1979 Chargers game-anyone remember? Still bothers me

by grapes on Jul 9, 2009 11:34 PM EDT

Anybody out there remember the1979 Chargers loss like I do? For some reason I have been fixated on this loss for the last thirty years. It was crushing and I never dreaded playing another team in the playoffs as much as that Fouts led "Air Corryell" offense (the rematch never occured because the Chargers lost to Houston the week before the championship game). The Steel Curtain defense was rapidly aging and had slowed a bit, and the thought of Wes Chandler, John Jefferson, and Kellen Winslow running free down field was terrifying to a 14 year old obsessed with the Steelers. For about a four year period (79-82, coincidently my high school years) they were the last team I wanted to play, and we lost to them all three times we played.

On a brighter note we did win the SB that year (with some difficulty; dreadful third quarter). It marked the begining of the end for the first Steeler dynasty. The retirements began before the following season, I think Mike Wagner was one of the first.

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Many games stick out in my memory

The 79 Charger game doesn’t, but I remember how bad Gerela was. I thought about him because he ended his career after going to San Diego after the 1978 season and playing only a few games. Some kicks of his I remember are..78 regular season against the Rams….I think he missed two or three field goals and they lost 10-7. That 78 team should have been undefeated if not for a let down against the Oilers and the Gerela gift to the Rams. Though the Rams had more success on offense than the score shows and the Steelers could do nothing on offense the Steelers had their chances. That would have been an interesting Super Bowl if the Rams would have gotten past the Cowboys in 78. But back to Gerela. This guy kept Super Bowls close, lost games, and made extra points a nail-biter. I bet he has to have a record for missed kicks in Super Bowls ( I know someone will look). All of that and he still had a following (Gerela’s gorillas). He was replaced by Gary Anderson after our third Super Bowl in 78. Gary had no pressure. All he had to do was make extra points and make short field goals consistantly and he would be an improvement.

"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)

by PixburghArn on Jul 10, 2009 7:21 AM EDT reply actions

Gerela was replaced by Matt Bahr, who was strong in ’79, but sucked in ’80. He was replaced by the dwarf David Trout in ’81, who was god-awful, then came Anderson.

Look for “Why Roy Gerela”……coming soon.

by swissvale72 on Jul 10, 2009 7:50 AM EDT reply actions

I meant to say Bahr

I think Matt rode into the league on his brother’s name. Chris was a much better kicker.

"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)

by PixburghArn on Jul 10, 2009 8:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Matt Bahr

Had a short game winning kick from about 30 yards out in his first game his rookie year. I remember Lambert picking him up and carrying him off the field. Bahr looked like a young scared 10 year old in Lambert’s arms hugging 58 for dear life.

When You Run The Ball Good Things Happen

by 5020 on Jul 10, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions

When you follow Gerela

Making a 30 yard feild goal makes you worth being carried of the field on the shoulders of your team mates.

"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)

by PixburghArn on Jul 10, 2009 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions

for the record, was 40….and it was monday nighter at New England….had missed his first extra point though

by swissvale72 on Jul 10, 2009 12:55 PM EDT reply actions

Maybe he had been watching Gerela

and thought you had to miss every other extra point.

"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)

by PixburghArn on Jul 10, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Shirts with Khomeini Sucks

I was at that game in SD. Stationed at March AFB at the time, I was also able to attend my first and only SB. I took my wife and four friends along to SD. None of our friends were true steeler fans but were moved to represent us at the game. Reluctantly I share my steeler clothing and terrible towels with our friends. After arriving at the stadium we headed to our seats, first time I seen an outdoor escalator, this things was tall, went from the ground floor clear up to the upper level. Decked out in our Steeler gear we ascended up the world’s largest escalator crowded with SD fans. Several minutes into the journey, one of the SD fans finally saw our jersey, hats, terrible towels, etc. and said hey look F’ing Steeler fans – you guys suck – hey let’s throw them off……behind us came a voice – let’s wait until we get up higher ……the rest of our experience went as well as TBs…..in the 3th quarter…I noticed only me and my wife had any steeler gear on….my friends had removed theirs….chicken s****t……after many insults which was followed by you suck…..we decided with 3:50 remaining to head for the Van……we exited the gate and turned left we discovered latter that had we turned right we would have been on the row our Van was parked …so taking a 355 degree around the stadium was not a lot of fun…..along on walk we were accompanied by a little squeaky runt of a person screaming how we suck and we don’t belong in the NFL, overrated …each comment was followed by you suck…. by the way I saw more T-Shirts and hats in the stadium that read Khomeini Sucks then I saw SD jerseys……the happy ending came several months latter on 20 January 1980….5 days before heading off for a tour in Okinawa…..we spent 3+ hours with over 60,000 screaming steeler fans (more than the Rams had and it was a home game for these guys) . As we headed out of the stadium towards the parking lot my wife look at me and shouted as loud as I ever heard her…….The Chargers Suck!

by Steelerwill on Jul 10, 2009 2:33 PM EDT reply actions

great story!!!!!!

by grapes on Jul 10, 2009 4:15 PM EDT reply actions

no one else seems to remember this horrible, horrible loss.

by grapes on Jul 10, 2009 4:16 PM EDT reply actions

actually, arguably the most horrible reg. season loss is one that maryrose wrote about some time ago, which none of us likely saw, that being the ’63 season finale against the NYG.

Steelers were 7-3-3 and a win or tie would put them into the NFL Championship game for the first time. This was my first Steeler memory, vaguely remembered. Pre-game, Buddy Dial, on the set of KDKA being interviewed, taped earlier in the week, lifts his wingtip to reveal, written in chalk, GO STEELERS. My dad, says, "If I had a hundred bucks, I’d bet on the Steelers. Good thing dad was a po-ass, ’cause the black & gold came out on the short end of a 33-17 score.

Steelers were a hard-drinking bunch. QB Ed Brown decided to go on the wagon that week. Bad idea, Brownie!! He was terrible, misfiring all over the lot.

But think about it….Steelers win, they go the championship for the first time EVER. Instead, it was SOS….Same Old Steelers.

by swissvale72 on Jul 10, 2009 4:26 PM EDT reply actions

never knew about 63 before, thanks for the info.

by grapes on Jul 10, 2009 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions

63

maryrose has a very good piece about the 63 season in Steelers History

by swissvale72 on Jul 11, 2009 3:26 PM EDT reply actions

79 pit vs SD

I do remember that game.

A little side story, after Houston beat SD in the playoffs to keep the Steelers at home for the AFC championship, a woman called into the Myron Cope sports talk show and said that the Steeler fans should applaud the Oilers as they entered the field for the AFC title, to show respect and gratitude.

Cope, as I seem to recall, would have NOTHING to do with it.

Neither would subsequent callers!

Anyone see parallels with ’79 and ’06?

Steelers #2 seed, get homefield for title game instead of going to team that blasted them in regular season because division team knocked them off on the road, play division foe in title game, winding up playing the NFC team with the worst playoff record that season…interesting

by SteelerSteve on Jul 12, 2009 2:04 PM EDT reply actions