*** Complain about the officials thread *** (1 Viewer)

[BeTheMatch]

But the fact that you won't even acknowlege the officiating was very one-sided and played a role in the outcome is classless in my opinion.

I clearly stated in my initial post that I felt the Seahawks got the short end of the stick from the officials, but that they still had ample chances to win the game. I congratulated them all profusely on a great season. How exactly is this classless?Am I supposed to come on here and talk about how Seattle is clearly a superior team? How the refs jobbed them? Am I supposed to say that the team I love, that just went through the toughest possible road to the title, is undeserving? Is that what it takes to have "class"?

If so, forget it. I don't believe a word of it. The Steelers played the best football of any team over the last month, and as such, deserve this title. Nothing you say can take that away. I am on Cloud 9, and this whole week's going to be one long party...

Then just go away already. Why are you here?????

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I just wanted to say my piece on all this to address those who can't seem to just say "congrats" and move on, AND I SHALL SPEAK NO MORE ON IT.  It's time to celebrate.

Good point. I'm so easy to bait, but I am having a good time. I'll stop replying eventually.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

But the fact that you won't even acknowlege the officiating was very one-sided and played a role in the outcome is classless in my opinion.

I clearly stated in my initial post that I felt the Seahawks got the short end of the stick from the officials, but that they still had ample chances to win the game. I congratulated them all profusely on a great season. How exactly is this classless?Am I supposed to come on here and talk about how Seattle is clearly a superior team? How the refs jobbed them? Am I supposed to say that the team I love, that just went through the toughest possible road to the title, is undeserving? Is that what it takes to have "class"?

If so, forget it. I don't believe a word of it. The Steelers played the best football of any team over the last month, and as such, deserve this title. Nothing you say can take that away. I am on Cloud 9, and this whole week's going to be one long party...

Don't forget while partying to pour some out for lost hommies like Clyde, who continues to walk the earth. I believe Clyde would have gotten along well with Cowher and Bettis. All no nonsense guys. ( I suspect El DeBarge is a Bears fan.)

 

[bryhamm]

Would you at least recognize that the Steelers have a Super Bowl championship despite

1. Not being the best team that day.

2. Possibly not being the best team, period.

I didn't really care one way or the other before the game.  After the game, I'm now a Seattle fan and I dislike the Steelers.

Nope. They had the hardest road to the Super Bowl that any team has ever had (or ever WILL have, provided the league doesn't expand the playoffs again) and they won 4 games away from home, by an average of 11.3 ppg. In my eyes, they were the best team, period. No one will ever change that. If you disagree, that's fine.

Also, they beat the #1, #2 and #3 seeded teams in the AFC and the #1 seeded team in the NFC. Plus, they held 4 of the higher scoring offenses well below their season avg. Well done IMO. Edit for typo.

 

[Bartguy]

Yes, Jackson touched the defender, but why is no one mentioning that the defender also touched him with his hands?? It was the very definition of incidental contact.

I agree. The defender made contact with Jackson before he pushed off. It could easily have been a defensive holding call since the Refs were going to be calling the game that persnickety.

Would have been nice if they had just let them play football a little more.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

But the fact that you won't even acknowlege the officiating was very one-sided and played a role in the outcome is classless in my opinion.

I clearly stated in my initial post that I felt the Seahawks got the short end of the stick from the officials, but that they still had ample chances to win the game. I congratulated them all profusely on a great season. How exactly is this classless?Am I supposed to come on here and talk about how Seattle is clearly a superior team? How the refs jobbed them? Am I supposed to say that the team I love, that just went through the toughest possible road to the title, is undeserving? Is that what it takes to have "class"?

If so, forget it. I don't believe a word of it. The Steelers played the best football of any team over the last month, and as such, deserve this title. Nothing you say can take that away. I am on Cloud 9, and this whole week's going to be one long party...

Then just go away already. Why are you here?????

I'm at work, what else am I going to do, WORK? at "go away" from my own thread .......

 

[Black Sunday]

Wow, to think I started this thread by trying to make a lame joke about the Lions...

I don't think the officials cost the Seahawks the game. But they cost us, the neutral fans, the opportunity to watch a close game.

The Jackson offensive interference was correct by the letter of the law. But shouldn't the illegal contact by the defender on the play also have been called?

I think Big Ben scored on the TD. It looked to me like the corner of the ball broke the plane before he got knocked back. Even if not, the refs made the right call on that one. Not anywhere near enough evidence to overturn.

The holding call on Locklear was utter BS. I'm not even sure holding actually took place on the play. One of the most ticky-tack holding calls I've seen, and it made a huge difference in the game.

As for the Hasselbeck tackling penalty, I've never seen that called when a guy's clearly trying to make a diving tackle. A very bizarre call, though I don't think it had all that much effect on the outcome.

Having said all that, if Jerramy Stevens could catch and if the Seahawks hadn't utterly screwed up clock management in both halves, the calls might not have mattered.

1. Jackson very clearly pushed Chris Hope to create separation. Chris hope was pushed about 1 foot backwards. He lost his balance, thanks to the push, and had to hop backwards. Prior to the call, Hope did touch Jackson, but this is allowed, and should not have been called. He did not cause any part of Jackson's body to move.2. Check the hold call again. It was holding. You guys listen to Madden too much.

3. I think that the Hasselbeck call was a correct call. Pittsburgh had this called against the earlier this year. I felt the same way you do about the call, and I still think that the call needs to be changed, but it was the correct call. I wish someone could find the rule and post it. It's goofy, but this is right, I think.

Point #1--Jackson and Hope were hand fighting in the endzone. I have seen defensive pass interference called under those circumstances. I have also seen offensive pass interference called undder similar circumstances. Pass interference calls are among the most radically swinging discretionary calls in the game. In this case Jackson clearly did gain separation by his move, but to say that Hope gained no initial advantage makes one wonder why he uses the technique. I think D.B.'s clearly gain some ability to maintain contact with the receiver, and though it was less visually evident than was Jackson's separation I do not dismiss it. I would have liked to see a none call here, but the call does not surprise me since it happened right in front of the official.Point #2- Not holding. Seattles Line man is allowed to have his arm inside the rushers frame. Upon getting turned he can maintain it inside the frame so long as he is not grasping the rusher with his hand. It was the wrong call. I must say, however, from the view of the official it certainly looked like holding. The positioning, the player movements looked like the rusher was grasped and pulled down. The officials do not have the benefit of replay and made the call. They did the best they could with a difficult call.

Point #3- The rule was correct, the problem is the facts did not fit the rule. Hasselback can make the diving, below the waist tackle on a return. (If not Big Ben's game saving tackle against the Colts was a penalty). What hasselback could not do was submarine the blockers to get to the ball carrier. When I viewed the replay it looked to me that his first contact was on the ballcarrier. If so subsequent contact with the blockers is moot. I believe it was a bad call.

None of the foregoing is to detract from the Steelers. Calls go both ways. I happened to think the Steelers got jobed on a quick whistle on what I thought was Stevens' fumble. Calls go both ways. I say congrats to the champs. The Steelers made their incredible run relying on big plays and they did it again.

First, thank you for your congrats, and thank you for pointing out that the Steven's fumble was not a call in favor of the Steelers.You could be right about the Hasselbeck tackle. Until I see the rule, I am willing to call this a bad call.

