“The
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The
Franchise That Destiny Built”
(The Following is copy relating to
the title of the Artwork and a descriptive account of the 11 plays and moments
depicted in the Artwork. If you would
rather go directly to the specs and pricing of “The Pittsburgh
Steelers: The Franchise That Destiny
Built” please click here …)
“THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS: THE FRANCHISE THAT DESTINY BUILT”
For almost four decades, starting from their
founding by Art Rooney in 1933, the Pittsburgh Steelers never won a playoff
game … let alone a championship. What
the franchise lacked in talent, it made up in grit, tenacity, hard-nosed play. It shared the work ethic and pride of its
devoted fans. It fielded players like
Hall-of-Famer Ernie Stautner, who was the very embodiment of the Steelers and
Pittsburgh, and Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb, who literally worked in a steel mill
before pro football. Despite its lack of
success, the team earned the respect of its opponents. Said Tom Landry during his days as a star
with the powerful New York Giants in the 50s:
“We would rather play the Browns twice than the Steelers once.” Said the incomparable Jim Brown: “You play the Steelers on Sunday and you feel
it Monday.”
There is a profound saying that states: “Watch your character, for it becomes your
destiny.” If so, where was
Destiny? Here were the Steelers …
playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played … year after year paying
their dues in a league of hard knocks … and their reward was futility. The Steelers had earned the respect of their
opponents; they apparently did not earn the respect of Destiny. Destiny, it seems, had turned its back on the
Steelers.
And then on December 23, 1972—a date with
Destiny if there ever was one—the Steelers trailed the Oakland Raiders
7-6. It was fourth-and-10 on the
Pittsburgh 40 yard line with 22 seconds left in the game: a
scrambling Terry Bradshaw about to be pulverized … a hurled football reaching
the outstretched arms of Frenchy Fuqua … an impacting missile that was Jack
Tatum … and a bending Franco Harris grasping … Destiny! It was the
Black and Gold’s first playoff win ever.
Only three words can accurately and adequately describe the play: The Immaculate Reception. In the franchise’s 40th year of existence,
Destiny—finally, fittingly—bowed down low and embraced the Steelers. And the Steelers and Destiny have become an
inseparable team ever since!
Depicted in this Artwork by acclaimed artist
Ben Teeter are the forever-etched-in-the-mind Super Bowl plays and moments—as
well as The Immaculate Reception—that have earned the Destiny Seal of
Approval. You will note every play and
moment is depicted in that area of the field where each actually occurred. Here, then, is a description of those 10
Super Bowl plays and moments:
(
Super
Bowl XIII Steelers 35 Cowboys 31: This rematch of Super Bowl X pitted America’s
Team against … well … Arguably the Greatest Team in the
History of the National Football League. And judging from the results (after an
early scare the Steelers surged to an insurmountable 35-17 lead), America
got a raw deal. Ya think?! With the score tied 14-14 and 33 seconds
to go in the half, shown is Rocky Bleier as he
skied heavenward to snare a Terry Bradshaw touchdown pass at its apex. Overmatched Dallas defender D.D. Lewis
could only helplessly look on in wonderment. Such elevating catches are expected of
the Swanns and Larry Fitzgeralds of the world. But Rocky Bleier?! Productive running and unsurpassed
blocking was his mark. But of course
Rocky Bleier. Extraordinary people do extraordinary things. Which begs the question: Rocket J. Squirrel or Rocket J. Bleier?!!
Super Bowl XIV Steelers 31 Rams 19: It was the
magnificent performance of repeat Super Bowl MVP Terry Bradshaw and the
Steeler receivers—as well as a Jack Lambert interception—that did in the
feisty Rams. Early in the fourth
quarter Bradshaw and John Stallworth hooked up with a dazzling 73-yard
touchdown. But it was this (shown)
jaw-dropping, backwards-bending, over-the-helmet grab by Stallworth
that outshined the earlier catch.
