucked from 1933 until this game in 1972...39 years of shitty football....

[@9Ballr]

@@robertsherman871 The Steelers have 23 players in the HOF (other teams have more). They should retire all of their numbers, IMO.

[@ronbowlingjr6122]

I'm convinced both Tatum and Fuqua touch it making it legal. I'm also convinced Villapiano was clipped by McMakin

[@ryaneugenelawrencewalls1987]

Here's a fun fact back in the 1970's there was no Red Challenge Flags in those times

[@LarryHankJones]

That one still hurts. I'm starting to think it always will...

[@JimBarryYo]

It doesn't matter if the ball touched Fuqua. If it touched Tatum before or after it touched Fuqua, it's legal, by rule. There's no way it only touched Fuqua and bounced back that solidly and that far.

[@billw5823]

It does matter but I don't think the refs could have changed the call. Back then a ball could not hit two offensive players in a row. If the ball hit Tatum, then Fuqua and then Franco it would have been an illegal catch. I believe the ball hit Fuqua (maybe) then Tatum who propelled it backward with his forward motion, then Franco caught it about a foot off the group and while most of the players watched he had a full head of speed. Even if he had been caught and pushed out of bounds, the Steeler would still have kicked a field goal and won.

[@davidasher8718]

The immaculate reception is no different from the moon landing or roller disco, it never happened!

[@sixburgh64ss]

If someone hit Frenchie into the ball that's pass interference anyway so...

[@djohns808]

If Tatum played the ball instead of trying to clean Fuqua's clock, maybe the Immaculate Reception doesn't happen.

[@jaylucien669]

@@djohns808 That's an excellent point.

[@haircut]

Frenchie touched the ball and by the rules then Franco wouldn't be able to advance the ball.

[@CowSaysMooMoo]

@@jaylucien669 Not really an excellent point, because then it is 1st down at that point and the Steelers still have to score a touchdown with the remailing ~~10 seconds from 35 yards away. No way Gerela was making a 52 yard FG. he didn't have the leg. Also, and more importantly, the defender has a right to the ball, and was clearly looking in the direction of the ball, so, no PI could possibly ever have been called.

[@michaellyons9820]

@@CowSaysMooMoo The goal posts were on the goal line in the NFL back then.

[@davidcouch6514]

Doesn’t appear a clip as helmet just visible (block was behind the runner as well). Both the PBP Announcer and Franco reacted without hesitation that the ball was live. The year before I made a tipped catch, my only catch of consequence my senior high school season. The 4th down ball was batted by a Defensive Back, and it seemed like as I was set to head for the sidelines about 5 seconds later I see the ball spinning from Heaven downward. I stretched out and caught it and the official called reception. The game was radio broadcast and the WSB announcer dropped his microphone behind the table and had to fish it out. Point being it was surreal slow motion I didn’t know where the ball came from or how I caught it.

[@JC-hu1wd]

I understand you sensed where the ball was and caught it. Great skill. I played soccer in England and scored a similar instinct play. Ball was visible, then not visible through a ruck of players but I stuck my leg out on the end and connected for the score. Its instinct and skill and a little luck 🍀

[@ronbowlingjr6122]

No way on God's green earth could Villapiano catch Franco even if he was blocked

[@RicoBurghFan]

If there was replay at the time, they'd probably still be reviewing it.

[@RobertJackson-fc7ek]

In my professional judgment, don't start any video with a CIA Director.

[@DavidBaney-p1o]

FYI-Back then the NFL had a rule that the football could not be touched by two receivers in a row. If it had the play would be dead. It was ruled then that it didn't and the play was confirmed. Here is visual proof!

[@TudorOwen50s]

Conspiracy Theory 325: The game never happened! 😂😂😂 RIP, Franco Harris.🙏

[@ryaneugenelawrencewalls1987]

RIP Franco Harris #32 2:50

[@tritonogletree2806]

Weird fact: Stabler's 30 yard yard scramble a few plays before, that gave the Raiders the lead (7-6) was the longest run of his career (by 12 yards) and if it would have counted towards his overall rushing yards (it was a playoff game, so it did not,) it would have accounted for about a quarter of all his rushing yards in the NFL.

[@ChaossX77]

2:53 That's as straight and honest an answer as you'll ever hear. He said he doesn't know.

[@artfisher1235]

Attributing conspiracy to incompetence and mental laziness is giving folks a lot more credit than they ever deserve.

[@owlperchedsilo3745]

every single Raider that played in that game, denies that play. 50 years later and still denial.

[@motivation-found]

nahhh im sorry but he caught that ball 100% If it hit the ground he would’ve had a slight delay on the RAC or dropped it, he caught it at literally the perfect moment

[@garygoodrich7495]

The ball hit Tatum. The dead giveaway was that he had the greatest effect on the ball's reaction after the collision. The energy of the ball was traveling downfield. Fuqua'a energy was going cross field and Tatum's energy was going directly toward the ball. The energy it would take for a ball to stop its course abruptly and careen directly back in the direction from which it came would take a lot of force. The film proved it didn't hit Fuqua in the helmet or the back. If it had hit Fuqua in the hands the ball wouldn't have bounced back 10-15 yards backward, it would have fallen to the ground right there. Case closed. As far as the Franco catch...you can see the moment he grabbed the ball and had possession, the top (tip) of the ball was level with his knee. The distance of Franco's leg from his knee to the ground is a lot longer than the length of the football even with the leg being bent. Come on Raiders....a blind man and a three-year-old can see and figure this one out!!!!

[@raynardo2501]

(4:47) "you never actually see a touchdown sign". That's incorrect. The side judge #63 on the left trailing the play, signals touchdown. This is clearly visible from the camera angle behind the play.

