When we think of the ultimate showdowns on the gridiron, our minds often wander to fierce divisional clashes. The kind where rivals clash twice each season, like the legendary face-offs between the Packers and Bears, or the relentless 49ers vs. Seahawks duels. Yet, lurking in the shadows of these familiar rivalries is an extraordinary showdown that only graces the field every four years: Cowboys-Steelers.
An Epic Clash of Titans
This epic rivalry, boasting three exhilarating Super Bowl encounters and a total of 33 hard-fought battles, sees the Cowboys currently holding a razor-thin lead, 17-16. Come Sunday night, the Steelers have the golden opportunity to level the playing field.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
For those of us steeped in football lore, the Cowboys-Steelers rivalry stirs bittersweet emotions. Pulsating through the veins of the ’70s were two of the greatest Super Bowls ever witnessed, featuring the fierce Pittsburgh Steelers and the formidable Dallas Cowboys. Super Bowl X—a ballet of human agility—showcased Lynn Swann defying gravity with his acrobatic stunts, illustrating the beauty of a dynamic passing game. Meanwhile, Jack Lambert’s no-nonsense approach to Cliff Harris remains an indelible highlight, one of the all-time greats of football bravado. Fast forward to Super Bowl XIII, and who could forget the heart-stopping moment the mighty Jackie Smith fumbled a touchdown pass, in a nail-biting 35-31 face-off riddled with twists and turns?
A Personal Gridiron Story
There’s another chapter to this narrative that brings both a gleam of joy and a glint of nostalgia to my eye. Picture this: a dusty West Virginia town, merely a stone’s throw—60 miles to be exact—from Pittsburgh. My father, a bookie with a penchant for bold bets, harbored an unabashed disdain for the Steelers. As the Steelers rose to power in the ’70s, the heartbeats of his beloved patrons quickened, fervently backing the local heroes. Yet, ever the contrarian, my father prayed for them to falter against the spread.
And his heart? It belonged to none other than the Dallas Cowboys. Tagged with the self-proclaimed title of “America’s Team,” they evoked feelings of love, loathing, and, more times than not, punters would place bets against them, hoping for their downfall.
But dad had his reasons—reasons I poured into Father of Mine, a novel inspired by the colorful tapestry of life in Wheeling, West Virginia. And just like any juicy tale, the sequels beckon: Son of Mine waits in the wings, ready to unfurl more of this gridiron mythology.
Get Your Hands on a Piece of History
Allow me a brief pitch (pun intended)! Father of Mine is available to light up your ebook screen for $3.99, or grace your physical bookshelf for $14.99. Its sibling, Son of Mine, follows suit at $4.99 in digital form and $14.99 in print. Each page promises a roller-coaster ride of mob-centric drama (especially if you have a penchant for the genre).
Feel the tug? Well, here’s a reason to act now: to commemorate this latest Cowboys-Steelers clash, I’m parting with five special, signed editions of Father of Mine. Interested? Fire off an email with the phrase “Father of Mine 10/4/24 Giveaway” as the subject. With your name, address, and preferred inscription tagged along, you might just find a piece of history at your doorstep.
And let’s up the ante to ten copies—a nod to their first Super Bowl skirmish, which ended with a grin on dad’s face. The 21-17 scoreline had the Steelers missing their mark on the seven-point spread, making it a jubilant day for some back in my hometown.
