About Three Bricks Shy of a Load

I first found this story in Sports Illustrated when I was a kid growing up in Pennsylvania. It was a three-part series, and I couldn't wait for each issue to come out week after week. I read the stories over and over. Needless to say, I've been a Steelers fan ever since. Mr. Blount is literary artist, and this is one of his masterpieces. Gritty and gripping. I can't wait to read more of his work.

This book is one of the best sports books I have read. Blount spent a year with the Steelers. The season he writes about was the year after the Immaculate Reception. This was the season before their first Super Bowl win. Many of the Steeler players and their coach went on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the time of the book they were young and just beginning to make their mark. It was interesting to read about their struggles and woes knowing that they would go on to be among the greatest of all time.

This book is a classic. It gives the reader a feeling of what is was like in the "old Pittsburgh" of the late 1960's and early 1970's. And gives you an inside look at the birth of the best football team that ever played. And most importantly, the birth of the infamous "Steel Curtain defense". I really belive that parts of this book could be made into a full length feature film that all sports, and movie fans would enjoy. This story will explain the blood and sweat connection between the real Pittsburgh fans and their football team. Because of the people that worked in the huge steel mills, and all of the great NFL football players that were born in that area. It's a connection between the fans and the team that is unmatched in american sports.

Big Ben: 27-4 as a starter (2004-2005 seasons)---only losses (3 of which were injury-related): Patriots, 2004 AFC Championship game (if Plax holds on to sure TD pass, we are only down 7 with about 7+ minutes to go in that game; Ben did some good things and was battling thumb and toe injuries) and also in 2005 (if Randle El doesn't get `cute' and lateral that pass to Ward, we probably win; again, Ben did some good things), as well as the Bengals in 2005 (Ben has beaten Carson Palmer's Bengals 3 times: twice in 2004 and big-time in the AFC Wild-Card game in 2005; Ben had 3 TD passes in this lone defeat and was battling a thumb injury) and Indy in 2005 (as we know, he got revenge in the AFC Divisional Playoff game; Ben threw a TD pass to Ward in this Monday night defeat and was coming off an injury-induced layoff). Ben's FIRST NFL game: 2004 Pre-season at Ford Field vs. the Lions...last game of 2005 season: 2/5/06 at FORD FIELD, SUPER BOWL XL VICTORY!!! So Ben didn't play a superb game in Super Bowl XL and there was some controversy... --Super Bowl IX, 1/12/75: Steelers win 16-6 over the Vikings---Future Hall-of-Famer Terry Bradshaw is only 9 for 14 for 96 yards...BEN WAS 9 FOR 21 FOR 123 YARDS...Bradshaw threw a lone TD...BEN RAN FOR A LONE TD... Future Hall-of-Famer Fran Tarkenton's numbers were putrid: 11 for 26 for 102 yards, 3 interceptions, NO TD's! We were only winning 2-0 going into the third quarter (on a safety); a boring game. The Steelers wore their white shirts and Terry had a beard (the other 3 Super Bowls: black-and-gold shirts, Terry clean shaven)...WE WORE OUR WHITE SHIRTS IN XL AND BEN HAD A BEARD...the game turned on a VERY controversial "fumble-that-wasn't" by the Steelers Larry Brown: the Steelers left the field dejected, the Vikings were in prime territory...then the officials ruled Brown was down before the ball came loose (no way!!!!!)...and the rest is history; --Super Bowl X, 1/18/76: Steelers win 21-17 over the Cowboys---Future Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach almost pulled out another miracle comeback...Swann's great falling-to-the-ground acrobatic catch led to no points (!); --Super Bowl XIII, 1/21/79: Steelers win 35-31 over the Cowboys---the Cowboys' Jackie Smith drops a SURE TD pass that would have tied the game AND our go-ahead TD was aided by a very controversial tripping penalty that cost Dallas 33 yards: Lynn Swann fell over Benny Barnes's ankles and, as Bradshaw has admitted, it shouldn't have been a flag...we were ahead 35-17 at one point...Staubach almost brought them back (35-31); --GAME BEFORE SUPERBOWL XIV: AFC Championship game vs. the Oilers, 1/6/80: Steelers win 27-13---late in the third quarter, officials ruled that Oilers receiver Mike Renfro did not have possession of what appeared to be a game-tying TD (WRONG!!!! He was in bounds; bad, bad call)...and the rest is history... ---Super Bowl XIV, 1/20/80: Steelers win 31-19 over the Rams---Bradshaw threw 3 INTERCEPTIONS and we were losing for most of