Super Bowls and how they expose flaws (1 Viewer)

[BGP]

I wrote about this in another thread, but I thought I'd give it its own.

The spotlight of a Super Bowl has a unique way of highlighting flaws in the losing club that people hadn't noticed before. The NFL is a copycat league and when they see these flaws, they start picking at them.

Super Bowl XL was different in that the team that claimed the trophy was the one that got dominated on the field. In particular, what everyone assumed was a dominate defensive front seven on the part of the Steelers was pushed around all day by the Seahawks' OL. Hasselbeck had tons of time to throw. He could sit in a beautiful pocket and casually select his targets. Perhaps even more disturbing was how the Seahawks were able to blow open huge holes for Alexander.

At the same time, I cannot think of anything in the Seahawks' game that was exposed in that Super Bowl. They physically dominated Pittsburgh.

Heading into 2006, the Steelers' front seven has been weakened thru free agency. Clubs are no doubt looking carefully at the game tape of Super Bowl XL, seeking to exploit this. That is something I'll be watching this season.

 

[GroveDiesel]

I think that you may have watched a different game than I did. That game was all around sloppy. To say that either team dominated is laughable.

If anything, I think that the team that everyone will have an open book on will be the Panthers. Why did it take that long for everyone to figure out that they needed to double and triple team Steve Smith and jam him at the line? I love SS and am keeping him in two leagues this season, but I am definitely worried that everyone will be watching lots of tape of how the Seahawks shut down Steve Smith and the Panthers.

 

[Orange Crush]

I think that you may have watched a different game than I did. That game was all around sloppy. To say that either team dominated is laughable.

If anything, I think that the team that everyone will have an open book on will be the Panthers. Why did it take that long for everyone to figure out that they needed to double and triple team Steve Smith and jam him at the line? I love SS and am keeping him in two leagues this season, but I am definitely worried that everyone will be watching lots of tape of how the Seahawks shut down Steve Smith and the Panthers.

The Seahawks could only afford to triple-team Smith when Nick Goings went out of the game injured and they were already without Foster and Davis. The Panthers offense always fed off a dominant running game in tandem with Smith. I think the offseason additions of RB Williams and Keyshawn and the further development of Drew Carter will go a long way in having the Panthers avoid similar pitfalls in the future.

 

[GroveDiesel]

I think that you may have watched a different game than I did. That game was all around sloppy. To say that either team dominated is laughable.

If anything, I think that the team that everyone will have an open book on will be the Panthers. Why did it take that long for everyone to figure out that they needed to double and triple team Steve Smith and jam him at the line? I love SS and am keeping him in two leagues this season, but I am definitely worried that everyone will be watching lots of tape of how the Seahawks shut down Steve Smith and the Panthers.

The Seahawks could only afford to triple-team Smith when Nick Goings went out of the game injured and they were already without Foster and Davis. The Panthers offense always fed off a dominant running game in tandem with Smith. I think the offseason additions of RB Williams and Keyshawn and the further development of Drew Carter will go a long way in having the Panthers avoid similar pitfalls in the future.

While I think that Carolina really wanted to be a power running team and set the pass up with the run, that really wasn't the case last season. Carolina averaged just 3.4 yards per carry and fell into the bottom half of the league in rushing yardage. They were in the upper third of rushing attemps though which certainly reflects their desire to run the ball. I'm just not sure that the running game didn't lose its wheels long before that playoff game. And it's no sure bet that Foster will stay healthy and Drew will pan out this season. I think that defenses are going to make the Panthers prove that they can beat them on the ground for a while rather than let Smith win games all by himself.

 

[kupcho1]

Karma, baby, karma.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Super Bowl XL was different in that the team that claimed the trophy was the one that got dominated on the field.

What game were you watching? Like has been said, both teams played too sloppy, to say that either dominated.

Perhaps even more disturbing was how the Seahawks were able to blow open huge holes for Alexander.

That is a bit of an overstatement. 20 carries for 95 yards (4.5 YPC) is a good day, but if they were blowing huge holes open for Alexander, his numbers would have been off the charts.

At the same time, I cannot think of anything in the Seahawks' game that was exposed in that Super Bowl. They physically dominated Pittsburgh.

