About this item
Hell with the Lid Off looks at the ferocious five-year war waged by Pittsburgh and Oakland for NFL supremacy during the turbulent seventies.The roots of their rivalry dated back to the 1972 playoff game in Pittsburgh that ended with the Immaculate Reception, Franco Harriss stunning touchdown that led the Steelers to a win over the Raiders in their first postseason meeting.That famous game ignited a fiery rivalry for NFL supremacy.Between 1972 and 1977, the Steelers and the Raidersbetween them boasting an incredible twenty-six Pro Football Hall of Famerscollided in the playoffs five straight seasons and in the AFC title game three consecutive years. Both teams favored force over finesse and had players whose forte was intimidation.Pittsburghs Steel Curtain defense featured Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount, the latters heavy hits forcing an NFL rule in his name.The Raiders countered with The Assassin, Jack Tatum, Skip Thomas (aka Dr. Death), George Atkinson, and Willie Brown in their memorable secondary.Each of their championships crowned the eventual Super Bowl winner, and their bloodcurdling encounters became so violent and vicious that they transcended the NFL and had to be settled in a U.S. district court. With its account of classic games, legendary owners, coaches, and players with larger-than-life personalities, Hell with the Lid Off is a story of turbulent football and one of the games best-known rivalries.
About the Author
Ed Gruver is an award-winning sportswriter and journalist with more than 30 years' experience on the staffs of daily newspapers. A member of the Society for American Baseball Research and the Pro Football Researchers Association, he is a contributing writer to both SABR and the PFRA. Gruver covered the Philadelphia Phillies' glory years from 2007-11 and has also reported on the Baltimore Orioles, MLB All-Star Games, playoffs and World Series. He was an NFL writer covering the Baltimore Ravens from 1999-2008 and has written on the NFL playoffs, NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs and championship boxing. Gruver was a contributing writer to Total Football I and II and has written nationally for the NFL Alumni magazine as well as MLB and NHL online sites. A native of north Jersey, he resides in Lancaster, PA with his wife Michelle. They have two daughters, Patty and Katie.
