Bad Calls

[cybermuskie]

I would like to be the first to say there was no foul on the Seahawks TD that was taken away! Also, that was no TD that Big Ben scored! Who's side these Ref's on? The scored should be 10-3 at half! Oh and I almost forgot...The Stones weren't very good either! That's why I am writing this!

[lawdog]

Totally agree 110%. Both calls were wrong and the "Stones" are 20 years past their prime and should be in some nursing home where they aren't annoying me!!!

Now the start of this second half has been a Steeler show!

[lawdog]

WHOA...Scratch that Steeler domination. You can't rely on Roethsligburger to win it for you, you are a RUNNING team!

[river rat316]

Its really way to bad the officials completely screwed the Seahawks out of a win, the td phantom call, the phantom hold on the Stevens play on the 2 yard line....... Theres a clear agenda there for the officials and the NFL, Im giving up and going to bed before I break the TV and swear off NFL football for life

Ohhh almost forgot the Rothlesberger fake td that was a good one 2...............

[cybermuskie]

Also the call on Hasselback for blocking below the knees! How can that be when he was tackling the guy! It's a crock!

[Borch]

When I first started watching the game I really didn't care who won. But after watching 3+ quarters of obviously biased officiating I've become a diehard Seahawks fan for tonight. It couldn't be this bad and onesided by accident.

First Superbowl that's left a bad tasting in my mouth that the vikings didn't play in.

[Rick]

Agreed,

the officiating on this one makes you sick.

[cybermuskie]

MVP: Officals!

[B. Amish]

we were just joking about that at my house

refs for mvp

[PierBridge]

Your kidding right?

Do you guys know the rules if the tip of the ball touches the goal line it's a Touchdown and it was, not that it mattered the Bus would have gotten the needed inch anyway.

Oh I lost $500 on the game not counting juice.....

[river rat316]

I know the rule you show me eviudence it passed the goal line, I didnt see squat passing the goal line on any review I saw, you can't actually say the bad calls didnt go the steelers way any can you? You must have watched a different game than me then!

[CANOPY SAM]

Hindsight is always 20:20. There were some pretty questionable calls, but overall I think the Steelers just played a stronger game. The Seahawks had several opportunities and just didn't seal it up - not entirely unlike another central division team hailing from the great state of MN. It was one of the better Superbowls I've seen in a while. Although the QB "block below the kness" call was really weird!

If you look at the replay of the Rothlisburger touchdown you can see the white stripes of his glove wrapped around the ball crossing the plain of the goal as he falls to the ground. The ball squirts backward under his belly as he falls on it, and he pulls it forward again to "gain" the touchdown, but it clearly broke the plain initially.

I too, didn't really care who won this game. I was simply glad to see two new teams in the big show, instead of yet another repeat season for a "dynasty" team. It was also pretty cool to see Bettis go out this way. It's too bad Favre couldn't have done the same. Not that I'm a Packers fan or anything - it's just cool to see the great ones go out with dignity still with em'. Ya know?

Borch, you don't look old enough to remember a Superbowl that the Vikings played in. I was born the year of the first Superbowl game, and I didn't even see the Vikes play in their bowl appearances. I wish I had.

I had to laugh at the Half time show as well. Most of the veiwing audience was born after the Stones first began performing in the mid 60's! Mick Jagger, however nauseating he is too watch, still can move around for an old man. I only hope I will have the same mobility when I'm in my sixties! Rick, can you still move like that? LOL!

[cybermuskie]

Quote:

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Hindsight is always 20:20. There were some pretty questionable calls, but overall I think the Steelers just played a stronger game.

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I think the Seahawks played much better! Those calls all happened at key times. The non-touchdown would have changed the whole game! I still don't think Ben got in! I would have liked to have seen a fair game, but I guess Bettis had to go out on top, right?! I hope there is some talk in the media about how bad it was! A fairly called game...Seahawks would have won, IMO!

[Rick]

Pierbridge,

No, I'm not kidding and I could have cared less who won the game. The Ben TD aside it was a bad game for the refs and the gloves barely breaking the line is not the ball. However, that call would have gone whichever way the ref called it.

