Rothlisberger's Comments on Letterman (1 Viewer)

[Stillers Jr.]

I will give you that point. I too had a problem with the process, yet the resulting call was correct. I would like to hear his explanation as well.

But, he got the call right.

My issue was not the call made by the replay official, which I think was the correct call to let the play stand. My issue was the initial call on the field; when and why it was signaled a touchdown.

Simple, b/c IT WAS A TD

 

[3C's]

Bens TD

I guess that Ben didn't see this angle of his TD, that was upheld upon review, and still is on the books as 6 points.

Ben told Letterman that he told the Coach he didn't think he got in, this was to get Whis working on a 4th down play in case the TD was overturned.

After getting a chance to review the game tape after the Letterman Show, Ben said yesterday that he now believes the ball broke the plane of the Goaline.....as the photo above indicates.

When I watched this during the game, at first, I thought he didn't get in, but upon the very first replay, I knew the ball broke the plane of the GL....to me it was quite obvious.

If that object circled in red is the ball, I'm calling fumble.

You see what you WANT to see...Steeler fans see a football, Seattle fans see a UFO.

I'm not a Seahawk fan, but if that is the ball, how is it being controlled by Roethlisberger?

If the call is correct, and I happen to think it was, the ball had already broken the plane of the goalline. Fumble is moot. I happen to believe that the ball came loose as well. But it was after the ball had broken the plane.

 

[BlueOnion]

I will give you that point.  I too had a problem with the process, yet the resulting call was correct.  I would like to hear his explanation as well.

But, he got the call right.

My issue was not the call made by the replay official, which I think was the correct call to let the play stand. My issue was the initial call on the field; when and why it was signaled a touchdown.

Simple, b/c IT WAS A TD

This would be more believable if the referee signaled touchdown at the time this photo was taken.Here is what I have observed the referee protocol to be in the past:

1) Stand on endline during the play to signal touchdown if ball breaks the plain ofthe endzone.

2) Once the play is over, spot the ball.

Again, my issue is the referee was straddling the endline to make the call if the ball broke the plain during the actual play. After the play was over, he proceeded to spot the spot and then signaled touchdown well after the play was over.

 

[mcintyre1]

This is where I believe the ball to be (coming from a Steeler fan)

http://www.riscdev.be/bulletbait/bigbenstd.jpg

 

[BlueOnion]

This is where I believe the ball to be (coming from a Steeler fan)

http://www.riscdev.be/bulletbait/bigbenstd.jpg

This would make more sense. But this picture is taking us away from the thread topic; which hopefully is mute; Roethlisberger said nothing wrong on Letterman.

 

[3C's]

Here's a little better picture.

Pic

 

[BlueOnion]

In this picture, the ball is not nearly as blurry and it definitely appears Roethlisberger got the ball over the plane of the endzone.

Big Ben Picture - none blurry

 

[-OZ-]

I sometimes find myself wishing for him to shred up his knee.

Edit: I took the bag out because I really have nothing to be ashamed of.

Gee, "Peyton Marino" wishing ill on a guy who actually won a Super Bowl.

 

[3C's]

In this picture, the ball is not nearly as blurry and it definitely appears Roethlisberger got the ball over the plane of the endzone.

Big Ben Picture - none blurry

I'm sure there are some here who would disagree with you.

 

[Mystery Achiever]

Rothlisberger said on Letterman that he was not in the endzone, and sort of chuckled about it. This is yet another reason to hate this quarterback.

Add me to the list of people who don't get why an honest answer is a bad thing.

 

[3C's]

I sometimes find myself wishing for him to shred up his knee.

Edit: I took the bag out because I really have nothing to be ashamed of.

Gee, "Peyton Marino" wishing ill on a guy who actually won a Super Bowl.

He's a biter (sic) Bengal fan. What do you expect?

 

[BlueOnion]

Add me to the list of people who don't get why an honest answer is a bad thing.

I think this issue is mute. We have now degraded this thread into a "dispute the touchdown thread."

 

[-OZ-]

I sometimes find myself wishing for him to shred up his knee.

Edit: I took the bag out because I really have nothing to be ashamed of.

Gee, "Peyton Marino" wishing ill on a guy who actually won a Super Bowl.

He's a biter (sic) Bengal fan. What do you expect?

Why is a Bengal fan named Peyton Marino?

