Hell with the Lid Off

Hell with the Lid Offlooks at the ferocious five-year war waged by Pittsburgh and Oakland for NFL supremacy during the turbulentseventies.?The roots of their rivalry dated back to the 1972 playoff game in Pittsburgh that ended with the "Immaculate Reception," Franco Harris'sstunning touchdown that led the Steelersto a winover the Raiders in their first postseason meeting.?That famousgame igniteda fiery rivalry for NFL supremacy.?Between 1972and 1977,the Steelers andtheRaiders-between them boasting an incredibletwenty-sixPro Football Hall of Famers-collided 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.?Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain defense featured Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham,and Mel Blount,the latter'sheavy hits forcingan NFL rule in his name.?The Raiders countered with "The Assassin," Jack Tatum, Skip Thomas (aka "Dr. Death"), George Atkinson, and Willie Brownin 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 Offis a story of turbulent football and one of the game'sbest-known rivalries.