The Steelers benefited by the officials on so many other calls at critical times it didn't look good to a lot of people I'm sure.

At best the refs made a lot of calls the Steelers way at worst they were motivated calls.

Yes the Refs are the Steelers MVP and I am happy for the Steelers and Steeler fans.

[Havin' Fun]

I thought maybe I was seeing things last night with the calls going Pittsburg's way. Hmm. Interesting that I wasn't the only one.

I didn't care who won either. Just interested in the refing.

[nofishfisherman]

I saw a frame by frame break down of the fantom td run. It looked like while ben was in mid air the tip of the ball may have crossed by maybe 1/2 inch. It was super tough to tell though because it was tucked away in his elbow. But if you assume he had the ball tucked tight into the elbow then the ball very well may have crossed the goal line. Not by much but it may have. I still think that the refs blew the game but the Steelers would probably still have won. Holmgren blew the game at the end of both halves. really bad clock management. He almost looked like Tice out there for a short period of time.

[DTro]

Quote:

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Pierbridge,

No, I'm not kidding and I could have cared less who won the game. The Ben TD aside it was a bad game for the refs and the gloves barely breaking the line is not the ball. However, that call would have gone whichever way the ref called it.

The Steelers benefited by the officials on so many other calls at critical times it didn't look good to a lot of people I'm sure.

At best the refs made a lot of calls the Steelers way at worst they were motivated calls.

Yes the Refs are the Steelers MVP and I am happy for the Steelers and Steeler fans.

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Wow Rick, you really think the Seahawks played a better game? Let's list their shortcomings.

2 missed (makeable) FG's

Allowing a 75 yd TD run

HORRIBLE clock management. No excuse for not putting any points on the board at halftime. Poor, just poor, was that Denny in disguise?

Stevens sprayed his gloves with Teflon before the game. He catches those balls....whole different game.

The calls:

IMO the TD could have went either way. Too close, the replay wouldn't have overturned anything. The fact of the matter, is that it was 3rd down and the Bus or Ben would've punched it in anyways.

The blocking below the waist was a terrible call, but only gave them 15yds at midfield (not a game changer).

Interference-----we all know all too well about this one. Can go either way at any time.

I am totally unbiased, but the game I watched was played much better by the Steelers.

And what's with Holmgren not shaking hands at the end of the game?

[eyepatrol]

I'm a bit curious myself if Holmgren shook hands. I know Cower was standing at mid-field waiting, but then they went to a commercial or two and when they came back, everyone was standing on the platform.

Anybody know if Holmgren actually went out to shake hands? Are there any news reports on this? It would be awefully poor sportsmanship if he had not, no matter how he felt the game was called or went.

[Down to Earth]

Maybe the refs were making up for the Indy game. I personally didn't think he made it in, but I have heard opinions from both sides of the issue to make me realize it wasn't clear cut and so you really can't overturn the TD. The only thing is the ref didn't signal TD right away, but waited a bit. On the pass INT, at game speed initially I thought it was interference as well. It wasn't until the replay that I thought it wasn't.

Overall a great game to watch.

[buzzsaw]

Okay, I just read all 18 posts before this one and I've gotta say ANYBODY that says it was NOT a poorly officiated game is so blind they should become an NFL referree! We've discussed the Rothisberger questionable TD, how about the Darrell jackson TD, err I mean push off! That was a weak call and the announcers even said as much, what about his possible TD at the end of the first half when it looked to me like one foot was in bounds and the other hit the outside of the pylon... if thats the way it happened it should have been a TD and any questionable plays are supposed to be reviewed by the refs inside of two minutes and they deemed that NOT worthy! C'mon!! Moving forward, holding on the Seattle offensive lineman on the big pass play down to the Pittsburgh 1 yard line!! [PoorWordUsage]!! The Pittsburgh guy was being double teamed!! then Hasselback later tosses an interception and makes a diving tackle and they penalize him 15 yards calling it a chop block or some dump!! [PoorWordUsage]!! Oh, I forgot to mention Warricks nice return back to the Pittsburgh side of the field and then at the very end of the play the ref throws a flag on Pruitt and it gets called back, they showed that replay and it looked like he was a bit locked up on his man at first but then why wait ten seconds to toss a flag at the guys feet AFTER the good return???