 

[3C's]

I sometimes find myself wishing for him to shred up his knee.

Edit: I took the bag out because I really have nothing to be ashamed of.

Gee, "Peyton Marino" wishing ill on a guy who actually won a Super Bowl.

He's a biter (sic) Bengal fan. What do you expect?

Why is a Bengal fan named Peyton Marino?

I'm just wondering which alias is his. MustBeNewHere or ToothLOZ...or both?

 

[Mystery Achiever]

Add me to the list of people who don't get why an honest answer is a bad thing.

I think this issue is mute. We have now degraded this thread into a "dispute the touchdown thread."

oh, okay. well, has anyone mentioned that they won by more than seven points, so that is also moot?

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

The legend of Roethlisberger continues to grow!

 

[BlueOnion]

oh, okay. well, has anyone mentioned that they won by more than seven points, so that is also moot?

I guess the majority of us don't believe this factored into the referee's decision.

 

[BGP]

Add me to the list of people who don't get why an honest answer is a bad thing.

I think this issue is mute. We have now degraded this thread into a "dispute the touchdown thread."

oh, okay. well, has anyone mentioned that they won by more than seven points, so that is also moot?

The Seahawks had also driven into short FG range (the PIT 23) at the end of the game, so had it been needed, they could have kicked a FG. The Seahawks really lost because of the last 8 poitns, not the full 11.

 

[Lombardi's Orphan Son]

and i cannot believe the 1:2500 win i got for calling Big Ben to score the first TD.

yeah, i was reaching with my $20, but it did net me $500 !!!!!!!!!!!!

thank you big ben

-orphan

 

[Mystery Achiever]

Add me to the list of people who don't get why an honest answer is a bad thing.

I think this issue is mute. We have now degraded this thread into a "dispute the touchdown thread."

oh, okay. well, has anyone mentioned that they won by more than seven points, so that is also moot?

The Seahawks had also driven into short FG range (the PIT 23) at the end of the game, so had it been needed, they could have kicked a FG. The Seahawks really lost because of the last 8 poitns, not the full 11.

Interesting point. FWIW, watching the game, I did not think he got in. But, seeing the replay, I also did not see evidence to overturn.

 

[BlueOnion]

Interesting point. FWIW, watching the game, I did not think he got in. But, seeing the replay, I also did not see evidence to overturn.

This is my issue. The call from the replay booth was dead-on, you can overturn the call on the field with that replay. However, the initial call is very questionable.Interesting side note - The Super Bowl was made of an 'All Star' referee roster. However, the head referee doing the Super Bowl is a referee who usually does not overturn calls on the field, and thus I think his team calls games in this manner. However, the referee who signaled the touchdown (not on head referee's regular season team) seemed to signal the touchdown (very late) almost expecting a replay of the play and ready to defer to the replay official, as if this would be standard protocal on his regular season team. Just food for thought.

 

[Mystery Achiever]

Interesting point. FWIW, watching the game, I did not think he got in. But, seeing the replay, I also did not see evidence to overturn.

However, the referee who signaled the touchdown (not on head referee's regular season team) seemed to signal the touchdown (very late) almost expecting a replay of the play and ready to defer to the replay official, as if this would be standard protocal on his regular season team. Just food for thought.

I didn't notice it, but Chris Russo made the point about the call being late several times, though didn't suggest a "motive".

 

[BlueOnion]

I didn't notice it, but Chris Russo made the point about the call being late several times, though didn't suggest a "motive".

It was definitely a late call and I guess I really don't have a problem with this. But this could be the crux of the problem; the way head referees run their teams.

The referee who signaled the touchdown could have been on an "NFL referee team" this year in which the head referee of the team ran the team on the instructions of, "Try to let plays go as long as you can, make your best judgment call and we will sort out any confussion in the replay booth if a play is challenged."

The head referee during the Super Bowl clearly ran his "NFL referee team" with instructions of, "Make your best call on the field and unless it is a glaring mis-call, I will not overturn it."

 

[vitaflo]

Bens TD

That's not the ball, that's Ben's arm. The white bit aren't the laces but are his armband. The ball is much darker, you can barely make it out. Based on where the line is in this pic, it didn't cross the plane.

