The Ones Who Hit the Hardest - Chad Millman & Shawn Coyne

The Ones Who Hit the Hardest

By Chad Millman & Shawn Coyne

  • Release Date: 2010-09-02
  • Genre: Football
Score: 4
4
From 27 Ratings

Description

A stirring portrait of the decade when the Steelers became the greatest team in NFL history, even as Pittsburgh was crumbling around them.

In the 1970s, the city of Pittsburgh was in need of heroes. In that decade the steel industry, long the lifeblood of the city, went into massive decline, putting 150,000 steelworkers out of work. And then the unthinkable happened: The Pittsburgh Steelers, perennial also-rans in the NFL, rose up to become the most feared team in the league, dominating opponents with their famed "Steel Curtain" defense, winning four Super Bowls in six years, and lifting the spirits of a city on the brink.

In The Ones Who Hit the Hardest, Chad Millman and Shawn Coyne trace the rise of the Steelers amidst the backdrop of the fading city they fought for, bringing to life characters such as: Art Rooney, the owner of the team so beloved by Pittsburgh that he was known simply as "The Chief"; Chuck Noll, the headstrong coach who used the ethos of steelworkers to motivate his players; Terry Bradshaw, the strong-armed and underestimated QB; Joe Green, the defensive tackle whose fighting nature lifted the franchise; and Jack Lambert, the linebacker whose snarling, toothless grin embodied the Pittsburgh defense.

Every story needs a villain, and in this one it's played by the Dallas Cowboys. As Pittsburgh rusted, the new and glittering metropolis of Dallas, rich from the capital infusion of oil revenue, signaled the future of America. Indeed, the town brimmed with such confidence that the Cowboys felt comfortable nicknaming themselves "America's Team." Throughout the 1970s, the teams jostled for control of the NFL-the Cowboys doing it with finesse and the Steelers doing it with brawn-culminating in Super Bowl XIII in 1979, when the aging Steelers attempted to hold off the Cowboys one last time. Thoroughly researched and grippingly written, The Ones Who Hit the Hardest is a stirring tribute to a city, a team, and an era.

Reviews

  • Decent quick read

    1
    By Dale in Florida
    It was a decent quick read. It provided a good history of what happened with the two teams in the 70s. Unfortunately, the book left me wanting more. The fourth super bowl story was left out and I felt the book didn't provide a good aftermath about what happened to the players and teams after the 1978 super bowl. There was also not a real conclusion to the steel union story that was somewhat intrusive in the book. These sections could have been dropped for more detail about the teams and players. As stated previously, the stories and background were well done but could have been expanded upon. If you a true Steeler or Cowboy fan, there may not be too much new that you would learn from the book. However, if you are a football fan and too young to remember the era, this is an enjoyable quick read.