The Dome feeling was weak, the Motown pre-game singing was weak, the National anthem was the weakest ever... what an embarrasment! The Stones are the Stones, but they need to ride off into the sunset and relax.

And what was with the Monday Night Football music being played when they went to a commercial break?! It did NOT feel like a Super Bowl one bit and it was an embarrassment for the league in my opinion.

P.S. Holmgren did NOT shake hands with Cowher after the game.

[DTro]

Buzz, you seem a bit on edge, lost $ perhaps

Let's assume that the calls were horrid, I've gone on record stating MY opinion, but let's assume they were bad.

Are these not the same Steelers that had to overcome what I thought was a much worse officiated game against the Colts (in fact openly admit to screwing a call up) and win. Why couldn't the Seahawks overcome and win?

Again, players win or lose games, missed FG's, dropped passes, INT's, allow 75 yrd runs, clock management.

The Refs might swing a close game either way with a bad call, but a "good" team will not be in the situation to have that happen to them in the first place.

[cybermuskie]

I just looked at ESPN's HSOforum and the is a poll if you thought the games outcome was affected by the refs. Right now 61% percent of the peple said yes! One of the senior writers even had a big article about it.

If it's ok I will post the kink. If it's not go ahead and remove it.

ESPN

[buzzsaw]

Dtro, I didn't lose any jing jang... but you ask

Quote:

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Why couldn't the Seahawks overcome and win

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If you take those calls we all saw and add up the points I think you'll see a much different outcome. Darrell Jacksons TD = 7 points, Darrell jacksons "questionable" second unreviewed TD" a possible 7 more points, the holding call that kept the Seahawks from having first and goal at the one yard line = 7 more "most likely" lost points.

Peter Warricks punt return called back = they were within 10-15 yards of Josh Browns FG range (although he woulda pushed it right or left)

It should have been a better ending than it was and that is solely on the refs. ALOT of people are dissapointed in the refs in this game, otherwise I doubt ESPN would have a survey. Pittsburgh was outplayed and didn't deserve the win.

To answer your question Dtro, there is nothing theat Seattle could have done to overcome the bad calls because every time they'd get something going the refs would blow it.... on purpose and would have continued to do so... yup, I feel the Fix was in... conspiracy blah blah blah... I never get into that belief system but this game has me thinking all the worst possibilities.

[DTro]

ok, I guess I'll have to agree to disagree (even if I'm in the minority). This an argument nobody can win.

Nobody seem to have a response for the points I mentioned. I say AGAIN

2 missed FG's

Butter finger Stevens

Clock management

The things I read here and elsewhere seem to forget that the Steelers did some good things in this game. How many of you knew that Randle El was going to throw that ball when they handed to him? Probably all of us, yet they couldn't stop it. From what I gather they do that just about every game. Lack of preperation?

I am starting to sound like a Steeler appologist. I better stop, because I really don't care who won (no money or feelings involved).

In the end, maybe people like me are the root cause, because I would much rather watch a game like this then a 42-10 cake walk. Unless of course the Vikes have the 42

*side note to Mick and your shuffleboard buddies* It's time to hang'er up me boys. That was just embarrassing. Yes, they are legends, but enough is enough.

[cybermuskie]

Quote:

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I say AGAIN

2 missed FG's

Butter finger Stevens

Clock management

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I guess you keeping asking about the missed FG's.

OK he missed them. MAYBE if they would have allowed Jackson's TD they are not in the position to have to kick those field goals. Maybe if they get the touchdown they get the confidence on their side, Stevens makes a few more catches. The confusion at the end of the half,I think, was due to the fact the Ben's phantom TD had just happened and they were arguing about that going into the locker room.

There isn't a thing any of us can do about this, but I personally would have liked to have had a Super Bowl that wasn't clouded by this issue.