Man suffered attack when Steelers' Bettis fumbled

[Taco John]

Fan recovering from heart attack
Man suffered attack when Steelers' Bettis fumbled

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Talk about a heart-stopping game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts.

Terry O'Neill, 50, of Pittsburgh, was watching the game at a bar and had a heart attack seconds after Jerome Bettis fumbled trying to score from the 2-yard line late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger prevented the Colts' Nick Harper from returning the recovered ball for a touchdown and the Steelers hung on for a 21-18 win.

O'Neill said Bettis is his hero.

"I wasn't upset that the Steelers might lose," he told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I was upset because I didn't want to see him end his career like that. A guy like that deserves better. I guess it was a little too much for me to handle."

O'Neill, who was recovering at a hospital, credits two firefighters with saving him.

"The Steelers won the game and I'm still alive, so I guess I'm doing pretty good," he said.

He will have a pacemaker implanted to control an irregular heartbeat and he was prescribed medication to deal with the hypertension.

While he would like to go to the bar Sunday for the game against the Denver Broncos to thank the guys who saved him, O'Neill said, "I guess I should probably take it easy and watch the game at home."


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?cnn=yes

[Taco John]

That poor guy is going to have to be put on watch this Sunday.

[Garcia Bronco]

It would be really cool if Bettis took him jersey.

[Dagmar]

Damn... Dude should stay home on Sunday! Then again, this one hopefully won't be as intense, as the Broncos will have it in the bag early....

[ludo21]

Dude got some prescribed nitroglceryn, he will need it this weekend when we "shock" the world and win!

[WolfpackGuy]

Jeez, too many Roethlis-burgers in my opinion...

[smalltowngrll]

Originally Posted by ludo21

Dude got some prescribed nitroglceryn, he will need it this weekend when we "shock" the world and win!

My thoughts exactly!

[BritBronco Maniac]

He has a point, after the fumble I was thinking that if the Steelers lost Bettis would HAVE to come back next year, you couldn't end such a career like that

[GonzoLays]

Man, I could see something like that causing a heart attack.

I remember the feeling I had when Champ Bailey got caught on the side by Ben Watson right before he made it to the endzone. I thought for sure they were going to call it a touchback; my feelings went from jumping up and down high to oooooh shiiiiiiiiiiit noooooo when Watson hit em. It wasn't pleasent.

[broncoblue]

it took me half hour to clean the beer off the tv after i launched a tinny at it

[Broncoman13]

My heart skipped a beat when Bettis fumbled that ball... then it started racing when Harpen was running. By that time my BP was already up and I lost what little of my voice I had left by yelling at the refs for trying to fix the game. If I was a Steeler fan I would have had all kinds of **** to include carbuncles!

[TexanBob]

Only one? I thought there would have been more.

[chuckrugger]

It was kind of a great story (aside from the whole near death thing). He was an old operator engineer is a southside bar that's been there for like 60 years. Bettis fumbled, Harper recovered, Ben tackled him, and the poor guy slid right off his bar stool onto the floor. Later his quote was, "I guess I have to watch the next game at home."

[freak6]

Originally Posted by GonzoLays

Man, I could see something like that causing a heart attack.

I remember the feeling I had when Champ Bailey got caught on the side by Ben Watson right before he made it to the endzone. I thought for sure they were going to call it a touchback; my feelings went from jumping up and down high to oooooh shiiiiiiiiiiit noooooo when Watson hit em. It wasn't pleasent.

I think my gf, son, and gf's mom think I need a straight jacket. I threw my glasses at the tv as hard as I could (I was able to put them back together!!), and exploded in an expletive filled rampage directed at Champ in my living room until "the play stands as called".

Triplett is still a total SOB.

[XXXII&III]

I know what he's trying to do. He's playing the sympathy card trying to get tickets. Like the people on craigslist are doing... please sell me your ticket for five bucks, I'm disabled and deserve to go.

[heydensmom]

Originally Posted by XXXII&III

I know what he's trying to do. He's playing the sympathy card trying to get tickets. Like the people on craigslist are doing... please sell me your ticket for five bucks, I'm disabled and deserve to go.

you're prob right, that's sad

We almost drove off the road after hearing about the fumble....

[footstepsfrom#27]

I can see this guy in the back of the ambulance...

EMT 1- "We're losing him...he's flat lining...hit him with the paddles again!
EMT 2- "Charging....WOW did you hear that? Vanderjack just missed that chipshot field goal...the Steelers WIN! Steelers win after all!"

Heart attack victim- (coming out of it now) "What the ****...(leaping off the gurney)...ALLRIGHT! We won? We really won?"

He should send Vanderjack a Christmas card thanking him for saving his life!

[broncoholic]

I'm pretty sure the fumble was my fault.
When Manning was sacked I took my Conf. championship tix out of the envelope and yelled to my buddy "WE"RE GOING TO THE GAME!"....Fumble! I quickly put those jinx ridden tickets back in the envelope and Vandy missed....whew!

[Dr. Broncenstein]

I'm still trying to get the **** stains out of my pants... caused by the Bettis fumble

[ludo21]

Originally Posted by Dr. Broncenstein

I'm still trying to get the **** stains out of my pants... caused by the Bettis fumble

bowels loosened after that eh?

[Dr. Broncenstein]

Originally Posted by ludo21

bowels loosened after that eh?

I was hung over and had the beer ****s from the night before... It was almost a disaster

[Disco Man]

....hell I had a heart attack when he fumbled......