Going back to the hold, though. I really think that if you watch the play again, you would change your mind. Haggans ended up past the O-lineman. The O-lineman still had a grip on Haggan's shoulder from behind, preventing Haggans from hitting Hasselbeck. I don't see how this can be called anything other than a hold.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Me too.  Question :  Jackson says he never touched Hope.  NEVER TOUCHED HIM.  Is that inaccurate?

There appeared to be minimal, incidental contact at best. The kind that happens on every play between a WR and CB.

Question #2 : After watching the play several times, did Jackson gain ANY leverage/separation from Hope by way of a push?

IMO not even close. That's one of the many reasons I thought the call was weak. DJax didn't gain an advantage on the play. He turned and moved away from the defender, who was clearly falling away from the play and falling out of position to defend the pass.

That's just it. He didn't turn, he pushed off and turned. If he had simply turned away from Hope, there would have been no flag.

 

[P Boy]

Whether you agree with the calls or not, the way the game was officiated cheated everyone.  Pittsburgh fans don't deserve the asterick talk nor should they need to be here debating whether the game was stacked in their favor or not.  Seattle fans shouldn't have to sit here and wonder "what if" the game was "11 on 11".  Fans of the game who had no particular loyalities should have had a classic game to watch instead of trying to figure out how to vote for the referee as MVP.  What a waste of a season.

This is exactly correct and what many of us are trying to say.

This is patently crap. SEA lost the game through their own ineptitude more than anything else that happened in the game. PIT didn't bring its A game, but then SEA shows up & didn't bring its B game, much less its A game. SEA lost the game, plain & simple. PIT did enough to not lose while playing pretty poorly overall for a SB team. The refs were a minor factor except to the whiners.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

But the fact that you won't even acknowlege the officiating was very one-sided and played a role in the outcome is classless in my opinion.

I clearly stated in my initial post that I felt the Seahawks got the short end of the stick from the officials, but that they still had ample chances to win the game. I congratulated them all profusely on a great season. How exactly is this classless?Am I supposed to come on here and talk about how Seattle is clearly a superior team? How the refs jobbed them? Am I supposed to say that the team I love, that just went through the toughest possible road to the title, is undeserving? Is that what it takes to have "class"?

If so, forget it. I don't believe a word of it. The Steelers played the best football of any team over the last month, and as such, deserve this title. Nothing you say can take that away. I am on Cloud 9, and this whole week's going to be one long party...

Don't forget while partying to pour some out for lost hommies like Clyde, who continues to walk the earth. I believe Clyde would have gotten along well with Cowher and Bettis. All no nonsense guys. ( I suspect El DeBarge is a Bears fan.)

They would have LOVED Clyde. I know he wouldn't ##### about officiating....

El Debarge would have probably been a fan of some nancy boy team like San Francisco.

 

[Hear-the-Footsteps]

Previous poster:

"Going back to the hold, though. I really think that if you watch the play again, you would change your mind. Haggans ended up past the O-lineman. The O-lineman still had a grip on Haggan's shoulder from behind, preventing Haggans from hitting Hasselbeck. I don't see how this can be called anything other than a hold."

What was the exact time of this holding call (ie, clock time).

Just curious so I can find it quickly when going back to review the game.

Thanks.

 

[pettifogger]

This isn't a "neener neener neener" thread at all, but you know what? If I have to see 86 threads talking about how badly Seattle got jobbed, surely I am allowed one rebuttal thread. If it gets locked/deleted, so be it, but here's my take.

The pivotal calls folks are complaining about :

Jackson's push-off : He pushed off. No one is even denying it. What people are complaining about is that he didn't push off VERY HARD and that it usually doesn't get called. This is true - guys get away with it all the time, but it is a penalty nevertheless. If you do it in the end zone, in the Super Bowl, RIGHT in front of the back judge, you're going to get flagged. He did.

Jackson's catch at the GL - in bounds, out of bounds ? Clearly only got one foot down, the other foot came down on the sideline. Not close - why is anyone arguing this?

Roethlisberger's TD. Half the people I talk to said it was a TD, half said it wasn't. Looked to me like the nose of the ball just crossed the line as he was in the air. Line judge saw the same thing. Replay did nothing to change that - I have no idea how you can say he conclusively did not score. In any event, ball would have been at the 1" line, and the Steelers go for it and score from there 95% of the time anyway. Wasn't a backbreaker.

Locklear's holding penalty. This one was iffy, I will admit. I can see why it was called though - if you're beaten and you detain the rusher from behind, as it appears he did, you're going to get flagged if the ref catches it. They threw the flag. Replays showed it was borderline, I'd have had no problem with a call either way. However, once it is called, you have to regroup. Bettis had a TD called back in the Broncos game for an illegal formation penalty I still don't understand. However, the Steelers came back on the next play and scored again. The Seahawks could have done the same, but they turned the ball over instead.

Hasselbeck's clip - I hated this call and will be the first to say so. Don't believe he deserved a penalty there, but it didn't change anything - the INT would have stood. The Steelers could have run that El-Ward play from the 30 and scored on it anyway - Ward was that open, and the throw was that perfect - it wasn't a game-altering call.

Bottom line is this : did the Seahawks get the short end of the stick with the officiating? I believe they did. Did it determine the outcome of the game? Not even close. They had tons of opportunities to make plays and didn't execute. Rouen punted the ball into the endzone 4 or 5 times when he could have pinned the Steelers deep. Warrick should have fielded the punt Pittsburgh downed on the 2. Hasselbeck's INT was awful. They gave up a 75 yard TD run on which Parker was untouched. They got bitten by the Steelers' trick play that they should have been equipped to stop. They couldn't stop Pittsburgh from converting on 3rd and 28 late in the second quarter. Stevens had several key drops. They didn't pick up some blitzes at crucial times. Holmgren/Hasselbeck were terrible in clock management. Brown missed two FGs (long ones, in his defense.) The Seahawks D could not stop Pittsburgh from moving the chains late in the game when they desperately needed a 3-and-out to preserve their timeouts and give them a chance.

I could go on and on, but you get the point. Officials or no, they could have won. The refs didn't even throw many flags, though it seems that way because of the controversy on some of these calls. No one even mentions the call they got right on the Hasselbeck non fumble late in the game. Let's face it, Hasselbeck didn't go down as a result of the contact that was made, he was going down anyway, and that would have been a fumble if he hadn't had his leg touched. But he did, and as such, down by contact was the right call, and the refs got it. The bottom line is : both teams had opportunities to make big, game changing plays. The Seahawks, by virtue of good play, had even more chances than did Pittsburgh. When it all came down to it, though, the Steelers made the big plays, while Seattle didn't. That's why they lost.

The Seahawk fans on this board have been nothing but class. I don't hear any whining from them. To all of you, I say : congratulations. You came out with a terrific game plan and damn near won the game. Best team I've seen the Steelers face all year. Great season, first ever SB appearance, and a team that could easily do it again next season. Great fans, and you're still the NFC Champions. It's not always all about one game - it's about the season, and you guys had a whale of a year. Enjoy it.

