Crossed center line while intoxicated and paid a heavy price.
Never heard him complain about his life and made the most of his condition.
RIP.
Never heard him complain about his life and made the most of his condition.
RIP.
Gabe Rivera has passed
- Thread starter Saboteur
- Start date
Even if Senior Sack had remained completely healthy, we still should’ve taken this guy with that draft pick. I will always believe that our failure to do so cost us at least a few Super Bowls.
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You're so right! If we had him instead of Neil O'donnel and the simpleton Bubby, we might be using toes instead of fingers to count up our superbowls!Even if Senior Sack had remained completely healthy, we still should’ve taken this guy with that draft pick. I will always believe that our failure to do so cost us at least a few Super Bowls.
Here is my ace story about that day: I hope you like it.
In those days, the draft was during the week. I cannot remember if it was a Tuesday or Wednesday, but it was definitely a weekday because I remember talking about it with my friends at school. I could not have been older than second or third grade. We were quite young but we were already fanatics.
Anyway, I remember racing home from school to see who the Steelers had picked?
I don’t remember why, but my dad was home that day – which was quite unusual on a weekday.
He knew that I really wanted the Steelers to draft Dan Marino. I had talked about it for months and months and about how it would be perfect if he succeeded Bradshaw as our quarterback.
I knew that Terry Bradshaw was near the end of his career. What I did not know, and what the Steelers did not know, was that he was literally at the end of his career. He had injured his elbow in the final game of the season against the New York Jets and he would never again suit up for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In those days, the Post-Gazette would do a huge draft analysis and according to the Post-Gazette – or it may have been the old Pittsburgh Press – Dan Marino was projected to go in the top 10 picks.
When I entered the house, I went to the kitchen where my dad was sitting reading the newspaper and listening to the radio. That was very common for him then and it is still something he often does today.
He knew what I was going to ask him, so he coldly cut me off and said, “The Steelers did not get Marino. They took some kid from Texas A&M.”
It was actually Texas Tech, but I vividly remember him saying Texas A&M and wondering who the hell they would’ve drafted from Texas A&M because the Aggies were pathetic in those days? Jackie Sherrill had just taken over the program there and they didn’t have anything.
I then asked him where Marino landed and he said he did not know. I just assumed that Marino had been taken well ahead of where the Steelers picked.
Then, during the 6 o’clock news, they did a whole thing on how the Steelers had passed on Marino to take Gabriel Rivera from Texas Tech.
I lost my shit!
I could not believe that the Steelers had passed on such a great player who was also local! I got so worked up that I started to cry.
My dad would have none of that and he and my mom sent me to my room to gain some perspective. I remember him sternly telling me that it’s just a game and I was taking it way too seriously and I needed to get some perspective.
I remember sitting up in my room and just crying for the longest time and listening to the Myron Cope show and caller after caller after caller bitching about that decision.
There were some who were in favor of it because they thought Rivera could be the next Joe Greene. However, most of the callers, at least as I remember them, were very upset with the Steelers’ decision.
I am really sad to report that all these many years later, I have not gained very much perspective at all and I STILL want to cry when I think about that boneheaded decision.
In those days, the draft was during the week. I cannot remember if it was a Tuesday or Wednesday, but it was definitely a weekday because I remember talking about it with my friends at school. I could not have been older than second or third grade. We were quite young but we were already fanatics.
Anyway, I remember racing home from school to see who the Steelers had picked?
I don’t remember why, but my dad was home that day – which was quite unusual on a weekday.
He knew that I really wanted the Steelers to draft Dan Marino. I had talked about it for months and months and about how it would be perfect if he succeeded Bradshaw as our quarterback.
I knew that Terry Bradshaw was near the end of his career. What I did not know, and what the Steelers did not know, was that he was literally at the end of his career. He had injured his elbow in the final game of the season against the New York Jets and he would never again suit up for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In those days, the Post-Gazette would do a huge draft analysis and according to the Post-Gazette – or it may have been the old Pittsburgh Press – Dan Marino was projected to go in the top 10 picks.
When I entered the house, I went to the kitchen where my dad was sitting reading the newspaper and listening to the radio. That was very common for him then and it is still something he often does today.
He knew what I was going to ask him, so he coldly cut me off and said, “The Steelers did not get Marino. They took some kid from Texas A&M.”
It was actually Texas Tech, but I vividly remember him saying Texas A&M and wondering who the hell they would’ve drafted from Texas A&M because the Aggies were pathetic in those days? Jackie Sherrill had just taken over the program there and they didn’t have anything.
I then asked him where Marino landed and he said he did not know. I just assumed that Marino had been taken well ahead of where the Steelers picked.
