Conspiracy in Super Bowl XXX?

[steelersautomaton]

I’m not sure if this has ever been brought up before, but has there ever been any conspiracy talk over Super Bowl XXX? Specifically, O’Donnell taking a bribe to throw away the game. I remember being so happy with O’Donnell that season because of his accurate arm. His two INT”s in the fourth I’ll never forget and they were thrown right to that douche Larry Brown. Jerry Jones has a lot of money and it wouldn’t be beneath him to bribe. Plus, O’Donnell left the next year for the jets. Anyone else think there was something fishy about that game?

[Dgenx321]

Since the day it happened......

[tjack]

Some folks would not let him off the hook until the Steelers won SB XL.

[bradentonfan]

and the fact that the spread was 10 points, the exact margin of victory...... resulting in a push...meaning the only winners were the bookies

[scrapdog]

He choked, plain and simple.

[Cdog]

I've always thought so especially the second one. He hit Larry Brown right in the numbers and there wasn't a reciever within 15 yards...it reaks of shit if you ask me

[Steelr4evr]

I have that horror film on tape still. You'll never convince me Neil wasn't in someone's hip pocket...fucking sellout asshole.

[Supersteeler]

I'll go to my grave thinking he threw the game, I don't care what anyone says.

[TX Steel]

I have my doubts about O'Donnell--not to the extent of other people, but I do have them.

That said, I recently read an online article (Peter King, I believe) where he said a person high up in the Steelers organization recently told him that both INTs were the result of WRs running wrong routes. Now how WRs can run wrong routes after an entire year of running them in practice and games, I don't know. That's just what the article said.

[Supersteeler]

I have my doubts about O'Donnell--not to the extent of other people, but I do have them.

That said, I recently read an online article (Peter King, I believe) where he said a person high up in the Steelers organization recently told him that both INTs were the result of WRs running wrong routes. Now how WRs can run wrong routes after an entire year of running them in practice and games, I don't know. That's just what the article said.

Ed Bouchete said it the best. He said on a show I was watching that Neil was quoted after the game that the second one slipped out of his hand.....except that it was a flawless spiral right to Larry Brown. Uh huh Neil it slipped.

[Idioteque]

People. Please.

Your venom is to be directed Mr. Holliday, first name Corey.

[Idioteque]

I have my doubts about O'Donnell--not to the extent of other people, but I do have them.

That said, I recently read an online article (Peter King, I believe) where he said a person high up in the Steelers organization recently told him that both INTs were the result of WRs running wrong routes. Now how WRs can run wrong routes after an entire year of running them in practice and games, I don't know. That's just what the article said.

WTF?? Dropped passes, fumbles and poor routes happen all the time. Watch the Giant WRs in this last Super Bowl.

[pourman]

People. Please.

Your venom is to be directed Mr. Holliday, first name Corey. And he admitted to running the wrong route too IIRC..

But that was only one of them, the other was the "slip" INT, right?

[Punxsutawney]

I always thought, though I thought that he was a much better QB than people gave him credit for, that O'Donnell was a very shady mother f*cker. There was something about his personality that I just did not like. He struck me as the kind of athlete who would not think twice about throwing a game if the right opportunity presented itself.

Not only the situations in which the INTs were thrown (the momentum strongly in the Steelers' favor), but the way and the area of the field in which they were thrown (tailor made for long returns deep into Steelers" territory) just seem too damn convenient.

[scrapdog]

For those that taped the game AND the pre-game like I did, go back to how Neil looked getting off the bus. He had a dear in the headlights look and he twitched/jerked his head. If you have it, look. I said to my wife, 'oh man, I've never seen him look this nervous, I hope it doesn't show on the field'.

As for him getting his pockets greased before the game, I really don't believe so knowing his character. He just didn't seem like the type of guy who would do something like that. Think about it, he's already a millionaire, why would you take a bribe to throw away a game after you battled all year long with the warriors/family all around who scratched and clawed their way to have the honor to be there playing in the biggest sporting event in the world?





.

[Diamond Dave]

Threads like this make me want to stab people in the neck.

He worked his entire life for one thing - winning a Super Bowl. When he finally gets his chance to be a champion, he decides that he would rather have a paycheck. Does that make any fucking sense whatsoever?