To the folks whining about the officiating, bag it. It's irrelevant. The Steelers are the World Champions, and I am elated. So much so that all of this talk hasn't brought my spirits down one iota, despite this post. As I write this, I am sporting a Bob Weir style perma-grin that will likely last for a month or so. I feel like the guy in the Cialis commercial. There IS no asterisk, whether you want it or not. Bettis went out on top - next stop, Canton. All the "Cowher can't win the big game" talk is gone forever. He too will be immortalized in the Hall someday. This is as sweet as it gets, and there's no way on Earth that I am going to let it be tarnished. I just wanted to say my piece on all this to address those who can't seem to just say "congrats" and move on, and I shall speak no more on it. It's time to celebrate.

The twp bolded ones were brutally bad calls and the phantom holding penalty was a major momentum shifter. But, you can't deny that the Steelers earned their victory. Seattle dominated the field position for the first 20-25 minutes and could not build up a significant lead, and was ouplayed the rest of the way.

 

[zeus]

You guys or girls(hard to tell because you complain like women) who now "hate" a team because they got the calls are pathetic. I am a steeler fan, but i wouldn't hate the colts if they would have won in the playoff game. Maybe the official who made the call, but not the fanchise. Get a grip on your life and move on. Go spend some time with your family and turn the computer off.

Hey its over now and its time to move on. Ebay is selling Terrible Towels for 2.00. Jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the victory. Everybody is welcome!

 

[packersfan]

Me too. Question : Jackson says he never touched Hope. NEVER TOUCHED HIM. Is that inaccurate?

There appeared to be minimal, incidental contact at best. The kind that happens on every play between a WR and CB.

Question #2 : After watching the play several times, did Jackson gain ANY leverage/separation from Hope by way of a push?

IMO not even close. That's one of the many reasons I thought the call was weak. DJax didn't gain an advantage on the play. He turned and moved away from the defender, who was clearly falling away from the play and falling out of position to defend the pass.

That's just it. He didn't turn, he pushed off and turned. If he had simply turned away from Hope, there would have been no flag.

I didn't see a pushoff at all. Sorry.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Whether you agree with the calls or not, the way the game was officiated cheated everyone.  Pittsburgh fans don't deserve the asterick talk nor should they need to be here debating whether the game was stacked in their favor or not.  Seattle fans shouldn't have to sit here and wonder "what if" the game was "11 on 11".  Fans of the game who had no particular loyalities should have had a classic game to watch instead of trying to figure out how to vote for the referee as MVP.  What a waste of a season.

This is exactly correct and what many of us are trying to say.

This is patently crap. SEA lost the game through their own ineptitude more than anything else that happened in the game. PIT didn't bring its A game, but then SEA shows up & didn't bring its B game, much less its A game. SEA lost the game, plain & simple. PIT did enough to not lose while playing pretty poorly overall for a SB team. The refs were a minor factor except to the whiners.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.You know, it seems to me that Broncos fans are the most clear-headed, tell it like it is fans there are.

 

[Bri]

Jackson's push-off : He pushed off. No one is even denying it. What people are complaining about is that he didn't push off VERY HARD and that it usually doesn't get called. This is true - guys get away with it all the time, but it is a penalty nevertheless. If you do it in the end zone, in the Super Bowl, RIGHT in front of the back judge, you're going to get flagged. He did.

that call bugged me. when I played hoops in HS, this old coach used to yell all game long "quit calling ticky tack fouls". While I hate that phrase, it seems fitting here.

I enjoyed the game and don't blame anything on the refs. These threads are expected after a Supe too.

Evilgrin,

enjoy your W, who gives a * about what others complain about. Your team got the W, you've been thru all those Kordell+O"Donnell years, watched some of your boys get rings with other teams and....enjoy your W!

 

[BeTheMatch]

You guys or girls(hard to tell because you complain like women) who now "hate" a team because they got the calls are pathetic. I am a steeler fan, but i wouldn't hate the colts if they would have won in the playoff game. Maybe the official who made the call, but not the fanchise. Get a grip on your life and move on. Go spend some time with your family and turn the computer off.

Hey its over now and its time to move on. Ebay is selling Terrible Towels for 2.00. Jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the victory. Everybody is welcome!

Maybe you should take your own advice. And try reading the post more clearly. I don't hate the Steelers because they got the calls. I hate them because most of their fans won't acknowledge that.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Me too.  Question :  Jackson says he never touched Hope.  NEVER TOUCHED HIM.  Is that inaccurate?

There appeared to be minimal, incidental contact at best. The kind that happens on every play between a WR and CB.

Question #2 : After watching the play several times, did Jackson gain ANY leverage/separation from Hope by way of a push?

IMO not even close. That's one of the many reasons I thought the call was weak. DJax didn't gain an advantage on the play. He turned and moved away from the defender, who was clearly falling away from the play and falling out of position to defend the pass.

That's just it. He didn't turn, he pushed off and turned. If he had simply turned away from Hope, there would have been no flag.

I didn't see a pushoff at all. Sorry.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Jackson's push-off : He pushed off.  No one is even denying it.  What people are complaining about is that he didn't push off VERY HARD and that it usually doesn't get called.  This is true - guys get away with it all the time, but it is a penalty nevertheless.  If you do it in the end zone, in the Super Bowl, RIGHT in front of the back judge, you're going to get flagged.  He did.

that call bugged me. when I played hoops in HS, this old coach used to yell all game long "quit calling ticky tack fouls". While I hate that phrase, it seems fitting here.

I enjoyed the game and don't blame anything on the refs. These threads are expected after a Supe too.

Evilgrin,

enjoy your W, who gives a * about what others complain about. Your team got the W, you've been thru all those Kordell+O"Donnell years, watched some of your boys get rings with other teams and....enjoy your W!

 

[Judge Smails]

Foxsports writer agrees refs were a major part in the Steelers winning.  Good reading and really backs up each point the writer is making.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5310192

Stopped reading the moronic article right after the pushoff call.He pushed off. End of story, whether it was a BIG one or a small one, you can't blame a ref for making a correct call.... no matter if you agree with it or not.

But that wouldnt be a story and the new "tools" of the NFL the Seattle Fans... wouldnt have anything to cry about.

Michael Smith on ESPN is outright idiot as well.

Tough to be a Football fan today with all the finger pointing. Sucks. Wish the Seattle fans and writers would be football fans and accept the better team won. Seattle is quickly becoming my least favorite team.

That's what nobody is getting, including you. It has nothing to do with Seattle, or it's fans. Seahawk and Steeler fans opinions are discounted, because they are, and should be, biased. Also discounted are those with wagers on the game. If you look at all the other posts, articles, etc., the great majority of those who DIDN'T have a bias, including myself, felt that the game was horribly officiated, and greatly favored the Steelers. The whole flow and momentum of the game was constantly changed by these calls. Big difference 1st and 10 from the 1 or 25 vs. 1st and 20 from the 50 and having to force a pass, kick a field goal, punt, etc. Again, I'm not taking away from the Steelers. Congrats. I'm just saying that it would have been a much different game had the officials got it right. Seahawks would have led, Steelers couldn't pound it in the 2nd half, etc. Just a shame the way this game was called.

 

[Duke1948]

Just like the Steelers got the short end against the Colts.And the Patriots got the short end against the Broncos.The NFL has a MAJOR officiating problem on its hands, and it needs to be addressed and corrected this offseason.Period.
not sure much else needs to be said.