[@thatboykaden8128]

Art was a savage.

[@jamesfarrington9030]

To Shawn McClurg, I agree. Never noticed that. Had he stayed alert he would have at least pushed Franco out of bounds. So many freak things happened on this play. Once in a lifetime.

[@ktcarl]

With Fuqua saying, "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't." about touching the ball, and Franco saying he didn't know if the ball touched the ground says everything to me. They both should have given definite yes or no answers and not be wishy washy. But that doesn't say this is a conspiracy. It just says Fuqua and Harris were smart enough to let things play out with the refs because they didn't have a clue what happened. It was this play and the 'no catch' play with Renfro and the Oilers that helped usher in the replay rules because it was apparent that the refs can't see everything that happens in real time. Bradshaw can't say anything because he was on his back when the play occurred. The people in the stands saw it better than him.

[@TNTITAN]

You can be mad at Franco, Fuqua probably still does not know what happened because of the concussion Tatum caused.

[@dwaynec7542]

The Next 17 has a new wave with some excellent retro versions of several cantina denizens. Saving up my allowance for those…

[@johnzeszut3170]

The NFL is one giant FIX from start to finish!

[@friendme12345]

This is becoming more and more apparent by the season

[@AldoSantomauro]

Yeah, I just found out that leprechauns weren't real all this time....

[@jmad627]

Love they way Frenchy answers this question.

[@joehall6559]

what did they say--ITS CAUGHT OUT OF THE AIR-- FRANCO RUNS FOR A TOUCHDOWN

[@jimbonito9810]

RIP Franco you left us too early ...

[@Mickmickster]

And don’t forget about Bigfoot being on the 48 yard line. (On the Steelers side, not Raiders. That would be silly).

[@ChiefCedricJohnson]

Proverbs 16:19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

[@spartysmile5243]

Funny. How George Atkinson talking about rules. After he mugged Lynn Swann out in Oakland. The cheapest shot I ever saw.

[@Mandrake591]

The ball never appears to touch the ground, Harris caught it.

[@raymondnesbitt8751]

Sounds like a bunch of adults are pissed off and still butthurt 50 years later 🤣

[@rustyshackleford1114]

What gets lost in this is that the Steelers lost to the Dolphins in the AFC Title game the following week.

[@robertjack4329]

I just watched the play on slow mo several times from different footage and was convinced Tatum hit the ball until I watch this 1:10

[@Accuratetranslationservices]

True you can’t see the ground, but you can see his legs, chest, all that and it doesn’t look like it came close (within 5 inches) to the ground

[@readilium3432]

Theories. THEORIES. The conflation of criminal conspiracies with "crazy ideas" is a PSYOP.

[@jeffalanvasconcellos3039]

The play was made so history was made!

[@ElGatoLoco698]

Why is it called the immaculate reception? It was anything but immaculate. Plays like that occur every Sunday.

[@jaymoon5906]

The grassy noll and the man with the umbrella

[@riffraff6515]

R.I.P Franco

[@alexblaze8878]

Here’s the raw truth: Calling every single penalty that takes place in every single play would ruin football as we know it. It’s an imperfect game and should be refereed as such. However, what I do NOT like is referees calling penalties on one team and ignoring them for the other. Also, how good a player is should have no impact on whether a penalty is called or not but we see examples of performance-bias all the time. Example: Micah Parsons was held MANY times without a flag being thrown during the first Cowboys-Eagles game this year and yet defensive linemen with far less talent routinely have holding flags thrown in their favor for less severe holding than what Micah gets. It’s almost like the referees tell themselves “Micah is so good, it doesn’t matter if he gets held”.

[@robertroth6581]

The ball wouldn't have bounced back as far if it would have hit off Fuqua because he was running across field but Tatum was running up field which that would give it more momentum to bounce back that far. It hit off of Tatum.

[@jamesfarrington9030]

Miami was an up and coming dynasty, although a brief one. The following week they would beat Pittsburgh. The following year they hammered the Raiders in the AFC Championship on way to theri 3rd straight SB, 2nd c/s title. The merged league was young here, only a few years in. Miami owned the AFC from 1971-1974, Pittsburgh took over and ruled from 1975-1980. Oakland won the most games in the 70s. What an era.

[@wuterzdment1899]

RIP Franco

[@brushcountry6361]

Gotta love this documentary. 👏

[@dace938]

What is is. 50 years later, it stands. Touchdown Steelers !!!

[@PodiumTuningRacing]

You can use basic math to solve if he caught it: Average length for a human tibia: 15in (mind you Franco was 6'2" so far from average) Length of a pro football: 11in When he caught the ball the top point furthest from the ground was near or slightly above his knee. There would still be 4in left if he was barefoot and that's if he was a normal sized human. Even more, when accounting for the added thickness of his foot with cleats, you would have around 6-7 inches between the lowest point of the football and the ground. That ball was caught. Also, that guy is delusional if he thinks he was going to tackle a full stride Franco Harris at that angle even before the block. That is prob the most debatable part but it for sure wasn't a block in the back and he is just enough in front that I think even in today's game, it would not be a penalty. Immaculate Reception lives on. RIP Franco Harris.

[@samuraidom6542]

There is video evidence from the field goal behind the steelers offence showing that the ball did never intact touch the ground

[@andrewbaroch2141]

The bald guy with glasses -- he caught it.

[@durrelljenkins3926]

Who needs an investigator when we all have eyes? Lol

[@TNTITAN]

Is there a reason the original NBC footage and replay can’t be used?

[@johnnoone4323]

If a CIA official says it, then it must be true, because everything any federal government employee says is correct...

[@bobbytaylor6946]

Anyone can see he didn't trap it he had enough of his hands underneath to pluck it out of the air and it was one fluid motion