Win or lose, he was going to be a free agent and could command any salary he wanted as a Super Bowl champion. You guys think he would have rather been known as the guy who threw away a championship.

[Steelerman]

This thread sucks.

[Diamond Dave]

I have my doubts about O'Donnell--not to the extent of other people, but I do have them.

That said, I recently read an online article (Peter King, I believe) where he said a person high up in the Steelers organization recently told him that both INTs were the result of WRs running wrong routes. Now how WRs can run wrong routes after an entire year of running them in practice and games, I don't know. That's just what the article said.


Easy - if the DB does this, you run route A. If the DB does that, you run route B.

The DB did this - you ran the wrong route.

[Southern Steeler]

Does that make any fucking sense whatsoever?



That doesn't stop people around here.

see: Spygate thread.

[FlaStlrfan]

I’m not sure if this has ever been brought up before, but has there ever been any conspiracy talk over Super Bowl XXX? Specifically, O’Donnell taking a bribe to throw away the game.

Sure there was a conspiracy....

It was the same conspiracy that Jackie Smith dropped the ball in Super Bowl 13.
It was the same conspiracy that Bill Buckner let the ball go through his glove in 1986
It was the same conspiracy that Scott Norwood missed the 47 yard FG in SB 25
It was the same conspiracy that Nick Anderson missed two free throws in the NBA finals 1995 game one
It was the same conspiracy that Vinny Testeverde threw a last minute INT in the end zone to Pete Giftopolous in the National Championship game 1986
It was the same conspiracy that Isiah Thomas telegraphed a pass and let Larry Bird steal the ball in game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals 1987

Don't you know, its always a conspiracy....


Please never speak of this stupidity again.

[dobre shunka]

Excerpted from Superbowl: The Game of Their Lives:

"On our second possession of the half, I was intercepted for the first time. The Cowboys may have blitzed, but I had time. On that play I believe I had three receivers over on the right side. They cut to the middle, but the throw went to the sideline, and Larry Brown picked it off at the Cowboys' 40 and had a long runback.... On that interception, it just wasn't a good throw on my part. I just lost the ball out of my hand."

....

"Unfortunately, when we got the ball back with still over four minutes remaining and started a drive that could have put us ahead, I was intercepted again. There was a blitz on third down and I threw it to the sideline and Larry Brown ran it back again. That second interception was a total.... there was a miscommunication between Andre Hastings and myself. I can't blame anyone. I will never sever sell anyone down the river because that's not my style. It was just too bad because we were still right in it. It was very frustrating."

[Steelerman]

I believe Ernie Mills is the man we should be blaming.

Edit: I guess it was Hastings.

[omawho]

Damn, I was off to a really good day until someone had to go and scrape this shit up again....... LOL...

[Aries1247]

and the fact that the spread was 10 points, the exact margin of victory...... resulting in a push...meaning the only winners were the bookies

I seem to recall the spread being 14.

[JEFFRO]

I would tend to agree with DD but the nagging memory that keeps a "payoff" in my head is the image of Barry Switzer" up on stage with the trophy yelling "We did it our way baby!"

O'Donnel may not seem like a shady sell his soul kind of guy, but Switzer definitely is that kind of guy.

Who knows Barry may have had some goons holding one of O'Donnel's relatives hostage. We will never know.

Some things in life you cannot change.

Even if the "truth" every conspiracy theorist wants to hear comes out, it won't change anything and won't make anybody feel any better. In fact it would just make things worse.

So just let sleeping dogs lie.

[Aries1247]

& we laughed at Seahags fans.

[SteelersFANinMA]

Easy - if the DB does this, you run route A. If the DB does that, you run route B.

The DB did this - you ran the wrong route.

That's how I remember it being explained. It was an option route and the WR made the mistake on that one INT. I believe The WR ran an, "In" route and O'Donnell expected him to run an, "Out" pattern, and that's where he threw the ball.

[Steelerfan81]

It was Hastings on the one pass, and Holliday on the other. I believe Mills, and Hastings both got knocked out of the game with injuries.