 

[tommyboy]

Whether you agree with the calls or not, the way the game was officiated cheated everyone.  Pittsburgh fans don't deserve the asterick talk nor should they need to be here debating whether the game was stacked in their favor or not.  Seattle fans shouldn't have to sit here and wonder "what if" the game was "11 on 11".  Fans of the game who had no particular loyalities should have had a classic game to watch instead of trying to figure out how to vote for the referee as MVP.  What a waste of a season.

This is exactly correct and what many of us are trying to say.

This is patently crap. SEA lost the game through their own ineptitude more than anything else that happened in the game. PIT didn't bring its A game, but then SEA shows up & didn't bring its B game, much less its A game. SEA lost the game, plain & simple. PIT did enough to not lose while playing pretty poorly overall for a SB team. The refs were a minor factor except to the whiners.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.You know, it seems to me that Broncos fans are the most clear-headed, tell it like it is fans there are.

I disagree, I just won $10 from a Steeler hating Bronco's fan in my office and the first thing she said was "you'll need this to pay off the refs". Then I get on the phone and talk to my best customer in Denver and he goes off for 10 minutes about the DJax call.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

You guys or girls(hard to tell because you complain like women) who now "hate" a team because they got the calls are pathetic.  I am a steeler fan,  but i wouldn't hate the colts if they would have won in the playoff game.  Maybe the official who made the call, but not the fanchise.  Get a grip on your life and move on.  Go spend some time with your family and turn the computer off.

Hey its over now and its time to move on.  Ebay is selling Terrible Towels for 2.00.  Jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the victory.  Everybody is welcome!

Maybe you should take your own advice. And try reading the post more clearly. I don't hate the Steelers because they got the calls. I hate them because most of their fans won't acknowledge that.

Maybe most people would rather address the game itself instead of crying about the refs. You never bothered to refute one single point I made about the Seahawks' missed opportunities, nor answer my post asking you how I was being "classless" - you just continue to rail on the referees. That's the easy way out.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Wow, to think I started this thread by trying to make a lame joke about the Lions...

I don't think the officials cost the Seahawks the game. But they cost us, the neutral fans, the opportunity to watch a close game.

The Jackson offensive interference was correct by the letter of the law. But shouldn't the illegal contact by the defender on the play also have been called?

I think Big Ben scored on the TD. It looked to me like the corner of the ball broke the plane before he got knocked back. Even if not, the refs made the right call on that one. Not anywhere near enough evidence to overturn.

The holding call on Locklear was utter BS. I'm not even sure holding actually took place on the play. One of the most ticky-tack holding calls I've seen, and it made a huge difference in the game.

As for the Hasselbeck tackling penalty, I've never seen that called when a guy's clearly trying to make a diving tackle. A very bizarre call, though I don't think it had all that much effect on the outcome.

Having said all that, if Jerramy Stevens could catch and if the Seahawks hadn't utterly screwed up clock management in both halves, the calls might not have mattered.

1. Jackson very clearly pushed Chris Hope to create separation. Chris hope was pushed about 1 foot backwards. He lost his balance, thanks to the push, and had to hop backwards. Prior to the call, Hope did touch Jackson, but this is allowed, and should not have been called. He did not cause any part of Jackson's body to move.2. Check the hold call again. It was holding. You guys listen to Madden too much.

3. I think that the Hasselbeck call was a correct call. Pittsburgh had this called against the earlier this year. I felt the same way you do about the call, and I still think that the call needs to be changed, but it was the correct call. I wish someone could find the rule and post it. It's goofy, but this is right, I think.

Point #1--Jackson and Hope were hand fighting in the endzone. I have seen defensive pass interference called under those circumstances. I have also seen offensive pass interference called undder similar circumstances. Pass interference calls are among the most radically swinging discretionary calls in the game. In this case Jackson clearly did gain separation by his move, but to say that Hope gained no initial advantage makes one wonder why he uses the technique. I think D.B.'s clearly gain some ability to maintain contact with the receiver, and though it was less visually evident than was Jackson's separation I do not dismiss it. I would have liked to see a none call here, but the call does not surprise me since it happened right in front of the official.Point #2- Not holding. Seattles Line man is allowed to have his arm inside the rushers frame. Upon getting turned he can maintain it inside the frame so long as he is not grasping the rusher with his hand. It was the wrong call. I must say, however, from the view of the official it certainly looked like holding. The positioning, the player movements looked like the rusher was grasped and pulled down. The officials do not have the benefit of replay and made the call. They did the best they could with a difficult call.

Point #3- The rule was correct, the problem is the facts did not fit the rule. Hasselback can make the diving, below the waist tackle on a return. (If not Big Ben's game saving tackle against the Colts was a penalty). What hasselback could not do was submarine the blockers to get to the ball carrier. When I viewed the replay it looked to me that his first contact was on the ballcarrier. If so subsequent contact with the blockers is moot. I believe it was a bad call.

None of the foregoing is to detract from the Steelers. Calls go both ways. I happened to think the Steelers got jobed on a quick whistle on what I thought was Stevens' fumble. Calls go both ways. I say congrats to the champs. The Steelers made their incredible run relying on big plays and they did it again.

First, thank you for your congrats, and thank you for pointing out that the Steven's fumble was not a call in favor of the Steelers.You could be right about the Hasselbeck tackle. Until I see the rule, I am willing to call this a bad call.

Going back to the hold, though. I really think that if you watch the play again, you would change your mind. Haggans ended up past the O-lineman. The O-lineman still had a grip on Haggan's shoulder from behind, preventing Haggans from hitting Hasselbeck. I don't see how this can be called anything other than a hold.

Clearly as Haggans turned and got low he was hooked from behind by the lineman's forearm. The lineman's forearm prior to that move was in a legal position, I thought since I saw no grasping. A defender spinning like that does not automatically gain advantage, the lineman does not have to pull his arm out. The definitive part of the play would be whether the lineman grasped Haggans. I did not see him do so but you say he did have a grip and I have no reason to doubt your observation. As you suggest I will watch it again if the opportunity arises, though that will not change the fact that your team is the current Champion of the world.

 

[P Boy]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.You know, it seems to me that Broncos fans are the most clear-headed, tell it like it is fans there are.

EG knows stuff.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Whether you agree with the calls or not, the way the game was officiated cheated everyone.  Pittsburgh fans don't deserve the asterick talk nor should they need to be here debating whether the game was stacked in their favor or not.  Seattle fans shouldn't have to sit here and wonder "what if" the game was "11 on 11".  Fans of the game who had no particular loyalities should have had a classic game to watch instead of trying to figure out how to vote for the referee as MVP.  What a waste of a season.

This is exactly correct and what many of us are trying to say.

This is patently crap. SEA lost the game through their own ineptitude more than anything else that happened in the game. PIT didn't bring its A game, but then SEA shows up & didn't bring its B game, much less its A game. SEA lost the game, plain & simple. PIT did enough to not lose while playing pretty poorly overall for a SB team. The refs were a minor factor except to the whiners.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.You know, it seems to me that Broncos fans are the most clear-headed, tell it like it is fans there are.

I disagree, I just won $10 from a Steeler hating Bronco's fan in my office and the first thing she said was "you'll need this to pay off the refs". Then I get on the phone and talk to my best customer in Denver and he goes off for 10 minutes about the DJax call.