This 44-yard beauty led to the Steelers’ 31st point —and
game-clinching—touchdown. It was the
fourth Super Bowl Championship for the 1970s Steelers and for the man Myron
Cope dubbed the Emperor—Chuck Noll.
Super Bowl XL Steelers 21 Seahawks 10:
The Bill Cowher-led Steelers were the first 6-seed to win a Super
Bowl, and it was the first Super Bowl appearance for Seattle in its 30-year
history. But two long Steeler
touchdowns gulled the Seahawks and a Ben Roethlisberger
goal-line-plane-breaking score galled them.
Just 22 seconds into the third quarter, shown is Willie
Parker’s 75-yard touchdown run—the longest in Super Bowl history! It was simply a matter of the Steeler
O-line giving the Seahawks a lesson in 101 blocking. It was sheer perfection resulting in
sheared Seahawk would-be tacklers and a 14-3 lead. Reading his blocks—among them a
beak-flattening job by Alan Faneca—Fast Willie saw the opening and—beep-beep/meep-meep—left Seattle in
its wake. Not to be outdone, Antwaan Randle El, Hines
Ward and the rest of the offense followed up by teaching the Seahawks the
art of the wide receiver reverse pass.
With 8:43 left in the fourth quarter, Randle El found Ward behind
the Seattle secondary for a 21-10 Steeler lead and the game’s final score. Shown is a joyously leaping
Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward breaking the goal line as well as the wings and
spirit of the Seahawks. We
now take you back to Super Bowl XIII and the Steelers’ victory over the
Cowboys. Lynn Swann had made yet
another astounding catch from the golden arm of Terry Bradshaw; this time
snaring the ball while seemingly floating in space and then sliding on his
knees in the back of the endzone ala Baryshnikov. It was the Steelers’ last touchdown of
the 35-31 triumph. Yet
it’s what occurred after the play was over that was even more memorable and
more significant. For Swann
raced back over the goal line and was immediately hoisted (shown)
by his teammates one after another while emphatically pointing his No. I
index finger heavenward. It was a
gesture that proclaimed to the football world Steeler Sovereignty. Steeler Destiny. And
it has stood the test of time to this day. Super Bowl XLIII Steelers 27 Cardinals 23: The Arizona Cardinals, a team suffering through the
NFL’s longest championship drought, a 9-7 team that reached the Super Bowl
via a startling post season, a team whose quarterback—Kurt Warner—made yet
another astonishing comeback adding yet another chapter to his storied
career, a team coached and staffed by former Steelers, a team that
prominent sportswriters had confidently ordained as Destiny’s Darlings …
surely, surely the Arizona Cardinals were the rightful heirs to the Throne
of Destiny at the expense of Mike Tomlin and his Steelers. Surely
you jest. Oh, ye sportswriters
of little sense and no sense of history.
They’re not called the SUPER STEELERS for nothing. Oh, well, you’ll just have to learn the
hard way: With the Cardinals on the Steelers 1
yard line, on what was to be the last non-kicking play of the half, James
Harrison (shown) stepped in front of a Kurt Warner-intended pass to
Anquan Boldin. We all know what
happened next: What—save
Destiny—could propel a 245-lb. man to run an improbable—to put it mildly—Super
Bowl-record 100 yards through countless obstacles before breaking the
goal-line plane? It was a potential
14-point swing. But this was by no
means an Immaculate Reception. It
was merely … SECOND BY ITS LONESOME to The Immaculate Reception!! But with Larry Fitzgerald’s 64-yard
touchdown—and 16th unanswered point to give the Cardinals the lead—with
only 2 minutes and 37 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Cardinal backers
could hear the knocking on Destiny’s door.