They did? Does a team that got physically dominated run the ball 33 times for 181 yards (5.5 YPC)? I think not. Sure, Parker's long run jacked the overall numbers up, but even if that one running play was their only great run of the day (it wasn't), that is still far better than any run the Seahawks had, so there is no way you can say the Seahawks dominated the Steelers physically. Odds are, though, your legendary anti-Steelers bias is tainting your view once again, and you will not take any dissenting views, like mine, seriously.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

By the way BGP, you are needed in your "Pittsburgh Curse Continues" thread in the FFA.

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

Another BGP statement proven wrong by statistics.

BGP Comment/Super Bowl XL Key Stats

"Hasselbeck had all day to throw"...defensive pressure causes the following:

1) Seattle allowed 3 sacks to the Steelers in SB XL. Hasselbeck was sacked 26 times in the previous 18 games (16 regular season/2 postseason) for an average of 1.4 sacks per game. The Steelers doubled that in XL

2) In Super Bowl XL Hasselbeck had his lowest single completion percentage of any game all year (19 games) at 53.1%, well below his season average of 65.5%.

3) Hasselbeck also had his 2nd lowest game in YPA 5.57, over 2 yards below his season average of 7.7 YPA.

Alexander had 20 rushes for 95 yards, 0 TD. The Steelers kept the NFL MVP below 100 total yards and out of the endzone, well below his season averages across the board. The Seahawks were one of the top Os in the NFL and were held to 10 points in the SB. Your infamous Yards per Point Theory should scream that the Steelers D had one of the top performances in SB history.

 

[Orange Crush]

I think that you may have watched a different game than I did.  That game was all around sloppy.  To say that either team dominated is laughable.

If anything, I think that the team that everyone will have an open book on will be the Panthers.  Why did it take that long for everyone to figure out that they needed to double and triple team Steve Smith and jam him at the line?  I love SS and am keeping him in two leagues this season, but I am definitely worried that everyone will be watching lots of tape of how the Seahawks shut down Steve Smith and the Panthers.

The Seahawks could only afford to triple-team Smith when Nick Goings went out of the game injured and they were already without Foster and Davis. The Panthers offense always fed off a dominant running game in tandem with Smith. I think the offseason additions of RB Williams and Keyshawn and the further development of Drew Carter will go a long way in having the Panthers avoid similar pitfalls in the future.

While I think that Carolina really wanted to be a power running team and set the pass up with the run, that really wasn't the case last season. Carolina averaged just 3.4 yards per carry and fell into the bottom half of the league in rushing yardage. They were in the upper third of rushing attemps though which certainly reflects their desire to run the ball. I'm just not sure that the running game didn't lose its wheels long before that playoff game. And it's no sure bet that Foster will stay healthy and Drew will pan out this season. I think that defenses are going to make the Panthers prove that they can beat them on the ground for a while rather than let Smith win games all by himself.

Foster averaged 4.3 ypc last year. It was Davis who collapsed last year, still getting 180 carries while barely getting 3 ypc. Goings was a decent replacement at 3.6 ypc.I watched many Panthers games last year and they were quite happy taking what the defense gave them. If the defense focused on SS, they ran. If the defense dropped that safety into the box, they threw. It worked out great for them all year long until their 3rd RB went down and Seattle put only 6 men in the box and still shut down the Panthers running.

 

[Capella]

By the way BGP, you are needed in your "Pittsburgh Curse Continues" thread in the FFA.

why you avoiding that, beej?

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average. The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average. The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances. Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

 

[The Jerk]

Where's that strait jacket smilie? Can't find it, oh well...

:11:

Close enough.

ETA: I'm wearing a shirt in your honor today, BGP. It reads:

YOUR VILLAGE CALLED

THEIR IDIOT IS MISSING

 

[MLBrandow]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average. The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average. The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances. Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

 

[Capella]

BGP, have they given you back the red stapler yet?

 

[SteelerMurf]

Another BGP statement proven wrong by statistics.