Ugh.Well, the prominent ones on this board are pretty damned objective.

 

[BeTheMatch]

You guys or girls(hard to tell because you complain like women) who now "hate" a team because they got the calls are pathetic.  I am a steeler fan,  but i wouldn't hate the colts if they would have won in the playoff game.  Maybe the official who made the call, but not the fanchise.  Get a grip on your life and move on.  Go spend some time with your family and turn the computer off.

Hey its over now and its time to move on.  Ebay is selling Terrible Towels for 2.00.  Jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the victory.   Everybody is welcome!

Maybe you should take your own advice. And try reading the post more clearly. I don't hate the Steelers because they got the calls. I hate them because most of their fans won't acknowledge that.

Maybe most people would rather address the game itself instead of crying about the refs. You never bothered to refute one single point I made about the Seahawks' missed opportunities, nor answer my post asking you how I was being "classless" - you just continue to rail on the referees. That's the easy way out.

We weren't talking about the Seahawks. I fully acknowlege they missed opportunities to win the game - in spite of the poor officiating. That doesn't change my point or the argument here.FYI, the current ESPN poll asks if officiating affected the outcome of the Super Bowl, and with 100,000 votes already in, 62 percent agree with me.

 

[faulkfan]

Steeler fan here. I don't think there's any question that Ben scored. The ball just needs to barely crack the front of the goal line to be a TD, and I think that was shown on replay.

On the larger issue of the game in total, I cannot claim to be unbiased, but I can say that there wasn't any call that I haven't seen many times before given the same action on the field.

A couple of examples might make my point more understandable:

1. Jackson pushed off on his catch. It isn't always called, but I've certainly seen it called before, too.

2. Farrior and Haggans were held when they were in advantageous positions on the way to the QB. I've seen holding called many more times than not called when you see that type of line play.

I do think it's absolutely ridiculous to claim the NFL somehow fixed the game for the Steelers. Surely there would have been a penalty on Herndon's interception, don't you think?

It is unfortunate that the penalties happened on significant Seattle plays, but that doesn't mean that the penalties were bogus. It's not like the play ended, and five seconds later the flag was thrown.

But even if a portion of the calls were somehow arbitrarily deemed incorrect, I think it's far too simplistic to suggest Seattle wins the game. Let's say Jackson's TD stands insted of the offensive PI. The Steelers had 3 quarters of game left, and while the game is different, it's not automatically Seattle's win. The same goes for the other calls. Many things about the game change if the calls go the other way.

All I can say is congratulations to the Seahawks for the best season in their history. There is class up and down the organization and its fans. Good luck getting a Super Bowl championship in the next few years.

You would be wringing out your tear soaked terrible towel if the Steelers had gotten the shaft job of officiating that the Seahawks got last night and you would be the absolute first guy posting a page long diatribe about the disrespect given to poor, old, cry me a river Cowher.I've got no money on this game and as I have stated I actully went in rooting for the Steelers for the sake of my brother-in-law even though I like Cowher a little less than I like Holmgren (they're both babies IMHO). But let the game be played without all the referee interference and lets see who wins. I could be the Steelers, it could be the Seahawks, but we'll never know because say what you want, the game was called lopsided.

I personally think Pitt is the better team, but they got outshined by their officiating crew last night.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

You guys or girls(hard to tell because you complain like women) who now "hate" a team because they got the calls are pathetic.  I am a steeler fan,  but i wouldn't hate the colts if they would have won in the playoff game.  Maybe the official who made the call, but not the fanchise.  Get a grip on your life and move on.  Go spend some time with your family and turn the computer off.

Hey its over now and its time to move on.  Ebay is selling Terrible Towels for 2.00.  Jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the victory.   Everybody is welcome!

Maybe you should take your own advice. And try reading the post more clearly. I don't hate the Steelers because they got the calls. I hate them because most of their fans won't acknowledge that.

Maybe most people would rather address the game itself instead of crying about the refs. You never bothered to refute one single point I made about the Seahawks' missed opportunities, nor answer my post asking you how I was being "classless" - you just continue to rail on the referees. That's the easy way out.

We weren't talking about the Seahawks. I fully acknowlege they missed opportunities to win the game - in spite of the poor officiating. That doesn't change my point or the argument here.FYI, the current ESPN poll asks if officiating affected the outcome of the Super Bowl, and with 100,000 votes already in, 62 percent agree with me.

Congrats. I stated earlier as well that the refs blew a few calls. The point is, that isn't why the Seahawks lost.What's funny is that I remember a Seattle fan asking before the game : "Are the Steeler fans already coming up with excuses to break out when they lose?"

 

[UlyssesNorris]

Foxsports writer agrees refs were a major part in the Steelers winning.  Good reading and really backs up each point the writer is making.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5310192

Stopped reading the moronic article right after the pushoff call.He pushed off. End of story, whether it was a BIG one or a small one, you can't blame a ref for making a correct call.... no matter if you agree with it or not.

But that wouldnt be a story and the new "tools" of the NFL the Seattle Fans... wouldnt have anything to cry about.

Michael Smith on ESPN is outright idiot as well.

Tough to be a Football fan today with all the finger pointing. Sucks. Wish the Seattle fans and writers would be football fans and accept the better team won. Seattle is quickly becoming my least favorite team.

That's what nobody is getting, including you. It has nothing to do with Seattle, or it's fans. Seahawk and Steeler fans opinions are discounted, because they are, and should be, biased. Also discounted are those with wagers on the game. If you look at all the other posts, articles, etc., the great majority of those who DIDN'T have a bias, including myself, felt that the game was horribly officiated, and greatly favored the Steelers. The whole flow and momentum of the game was constantly changed by these calls. Big difference 1st and 10 from the 1 or 25 vs. 1st and 20 from the 50 and having to force a pass, kick a field goal, punt, etc. Again, I'm not taking away from the Steelers. Congrats. I'm just saying that it would have been a much different game had the officials got it right. Seahawks would have led, Steelers couldn't pound it in the 2nd half, etc. Just a shame the way this game was called.

My sentiments exactly. It sucks for the Steelers fans to have to defend this crap when they should be celebrating their team getting back to the pinnacle. However, for those of us without Seattle and Pittsburgh rooting interests, it's hard to ignore that the game was very poorly officiated, and the blunders helped the Steelers quite a bit.

 

[tommyboy]

Steeler fan here. I don't think there's any question that Ben scored. The ball just needs to barely crack the front of the goal line to be a TD, and I think that was shown on replay.

On the larger issue of the game in total, I cannot claim to be unbiased, but I can say that there wasn't any call that I haven't seen many times before given the same action on the field.

A couple of examples might make my point more understandable:

1. Jackson pushed off on his catch. It isn't always called, but I've certainly seen it called before, too.

2. Farrior and Haggans were held when they were in advantageous positions on the way to the QB. I've seen holding called many more times than not called when you see that type of line play.

I do think it's absolutely ridiculous to claim the NFL somehow fixed the game for the Steelers. Surely there would have been a penalty on Herndon's interception, don't you think?

It is unfortunate that the penalties happened on significant Seattle plays, but that doesn't mean that the penalties were bogus. It's not like the play ended, and five seconds later the flag was thrown.

