For Charlie Batch, Thanksgiving Day in 1998 sticks out as a tough day in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise, thanks to a simple thing like the coin toss at midfield.
Of course, on that day in 1998, the Steelers and Detroit Lions were tied up at 16-16 entering overtime. There, the 7-4 Steelers appeared set to win the coin toss and win the game on a short week against a bad Lions team.
Instead, referee Phil Luckett botched it. Or did Steelers’ running back Jerome Bettis?
Bettis and defensive back Carnell Lake represented the Steelers in the middle of the field for the coin toss, which Luckett conducted.