BGP Comment/Super Bowl XL Key Stats

"Hasselbeck had all day to throw"...defensive pressure causes the following:

1) Seattle allowed 3 sacks to the Steelers in SB XL. Hasselbeck was sacked 26 times in the previous 18 games (16 regular season/2 postseason) for an average of 1.4 sacks per game. The Steelers doubled that in XL

2) In Super Bowl XL Hasselbeck had his lowest single completion percentage of any game all year (19 games) at 53.1%, well below his season average of 65.5%.

3) Hasselbeck also had his 2nd lowest game in YPA 5.57, over 2 yards below his season average of 7.7 YPA.

Alexander had 20 rushes for 95 yards, 0 TD. The Steelers kept the NFL MVP below 100 total yards and out of the endzone, well below his season averages across the board. The Seahawks were one of the top Os in the NFL and were held to 10 points in the SB. Your infamous Yards per Point Theory should scream that the Steelers D had one of the top performances in SB history.

 

[Steelers4Life]

BGP, have they given you back the red stapler yet?

I don't understand why people keep responding to this stuff, but as long as they do, BGP will keep throwing it out there.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

BGP, have they given you back the red stapler yet?

I don't understand why people keep responding to this stuff, but as long as they do, BGP will keep throwing it out there.

I love it. I don't care if it's fishing, mental illness, button-pushing, whatever. I will never get tired of pwning BGP. Never.

 

[Ghost Rider]

BGP, have they given you back the red stapler yet?

I don't understand why people keep responding to this stuff, but as long as they do, BGP will keep throwing it out there.

I love it. I don't care if it's fishing, mental illness, button-pushing, whatever. I will never get tired of pwning BGP. Never.

Indeed, and because of your sig, he is pretty much owned every time you post. Being a Cleveland Browns fan is just icing on the cake.

 

[Steelers4Life]

BGP, have they given you back the red stapler yet?

I don't understand why people keep responding to this stuff, but as long as they do, BGP will keep throwing it out there.

I love it. I don't care if it's fishing, mental illness, button-pushing, whatever. I will never get tired of pwning BGP. Never.

Indeed, and because of your sig, he is pretty much owned every time you post. Being a Cleveland Browns fan is just icing on the cake.

After they won, I knew I had remembered BGP saying that and wanted to use it in MY sig... EG beat me to it, so I had to settle for the one I have now.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average. The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average. The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances. Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Did BGP curse the Seahawks too? I'm off his bandwagon if so.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average.  The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average.  The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances.  Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average.  The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average.  The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances.  Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Didn't help the Colts.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average. The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average. The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances. Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Didn't help the Colts.

The Colts were in the Super Bowl? Weird.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

BGP, have they given you back the red stapler yet?

I don't understand why people keep responding to this stuff, but as long as they do, BGP will keep throwing it out there.

I love it. I don't care if it's fishing, mental illness, button-pushing, whatever. I will never get tired of pwning BGP. Never.

Indeed, and because of your sig, he is pretty much owned every time you post. Being a Cleveland Browns fan is just icing on the cake.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

BGP, have they given you back the red stapler yet?

I don't understand why people keep responding to this stuff, but as long as they do, BGP will keep throwing it out there.

I love it. I don't care if it's fishing, mental illness, button-pushing, whatever. I will never get tired of pwning BGP. Never.

Indeed, and because of your sig, he is pretty much owned every time you post. Being a Cleveland Browns fan is just icing on the cake.

After they won, I knew I had remembered BGP saying that and wanted to use it in MY sig... EG beat me to it, so I had to settle for the one I have now.

Dude - yours is just as effective.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average.  The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average.  The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances.  Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Well, the NFL stood behind the calls, so I guess the whole league is biased against Seattle. Collinsworth agreed with them on Inside The NFL too, but then again, he's obviously pro-Steelers.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average. The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average. The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances. Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Well, the NFL stood behind the calls, so I guess the whole league is biased against Seattle. Collinsworth agreed with them on Inside The NFL too, but then again, he's obviously pro-Steelers.

Yes, the NFL backing their own calls is evidence that they called a good game. Did you happen to miss the MANY of the 3rd party articles and reporters who displayed their disatisfaction of the reffing? This Super Bowl is going down as the worst reffed game in its history. Continue turning the blind eye though.

