A half-century ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers shared a practice field with horses owned by the Allegheny County Police, giving new meaning to the phrase, “Watch your step.� The 1968 Philadelphia Eagles were so bad their fans booed everyone – even Santa Claus — at halftime of the season finale. Today, these NFL franchises are among the proudest and most successful in any sport. Yet, when they met at Pitt Stadium 50 years ago Saturday (Oct. 27, 1968), the 26,908 people who sat down in those old wooden bleachers were called “masochists� by newspaper columnist Al Abrams. Gordon Forbes of the Philadelphia Inquirer indelicately pointed out that the teams were referred to as “street bums� by their critics. The stakes were high that day – for the loser. At least, that was the presumption. Both teams were winless (0-6), with one of them thought to be on the way to compiling the NFL’s worst record and earning the No. 1 selection in the 1969 draft. The prize: USC running back and soon-to-be Heisman Trophy winner O.J. Simpson. The game was popularly known as the “Futility Bowl.� Other people got right to the point and called it the “O.J. Simpson Bowl.� Unremarkable weather – 45 degrees, with winds of 14 mph — greeted the teams in Oakland that day. Likewise, there was barely anything worth noting through most of four quarters. Rocky Bleier, a rookie running back for the Steelers, had almost forgotten about the game – and the season – when contacted this week by a Trib reporter. “I do remember — now that you brought it up,� he said, laughing. Bleier said he played mainly special teams that season, a year before he was called away to Vietnam. His memories are few, but he remembers his annual salary: $15,000. He said he and his teammates didn’t talk much about the draft or who the Steelers might select with the first overall pick. “You were just happy to win,� he said. Steelers coach Bill Austin told the Inquirer, “I’m not concerned about Simpson. All I want to do is win.� His reaction was predictable. He was on the third year of a three-year contract. Dick Hoak, who led the team in rushing that season with 858 yards and went on to a 35-year career as a Steelers assistant, said he liked playing for Austin, who had come from Green Bay. “He was a very tough guy, but he tried to be Vince Lombardi,� said Hoak, who has lived in Jeannette his entire life. “We did a half-hour of calisthenics before practice. By the time practice started, nobody could move.� As you might expect, the game was a mess. The teams combined for 20 penalties for a total of 240 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, two fumbles and five missed field goals. At one point, Eagles tight end Mike Ditka slammed face-mask first into the goal posts while trying to catch a pass from Norm Snead. Abrams encapsulized the game by writing: “I was there. I saw it. I don’t believe it.� A gamble by Eagles coach Joe Kuharich all but handed a victory to the Steelers. Kuharich was no favorite of the demanding Philadelphia fans, who started wearing “Joe Must Go� buttons after he traded away stars such as Sonny Jurgensen and Tommy McDonald. Previously, he coached at his alma mater, Notre Dame, from 1958-1962, where he became the first and only non-interim coach to compile a losing record in South Bend. Still, wealthy Eagles owner Jerry Wolman bestowed upon Kuharich a 15-year, $900,000 contract. Perhaps such security emboldened Kuharich. With the score tied, 3-3, in the final minute and the Eagles facing fourth-and-1 from their 10-yard-line, he eschewed a punt into the wind and went for the first down. Linebacker Andy Russell and defensive tackle Chuck Hinton rose up and stopped former West Virginia running back Tom Woodeshick for no gain, and the Steelers took possession. With 17 seconds left, Booth Lusteg kicked the game-winning 15-yard field goal (the posts were on the goal line in those days). Hoak, the team’s marquee running back, was the holder and he raised his arms in triumph as the football sailed through the uprights. Final score: Steelers 6, Eagles 3. Wrote Abrams: “The Eagles coach is sure to be murdered by the Philly press which doesn’t like him in the first place. Or, last place for that matter.� Despite the game’s hype, neither the Eagles nor the Steelers picked first in the NFL/AFL common draft three months later. That honor went to the Buffalo Bills (1-12-1), followed by the Atlanta Falcons and Eagles (both 2-12). In their next two games, the Steelers (2-11-1) beat the Falcons and tied the St. Louis Cardinals, dropped to No. 4 in the draft order and took a little-known (at least in Pittsburgh) defensive tackle from North Texas, Joe Greene. A newspaper headline screamed, “Joe Who?� Before the game, Dan Rooney, the Steelers’ 36-year-old general manager, was asked about the possibility of drafting Simpson. �We certainly will (draft him), and we’ll sign him,� he said. But that was before he fired Austin and hired Chuck Noll. Joe Gordon, the Steelers’ longtime publicity man who joined the team in 1969, said Noll would have drafted Greene ahead of Simpson, even with the first overall pick. “Absolutely, no doubt in mind,� Gordon said. “He was a firm believer you win with defense.� Bleier agreed. “I believe that would have probably happened, knowing Chuck and knowing how persuasive he was about his choice of players,� he said. As it turned out, Simpson played nine seasons in Buffalo and led them to one playoff appearance (a 32-14 loss to the Steelers in 1974). Greene did a little better. Said Gordon: “Chuck made the right choice.� Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. 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