Then, during the 6 o’clock news, they did a whole thing on how the Steelers had passed on Marino to take Gabriel Rivera from Texas Tech.
I lost my shit!
I could not believe that the Steelers had passed on such a great player who was also local! I got so worked up that I started to cry.
My dad would have none of that and he and my mom sent me to my room to gain some perspective. I remember him sternly telling me that it’s just a game and I was taking it way too seriously and I needed to get some perspective.
I remember sitting up in my room and just crying for the longest time and listening to the Myron Cope show and caller after caller after caller bitching about that decision.
There were some who were in favor of it because they thought Rivera could be the next Joe Greene. However, most of the callers, at least as I remember them, were very upset with the Steelers’ decision.
I am really sad to report that all these many years later, I have not gained very much perspective at all and I STILL want to cry when I think about that boneheaded decision.
Oh yeah, there’s no doubt about it. What people tend to forget this we had some really great defenses in that era. They were not like the legendary defenses of the 70s, but we still had some really strong defenses. We went to the AFC Championship game in 1984 with Mark Malone under center.
I sincerely believe that if we had an elite quarterback to go along with those excellent defenses and some pretty good skill talent on offense, we would’ve been amongst the best teams in the AFC for a very long time.
Oh well, you can’t change history but I will always believe that single decision cost us some Super Bowl rings.
By the way, if you want to know what Pitt’s real colors are, you’re looking at them. Those are perfect!
My Dad threw an Iron City 16oz bottle at the TV...
I was in fourth grade and didn’t think much of it because I thought Terry Bradshaw was going to play forever. Drafting Marino would have altered those awful drafts the Steelers had in the 1980s and building a team more suited toward his passing skills.
Pretty damning in the Noll book wondering why Marino struggled as a senior when watching Dan throwing to Collins and Dawkins at Three Rivers and Tony Dungy saying “ No wonder this guy had a bad senior year, these guys can’t catch.”
Pretty damning in the Noll book wondering why Marino struggled as a senior when watching Dan throwing to Collins and Dawkins at Three Rivers and Tony Dungy saying “ No wonder this guy had a bad senior year, these guys can’t catch.”
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I remember thinking the same thing: we had the best QB in college football, but his receivers repeatedly let him down.
still ended up being as productive in the NFL as most 1st round PSU running backs...
Interesting as I was only like 3 years old at the time. I ways thought they were good WR's, never realized they were not.
nope, best thing that could have ever happened for Marino was going elsewhere, especially to Miami...Shula changed for him and did not have him change for Shula. He wound him up and let him go..Never happens in Pittsburgh but revisionist history of what would have happened but in fact would probably not have is fun. .
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its amazing how we think players in our youth were these super stars only to realize when we are older, not so much. I remember Johnny Ray for the buccos and thinking he was the best 2nd basemen in baseball. Also remember a dude named Mike Diaz, aka Rambo, and thinking he had to be one of the best HR hitters in MLB, all because I had a cool poster of him on my wall growing up.
Diaz' HR high mark was 16 in one season. Johnny Ray's stats are actually quite respectable in his defense..
The Dolphins lost the Super Bowl in 1982 then drafted Dan Marino with the 27th pick in the 1983 draft. They lost the Super Bowl in 1985. A bad defense is often blamed for the Dolphins inability to win a Super Bowl. Should they have passed on Marino and drafted Darrell Green, who went to the Redskins with the 28th pick in 1983, instead?
You bring-up a good point. Chuck Noll practically hemorrhaged when "Jefferson Street Joe" Gilliam was winging the ball all over the field. If Danny would've been drafted by the Steelers, we might assume that he wouldn't have put-up the numbers that he did at Miami because the Steelers offense would've reeled him in.
While I was growing-up, I idolized Dick Stuart. I had no idea that he was a bad fielder until the "Dr. Strangeglove" jokes appeared after he was traded.
And it might have been the deepest and best draft of all time, though the 1981 draft was pretty damn good.
The 1983 draft was forgettable for the Steelers. They even cut after one season a short, quick receiver from Washington, Paul Skansi, who ended up playing through the 80s with the Seahawks. Skansi caught the game-winning TD at Kansas City on the final play of the game in 1989, the game where Derrick Thomas had an NFL-record seven sacks.
I mean, how do you not hit on just one guy in rounds 2 through 12? Wayne Capers seemed OK, but he disappeared after 1984. He caught a TD pass very late in the AFC title game versus Miami, and I don't think he was even on the 1985 roster.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Bradshaw threw the ball a lot after the rules changed. Of course he also had the luxury of a defense. I doubt Marino puts up gigantic numbers in Pittsburgh but I bet he wins multiple Super Bowls and gets to the HOF anyway.