ETA: I am done with talking about that though, I regret bringing it up as the reffing has been rehashed a million times.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average.  The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average.  The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances.  Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average.  The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average.  The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances.  Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Well, the NFL stood behind the calls, so I guess the whole league is biased against Seattle. Collinsworth agreed with them on Inside The NFL too, but then again, he's obviously pro-Steelers.

Yes, the NFL backing their own calls is evidence that they called a good game. Did you happen to miss the MANY of the 3rd party articles and reporters who displayed their disatisfaction of the reffing? This Super Bowl is going down as the worst reffed game in its history. Continue turning the blind eye though.

The NFL, when it sees an error, will admit it. They came out publicly after the divisional playoff and admitted the overturn of Polamalu's INT was a bad call. When given the opportunity to do so in the Super Bowl, they issued a statement saying that the calls were correct. Plain and simple.Seattle easily could have won that game despite committing those penalties. They just didn't make enough plays. Keep crying about the officiating if it makes you feel any better. That trophy belongs to Pittsburgh and no amount of whining is ever going to change that.

 

[kupcho1]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average.  The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average.  The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances.  Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Well, the NFL stood behind the calls, so I guess the whole league is biased against Seattle. Collinsworth agreed with them on Inside The NFL too, but then again, he's obviously pro-Steelers.

Yes, the NFL backing their own calls is evidence that they called a good game. Did you happen to miss the MANY of the 3rd party articles and reporters who displayed their disatisfaction of the reffing? This Super Bowl is going down as the worst reffed game in its history. Continue turning the blind eye though.

The NFL, when it sees an error, will admit it. They came out publicly after the divisional playoff and admitted the overturn of Polamalu's INT was a bad call. When given the opportunity to do so in the Super Bowl, they issued a statement saying that the calls were correct. Plain and simple.Seattle easily could have won that game despite committing those penalties. They just didn't make enough plays. Keep crying about the officiating if it makes you feel any better. That trophy belongs to Pittsburgh and no amount of whining is ever going to change that.

Could we please focus on the matter at hand: the evil genius of BGP?

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average.  The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average.  The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances.  Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Well, the NFL stood behind the calls, so I guess the whole league is biased against Seattle. Collinsworth agreed with them on Inside The NFL too, but then again, he's obviously pro-Steelers.

Yes, the NFL backing their own calls is evidence that they called a good game. Did you happen to miss the MANY of the 3rd party articles and reporters who displayed their disatisfaction of the reffing? This Super Bowl is going down as the worst reffed game in its history. Continue turning the blind eye though.

The NFL, when it sees an error, will admit it. They came out publicly after the divisional playoff and admitted the overturn of Polamalu's INT was a bad call. When given the opportunity to do so in the Super Bowl, they issued a statement saying that the calls were correct. Plain and simple.Seattle easily could have won that game despite committing those penalties. They just didn't make enough plays. Keep crying about the officiating if it makes you feel any better. That trophy belongs to Pittsburgh and no amount of whining is ever going to change that.

Could we please focus on the matter at hand: the evil genius of BGP?

I'm always happy to focus on that. Some fans just can't seem to let go of that game, though.

 

[kupcho1]

Could we please focus on the matter at hand: the evil genius of BGP?

I'm always happy to focus on that. Some fans just can't seem to let go of that game, though.

Don't let them suck you in. Sit back and rejoice that the Steelers and Seahawks will face off in a rematch in SuperBowl 41.BGP's post here has preordained it.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average. The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average. The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances. Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Well, the NFL stood behind the calls, so I guess the whole league is biased against Seattle. Collinsworth agreed with them on Inside The NFL too, but then again, he's obviously pro-Steelers.

Yes, the NFL backing their own calls is evidence that they called a good game. Did you happen to miss the MANY of the 3rd party articles and reporters who displayed their disatisfaction of the reffing? This Super Bowl is going down as the worst reffed game in its history. Continue turning the blind eye though.