 

[rockbottom895]

Bens TD

That's not the ball, that's Ben's arm. The white bit aren't the laces but are his armband. The ball is much darker, you can barely make it out. Based on where the line is in this pic, it didn't cross the plane.

That is also a very terrible view of the touchdown. You are not looking directly from the side, you are looking while his a little deep intothe endzone. A very misleading picture.

 

[rockbottom895]

I didn't notice it, but Chris Russo made the point about the call being late several times, though didn't suggest a "motive".

It was definitely a late call and I guess I really don't have a problem with this. But this could be the crux of the problem; the way head referees run their teams.

The referee who signaled the touchdown could have been on an "NFL referee team" this year in which the head referee of the team ran the team on the instructions of, "Try to let plays go as long as you can, make your best judgment call and we will sort out any confussion in the replay booth if a play is challenged."

The head referee during the Super Bowl clearly ran his "NFL referee team" with instructions of, "Make your best call on the field and unless it is a glaring mis-call, I will not overturn it."

Clearly, the call was made late. He was not in the endzone, and the referee who made the call had a perfect view of it. Calling that play a TD was one of the worst mistakes done by a referee in any Superbowl. If he had callen it short of the endzone (which it clearly was), Bill Cowher would have challeneged. There would have been NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE TO CHANGE IT TO A TOUCHDOWN! This referee should be shot and killed slowly for blowing a call like this. I dropped $100,000 on that game because of the horrific referee job.

 

[Aabye]

I didn't notice it, but Chris Russo made the point about the call being late several times, though didn't suggest a "motive".

It was definitely a late call and I guess I really don't have a problem with this. But this could be the crux of the problem; the way head referees run their teams.

The referee who signaled the touchdown could have been on an "NFL referee team" this year in which the head referee of the team ran the team on the instructions of, "Try to let plays go as long as you can, make your best judgment call and we will sort out any confussion in the replay booth if a play is challenged."

The head referee during the Super Bowl clearly ran his "NFL referee team" with instructions of, "Make your best call on the field and unless it is a glaring mis-call, I will not overturn it."

Clearly, the call was made late. He was not in the endzone, and the referee who made the call had a perfect view of it. Calling that play a TD was one of the worst mistakes done by a referee in any Superbowl. If he had callen it short of the endzone (which it clearly was), Bill Cowher would have challeneged. There would have been NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE TO CHANGE IT TO A TOUCHDOWN! This referee should be shot and killed slowly for blowing a call like this. I dropped $100,000 on that game because of the horrific referee job.

You bet $100,000 American on the Super Bowl? I don't think the referees are your biggest problem.

 

[fred_1_15301]

I didn't notice it, but Chris Russo made the point about the call being late several times, though didn't suggest a "motive".

It was definitely a late call and I guess I really don't have a problem with this. But this could be the crux of the problem; the way head referees run their teams.

The referee who signaled the touchdown could have been on an "NFL referee team" this year in which the head referee of the team ran the team on the instructions of, "Try to let plays go as long as you can, make your best judgment call and we will sort out any confussion in the replay booth if a play is challenged."

The head referee during the Super Bowl clearly ran his "NFL referee team" with instructions of, "Make your best call on the field and unless it is a glaring mis-call, I will not overturn it."

Clearly, the call was made late. He was not in the endzone, and the referee who made the call had a perfect view of it. Calling that play a TD was one of the worst mistakes done by a referee in any Superbowl. If he had callen it short of the endzone (which it clearly was), Bill Cowher would have challeneged. There would have been NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE TO CHANGE IT TO A TOUCHDOWN! This referee should be shot and killed slowly for blowing a call like this. I dropped $100,000 on that game because of the horrific referee job.

100 grand down the drain on one football game?

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

I dropped $100,000 on that game because of the horrific referee job.

 

[yellowdog]

  I dropped $100,000 on that game because of the horrific referee job.

 

[rockbottom895]

I dropped $100,000 on that game because of the horrific referee job.

Of course I didnt lose 100,000 on the game. I exageratted a little.

 

[AcousticNut]

Bens TD

That's not the ball, that's Ben's arm. The white bit aren't the laces but are his armband. The ball is much darker, you can barely make it out. Based on where the line is in this pic, it didn't cross the plane.

