Turnpike Rivalry

Richard Peterson

Description

Seven decades of the intense Steelers-Browns rivalry Football historians regard the games between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers as the basis for one of the greatest rivalries in NFL history. Authors Richard Peterson and Stephen Peterson, in telling the engaging story of these teams who play only a two-hour drive along the turnpike from each other, explore the reasons behind this intense rivalry and the details of its ups and downs for each team and its fans.The early rivalry was a tale of Browns dominance and Steelers ineptitude. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Browns-led by Hall of Famers ranging from Otto Graham and Marion Motley in the 1950s to Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, and Leroy Kelly in the 1960s-won 32 of the first 40 games played against the Steelers. In the 1970s, the Steelers-led by Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and the Steel Curtain-finally turned things around. When the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, Art Rooney agreed to move the Steelers only if the Browns also moved into the AFC and played in the same division so that their rivalry would be preserved.Despite the fierce rivalry, these cities and their fans have much in common, most notably the working-class nature of the Steeler Nation and the Dawg Pound and their passion, over the decades, for their football teams. Many fans are able to regularly making the 130-mile trip to watch the games.From the first game on October 7, 1950, where Cleveland defeated the Steelers 30-17, to last season's infamous helmet incident with Mason Rudolph and Myles Garrett, the rivalry remains as intense as ever.