The NFL, when it sees an error, will admit it. They came out publicly after the divisional playoff and admitted the overturn of Polamalu's INT was a bad call. When given the opportunity to do so in the Super Bowl, they issued a statement saying that the calls were correct. Plain and simple.Seattle easily could have won that game despite committing those penalties. They just didn't make enough plays. Keep crying about the officiating if it makes you feel any better. That trophy belongs to Pittsburgh and no amount of whining is ever going to change that.

Do you honestly think that the NFL would go back and admit they made mistakes which would have changed the result of the SUPER BOWL. Admitting they made a mistake on the Polamalu INT had no bearing on the result and as a result it didn't matter. Those comparisons are night and day. I do not think that if Indy would have won that game that the NFL would have admitted fault on that call. I can pretty much guarantee it. No one is talking about how Seattle played a good game, but they did play a game good enough to win IF it were not for some calls. There is no denying this. There have been many many many journalists not affiliated with either team indicating the game was very poorly reffed. This isn't somehting being conjured up by some bitter Seahawk fans.

Whatever makes you sleep better at night, though.

 

[kupcho1]

Do you honestly think that the NFL would go back and admit they made mistakes which would have changed the result of the SUPER BOWL. Admitting they made a mistake on the Polamalu INT had no bearing on the result and as a result it didn't matter. Those comparisons are night and day. I do not think that if Indy would have won that game that the NFL would have admitted fault on that call. I can pretty much guarantee it.

No one is talking about how Seattle played a good game, but they did play a game good enough to win IF it were not for some calls. There is no denying this.

Whatever makes you sleep better at night, though.

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average.  The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average.  The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances.  Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Well, the NFL stood behind the calls, so I guess the whole league is biased against Seattle. Collinsworth agreed with them on Inside The NFL too, but then again, he's obviously pro-Steelers.

Yes, the NFL backing their own calls is evidence that they called a good game. Did you happen to miss the MANY of the 3rd party articles and reporters who displayed their disatisfaction of the reffing? This Super Bowl is going down as the worst reffed game in its history. Continue turning the blind eye though.

The NFL, when it sees an error, will admit it. They came out publicly after the divisional playoff and admitted the overturn of Polamalu's INT was a bad call. When given the opportunity to do so in the Super Bowl, they issued a statement saying that the calls were correct. Plain and simple.Seattle easily could have won that game despite committing those penalties. They just didn't make enough plays. Keep crying about the officiating if it makes you feel any better. That trophy belongs to Pittsburgh and no amount of whining is ever going to change that.

Do you honestly think that the NFL would go back and admit they made mistakes which would have changed the result of the SUPER BOWL. Admitting they made a mistake on the Polamalu INT had no bearing on the result and as a result it didn't matter. Those comparisons are night and day. I do not think that if Indy would have won that game that the NFL would have admitted fault on that call. I can pretty much guarantee it. No one is talking about how Seattle played a good game, but they did play a game good enough to win IF it were not for some calls. There is no denying this.

Whatever makes you sleep better at night, though.

You should bottle that whine.

 

[CrossEyed]

Are people still whining about this? It's almost August people, get over it.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average. The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average. The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances. Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Well, the NFL stood behind the calls, so I guess the whole league is biased against Seattle. Collinsworth agreed with them on Inside The NFL too, but then again, he's obviously pro-Steelers.

Yes, the NFL backing their own calls is evidence that they called a good game. Did you happen to miss the MANY of the 3rd party articles and reporters who displayed their disatisfaction of the reffing? This Super Bowl is going down as the worst reffed game in its history. Continue turning the blind eye though.

The NFL, when it sees an error, will admit it. They came out publicly after the divisional playoff and admitted the overturn of Polamalu's INT was a bad call. When given the opportunity to do so in the Super Bowl, they issued a statement saying that the calls were correct. Plain and simple.Seattle easily could have won that game despite committing those penalties. They just didn't make enough plays. Keep crying about the officiating if it makes you feel any better. That trophy belongs to Pittsburgh and no amount of whining is ever going to change that.

Do you honestly think that the NFL would go back and admit they made mistakes which would have changed the result of the SUPER BOWL. Admitting they made a mistake on the Polamalu INT had no bearing on the result and as a result it didn't matter. Those comparisons are night and day. I do not think that if Indy would have won that game that the NFL would have admitted fault on that call. I can pretty much guarantee it. No one is talking about how Seattle played a good game, but they did play a game good enough to win IF it were not for some calls. There is no denying this.