But even if a portion of the calls were somehow arbitrarily deemed incorrect, I think it's far too simplistic to suggest Seattle wins the game. Let's say Jackson's TD stands insted of the offensive PI. The Steelers had 3 quarters of game left, and while the game is different, it's not automatically Seattle's win. The same goes for the other calls. Many things about the game change if the calls go the other way.

All I can say is congratulations to the Seahawks for the best season in their history. There is class up and down the organization and its fans. Good luck getting a Super Bowl championship in the next few years.

You would be wringing out your tear soaked terrible towel if the Steelers had gotten the shaft job of officiating that the Seahawks got last night and you would be the absolute first guy posting a page long diatribe about the disrespect given to poor, old, cry me a river Cowher.I've got no money on this game and as I have stated I actully went in rooting for the Steelers for the sake of my brother-in-law even though I like Cowher a little less than I like Holmgren (they're both babies IMHO). But let the game be played without all the referee interference and lets see who wins. I could be the Steelers, it could be the Seahawks, but we'll never know because say what you want, the game was called lopsided.

I personally think Pitt is the better team, but they got outshined by their officiating crew last night.

here's a hanky.

 

[tommyboy]

I remember that one play where the ref moved Hasselbecks' arm right as he was throwing the ball and caused him to overthrow a wide open Engram right into the Pittsburgh defenders hands. Also on that play, I remember one of the refs tackled Engram too.

 

[Steelers4Life]

You guys or girls(hard to tell because you complain like women) who now "hate" a team because they got the calls are pathetic.  I am a steeler fan,  but i wouldn't hate the colts if they would have won in the playoff game.  Maybe the official who made the call, but not the fanchise.  Get a grip on your life and move on.  Go spend some time with your family and turn the computer off.

Hey its over now and its time to move on.  Ebay is selling Terrible Towels for 2.00.  Jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the victory.   Everybody is welcome!

Maybe you should take your own advice. And try reading the post more clearly. I don't hate the Steelers because they got the calls. I hate them because most of their fans won't acknowledge that.

Maybe most people would rather address the game itself instead of crying about the refs. You never bothered to refute one single point I made about the Seahawks' missed opportunities, nor answer my post asking you how I was being "classless" - you just continue to rail on the referees. That's the easy way out.

We weren't talking about the Seahawks. I fully acknowlege they missed opportunities to win the game - in spite of the poor officiating. That doesn't change my point or the argument here.FYI, the current ESPN poll asks if officiating affected the outcome of the Super Bowl, and with 100,000 votes already in, 62 percent agree with me.

No one disputes that if affected the game. Not even Steelers fans.Did it decide the game? Absolutely not.

Regarding the two most disputed calls - the Jackson PI and the Locklear hold - most have said they were actually penalties but shouldn't have been called in this case. The Jackson PI was done right in front of the ref, and the Locklear hold was done in plain sight on the end.

 

[BeTheMatch]

You guys or girls(hard to tell because you complain like women) who now "hate" a team because they got the calls are pathetic.  I am a steeler fan,  but i wouldn't hate the colts if they would have won in the playoff game.  Maybe the official who made the call, but not the fanchise.  Get a grip on your life and move on.  Go spend some time with your family and turn the computer off.

Hey its over now and its time to move on.  Ebay is selling Terrible Towels for 2.00.  Jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the victory.   Everybody is welcome!

Maybe you should take your own advice. And try reading the post more clearly. I don't hate the Steelers because they got the calls. I hate them because most of their fans won't acknowledge that.

Maybe most people would rather address the game itself instead of crying about the refs. You never bothered to refute one single point I made about the Seahawks' missed opportunities, nor answer my post asking you how I was being "classless" - you just continue to rail on the referees. That's the easy way out.

We weren't talking about the Seahawks. I fully acknowlege they missed opportunities to win the game - in spite of the poor officiating. That doesn't change my point or the argument here.FYI, the current ESPN poll asks if officiating affected the outcome of the Super Bowl, and with 100,000 votes already in, 62 percent agree with me.

Congrats. I stated earlier as well that the refs blew a few calls. The point is, that isn't why the Seahawks lost.What's funny is that I remember a Seattle fan asking before the game : "Are the Steeler fans already coming up with excuses to break out when they lose?"

I like ESPN reporter Michael Smith's take, mostly since I share it:Here's what referee Bill Leavy's crew did, point blank: It robbed Seattle. The Seahawks could have played better, sure. They could have done more to overcome the poor officiating. We understand that those things happen and all, but even with all the points Seattle left on the field, there's a good chance the Seahawks would have scored more than the Steelers if the officials had let the players play.

 

[Seehawk]

Hey EG,

Wanted to drop you a congrats post and I figure you'll see it here since you were thread starter. As sad as I am for my Hawks, I'm happy for you. Steelers are a class team...there are a lot worse teams to lose to.

I'm doing my best to not get involved in all the ref talk mainly because I'm so vested in the outcome of the game I know that I can't possibly be impartial. Of course I think the Seahawks got the short end of a lot of calls but I don't know how much of that is my Seahawk-fan p.o.v. and how much is my experienced NFL-fan p.o.v. During and after the game I chalked up most of my referee directed outrage simply to my team losing. I've been very surprised to hear so many SUPPOSEDLY impartial fans and watchers say that the refs blew so many calls. Of course I believe it but I'm surprised so many others do to.

In the end though I certainly can't say that the refs cost us the game. There were some questionable calls that perhaps made the battle a bit more uphill but what's really frustrating is that we were fighting that uphill battle and in most measurably ways -except for the only one that matters- we were winning it. We were just 1 or 2 plays away from winning that game. Stop just one of your big plays like the Parker run or the Randel-El pass and execute just one of ours like Djax keeping his feet in bounds and we're the champs. It was there for the taking and we came up just short. Very tough loss....

Anyway, congrats really.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I was actually pulling for Pittsburgh as I have family from there and I like Roethlisberger, Bettis, Cowher, Miller and my man Fast Willie. Still though, I was pretty unbiased.

With that said, I can't recall in a long time outside of the PIT - IND game where the officiating was as poor and one sided as it was last night. (And that brings up another angle - the Steelers played well enough to overcome in Indy. Seattle didn't in Detroit)

I haven't come across any unbiased fan yet that disagrees with that. It was pretty bad.

But those are the breaks. That's just how it goes sometimes. Congrats Steelers as they won the game and I was glad to see Bettis get the story book ending.

J

 

[Jeremy]

FYI, the current ESPN poll asks if officiating affected the outcome of the Super Bowl, and with 100,000 votes already in, 62 percent agree with me.

That's kind of impossible question to answer. Despite Steelers fans saying that's not why they won they game, and Seahawks fans saying they lost because of it, the truth is we don't know. And that's a shame. Hopefully the NFL addresses the issue in the offseason.

 

[faulkfan]

Wow, to think I started this thread by trying to make a lame joke about the Lions...

I don't think the officials cost the Seahawks the game. But they cost us, the neutral fans, the opportunity to watch a close game.

The Jackson offensive interference was correct by the letter of the law. But shouldn't the illegal contact by the defender on the play also have been called?

I think Big Ben scored on the TD. It looked to me like the corner of the ball broke the plane before he got knocked back. Even if not, the refs made the right call on that one. Not anywhere near enough evidence to overturn.

The holding call on Locklear was utter BS. I'm not even sure holding actually took place on the play. One of the most ticky-tack holding calls I've seen, and it made a huge difference in the game.