[warriors42]

forgive me if I am wrong, but weren't we running the ball at will that game, and were we not close to mid field with like 4+ minutes left down by 3, with a second and short. the question I have had all these years, was why were we throwing the ball in the first place.we could have easily ran the ball and got into field goal range, then took some shots. so maybe its all Cowhers fault, it seems like everthing else was over his career in the steel city. (sarcasim)

[Sluzilla]

Threads like this make me want to stab people in the neck.

He worked his entire life for one thing - winning a Super Bowl. When he finally gets his chance to be a champion, he decides that he would rather have a paycheck. Does that make any fucking sense whatsoever?

Win or lose, he was going to be a free agent and could command any salary he wanted as a Super Bowl champion. You guys think he would have rather been known as the guy who threw away a championship.

THANK YOU!!!!....

[Stlrs4Life]

I've always thought so especially the second one. He hit Larry Brown right in the numbers and there wasn't a reciever within 15 yards...it reaks of shit if you ask me



Corey Holliday admitted to running the wrong pass route on that one, supposedkly a timing pattern.

[steelersautomaton]

This thread sucks.

i love steelernation a-holes!

[Phinnster]

and the fact that the spread was 10 points, the exact margin of victory...... resulting in a push...meaning the only winners were the bookies

Actually the spread was 14, I know because it was the only time I was upset at winning $200.

[Steelr4evr]

Players don't care...shit, they change colors real fast when the green gets flashed when they're free agents. I think i've just become completely disgusted with Pro sports in general and those chowder eating fucks in Boston have pretty much pushed me over the edge.

[FAB802]

I love the offseason.

[bradentonfan]

Actually the spread was 14, I know because it was the only time I was upset at winning $200.

it started at 14, but by the day before the game it was 10

[TriadSteeler]

I don't care who's fault it was. Bottom line is after the SB, he left town like a b1tch instead of coming back to make another run. eff that a hole.

[Diamond Dave]

I don't care who's fault it was. Bottom line is after the SB, he left town like a b1tch instead of coming back to make another run. eff that a hole.


Left town like a bitch? Jesus - people in this town hated him and still do. Why would he want to stay in a town that believes he took a payoff to throw the Super Bowl?

"Hey Neil - we hate your fucking guts and think you're a dirty player...but please stay with us for about 1/2 the money the Jets are offering."

Yeah, right.

Cowher offered O'Donnell a spot to come back to the team as a back up and he wouldn't even consider it because of the stupid hatred the fans have for him. We ended up with the Tommy Maddox experiment instead.

[Diamond Dave]

I would tend to agree with DD but the nagging memory that keeps a "payoff" in my head is the image of Barry Switzer" up on stage with the trophy yelling "We did it our way baby!"

O'Donnel may not seem like a shady sell his soul kind of guy, but Switzer definitely is that kind of guy.

Who knows Barry may have had some goons holding one of O'Donnel's relatives hostage. We will never know.

Some things in life you cannot change.

Even if the "truth" every conspiracy theorist wants to hear comes out, it won't change anything and won't make anybody feel any better. In fact it would just make things worse.

So just let sleeping dogs lie.

So Barry Switzer holding a Super Bowl trophy give credence to the idea that Neil O'Donnell took a payoff?

Yeah, that makes sense.

[BlastFurnace]

I will never believe that Neal threw the Super Bowl. He was a good QB for us and was our MVP that season. It's not like he lost to a bad team in Dallas either. IMO, that Dallas team of the early 90's was the best NFL team since the 70's Steelers.

O'Donnell threw 2 bad passes. I always thought it was Corey Holiday that ran the wrong route rather than Hastings, but either way, it was a miscommunication between Neal and the receiver.

Had Neal stuck around for the rest of the 90's, we might have had our 5th ring in 96 or 97.

[BlastFurnace]

I don't care who's fault it was. Bottom line is after the SB, he left town like a b1tch instead of coming back to make another run. eff that a hole.

No, he received a 5 yr/ 25 Million Dollar contract that exceeded the Steelers offer by $8 Million. At that time, it was a huge deal for QB's. I hated to see him leave. He left because he received a great contract.

[Hollywood Bags]

What would have been Neil's motivation to lose or throw the Super Bowl?