Whatever makes you sleep better at night, though.

You should bottle that whine.

Not whining. If you can't admit the game was poorly reffed, then your Steeler glasses are working properly.

 

[SSOG]

I wrote about this in another thread, but I thought I'd give it its own.

The spotlight of a Super Bowl has a unique way of highlighting flaws in the losing club that people hadn't noticed before. The NFL is a copycat league and when they see these flaws, they start picking at them.

Super Bowl XL was different in that the team that claimed the trophy was the one that got dominated on the field. In particular, what everyone assumed was a dominate defensive front seven on the part of the Steelers was pushed around all day by the Seahawks' OL. Hasselbeck had tons of time to throw. He could sit in a beautiful pocket and casually select his targets. Perhaps even more disturbing was how the Seahawks were able to blow open huge holes for Alexander.

At the same time, I cannot think of anything in the Seahawks' game that was exposed in that Super Bowl. They physically dominated Pittsburgh.

Heading into 2006, the Steelers' front seven has been weakened thru free agency. Clubs are no doubt looking carefully at the game tape of Super Bowl XL, seeking to exploit this. That is something I'll be watching this season.

Ignoring all of the bias and flaws, there's still one very important point that has yet to be made.The superbowl doesn't expose flaws any more than any other game. It just doesn't.

Cincinatti beating 9-0 KC three years ago "exposed" KC's porous run defense.

San Diego giving Indy hell at the end of the '04 season and then beating them at the end of the '05 season (combined with the playoff losses vs. New England) "exposed" how vulnerable Indy was to the 3-4.

Tampa Bay from 2002-2004 "exposed" the Falcons offense and provided the perfect blueprint for defending Michael Vick.

The thing is, I'm putting "exposed" in quotes because none of those really showed the league anything they didn't already know. It was blatantly obvious before KC lost that their run defense was a mess, but teams got so far behind so quickly that many teams never had a shot to challenge it- and the teams that did challenge it still lost as Danta Hall rattled off 4 straight kick-return-TDs. Everybody has known for years how to shut down Indy's offense, but the problem is that scheme can't replace Shawn Merriman or Richard Seymour, who are the two most important pieces in the puzzle. And Tampa only proved that the way to beat Vick was to have guys who were just as fast as he was defending him. Oh wow, big surprise.

Teams get "exposed" far less often than the casual fan is led to believe. Coaches aren't stupid. Coaches don't sit around and think "oh my God, I have no idea whatsoever how to defend this team" and then turn on the game and go "EUREKA!" The problem is somehow managing to execute with the athletes that they have. The reason why some teams win games and some teams lose games is because some teams operate at a matchup advantage, while other teams operate at a matchup disadvantage.

 

[mbuehner]

Poor game all around, including the officiating. Pittsburgh made big plays and Seattle didnt, that was the bottom line.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average.  The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average.  The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances.  Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Well, the NFL stood behind the calls, so I guess the whole league is biased against Seattle. Collinsworth agreed with them on Inside The NFL too, but then again, he's obviously pro-Steelers.

Yes, the NFL backing their own calls is evidence that they called a good game. Did you happen to miss the MANY of the 3rd party articles and reporters who displayed their disatisfaction of the reffing? This Super Bowl is going down as the worst reffed game in its history. Continue turning the blind eye though.

The NFL, when it sees an error, will admit it. They came out publicly after the divisional playoff and admitted the overturn of Polamalu's INT was a bad call. When given the opportunity to do so in the Super Bowl, they issued a statement saying that the calls were correct. Plain and simple.Seattle easily could have won that game despite committing those penalties. They just didn't make enough plays. Keep crying about the officiating if it makes you feel any better. That trophy belongs to Pittsburgh and no amount of whining is ever going to change that.