It's like trying to decipher a picture of the loch ness monter, but I see 3 distinct shades.1) Light - This is Ben's arm / arm band

2) Darker / Light Brown - This is the football which has broken the front plane of the goal line

3) Very Dark / Black - This is Jerome Bettis' helmet, who had thrown the lead block on the play.

Of course, who can be sure? Just my observation.

 

[SteelerDestiny]

Lets say he didn't get in. What everyone is forgetting is that the Steelers were 100% from 4th and goal this year. There was no stopping the inevitable. Even if by some small miracle they did stop him, you would still lose 14-10 due to your pathetic coach's inability to manage the clock, or a big mouth TE's inept receiving skills. Yes it was a pushoff and yes it was holding on every play not just the one's you got caught on, boo hoo cry me river. Yes the Steelers played bad and Ben chocked, but we were still good enough to win. Tired of hearing it cause it won't change a damn thing.

SUPER BOWL CHAMPS BABY!!!

 

[Wingnut]

How can anyone Hate Ben? Im not a Steeler fan but admire the guy. He loves the game, doesnt think he is bigger than the game, isnt a stat hog, and just seems like a guy that knows he's fortunate to be getting paid to play the game he loves.

"Nice pick, Cowah!"

Nice pick, indeed.

 

[Wingnut]

Lets say he didn't get in. What everyone is forgetting is that the Steelers were 100% from 4th and goal this year. There was no stopping the inevitable. Even if by some small miracle they did stop him, you would still lose 14-10 due to your pathetic coach's inability to manage the clock, or a big mouth TE's inept receiving skills. Yes it was a pushoff and yes it was holding on every play not just the one's you got caught on, boo hoo cry me river. Yes the Steelers played bad and Ben chocked, but we were still good enough to win. Tired of hearing it cause it won't change a damn thing.

SUPER BOWL CHAMPS BABY!!!

I agree.While they were reviewing the play and showing replays form every angle my GF asked me "So whadd'ya think the ruling is gonna be?"

I answered "Doesnt matter. If they dont give it to him, theyll go for it on 4th and get it. Not a doubt in my mind".

I am 100% convinced now as I was then - Cowher would have went for it, and they would have got it. All they would have done is postpone the TD for about 2 more seconds of gameplay.

 

[Jim11]

Lets say he didn't get in. What everyone is forgetting is that the Steelers were 100% from 4th and goal this year. There was no stopping the inevitable. Even if by some small miracle they did stop him, you would still lose 14-10 due to your pathetic coach's inability to manage the clock, or a big mouth TE's inept receiving skills. Yes it was a pushoff and yes it was holding on every play not just the one's you got caught on, boo hoo cry me river. Yes the Steelers played bad and Ben chocked, but we were still good enough to win. Tired of hearing it cause it won't change a damn thing.

SUPER BOWL CHAMPS BABY!!!

I agree.While they were reviewing the play and showing replays form every angle my GF asked me "So whadd'ya think the ruling is gonna be?"

I answered "Doesnt matter. If they dont give it to him, theyll go for it on 4th and get it. Not a doubt in my mind".

I am 100% convinced now as I was then - Cowher would have went for it, and they would have got it. All they would have done is postpone the TD for about 2 more seconds of gameplay.

After the game, Cowher said that they were going for it if the call was overturned. A lot of people seem to be forgetting it would have been 4 & inches and are just deducting 7 points from the Steelers.

 

[BlueOnion]

After the game, Cowher said that they were going for it if the call was overturned. A lot of people seem to be forgetting it would have been 4 & inches and are just deducting 7 points from the Steelers.

Personally, I think the Steelers would have called a play action pass at 4th and inches and it would have resulted in a Seahawk touchdown, so just deducting 7 points from the Steelers is not enough, we should also add 7 points to the Seahawks as well.

 

[Stillers Jr.]

After the game, Cowher said that they were going for it if the call was overturned. A lot of people seem to be forgetting it would have been 4 & inches and are just deducting 7 points from the Steelers.

You're right - but let's not forget how the steelers did on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and short assuming the refs called it down at the inch line.The fact is we just don't know, and can't assume either way.

I posted this in another thread, but some knucklehead had it locked...This puts things in plain, simple terms that Seahawk fans may be able to digest...

http://www.kdka.com/video/?id=13404@kdka.dayport.com

 

[Evilgrin 72]

After the game, Cowher said that they were going for it if the call was overturned.  A lot of people seem to be forgetting it would have been 4 & inches and are just deducting 7 points from the Steelers.

