What do many Oakland Raiders fans still call the touchdown catch that cost them a 1972 playoff game victory?

In what has been called both the greatest and the most controversial game in the history of the National Football League, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the visiting Oakland Raiders on a most unusual play on December 23, 1972 in Three Rivers Stadium. A Pittsburgh sports announcer called it “The Immaculate Reception”.

Immediately after the play, one official signaled a touchdown. A long conference among officials followed. After a mysterious telephone call, the decision was made final. Raider Defensive Back George Atkinson once explained that because “…the public was deceived, the officials were deceived, and we (the Raiders) got deceived”, the play is known in Oakland as “The Immaculate Deception”.

Behind 7-6, with 22 seconds remaining in the 15-minute (playing time) fourth quarter, Steelers Quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw the ball on fourth down (last of four plays the offensive team has to move the ball 10 yards) and 10 yards still to make.

Officially, Oakland Defensive Back Jack Tatum got between the ball and Receiver John Fuqua, and it bounced off Tatum’ hands. Under NFL rules, if a pass is touched by or touches an eligible receiver while the ball is in the air and still in bounds, then only that player can legally catch the ball. If, on the other hand, the ball touches or is touched by a defensive player or by a defensive player and eligible receiver simultaneously, any offensive player can make the legal reception.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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15 Comments

Gery Tillmanns

It was coined the Immaculate Reception by the media but Raiders fans called the controversial call the Immaculate Deception. Don’t people read!

Howard Groopman

I was playing poker with some friends and watching the game.

Bob Miller

of course, the dirtiest player in the game was also the one who had no idea between truth and what he wanted. Tatum truly could not understand that he touched it after the fact.

John W Shreve

My dad, a life-long 49er dad, found a second-favorite team that day and it wasn't the Raiders.

Thor Johnson

The hated Raiders. This Broncos fan loved what Franco Harris did that day.

TSH

Deception/Reception depends on what side you rooted for.

Greg Sanza

There is NO WAY Tatum did NOT touch that ball!! And so the play was LEGAL when Harris caught it on the rebound, and so the TD that followed was properly ruled!! Based on the available films, the angle of the rebounding ball has been tested over and over with actual trials, and even with physics calculations! Fuqua could NOT have been the ONLY man to touch that ball. Tatum knew the truth. However, it remained a secret that he took with him when he passed away some years ago... which just adds to the mystique and magic of the play!

skrueger

All NFL fans refer to it as the "Immaculate Reception" because it was such an unusual play at the end of the game that gave the Steelers a victory on the last play of the game. Only the Raider fans decided to change it to the Immaculate Deception because they refused to accept that it was a legal play and they lost the game.

mlpruett

Darlene Davidson, the announcer called it "the immaculate reception" but a player said that because so many were deceived, it should be "the immaculate deception."

carlthedad

They call it deception in Oakland/LA due to the fact that it should never have counted as a touchdown. It was a mistake made by the refs. Because the original receiver had fumbled the pass and a defensive player had not touch the ball before it landed in Franco Harris' hands the ball by rule was in fact dead. The consolation of the results was that Miami beet Pittsburg the next week and with an undefeated season went on to win the Superbowl and make history.