So, I recently dove into the rabbit hole of a Pittsburgh sporting event so drenched in numerology it practically came with a conspiracy theorist starter kit. The saga starts with the suspiciously early death of Bob Moose, the “goat” of the infamous Pirates game on 10/11/72. Flip that date around and—voilà—you’ve got 9/11/01. Coincidence? Maybe. Suspicious? Definitely.

Fast forward two months to 12/23/72, and the city of Pittsburgh seemingly cashes in its cosmic chips for what NFL Films would later anoint as “The Immaculate Reception.” This wasn’t just a football play; it was a miracle with cleats—a Hail Mary that flipped the Steelers’ fortunes faster than you can say “sports dynasty.” After four decades of mediocrity, Pittsburgh snagged its first-ever playoff win, setting the stage for four Super Bowl titles before the decade’s end.

Continue reading “Immaculate Deception?” →