Sujets

• USA
• Fútbol americano
• American football
• États-Unis

Informations

• Publié par: The Kent State University Press
• Date de parution: 10 novembre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781631014352
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Turnpike Rivalry
The Turnpike Rivalry
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns
RICHARD PETERSON AND STEPHEN PETERSON
Black Squirrel Books an imprint of The Kent State University Press Kent, Ohio 44242   www.KentStateUniversityPress.com
© 2020 by The Kent State University Press, Kent, Ohio 44242
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-1-60635-413-1
Manufactured in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced, in any manner whatsoever, without written permission from the Publisher, except in the case of short quotations in critical reviews or articles.
BLACK SQUIRREL BOOKS
Frisky, industrious black squirrels are a familiar sight on the Kent State University campus and the inspiration for Black Squirrel Books®, a trade imprint of The Kent State University Press. www.KentStateUniversityPress.com
Cataloging information for this title is available at the Library of Congress.
24 23 22 21 20   5 4 3 2 1
To all the sons who watched their first Steelers-Browns game with their fathers.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Prologue: The Voices
Introduction
1 The 1940s: The Same Old Steelers
2 The Birth of the Browns
3 The 1950s: Running Downhill
4 The 1960s: Paul Brown Fired, Chuck Noll Hired
5 The 1970s: The Steelers Finally Grow Up
6 The 1980s: Heartbreaking Losses and the Death of the Chief
7 The 1990s: Noll Retires, the Browns Expire
8 The 2000s and Beyond: Through the Looking Glass
Epilogue: They Started It
Appendix
Selected Bibliography
Index
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Since the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns began playing each other in 1950, many voices have contributed to the narrative of what has become one of the greatest rivalries in American sports. We are grateful to those on each side of the rivalry who contributed to our narrative, ranging from fans, sportswriters, and broadcasters to players, coaches, and team officials. We are particularly grateful for the sons who told the story of going to their first Steelers-Browns game with their fathers.
We are also grateful to the organizations that were helpful in providing material for our book, but we’d like to single out the Heinz History Center, for its generous support. Especially helpful were Anne Madaraz, Director of the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, Matthew Strauss, Chief Curator, and Craig Britcher, Project Coordinator and Assistant Curator.
We like to express our gratitude and debt to the editors of Kent State University who provided so much help and support until our book crossed the goal line. Will Underwood, former Acquiring Editor, was there from the beginning with his encouragement; Susan Wadsworth-Booth, Director, moved the project forward; and Mary Young, Managing Editor, skillfully turned a work-in-progress into a publishable manuscript.
Finally, we’d like to acknowledge that our book was a family affair. It began when a son suggested to his father that they collaborate on a book about the Steelers-Browns rivalry. Along the way, our wives, Anita and Anna, were there for us with their patience and help with our research. And we couldn’t have put together the artwork for the book without Dean Marshall, who married into the family and, despite being surrounded by the Steelers, remains faithful to the Chicago Bears.
While we admittedly are die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fans, we know that the passion that we have for our Steelers is equaled by the passion that Cleveland Browns fans have for their Browns. We hope that out book reflects that passion on both sides of a rivalry that began 70 years ago and remains as strong as ever.
PROLOGUE
The Voices
THE VIEW FROM CLEVEL AND
“A six-pack drive along the Turnpike [for Steelers and Browns fans].”
—Hal Lebovitz, Cleveland Plain Dealer sports editor
“Pittsburgh and Cleveland are almost clones. From an ethnic, from a historical, and from a traditional stand point—with the tremendous diversity and the people who follow those teams for years. They’re very, very much alike.”
—Sam Rutigliano, Browns head coach (1978–1984)
“When I came to Cleveland, I heard the Pittsburgh game was a matter of life or death. But I soon found out it was more than that.”
—Bill Belichick, Browns head coach (1991–1995)
“The toughest part of the game [in Pittsburgh] was getting there and living.”
—Art Modell, Browns owner (1961–1995)
“The Browns-Steelers rivalry has always been considered one of the greatest rivalries despite the fact that RARELY have the two teams been good at the same time. Usually one team has been good and the other bad going all the way back to the 1950s.”
—Roger Gordon, author of Cleveland Browns: A–Z
“I remember as a player with Cleveland we used to make fun of Pittsburgh. They’d wear different colored helmets sometimes.”
—Chuck Noll, Browns offensive lineman and linebacker (1953–1959)
“I was as big as the linemen I ran against, so I didn’t worry about them. And once I ran over a back twice, I didn’t have to run over him a third time.”
—Marion Motley, Browns running back (1946–1953)
“And when Pittsburgh came to town, Marion had a big day. After the game Motley joked that he played well because ‘It was easier to run downhill.’”
—Mike Brown, Cincinnati Bengals owner (1991–)
“Paul Brown is a football coach who highly prizes that elusive quality known as ‘desire’ and he found it in quantity at Forbes Field. However, the major portion belonged to the seething squad of Pittsburgh Steelers who proceeded to hand the once almost unbeatable Browns a 55–27 trouncing to the delight of 33,262 unbelieving partisans.… The first Pittsburgh victory over Cleveland in nine games.”
—Chuck Heaton, Cleveland Plain Dealer sportswriter
“There are too many people in this league who would like to see Johnson carried off on a stretcher. This uncharitable attitude stems from hard-blocking John Henry’s tendency to break things. Like jaws and cheek bones. Noses and teeth.”
—Jim Brown, Browns running back (1957–1965)
“One of my biggest thrills was to go into Pittsburgh one time and see a big bed sheet on the wall that said, Thanks Bill Austin for Bill Nelsen.”
—Bill Nelsen, Steelers quarterback (1963–1967) and Browns quarterback (1968–1972)
“I remember people telling me, ‘We don’t care if you don’t win another game all year.’ That was the mentality. They hated the Steelers.”
—Cody Risien, Browns offensive tackle (1979–1983, 1985–1989)
“You were indoctrinated as a young player to hate Pittsburgh.”
—Dick Ambrose, Browns linebacker (1975–1983)
“I had a lot of friends that played on the Pittsburgh team. But for some reason.… Man, we hated Pittsburgh. For those four hours I hated my friends.”
—Greg Pruitt, Browns running back (1976–1984)
“Jack Lambert would have kicked my grandmother’s cane out.… Joe Greene got fined like $500 (for kicking Bob McKay in the groin). Deleone got fined like $100 (for punching Greene). And Bob McKay got fined for getting kicked in the groin.”
—Doug Dieken. Browns offensive tackle (1971–1984)
“To me, Jack Lambert was the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have lost a lot of great players … but what hurt them the most was losing Jack Lambert. In all my years in professional football, I never played against a guy, in any position, who was more of a dominating force.”
—Sam Rutigliano, Browns coach (1978–1984)
“I was at the 18–16 victory in 1976 during which Joe ‘Turkey’ Jones threw Bradshaw on his head and invented the ‘in-the-grasp’ rule. That was the first game where I noticed the edge of violence in the stands. There weren’t a lot of fights—in fact, I saw more fighting at other games—but the fans exuded a hair-trigger fierceness.”
—Scott Huler, author of On Being Brown: What It Means to Be a Cleveland Browns Fan
“When you have people who share similar passions such as drinking beer and being crazy, and you put that in a football stadium, it’s combustible. I always said that I was so glad I was playing because I wouldn’t want to be in the stands. That was the worst place to be in that game.”
—Thom Darden, Browns defensive back (1972–1974, 1976–1981)
“All the drunks from Cleveland and Pittsburgh are here, but our drunks at least made it off the bus.”
—Lt. William Stilnack, Cleveland police
“I’ve seen tough, big, grown men reduced to tears in the Pound during Steelers games. A couple of years ago we had a huge bonfire using stuff we ripped off [Steelers] fans. We were burning them to keep warm and roast wienies.”
—John “Big Dawg” Thompson, rabid Browns fan and leader of the Dawg Pound
“The Browns and Steelers are like twin brothers who never get along, always trying to knock each other down to show mom and dad who’s tougher.”
—Jonathan Knight, Kardiac Kids: The Story of the 1980 Cleveland Browns
“Marty [Schottenheimer] loved Bill [Cowher]. Marty loved his competitiveness and willingness to get things done.”
—Ernie Accorsi, Browns executive vice president (1984–1991)
“I ain’t going to lie. I hate Pittsburgh. I really hate Pittsburgh. Anything yellow and black, I hit it. That’s how I was brought up.”
—Orlando Brown, Browns offensive lineman (1994–1995, 1999)
“Roethlisberger has tormented the Browns ever since they passed on him in the 2004 draft.”
—Terry Pluto, Cleveland Plain Dealer sportswriter
“‘Dad, I just signed with the Steelers.’ Dad’s response: ‘How am I going to tell your mother? How am I going to tell my friends? How am I going to work the next day?’”
—John Banaszak, Cleveland native and Steelers defensive end (1975–1981)
 
THE VIEW FROM PITTSBURGH
“Due to the ferocity of the competition, the Browns are always the team that the medical staff double-checks on medical supplies, stretchers, and EMS supplies.”
—Joseph Maroon, Steelers team neurosurgeon
“It’s been like that right from the start. People really got into the rivalry. The closer you are the more nasty it gets.”
—Pat Livingston, Pittsburgh Press
“You have two steel towns.… There are more fights in the stands than there a