You're right - but let's not forget how the steelers did on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and short assuming the refs called it down at the inch line.The fact is we just don't know, and can't assume either way.

I posted this in another thread, but some knucklehead had it locked...This puts things in plain, simple terms that Seahawk fans may be able to digest...

http://www.kdka.com/video/?id=13404@kdka.dayport.com

The more I watch those plays, the more they reinforce what I already believed.I really thought Holmgren's comments were lame ("beneath him" - as Cris Collinsworth put it correctly on Inside the NFL) and it's a credit to Seahawk fans that a lot of them were booing that remark after he uttered it.

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

After the game, Cowher said that they were going for it if the call was overturned.  A lot of people seem to be forgetting it would have been 4 & inches and are just deducting 7 points from the Steelers.

You're right - but let's not forget how the steelers did on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and short assuming the refs called it down at the inch line.The fact is we just don't know, and can't assume either way.

I posted this in another thread, but some knucklehead had it locked...This puts things in plain, simple terms that Seahawk fans may be able to digest...

http://www.kdka.com/video/?id=13404@kdka.dayport.com

 

[Franknbeans]

After the game, Cowher said that they were going for it if the call was overturned.  A lot of people seem to be forgetting it would have been 4 & inches and are just deducting 7 points from the Steelers.

You're right - but let's not forget how the steelers did on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and short assuming the refs called it down at the inch line.The fact is we just don't know, and can't assume either way.

They scored on 3rd down

 

[FFFIEND]

There isn't much to hate about big ben. No more than anyother NFL player.

please...

edit:

The refs SUCKED in the SB, but that isn't ben's fault. I doubt the refs were paided off or anything. I just think they SUCKED!!!

 

[Borat]

Rothlisberger said on Letterman that he was not in the endzone, and sort of chuckled about it. This is yet another reason to hate this quarterback.

I think we can all agree he wasn't in. What if he had claimed that he was in? Would you have prefered he lie?

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

I really thought Holmgren's comments were lame ("beneath him" - as Cris Collinsworth put it correctly on Inside the NFL) and it's a credit to Seahawk fans that a lot of them were booing that remark after he uttered it.

I did not get the impression at all the Seahawk fans were booing Holmgren -- I thought they were booing the refs.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

I think we can all agree he wasn't in.

we can?

 

[Stillers Jr.]

I really thought Holmgren's comments were lame ("beneath him" - as Cris Collinsworth put it correctly on Inside the NFL) and it's a credit to Seahawk fans that a lot of them were booing that remark after he uttered it.

I did not get the impression at all the Seahawk fans were booing Holmgren -- I thought they were booing the refs.

Hehe, Same here...I give the Walrus look-alike a break on the comments, he was pandering to the Seahawk faithful...

 

[BlueOnion]

I give the Walrus look-alike a break on the comments, he was pandering to the Seahawk faithful...

This is a good point, if this was a mandatory post-game appearance situation where he was addressing the entire country, it would be different.

 

[Borat]

I think we can all agree he wasn't in.

we can?

Okay, fine, I suppose we can't afterall, even with Roethlisberger evidently not even believing he got in. But I'm going to assume the guy who started this thread doesn't think he was in, be it as a result of anti-Steeler bias or just his honest opinion. If that's the case, my point remains: would he have preferred Roethlisberger lie, or be honest about it? Sounds to me like the guy who started the thread would have a problem with Roethlisberger regardless of what his answer was.Can we agree on that?

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I really thought Holmgren's comments were lame ("beneath him" - as Cris Collinsworth put it correctly on Inside the NFL) and it's a credit to Seahawk fans that a lot of them were booing that remark after he uttered it.

I did not get the impression at all the Seahawk fans were booing Holmgren -- I thought they were booing the refs.

Yeah, maybe. I heard some initial cheering and then it turned to boos - they probably were booing the refs, now that you mention it. I was hoping maybe some of the fans were booing him for making excuses, but you're right, that's probably not the case at all.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

Sounds to me like the guy who started the thread would have a problem with Roethlisberger regardless of what his answer was.

Can we agree on that?

HOW CAN YOU CLAIM TO SPEAK FOR THAT GUY WHEN YOU HAVE NO IDE....Yes -- yes we can.