Unfortunately for Arizona, it was only opportunity knocking for Ben
Roethlisberger. In what will forever be known as “Big
Ben’s Big Drive,” the Steeler QB marched his teammates down the football
field. And with 43 seconds left in
the game, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Santonio Holmes and Destiny
slammed the door in the Cardinals’ face. Shown is Holme’s
head-to-toe-stretching touchdown reception from Roethlisberger as he
out-flew a trailing and outmanned flock of Cardinal dbs. When
it comes to the Steelers, that Destiny is such a softy for the dramatic, ain’t
it?!!
********************************************
In the first half of the franchise’s
existence—despite blood, sweat and tears—the Steelers were never rewarded with
a playoff victory. But it’s been a
second half of blood, sweat and cheers, of still playing Steelers Football, of
players—be they Hall of Famers or not—tough of mind, body and spirit, of more
Super Bowl Championships than any other franchise. It is the franchise most identified with pro
football by hard-core and casual fans alike.
(Steeler Super Bowls are typically among the highest-rated telecasts in
television history.) It is the Black and
Gold. It is Steelers Nation. It is
… The Pittsburgh Steelers: The Franchise That Destiny Built.
The Greatest-Scapes * 1-800-786-3022 * www.greatestscapes.com/pgh
It’s with great pride
The Greatest-Scapes offers this limited edition fine art print titled “The Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Franchise That Destiny Built.” Depicted are what we consider the 11 most
memorable and significant plays and moments from the unprecedented six Steeler
Super Bowl Championships—including, needless to say, The Immaculate
Reception. In addition, on the bottom
border are portraits of the celebrated principals and their uniform numbers
including head coaches Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin—20 in all!
Below is the
list of the 20 Steelers:
Ben Roethlisberger #7, Santonio Holmes #10, Terry
Bradshaw #12, Rocky Bleier #20, Franco Harris #32, Frenchy Fuqua #33, Willie
Parker #39, Jack Lambert #58, Ernie Holmes #63, Alan Faneca #66, L.C. Greenwood
#68, Joe Greene #75, Dwight White #78, John Stallworth #82, Hines Ward #86,
Lynn Swann #88, James Harrison #92, Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher, Chuck Noll.
Created by renowned Artist Ben Teeter, the
artwork singularly captures the glory and resolve of pro football’s greatest
franchise. With his signature vivid,
rich colors and meticulous detail, it’s small wonder the NFL Alumni Association
has commissioned him to paint almost 40 paintings of football greats for their
Player of the Year Awards--and the Dunruss/Playoff Card Company hired him to
paint 72 of their 2005 Series 1 and Series 2 Diamond King Cards. In addition, many current and past NFL players—such
as Kurt Warner, Tony Gonzales and Cris Carter—have Ben Teeter (click here for full bio) original paintings
in their personal collections.
“The Pittsburgh
Steelers: The Franchise That Destiny
Built” is available
in two editions: a 17-inch high x 29-inch
wide paper edition on high-grade, 130-lb. (a very thick) paper limited to an
edition size of 400 with 5 Artists Proofs; and a 16-inch high x 28-inch wide on
canvas limited to an edition of 100 with
5 Artist Proofs. It is available
unframed or framed with this striking 1 ¼-inch 
wide,
bright gold frame with black antiquing (shown here).
The framed artwork comes fully assembled
(with glass cover for the paper edition), ready to hang or lean, and you have
the option of this 5/8—inch X 3 1/2--inch black-with-gold-script brass title
plate (shown here).
Please keep in mind the title and artist are
listed on the Certificate of Authenticity that accompanies each artwork; so the
brass title plate is a nice touch but is not necessary. Prices for “The
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Franchise That
Destiny Built” are listed
below. By the way, the Original Oil on
Illustration Board measures 26 inches x 40 inches and sells for $4995.
Last but certainly not least, The
Greatest-Scapes offers you the option of a remarque (shown below). What is a remarque? A remarque is a one-of-a-kind image or
drawing in the margin of an artwork by the artist, which is often related in
theme to the main image. And every
remarque for “The Pittsburgh Steelers: The Franchise That Destiny Built”
will be produced by Artist Ben Teeter.
