Re: OT: The winner of Super Bowl XL is...


Kurt Laughlin wrote:
<els_worth@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote

There was one holding call that Madden and Michaels were discussing but
it
didn't have any follow-up.

What follow-up did you expect?

A second replay or something for those - like me - who didn't catch the
first one.


Actually, Madden made his comments during the replay, on slow-motion no
less. He summed it up by saying that he did not see any holding on the
play. I looked at it again on TiVo both full speed and slow and his
arms were inside. If anything, the guy he was blocking had jumped
off-side.

The Roethlisberger TD looked clean and there was
no "conclusive evidence" that it wasn't so the field ruling had to stand.
(In any case it was third down.)

Several major papers across the country, as well as cable's ESPN
Sportscenter, have called it correctly - you can clearly see that the
ball did not cross the goal line. Even "Big Ben" knew he didn't get in
because he pushed the ball over after he was clearly down.

That's hardly proof that he knew he didn't make it.


How about Ben saying on Letterman that he didn't make it? Or the ref
running out with one arm up until he was close (after Roethlisberger
moved the ball across) then switching to the touchdown signal?

And what do you think would have happened on fourth down anyways? Most
likely, the Steelers would have come away with a field goal.

Rather, I'd think, "At a minimum. . ."


Okay. But considering three failed attempts plus end of the half, a
tying score, and a conservative coach? Odds are they would have gone
with the field goal. Any coach would agree it would be the right call.

In Seattle's favor, the fumble/ground
contact play was called correctly,

Agreed.

the Steelers had their first drive blown
by two false start calls,

Do you really think those were bad calls? They were clearly false
starts. The Seahawks also had some penalties that were deserved.

Not at all. I just mention it as a counter to those - like Tontoni - who
throw "fix" about so freely. If they wanted to make the fix more plausible
they would've let the Steelers score on their first drive.


I never said there was a "fix". I said the referees stunk. And as
poorly as the Steelers were playing in the first half, I don't know if
the refs could have "fixed" it for them. Especially not on their first
drive. Or their second. Or their third, etc. They were three-and-out
every time.

and what appeared to be a deliberate
helmet-to-helmet on Ward hit passed.

Again, do you think this was a bad call? The reverse angle clearly
shows no helmet contact occurred. Hard to say what Bouleware's
intentions were but then, they don't call penalties for intending to
foul.

No, but again, if a fix was wanted, why not use something like this?


As I said, I don't think there was a "fix". If there was a "fix", then
they would have used it. I'm not sure if this call was reviewable
anyways but I was surprised that they made it in the first place. I've
seen plenty of true helmet contact over the season that didn't even
warrant a second look by the refs.

If there was any pre-planning by the refs, I don't think it was to
"fix" the game for the Steelers but perhaps to just over-call
everything. But I'm not sure if that was the problem or just that the
refs stunk even more than in the conference championship round of the
playoffs. But either way, I don't see how anyone can objectively say
that the referees didn't have a major influence on the outcome of Super
Bowl.

Yeah, what do Madden, Young, or ESPN know anyways?

I won't argue Madden or Young. . .

What was Madden's or Young's summation of the game as a whole? Was it ". .
.a good team can overcome one or two bad
calls but there were just too many in this game for the Seahawks to
overcome" or was it "a good team can overcome one or two failures to produce
but there were just too many in this game for the Seahawks to overcome"?


I don't recall Madden or Young saying anything in regards to either. I
do remember both Young and Irvin making comments about the Jackson
touchdown in the post-game -- basically, to the effect that it should
have been a touchdown.

In the last week, I've seen every excuse in the book as to why the
referees were fair. And the NFL won't admit that there is a problem.
Say what you will about the rulebook or what-ever, but the perception
across the country (not just in Seattle) is that the officials greatly
changed the outcome of the game. If the NFL were smart, they would
realize they have a problem at least with fan perception of their
showcase game.

Again, I doubt there was a "fix". I don't see how it would be possible
to keep a scandal that big under wraps, anyways. But it doesn't really
matter if there wasn't as much as it matters that a heckuva lot of
people think there was. The game is all about getting people to watch
and they won't if they think it's predetermined. I have watched every
Super Bowl since IV but after the lousy playoffs and especially this
lousy Super Bowl, I'm starting to wonder if I will make time to watch
next year. I usually have to take time off from work to watch the
Super Bowl and I just don't know if it's worth it anymore.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: OT: NFL Officiating
    ... I agree the refs ruined the game. ... was certainly pro Steelers. ... down plays, low block on a interception return, illegal block on a huge ...
    (rec.games.pinball)
  • Re: Bitter Steeler Fans
    ... still centers on the refs. ... Steelers a lot of breaks during the game. ... What Jackson fumble? ...
    (rec.sport.football.college)
  • Re: Bitter Steeler Fans
    ... centers on the refs. ... Every review of the game mentions it. ... actually seattle had two fumbles where the steelers got screwed by the ... "There is nothing patriotic about hating your country, ...
    (rec.sport.football.college)
  • Re: PITTSBURGH STEELERS WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!
    ... Steelers, they may have won, but there needs to be an asterick in the books relating to the most boring SB ever played. ... Everybody's griping about the the refs, name a season when the refs didn't suck? ... Mediocre game, mediocre league, Congratulations to the NFL their parity plan is working and you know it when Seattle makes it to the SB. ... Goodbye competition, Hello parity, Here's another example of the league sucking, if the Houston Texans make it to the SB before they get moved to another city/state, the league is working too hard to make your champions suck and water down the league. ...
    (rec.music.artists.kiss)
  • Re: NBC:Slate.com: Stealers -How the referees handed Pittsburgh the Super Bowl.
    ... How the referees handed Pittsburgh the Super Bowl. ... A media meme emerged late in the long, two-week march to the Super Bowl: ... Since everyone had basically handed the game to Pittsburgh, ... the Steelers got so much payback last night that I'm sure Steelers ...
    (rec.music.artists.springsteen)