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Jerome Bettis – Hall of Famer (Plus Super Bowl XLIX)

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So anybody watch that little football game last night?

The Pittsburgh Steelers last second victory in Super Bowl XLIII has officially been unseated for the title of craziest ending ever thanks to the insane final minutes of Super Bowl XLIX. Beginning with Tom Brady‘s touchdown pass to put the New England Patriots ahead 28-24 with a little over two minutes left, the final sequence of events will live in Super Bowl folklore for decades to come. The Seattle Seahawks received a miracle via a crazy juggling catch that set them up at the goal line only to go and flush it all away with the WORST CALL IN NFL HISTORY. I’m not football genius but when you’re at the one foot line and your running back is nicknamed “Beast Mode,” I think it’d be prudent to GIVE HIM THE DAMN BALL.

Suddenly, Todd Haley doesn’t looks so bad.

The Patriots victory does hold some historical significance that’s of particular to those of us who bleed Black and Gold. With his win last night, Brady ties Terry Bradshaw and Pittsburgh native Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks to win four Super Bowl titles. Also, Bill Belichick becomes only the second coach alongside the late great Chuck Noll to guide his team to four Lombardi Trophies.

I’m sure the debate over who is the greatest will be one of those questions sports talk show hosts use on a slow news day for many many years to come. The Steelers won four in six seasons vs it taking New England 14 years to win their fourth although – and believe me it pains me to say this – there’s something to be said about a coach and a QB winning that many titles despite a constantly rotating cast of characters. But that’s a discussion for another day.

While last night’s outcome may have not been ideal, Saturday brought great news. Jerome Bettis was finally elected into the NFL Hall of Fame. The Bus has been a finalist for several years but the goofy way they go about selecting enshrinees cost him his rightful spot among the all-time greats. In order to spread the love, electors nearly always limit themselves to one inductee at each position. Bettis had the misfortune of falling behind running backs like Curtis Martin and Marshall Faulk in the pecking order. Plus, there’s a well-known anti-Steeler bias among the voters as anybody who’s visited Canton – a trip I strongly encourage everybody to make at least once – can attest how the bust room looks like it belongs in the Heinz Sports Museum as much as the NFL Hall of Fame.

There’s little doubt the Bus is HOF-worthy. He’s sixth all-time in career yardage, third all-time in carries, and tenth in rushing touchdowns. Heck, he should probably get in just for trucking Brian Urlacher that one time. He was undoubtedly one of the best backs of his era and is easily one of the top five power type backs ever. With Steeler Nation sure to swarm Canton in record numbers for his August 8th induction ceremony, there’s a pretty good chance we’ll be see the Black and Gold playing in the Hall of Fame Game, the traditional first preseason game of the 2015.

It was a long time coming for the Bus but as they say all’s well that end’s well. Which I’m sure is a sentiment a lot of people up in New England would agree with wholeheartedly this morning.