The fact that Corey Frickin Holiday was in the game is all you need to know, Holiday who never caught an NFL pass in his career made the wrong play and the rest is history.

[BAS]

Threads like this make me want to stab people in the neck.

He worked his entire life for one thing - winning a Super Bowl. When he finally gets his chance to be a champion, he decides that he would rather have a paycheck. Does that make any fucking sense whatsoever?

Win or lose, he was going to be a free agent and could command any salary he wanted as a Super Bowl champion. You guys think he would have rather been known as the guy who threw away a championship.

My sentiments exactly. In this day and age, you don't choose money over glory, because glory brings the money.

[Southern Steeler]

It's "Neil"...not "Neal". Christ, people......

[Vader]

I feel dumber for having read this...

[Rabid since '72]

Please God, make it stop.

[SteelrzGirl]

It's "Neil"...not "Neal". Christ, people......

I wonder if Neal's ever met Heinz Ward or Duece Staley while definately playing defence but appearantly sucking.

[RVA Steeler]

forgive me if I am wrong, but weren't we running the ball at will that game, and were we not close to mid field with like 4+ minutes left down by 3, with a second and short. the question I have had all these years, was why were we throwing the ball in the first place.we could have easily ran the ball and got into field goal range, then took some shots. so maybe its all Cowhers fault, it seems like everthing else was over his career in the steel city. (sarcasim)

i was about ten years old when this game was fresh, and i remember that fact as clear as day. i remember on one of the commercial breaks you could see how worn out and tired the Cowboys were, had we just done some smashmouth running of the ball we would have, in my i-haven't-seen-the-game-since-its-original-playing ten year old boys eyes believe we could easily of won.

either way you look at it, this game is way over, and it doesn't matter. we have five rings, and a history of excellence. :cool:

[Rambo steel]

I wonder if Neal's ever met Heinz Ward or Duece Staley while definately playing defence but appearantly sucking.

If Chuck Knoll were coach, that would have never happened.

[Marshall Karp]

Now here's an interesting thought. Wonder how much NOD's bad day in XXX had with influencing Cowher and the offense late in XL. He saw this before, a QB struggling and knew enough to take the game out of Ben's hands? If he was flashing back to 10 years before and made the adjustment, good coaching move. Just a thought.

[leftcoaststeelerfan]

I feel dumber for having read this...


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[BillvinCowbert]

it started at 14, but by the day before the game it was 10

If the spread was 10, it was a push and the bookies didn't make a dime. There goes that theory.

[Texasfan]

I thought it was O'donnels brother that owed money to the mob? That's why he threw the game.

[JohnnyO]

No, he received a 5 yr/ 25 Million Dollar contract that exceeded the Steelers offer by $8 Million. At that time, it was a huge deal for QB's. I hated to see him leave. He left because he received a great contract.
Well, the Jets overpaid him just like the 'Skins overpaid Randall-El. Difference is, Antwaan threw a TD pass in a Super Bowl. :D
I couldn't handle reading the whole thread, but IMO 1) O'Donnell choked and 2) it has been documented that on two INT's (I think) the receiver ran the wrong route.

[Ghost of Frenchy Fuqua]

...Your venom is to be directed Mr. Holliday, first name Corey.

Why in the world Corey Holliday was playing in the Super Bowl - when the Steelers were pretty deep at WR that year - will probably remain an unsolved mystery. (Maybe that fits with your conspiracy theory: It's "a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma.")

But it looks like his screw-up didn't hurt him career-wise:

http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/holliday_corey00.html

[LeXX75]

I can't belive I read this thread ....what a way to waste the start of a new week..

[BermudaSteel]

Threads like this make me want to stab people in the neck.

He worked his entire life for one thing - winning a Super Bowl. When he finally gets his chance to be a champion, he decides that he would rather have a paycheck. Does that make any ing sense whatsoever?

Win or lose, he was going to be a free agent and could command any salary he wanted as a Super Bowl champion. You guys think he would have rather been known as the guy who threw away a championship.

I'm sensing a little animosity here...