As for the Hasselbeck tackling penalty, I've never seen that called when a guy's clearly trying to make a diving tackle. A very bizarre call, though I don't think it had all that much effect on the outcome.

Having said all that, if Jerramy Stevens could catch and if the Seahawks hadn't utterly screwed up clock management in both halves, the calls might not have mattered.

1. Jackson very clearly pushed Chris Hope to create separation. Chris hope was pushed about 1 foot backwards. He lost his balance, thanks to the push, and had to hop backwards. Prior to the call, Hope did touch Jackson, but this is allowed, and should not have been called. He did not cause any part of Jackson's body to move.2. Check the hold call again. It was holding. You guys listen to Madden too much.

3. I think that the Hasselbeck call was a correct call. Pittsburgh had this called against the earlier this year. I felt the same way you do about the call, and I still think that the call needs to be changed, but it was the correct call. I wish someone could find the rule and post it. It's goofy, but this is right, I think.

Hmmm. I thought you weren't supposed to make contact with a receiver more than 5 yards down the field. Yes, Jackson pushed off, but Hope clearly grabbed him before the push.As for the holding, sorry. I have no skin in this game, but there's no way holding should have been called on that play. Don't let homerism cloud your mind here. If anything should have been called, Haggans was clearly offsides on the play. Locklear got his hands outside Haggans, but let go without grabbing him.

The point, as others have been trying to make, is this: Pass Interference and Holding are penalties that occur on just about every play. Calling one of them greatly influences the outcome of a drive, so as a referee, you better be darn sure the penalty has occurred before you call it. When that doesn't happen, and when all the questionable PI/Holding calls are made against one team, it looks bad.

No, Hope did not grab Jackson before the push. He touched him. Big difference. And the hold WAS a hold... it wasn't a questionable call, it wasn't a call that wouldn't have been called in any other game. It was fairly blatant hold. If you go back and review it, which is what I did, I think you'll agree.I can't say about Haggans being offsides. I'll have to check it out, which is what I suggest you do regarding the others. I have no problem calling a bad call what it is. These just ain't it.

Well the letter of the law, which all the steeler fans seem so intent on preserving, says the defender can't make contact beyond 5 yrds so the correct call was illegal contact, a 5 yrd penalty on the steelers and an automatic 1st down. I think those of us who feel as though we were robbed of a competitive Super Bowl appreciate your support of our cause by pointing out that the Ref blew the call on that play resulting in a Seattle being wrongly penalized.At least we can agree on that.

 

[Workhorse]

I was actually pulling for Pittsburgh as I have family from there and I like Roethlisberger, Bettis, Cowher, Miller and my man Fast Willie. Still though, I was pretty unbiased.

With that said, I can't recall in a long time outside of the PIT - IND game where the officiating was as poor and one sided as it was last night.

I haven't come across any unbiased fan yet that disagrees with that. It was pretty bad.

But those are the breaks. That's just how it goes sometimes. Congrats Steelers as they won the game and I was glad to see Bettis get the story book ending.

J

Joe, wouldn't you agree that the officiating in three of the highest profile games of this postseason (Denver/NE, Pitt/Indy, Super Bowl XL) was so poor that the NFL must address it in the offseason? IMO, the very credibility of the game is at stake here. The NFL officials are so substandard in terms of getting in the right position to make calls that it affects the integrity of the sport.Let's get past who won and lost and look at the big picture: If this kind of officiating continues in big games, will the NFL lose fans?

 

[tommyboy]

fwiw, congrats to the Seahawks, they had a great year and didn't deserve a few of those calls yesterday. Pittsburgh was lucky all playoffs, and sometimes its better to be lucky than good.

 

[BeTheMatch]

FYI, the current ESPN poll asks if officiating affected the outcome of the Super Bowl, and with 100,000 votes already in, 62 percent agree with me.

That's kind of impossible question to answer. Despite Steelers fans saying that's not why they won they game, and Seahawks fans saying they lost because of it, the truth is we don't know. And that's a shame. Hopefully the NFL addresses the issue in the offseason.

Exactly. I'm not saying Seattle definitley would've won. But let's just throw out everything except the phantom holding call on Locklear that wiped out the first and goal at the one.

What was taken from Seattle was a very, very good opportunity to take the lead in the fourth quarter. What would've happened from there? We'll never know, and that's why this is a travesty.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Hey EG,

Wanted to drop you a congrats post and I figure you'll see it here since you were thread starter. As sad as I am for my Hawks, I'm happy for you. Steelers are a class team...there are a lot worse teams to lose to.

I'm doing my best to not get involved in all the ref talk mainly because I'm so vested in the outcome of the game I know that I can't possibly be impartial. Of course I think the Seahawks got the short end of a lot of calls but I don't know how much of that is my Seahawk-fan p.o.v. and how much is my experienced NFL-fan p.o.v. During and after the game I chalked up most of my referee directed outrage simply to my team losing. I've been very surprised to hear so many SUPPOSEDLY impartial fans and watchers say that the refs blew so many calls. Of course I believe it but I'm surprised so many others do to.

In the end though I certainly can't say that the refs cost us the game. There were some questionable calls that perhaps made the battle a bit more uphill but what's really frustrating is that we were fighting that uphill battle and in most measurably ways -except for the only one that matters- we were winning it. We were just 1 or 2 plays away from winning that game. Stop just one of your big plays like the Parker run or the Randel-El pass and execute just one of ours like Djax keeping his feet in bounds and we're the champs. It was there for the taking and we came up just short. Very tough loss....

Anyway, congrats really.

Same to you, man. You're a good guy and the Seahawks had a great season. the part I bolded is absolutely true and worth mentioning. For all of the complaining about the officiating, people are reluctant to acknowledge that the opportunities were there for Seattle. Pittsburgh played poorly on offense almost all game long - Seattle just couldn't match the Steelers big play for big play. That was the difference. I appreciate the Seahawks fans for seeing this and being great sports about everything, while the "neutral" fans do all the whining.

 

[packersfan]

And EvilGrin, just so we're clear, here is something I posted in another thread with regard to the controversial calls:

I don't know if changing the DJax/Roethlisberger calls would have led to Seattle winning the game but it's truly unfortunate that a game of this magnitude is overshadowed by two extremely suspect calls both of which clearly (IMO) went against the Seahawks.

I think the worst part of this game is that nobody seems to be talking about the Steelers; it's all about how poorly officiated the game was. And the criticisms aren't being generated solely by Seahawks' fans. They're coming from all angles from all sorts of people who had no vested interest in the game and just wanted to see a good game played.

It's not fair to the Steelers because they shouldn't have this cloud hanging over their championship. And it's certainly not fair to the Seahawks who will never know if two extremely questionable calls may have prevented their team from being Super Bowl champions.

 

[apalmer]

To help the Seahawks fans a bit...

The problem with the Roeth TD was not that the TD call was upheld, it was that the ref was signaling 4th down running towards Roeth, and then for some strange reason decided to give Pitt the TD.  If he would have stood with his first call (4th down), that would ALSO HAVE BEEN UPHELD by the ref reviewing the play.  It was really too close to call to have anything called on the field overturned.  This would have either made Pitt go for it on 4th down, maybe to get stuffed again or to score a TD, or kick a FG to tie the game.