Do you honestly think that the NFL would go back and admit they made mistakes which would have changed the result of the SUPER BOWL. Admitting they made a mistake on the Polamalu INT had no bearing on the result and as a result it didn't matter. Those comparisons are night and day. I do not think that if Indy would have won that game that the NFL would have admitted fault on that call. I can pretty much guarantee it. No one is talking about how Seattle played a good game, but they did play a game good enough to win IF it were not for some calls. There is no denying this.

Whatever makes you sleep better at night, though.

You're completely, completely wrong. I remember the 2000 season, the NFL issued 3, yes 3 public apologies to Cowher and the Steelers after poor calls led directly to defeats. The NFL is not afraid to admit when mistakes are made, and the Super Bowl is no exception. Bottom line, the calls were dissected by not only the league, but NFL Films, and Inside The NFL and were judged to be right. Watching the game again only reinforces that.Seattle played well enough to be competitive IF they hadn't committed penalties at crucial times. It's part of the game. I don't need your obviously biased opinion to "help me sleep better at night." Of course I'm biased too, but the staff of Inside The NFL is not - ESPECIALLY Collinsworth, who hates the Steelers and admitted the calls were legit (save for the illegal block on Hasselbeck, which obviously stunk.) However, the officials also missed a blatant block in the back on Roethlisberger on herndon's INT return, which more than cancels that call out.

But really, keep whining about it. Maybe if you cry about it enough, you can reverse time and change the outcome.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Are people still whining about this? It's almost August people, get over it.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

Are people still whining about this? It's almost August people, get over it.

The truth hurts, doesn't it.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Are people still whining about this?  It's almost August people, get over it.

The truth hurts, doesn't it.

The truth actually feels great. I'd waited a long time for another ring.You're confusing your terms here. If I say the Steelers are the defending NFL champs, that's the truth. If you say the Seahawks got jobbed by the officials, that's your opinion, nothing more. You need to learn to accept defeat.

 

[CrossEyed]

Hasselbeck had so much time to throw that he was sacked 3 times to Roethlisberger's 1, and was so comfortable that he managed to complete 53% of his passes - 13% below his season average. The holes for Alexander were so enormous that he averaged 4.7 ypc, almost half a yard below his season average, and 95 yards, or 23 yards below his average. The Pittsburgh front seven was manhandled so badly that Seattle was able to convert 29% of their third-down chances. Seattle was so physically dominant that when they needed one stop in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to win, the Steelers were still able to generate two first downs and run 5 minutes off the clock, despite Seattle using all 3 of their timeouts.

Please - wake up and smell what you shovelin......

I guess it helps having the stripes on your team

Well, the NFL stood behind the calls, so I guess the whole league is biased against Seattle. Collinsworth agreed with them on Inside The NFL too, but then again, he's obviously pro-Steelers.

Yes, the NFL backing their own calls is evidence that they called a good game. Did you happen to miss the MANY of the 3rd party articles and reporters who displayed their disatisfaction of the reffing? This Super Bowl is going down as the worst reffed game in its history. Continue turning the blind eye though.

The NFL, when it sees an error, will admit it. They came out publicly after the divisional playoff and admitted the overturn of Polamalu's INT was a bad call. When given the opportunity to do so in the Super Bowl, they issued a statement saying that the calls were correct. Plain and simple.Seattle easily could have won that game despite committing those penalties. They just didn't make enough plays. Keep crying about the officiating if it makes you feel any better. That trophy belongs to Pittsburgh and no amount of whining is ever going to change that.

Do you honestly think that the NFL would go back and admit they made mistakes which would have changed the result of the SUPER BOWL. Admitting they made a mistake on the Polamalu INT had no bearing on the result and as a result it didn't matter. Those comparisons are night and day. I do not think that if Indy would have won that game that the NFL would have admitted fault on that call. I can pretty much guarantee it. No one is talking about how Seattle played a good game, but they did play a game good enough to win IF it were not for some calls. There is no denying this.

Whatever makes you sleep better at night, though.

You should bottle that whine.

Not whining. If you can't admit the game was poorly reffed, then your Steeler glasses are working properly.

No question the game was poorly reffed. On both sides. That's part of the game. Players make mistakes, coaches make mistakes, refs make mistakes. The team that overcomes the mistakes wins the game. The Steelers won. Let it go.

