1975 SUPERTEAMS FOOTBALL PRELIMINARY
The success of Superstars competition added a new idea for 1975, a competition between the teams from the most recent World Series and Super Bowl. Honolulu was to be the site of the Superteams, and the Super Bowl teams were up first with half of the twenty men competing destined to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Blount, Bradshaw, Eller, Harris, Holmes, Krause, Page, Swann, Wagner, Yary). In a closely fought contest the first Superteams controversy occurred as the Steelers were disqualified after apparently winning the running relay when it was determined that Franco Harris had impeded Paul Krause. Harris had the lead after his leg and handed off to Mike Wagner, and drifted out of his lane to throw Krause off stride. The Vikings' protest was upheld by commissioner Joe Dey and gave the event to Minnesota. The teams traded events over the next two days and entered the tug of war even at three events each. With six men on each side, the tug of war emerged as titanic battle between the two gridiron opponents. The Steelers gained the early lead and were close to victory after seven minutes, until Alan Page rallied the vikings to swing the momentum. Ernie Holmes, the Steelers' anchor, switched his position to the front of the line in a desperate attempt to help his team from the brink of defeat. However, his change of position gave the Vikings the opportunity to surge and after 16 minutes, the Vikings had gained a measure of revenge and earned a spot in the Superteams final. The nearly 2,000 people gathered on the beach in Waikiki were transfixed, the effort expended by the principals providing an indelible sporting moment for the crowd and the television cameras. As Superstars creator Dick Button exclaimed, "Nothing - nothing, not even my own Olympic victories - has ever moved me like that."
Honolulu, Hawaii
Competition Dates: N/A.
Air Date: March 2, 1975
Commentators: Keith Jackson & O.J. Simpson.
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1. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4) - $6,200 |
2. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (3) - $4,000 |
| Carl Eller | Mel Blount |
| Chuck Foreman | Terry Bradshaw |
| John Gilliam | Jim Clack |
| Wally Hilgenberg | L.C. Greenwood |
| Paul Krause | Franco Harris |
| Dave Osborn | Ernie Holmes |
| Alan Page | Ray Mansfield |
| Jeff Siemon | Andy Russell |
| Mick Tingelhoff | Lynn Swann |
| Ron Yary | Mike Wagner |
INDIVIDUAL EVENT RESULTS
TANDEM BIKE RELAY
| 1. Pittsburgh Steelers |
3:11.13 |
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| 2. Minnesota Vikings | N/A |
RUNNING RELAY
| 1. Minnesota Vikings |
2:36.37 |
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| 2. Pittsburgh Steelers |
DQ |
OBSTACLE COURSE
| 1. Pittsburgh Steelers | N/A |
| 2. Minnesota Vikings | N/A |
| PITTSBURGH STEELERS |
TIME |
PENALTIES |
FINAL |
MINNESOTA TWINS |
TIME |
PENALTIES |
FINAL |
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| Lynn Swann |
20.56 |
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20.56 |
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SWIMMING RELAY
| 1. Minnesota Vikings | N/A |
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| 2. Pittsburgh Steelers | N/A |
VOLLEYBALL
| 1. Pittsburgh Steelers |
15 |
| 2. Minnesota Vikings |
7 |
WAR CANOE RACE
| 1. Minnesota Vikings | 4:04.06 |
| 2. Pittsburgh Steelers | N/A |
TUG OF WAR
| 1. Minnesota Vikings |
16 min. |
| 2. Pittsburgh Steelers |
e = estimated time
r = Superstars record
N/A = result not available
dnf - did not finish
nm - no mark