I was watching the episode "The System" last night and was struck by this huge historical error. Towards the end of the episode,

****SPOILER ALERT*****






it's January 1975 and the gang is watching the Superbowl. We learn that it's between Pittsburgh and an unnamed opponent. Lou has made a big bet on Pittsburgh winning, so everyone is pulling for Pittsburgh. The show ends with Pittsburgh losing. Well, it just so happens that Pittsburgh WON the superbowl that year. And what's more, the team the played was MINNESOTA! It's highly unlikely that that entire Minneapolis gang would be rooting against their own home team. It turns out this episode aired one day before the Superbowl was played (January 11 vs. January 12), so they obviously couldn't have predicted a winner. And apparently didn't know Pittsburgh would be playing Minnesota. I just wonder why they took such a gamble with a script that could easily turn out so wrong. Did they HAVE to mention Pittsburgh by name?

When this ep. originally aired, there was a voiceover after from Mary. She said they weren't predicting a winner, but if it turned out they were right, you heard it from them first, LOL. Obviously, I wasn't alive in 1975, but the same voiceover was used on N@N, which is how I heard it. So the writers were not unaware of what they were doing.

- Kristen

I don't think they were trying to "predict" anything, but they probably made an educated guess that the Steelers, who were good at that time, would be in the game, and then they put on the funny tag line to take credit if they hit it on the nose.

Even though the Vikings were good in that era, too, they wouldn't have any guarantee about them being in the game, either, and having the gang root for the Vikings or against the Vikings, just would have been a distraction to the plot.

I think they really could have chosen any team...the point was that Lou put all of the system's money on one side at the end and that created all the tension -- and great humor. I still get a kick out of them coming back from commercial and Ted is snow-covered on the balcony, and then Mary pulling the curtain on him! So funny!

Mary pulling the curtain on Ted was hilarious!! Classic moment!! :rofl:

The exact wording of the announcement went like this..."If the Pittsburgh Steelers win the actual Super Bowl tomorrow, we want to apologize to the Pittsburgh team and their fans for this purely fictional story. If on the other hand, they lose, remember, you heard it here first."

The exact wording of the announcement went like this..."If the Pittsburgh Steelers win the actual Super Bowl tomorrow, we want to apologize to the Pittsburgh team and their fans for this purely fictional story. If on the other hand, they lose, remember, you heard it here first."
Ah, I see. :lol:

Ah, I see. :lol:


Its been discussed here before, wheather or not that voice-over would be included on the dvd. It SHOULD have been left intact for this exact reason, because it clarifies and explains what DOES appear to be a huge blunder!!!!! It also would make for interesting nostalgia!