[Avoid Lloyd1975]

Wow, I wouldn't have thought that Steel Neil would ever be brought back up again. He threw the game, nothing we can do about it now people. Can't cry over spilt milk anymore. There wasn't even a receiver on that side of the field on the one play, or was it both bone headed int's. He led the league with fewest int's on the season and he throws 3 in the big game? The game where the preparation for is greater than any other game and people want to blame it on the receivers? COME THE "F" ON!!! Neil was a throwback QB who only knew how to throw 10-15 yard slant routes over the middle. He made his money on third down throwing them routes. He couldn't throw an out route to save his life. Let's talk about more up to date important material.

[Diamond Dave]

I'm sensing a little animosity here...

The immaturity level and stupidity of people sometimes pisses me off to no end.

We couldn't possibly have lost, someone must have cheated. Like Aries said - and we have the audacity to point and laugh at Seahawks fans?

O'Donnell had a bad game on the one day he couldn't afford to have a bad game. End of story. Anyone who thinks O'Donnell was paid to throw that game seriously needs to grow the fuck up.

[BermudaSteel]

The immaturity level and stupidity of people sometimes pisses me off to no end.

We couldn't possibly have lost, someone must have cheated. Like Aries said - and we have the audacity to point and laugh at Seahawks fans?

O'Donnell had a bad game on the one day he couldn't afford to have a bad game. End of story. Anyone who thinks O'Donnell was paid to throw that game seriously needs to grow the up.

I agree - although it took me YEARS to get over this act of "stupidity"!!!


I prayed alot too...for me and O'Donnell...

[scrapdog]

Any idiot who kept this thread going because they believed or speculated that Neil would even entertain taking a bribe to throw the game should find another f'n team to root for!

[OhioSteel]

The immaturity level and stupidity of people sometimes pisses me off to no end.

We couldn't possibly have lost, someone must have cheated. Like Aries said - and we have the audacity to point and laugh at Seahawks fans?

O'Donnell had a bad game on the one day he couldn't afford to have a bad game. End of story. Anyone who thinks O'Donnell was paid to throw that game seriously needs to grow the fuck up.

Exactly!!! I can't believe this thread has gone on for 4 pages. IMHO, anyone supporting this SBXXX consipacy has lost their right to make fun of Seahag fans. Jeez, even Steelers make bad plays once in a while. :eek:

I also can't believe that some Steeler fans still spell Chuck Noll's name wrong. The guy won 4 super bowls!!!! Christ, that really pissed me off.

[SteelrzGirl]

I also can't believe that some Steeler fans still spell Chuck Noll's name wrong. The guy won 4 super bowls!!!! Christ, that really pissed me off.
lol that drives me nuts

I really dont try to be a spelling nazi. I typo all the time and just dont care enough to fix it. But there are two names you dont spell wrong in my book. That would be Noll and Jesus.:D

[FistfullofRings]

and the fact that the spread was 10 points, the exact margin of victory...... resulting in a push...meaning the only winners were the bookies

I really have to laugh at that notion. I suppose had the Cowboys mounted a 30 point lead, O'Donnel would have had then played a great game to bring the team back within 10?

Everyone loves a conspiracy theory, very few like to think them out.

[FistfullofRings]

One more thing for consipiracy theorists... How do you explain the numerous completions and TOUCHDOWN pass O'Donnel threw earlier in the game? I guess he was just making things interesting for himself?

[t-bone]

maybe he got the call on the sidelines, later.

" Neil....baby....you just gotta do this for me."

[NCSteelerfan]

It was Jessica Simpson's fault.

[Aries1247]

It was Jessica Simpson's fault.

I blame her too! She was born in 1980...

1980...


The last time the Steelers won the Super Bowl.

Also, take away the '9' & the '8' & you have '10', the pt spead & the amount the Steelers lost by! See? It IS all her fault!

[NCSteelerfan]

I blame her too! She was born in 1980...

1980...


The last time the Steelers won the Super Bowl.

Also, take away the '9' & the '8' & you have '10', the pt spead & the amount the Steelers lost by! See? It IS all her fault!

.......and the fact that she is dating Tony Romo, .......plays for the Cowboys........the team the Steelers lost to........Holy shit, this thing is bigger than I thought.

[Parasite]

Fuck that game. And fuck this thread for making me think about it again.