Two words for that draft. Todd Blackledge. Who in what world takes him over Marino. Gabe actually was a really good looking DT and so unfortunate his price for driving hammered resulted in that injury. I lived a couple miles from where that occurred and was told by folks at the time he hit the pole 6 feet off the ground after being thrown from the car through the back window.
In 1984, Malone had 16 TDs and 17 INTs. Marino had 48 TDs and 17 INTs. I am firmly in the camp that we definitely remain a contender for another decade with the right pick in that draft. And I feel like anyone arguing differently is trying too hard to be contrarian. Marino was the best pure thrower in NFL history by the end of his career even if you can argue better a couple better overall QBs before and since.
and yet had a pretty bad for his standards and disappointing senior year (bad receivers or not) with a talented team and a coach not named Sherrill. ...which goes to show you that when coaching and situational cookies are not lined up things do not always go as well as expected..no stretchy contrarianism about that at all.
"we"? leave that "we" business to the folks in the middle of the state...but I digress.
how many dominant Defenses has the steelers had thru the 80's and 90's, wasted on inept QBs. Malone, stoudt, Woodley, Brister, Kordell Stewart, Tomczyk, the list is long.. Hell, some of those Mid 90's steelers teams, even with an Avg QB, wins a few super bowls..
or he should have done what he did and stayed loyal to Pitt (this is a Pitt board is it not?) in what was to be a run at a national championship (preseason #1) and go on break all the existing NFL passing records on a non-schitthole team and become a first ballot hall of famer....
me thinks Grasshopper chose wisely....
Interesting, your post made me notice that I say the team name in pro sports and "we" name in college sports. I never noticed I did that.
Absolutely agree. Dr. VY also pointed out that we had incredible defenses, especially in the early to mid 90's. THe only thing that cost us the superbowl in the 95 season was incompetence at QB. We were a better team that day with the exception of 2 throws directly to the Dallas d-back, who won the MVP, for catching two balls that you or I would not drop.
With Marino as a Steeler, he would not even need to light it up. Additionally, I wonder if there is any regret on his part for not being a Steeler. He has probably thought on more than one occasion, despite being a hall-of-famer, that if he was a Steeler he would likely have several superbowl rings instead of none.
I think that wasn't done until your president threw enough money at Herschel Walker to entice him to the upstart league.
It was a Tuesday. It also happened to be the Tuesday after finals ended at Pitt, so I was at home watching it live. And yelling at the television when Marino fell to the Stillers pick. And then yelling something completely different when they actually picked Rivera instead.
If the Steelers took Marino they win Super Bowl XIX against the 49ers and most likely make it back the next year to play the Bears, I’ll take off my yinzer hat and say it’s a 50-50 chance they beat Chicago. After that I think Marino has a similar career to the one he had in Miami and doesn’t go back to a Super Bowl. Outside of Rod Woodson the Steelers drafted some busts in the first round during the mid to late 80’s and I see them making the same mistakes drafting in the 22 to 28 range that they made in the 10 to 20 range. Also if Noll has another Super Bowl or two do they still clean house when he retires? Or do they move up an assistant like Tony Dungy or Tom Moore? Would Dungy have gotten a head coaching job way sooner if he was coaching a Super Bowl caliber team?
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It was a case of Dan being far better off getting out of Pittsburgh.
Sure, he would have been better than Malone. But we didn't have Duper, Clayton or warm weather. The Steelers were scared of the drug rumors. Whether those rumors were true I can't say, but let's not pretend they weren't floating about.
Watch the ESPN 30 for 30 about that draft, it had nothing to do with the drug rumors, the Rooney’s had him investigated and the cops found nothing, Noll wanted his next Mean Joe and thought he had him with Senor Sack.
I've seen it. I also don't think that it is true. Just because 30 for 30...30 years later does a show.
It wasn't just the Steelers who passed on Marino. Plus, it serves no purpose for the Steelers to admit they were influenced by rumors. I was 23 at the time and without a doubt, that was word on the street. I do recall Shula admitting concern..and btw....let's see the reports instead of taking someone s word for it. That is classic hearsay.
did not know your were a foreigner....Oh well, c'est la vie!
How’s it hearsay? Art Rooney Jr. who was the head of the scouting department, son of the owner and brother of the team president told the story. The Rooney’s stayed tight lipped about the report so the rumors never went away, if someone picks Rivera before the Steelers we would have had Marino.
If Rivera never has that accident and has a very good to great career are we still having this discussion?
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