 

[SSOG]

Do you honestly think that the NFL would go back and admit they made mistakes which would have changed the result of the SUPER BOWL. Admitting they made a mistake on the Polamalu INT had no bearing on the result and as a result it didn't matter. Those comparisons are night and day. I do not think that if Indy would have won that game that the NFL would have admitted fault on that call. I can pretty much guarantee it.

No one is talking about how Seattle played a good game, but they did play a game good enough to win IF it were not for some calls. There is no denying this. There have been many many many journalists not affiliated with either team indicating the game was very poorly reffed. This isn't somehting being conjured up by some bitter Seahawk fans.

Whatever makes you sleep better at night, though.

To be perfectly honest, outside of the "Illegal Tackling" penalty on Hasselbeck (which, iirc, the league did admit was the wrong call), the majority of the calls were correct in the superbowl. The problem was that they were very ticky-tacky, and not always called evenly. For instance, Locklear *did* hold in the red zone. It's absolutely, positively true that he did. However, it was a very ticky-tacky hold, and if that was a hold, then there were 22 more egregious holds that went uncalled (on both the Steelers *AND* the Seahawks).Personally, though... I think Pitt would have won even without the calls. And even if they wouldn't have, what does it matter? I understand how the Seahawks have such a tortured fanbase and all, and I know Holmgren has only fanned the flames, but I really think that the majority of other fanbases would have let it go by now. Whatever happened to the good old days, when Seahawk fans just casually accepted the fact that they were cursed and moved on with their lives?

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

Are people still whining about this?  It's almost August people, get over it.

The truth hurts, doesn't it.

Hasselbeck and Alexander seem quite pleased with their 2ND PLACE RINGS.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Do you honestly think that the NFL would go back and admit they made mistakes which would have changed the result of the SUPER BOWL.  Admitting they made a mistake on the Polamalu INT had no bearing on the result and as a result it didn't matter.  Those comparisons are night and day.  I do not think that if Indy would have won that game that the NFL would have admitted fault on that call.  I can pretty much guarantee it. 

No one is talking about how Seattle played a good game, but they did play a game good enough to win IF it were not for some calls.  There is no denying this. There have been many many many journalists not affiliated with either team indicating the game was very poorly reffed.  This isn't somehting being conjured up by some bitter Seahawk fans.

Whatever makes you sleep better at night, though.

To be perfectly honest, outside of the "Illegal Tackling" penalty on Hasselbeck (which, iirc, the league did admit was the wrong call), the majority of the calls were correct in the superbowl. The problem was that they were very ticky-tacky, and not always called evenly. For instance, Locklear *did* hold in the red zone. It's absolutely, positively true that he did. However, it was a very ticky-tacky hold, and if that was a hold, then there were 22 more egregious holds that went uncalled (on both the Steelers *AND* the Seahawks).Personally, though... I think Pitt would have won even without the calls. And even if they wouldn't have, what does it matter? I understand how the Seahawks have such a tortured fanbase and all, and I know Holmgren has only fanned the flames, but I really think that the majority of other fanbases would have let it go by now. Whatever happened to the good old days, when Seahawk fans just casually accepted the fact that they were cursed and moved on with their lives?

Seriously, this is a very The reason Locklear got called is because Haggans beat him to the otuside and Hasselbeck was still holding the ball. Haggans may very well have gotten to him, but Locklear got his arm around Haggans after he was beaten, and took him to the ground. It looked even more blatant than it was given the circumstances and the fact that Haggans was clearly impeded by a player that was behind him. Ref had no choice but to call it. Same with Jackson's offensive pass interference - he did it right in front of the official. No, he didn't flatten Hope, but he didn't have to. The rule is that the receiver cannot push off of the defender in order to create separation. Anyone with two eyes and no axe to grind can see that he did just that, and did it RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE OFFICIAL. He had no choice but to call it.

Don't blame the officials, blame the players who committed the penalties. The thing is, if Madden hadn't commented on those two calls (or rather had agreed with them) - there would have been no uproar.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

My bad for dredging this up again.

Back to your original programming.

 

[jurb26]

Gone 4 days and I see there is no lack of quality comedy in inthe SP.