Bum Phillips Kick Down The Door Speech

[Guest Big Phil]

I am looking for a copy of the speech Bum Phillips gave at the Astrodome after losing to the steelers for the second year in a row. I talked about kicking down the door next year.

[zoneranger]

Momentum carried the fragile but sky-high team into their most important game of the year - the AFC Championship. Perry snagged a Terry Bradshaw dart and sailed 75 yards for the first touchdown. Could miracles come in bunches? Fritsch added a field goal for a 10-3 second-quarter advantage. But even with their trio of stars back, the Oiler offense still struggled against the powerful Steelers, who stacked the line against Campbell and dared Pastorini to beat them.

Given enough chances, Pittsburgh's offense started to click. Bradshaw connected for two touchdowns and the Steelers led at the half, 17-10. It stayed that way until the Oilers mounted a drive that brought them to the Steeler six-yard line. Pastorini lobbed a throw into the back corner of the end zone. Renfro snared it with his fingertips as Ron Johnson forced him over the end line. The officials watched each other, hoping for a decisive ruling.

With nobody sure if Renfro's feet were in bounds or whether he had possession of the ball, the officials ruled the pass incomplete as Phillips fumed on the sidelines and NBC showed the catch over and over. The consensus (outside of Pennsylvania) was that Renfro had a touchdown that wasn't. The call became the moment when the NFL decided to seriously consider using television replays to affect the game - a policy with many defenders and detractors to this day.

The drive stalled and Fritsch kicked a short field goal but Pittsburgh still led, 17-13. The Oiler defense had stymied the Steelers for the third quarter but ran out of gas in the fourth quarter allowing a field goal then an insurance touchdown from Rocky Bleier. The final count read 27-13.

Another celebration at the Astrodome had already been planned, win or lose. The place was packed and more were turned away. With the backdrop of Americans being held hostage in Iran, emotions overflowed. Speeches were made by players and politicians, but it was Bum Phillips who said what nobody there would soon forget.

"One year ago, we knocked on the door. This year, we beat on the door. Next year, we're gonna kick the son-of-a-bitch in."