I was saying that all day yesterday... the ONLY REASON Roeth got the TD is 'cuz the ref called it a touchdown based on Roeth crawling into the endzone after the play... only way Seattle's D could have stopped that TD was getting called for a personal foul and picking Roeth up and throwing him backwards after the tackle...

Regardless, ball crossed the line. It was fairly clear to me. BARELY, but all that ball has to do is TOUCH the beginning of the white line for the endzone, and it did before Roeths was pushed back a bit. There were a lot of f'd up calls but this wasn't one of them (although it was curious that the linesman did hesitate, but in the end they got that call correct)

I don't think so... I think the fact it was called a TD on the field shows the bias the officials had...there is absolutely no way that someone can see that that was a TD at game speed, in a replay? Maybe, but even that was microscopically close... now ay did they see it live...

So, b/c he can't possibly see that at game speed, the fact that he just by 50-50 chance happened to make the right call means he is biased???

no, the fact that at game speed, Roeth didn't get in, but it was called a TD shows the bias... at game speed, Roeth is down at the 1-inch line... the only argumnet you could possibly make for him being in is based on the replay...

At game speed, he still got in (in my and several other opinions). The speed of the replay does not change that fact. It isn't as cut and dried as you are making it out to be Larry.

the biggest problem I have is the sheer number of very, very close calls (and some bad/questionable calls) that ALL went in the favor of Pittsburgh...sure, there was only one blatantly horrid call, but one blatantly bad call and a number or questionably bad calls is enough to ruin a game that should have been good...

Yes, there were several questionable calls, and Seattle came up short most of the time. It happens. Doesn't show bias in the least. Things just didn't go Seattle's way yesterday.

most of the time? Was there one bad call that went Seattle's way?I mean, seriously, they called a "CHOP BLOCK" on a TACKLER!!! give me a break...

I'd agree with you EXCEPT that the exact same penalty was called on Randle El earlier this year in the same situation: on an interception return, he dove through a blocker and tackled the ball carrier. The announcers for that game were a little smarter than madden--they dug through the rule book and found the rule which says that on a change of possession play it's illegal. If you're talking about Ben's block on the gadget play, that rule won't apply.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

And EvilGrin, just so we're clear, here is something I posted in another thread with regard to the controversial calls:

I don't know if changing the DJax/Roethlisberger calls would have led to Seattle winning the game but it's truly unfortunate that a game of this magnitude is overshadowed by two extremely suspect calls both of which clearly (IMO) went against the Seahawks.

I think the worst part of this game is that nobody seems to be talking about the Steelers; it's all about how poorly officiated the game was. And the criticisms aren't being generated solely by Seahawks' fans. They're coming from all angles from all sorts of people who had no vested interest in the game and just wanted to see a good game played.

It's not fair to the Steelers because they shouldn't have this cloud hanging over their championship. And it's certainly not fair to the Seahawks who will never know if two extremely questionable calls may have prevented their team from being Super Bowl champions.

I see nothing but sunny skies....

 

[BeTheMatch]

the "neutral" fans do all the whining.

There. You asked me to show you where you've been classless. I probably haven't read more than 10 percent of your posts, but there's one.

 

[Fla\/\/ed]

I find it amusing that Steeler fans whined about the refs after the Indy game but now they don't want Seahawk fans complaining about the refs in the Super Bowl.

 

[tommyboy]

there is no cloud over this championship. It just is, and always will be, a 5th Steeler championship.

all this whining will go away,

anyone still care about the supposed asterisk the Spurs were supposed to get due to the strike shortened NBA season in 1999? exactly.

 

[goldenchild]

But the fact that you won't even acknowlege the officiating was very one-sided and played a role in the outcome is classless in my opinion.

I clearly stated in my initial post that I felt the Seahawks got the short end of the stick from the officials, but that they still had ample chances to win the game. I congratulated them all profusely on a great season. How exactly is this classless?Am I supposed to come on here and talk about how Seattle is clearly a superior team? How the refs jobbed them? Am I supposed to say that the team I love, that just went through the toughest possible road to the title, is undeserving? Is that what it takes to have "class"?

If so, forget it. I don't believe a word of it. The Steelers played the best football of any team over the last month, and as such, deserve this title. Nothing you say can take that away. I am on Cloud 9, and this whole week's going to be one long party...

Don't forget while partying to pour some out for lost hommies like Clyde, who continues to walk the earth. I believe Clyde would have gotten along well with Cowher and Bettis. All no nonsense guys. ( I suspect El DeBarge is a Bears fan.)

They would have LOVED Clyde. I know he wouldn't ##### about officiating....

El Debarge would have probably been a fan of some nancy boy team like San Francisco.

easy there grin, let's not forget who was the first to 5 SB Championships.

 

[fred_1_15301]

The evidence starts at the Polamalu interception, when the NFL didn't fine Porter for his comments because they knew he was right.  Then the Super Bowl looks like its fixed in favor of the more liked and more marketable Pittsburgh Steelers.

1. The Darrell Jackson "pushoff" - yes, technically it was a pushoff and I want the NFL to start being more strict on this, but in every other game of the season receivers could easily get away with this, and now that its looking good for Seattle they start making this call?  If it was Hines Ward on that pass, it would have been a no call

2. The "holding" call on the punt return - Are you kidding me? 

3. The Roethlisberger touchdown - There was no conclusive evidence so it shouldn't have been overturned in replay, but did you see the ref when he called it?  He ran almost the whole way looking like he's going to spot the ball, then all of a sudden he pauses a little bit, and decides to put his hands up  very very suspicious to me

4. Hasselbecks "block below the waist" - How do you block someone below the waist when you are trying to tackle someone?

4. The phantom holding call on Locklear - you've got to be freaking kidding me that's not a hold.  On TV, it seemed like the flag was late, I'm guessing the flag didn't get thrown until it looked like a sure thing that Seattle would take the lead with first and goal on the one.

5. A huge no call on Jeff Hartings' blatant and obvious hold - If you have the game on TIVO, go back and look at Roethlisberger's quarterback draw on 3rd and 2.  This was probably the biggest conversion of the game.  When I was watching it, I was sure that it was coming back, and became shocked when there was no flag.  The center for the Steelers, I think it was Jeff Hartings, swung his guy around with both hands by the jersey.  If Locklear was holding, then there was no doubt that Hartings was holding.

The only other time I have blamed a football game on the refs was the Miami/Ohio State Nationial Championship game.  I usually go by the fact that bad calls even out and that winners make plays, losers make excuses.  However, this game is an exception.  EVERY single questionable call went in favor of the much more marketable Steelers.  This just flat out reeks of a fix.  I haven't seen something this bad since Kobe and Shaq were both in LA.

Wow this is an unbelievably pathetic thread. Any call that went against Seattle is "blatantly" terrible? You need to go back and watch the game sober because none of those were terrible calls. Questionable at best but they definitely were legit.

You thought the Hasslebeck penalty and the hold that negated the completion to Stevens on the one were legit? I do think the DJax pushoff was a good call.

Sorry the Hasselbeck penalty was not legit. That was the one call that was blatantly missed in my opinion. The hold was close but I can't argue with it either way. Ditto with the push off. Either way, the refs did not lose this game for the Seahawks. The Seahawks lost it on their own.