In our case the remarque is modeled after The Terrible Towel and
measures approximately 2 inches high x 3 inches wide. Headlined The 12th Steeler, it will be
inscribed with your name alone or with the names of you and your family or
friends. It goes without saying the
remarque dramatically illustrates the bond between Steeler Nation and Steeler
Franchise. IMPORTANT: Please note there is a maximum two lines and
16 characters—including spaces—per line.
You will note the sample we use—BIG JIM,
BETTY & BOBBY TAYLOR—is two lines and 14 characters per line. If you have a large family, you can put your
family name. For example, THE TAYLORS or
THE TAYLOR FAMILY. Please refer to the
box on the Order Form to print the names you wish to appear on your
remarque. Or you can telephone us at
1-800-786-3022.
Please also note the remarque will be
positioned in the bottom border between the Steeler portraits. If you choose not to include the remarque,
the Artwork will depict STEELERS between two lines (shown here ) instead.
Here, below, are the prices for “The Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Franchise That Destiny Built”
17 x 29 paper edition of
400 at $150 each
unframed
17 x 29 Artist Proof paper
edition of 5 at $225 each
unframed
Framed, fully assembled 17
x 29 paper edition of 400 at $239 each
Framed, fully assembled 17
x 29 Artist Proof paper edition of 5 at $314 each
16 x 28 canvas edition of
100 at $250 each unframed
16 x 28 Artist Proof canvas
edition of 5 at $375 each unframed
Framed, fully assembled 16
x 28 canvas edition of 100 at $329 each
Framed, fully assembled 16
x 28 Artist Proof canvas edition of 5 at $454 each
Personalized Remarque
option: add $50
each
Brass Title Plate
option: add $9
each
Framed Paper Edition art comes fully
assembled, with glass cover, ready to hang or lean. Framed Canvas Edition art does not come with
a glass cover because there is a protective coating on the canvas.
Click Here for Printable Order Form.
Commissioned Artworks by
Ben Teeter
The Greatest-Scapes is proud to
announce that through us you can commission Ben Teeter to create for you an Oil
on Canvas custom Artwork. Whether a
momentous memory or event, whether it involves you or your family members,
Mr.Teeter can capture it on canvas with his unique style and his immaculate
detail.
If interested, please call us at 1-800-786-3022
or 412-781-3022,
or e-mail us at greatestscapes@hotmail.com
to discuss this opportunity. Please note
all commissioned Artworks will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.
OUR SECOND FEATURED ITEM:
A
panoramic photograph of Raymond James Stadium as Ben Roethlisberger is about to
take the snap seconds before all Heaven (and History) breaks loose! Shot by master photographer Rob Arra, both
endzone scoreboards vividly tell the excruciating, heart-pounding tale: Second and goal on the 7 yard line, 0:43
seconds to go in Super Bowl XLIII … boy can you feel it!!
(Please note we are prohibited from
displaying a high-resolution image of the photograph on our website and on our
advertising materials. Therefore the
image shown here and on our flyer simply cannot come close to conveying the
sharp, crystal-clear detail of the actual panoramic photograph.)
This panoramic photograph is available
unframed in two sizes: a 9 ½-inch x 27-inch
print that sells for $17, and a 13-inch x
39-inch print that sells for $39. However, the 9 ½-inch x 27-inch photograph is
available framed with a two-inch-wide, triple-grooved black frame (shown above ).
This eye-catching Artpiece measures 12 ¾ inches high x 30 ¼ inches wide
and comes fully assembled, with glass cover, ready to hang or lean. The cost is only $39
… a truly exceptional price!
Click Here for Printable Order Form.
If you would like us to mail you or a friend a
brochure of “The Pittsburgh Steelers: The Franchise That Destiny Built” and
the Super Bowl XLIII framed panoramic photo and our Penguin flyer, please
call us at 1-800-786-3022 or email us at greatestscapes@hotmail.com
The Greatest-Scapes
1-800-786-3022 * www.greatestscapes.com