SuperBowl fixed?....(officials stunk)

[Underwater Basketweaver]

Just to put a disclaimer on this... I didn't care about either team.

As I watched all the pre-game and game yesterday, I started to wonder if maybe some people wanted Pittsburgh to win a little too much. Here are my points...

1. Which team made the better winning story?

2. Seattle was the least penalized team in the league this season until last night.

3. Offensive pass interference was bogus. No advantage was gained. It wasn't a push off, it was a touch. Incidental contact.

4. Bogus holding penalty on the touchdown called back.

5. Bogus illegal block on the punt return.

6. And since when did it become illegal to tackle below the waist?

7. I don't know if Big Ben got in on the touchdown or not, I don't think anyone does. But did you notice that the line judge didn't initially give it to him. Had that been called a no touchdown, and then been reviewed by replay, I don't think they could have overturned it that way either. No conclusive evidence either way.

The officiating was terrible, and it has been throughout the playoffs this year. This is the case that should really show that the richest professional sport in the world should really make their officials into full-time employees. Let them work on their mechanics during the week, and study film during the week on the previous game they called, and the upcoming teams they will be calling. It's rediculous.

[big daddy russ]

Just horrible officiating, and 90% went against Seattle. Seattle outplayed Pitt last night.

[Maroon87]

Seattle made too many critical mistakes but you're right...the refs left something to be desired. The OPI call on Jackson, Big Ben's TD, and Hasselbeck's penalty while making a tackle were the three worst.

[bhtrainer]

even tho i had wanted the steelers to win... bens TD was a horrible call the ball never even crossed the plane and on the review of the play i dont no how the ref could watch the replay and still call it a TD... horrible officiating

[bhtrainer]

lol.... listen to me complaining about officiating. typical bh person...lol...

[Macarthur]

I agree that it was aweful. There's no question that the Steelers have been a media & NFL darling for many years.

1. The offensive pass interference call was horrible.

2. The holding on the TD was a horrible call.

Those two changed the entire complextion of the game.

I was listening to Mike & Mike in the morning (only during commercials of The Ticket). And they were going on about Pittsburgh and how they deserve it and were the best team.

I think that's just crap. Seattle lost that game. Seattle was the best team on the field. Pitt just made big plays and Seattle did not. That's what it came down to. Ben has a QB rating of 22 and they still won going away! Ugly game, just ugly.

[TexasHSFootball]

it wasnt just the officiating that stunk.. the Rolling Stones stunk.. and Joe Montana and Terrry Bradshaw are cowards.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by Underwater Basketweaver


3. Offensive pass interference was bogus. No advantage was gained. It wasn't a push off, it was a touch. Incidental contact.

THe reciever clearly extended the arm if he wouldn't have extended the arm it would not have been called.

[Buccaneer]

Montana asked for $100,000 before he would appear at the Superbowl.

[Bandera YaYa]

Originally posted by Buccaneer
Montana asked for $100,000 before he would appear at the Superbowl. Well geezzzzzzz.......he prob needed it.......show a little love, will ya?? ;)

[3afan]

Originally posted by bhtrainer
review of the play i dont no how the ref could watch the replay and still call it a TD...

because it was not 100% conclusive, and if anyone thinks it was they are biased in some way ... IMO

[Jason1725]

I think the game was called badly as well. The fumble by Stevens that was ruled incomplete was bad as was the obvious block in the back on Big Ben on the INT return which set up Seattle's only TD. The Seahawks would have got the ball at about the 50-yard line and I doubt they score.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by Tiger WR
THe reciever clearly extended the arm if he wouldn't have extended the arm it would not have been called. Both players extended their arms, so shouldn't it have been off setting penalties? (I personally don't think he pushed off. When you change directions fast, especially when you make a hard break, your arms can go in the opposite direction of your body to help your balance.)

[Jason1725]

Both players extended their arms, so shouldn't it have been off setting penalties? (I personally don't think he pushed off. When you change directions fast, especially when you make a hard break, your arms can go in the opposite direction of your body to help your balance.)

He made the corner hop back. He took him out of the play with that push off. The ref just happened to miss the flag when he first went for it, but he reached for it as soon as it happened

[JasperDog94]

He made the corner hop back with his juke. Both players extended arms. I've seen more blatent calls not called pass interference. Bad call. Let the players play.

[Jason1725]

He didn't hop back till he was pushed. It doesn't matter Steelers won get over it.

[JasperDog94]

Look at the thread you're posting on genius. It's about the officiating.:doh: :doh: :doh:

[bulldogman06]

Ok i think the officiating was bad as well but Big Ben clearly broke the plane before he hit the ground, and he did get pushed back, but come on, the ball was clearly over the plane before he got knocked back, there was no doubt in my mind when i saw the replay, he went over, got pushed back, then hit the ground. the main part of that sentence is "he went over"

[AP Panther Fan]

Horrible....and the sad part is, they were significant enough to have made a definite difference in the game.

Seattle got

http://www.alu-info.dk/Html/alulib/modul/A00208.gif

[sinton66]

Originally posted by bulldogman06
Ok i think the officiating was bad as well but Big Ben clearly broke the plane before he hit the ground, and he did get pushed back, but come on, the ball was clearly over the plane before he got knocked back, there was no doubt in my mind when i saw the replay, he went over, got pushed back, then hit the ground. the main part of that sentence is "he went over"

I watched that replay several times very closely, and DIDN'T think he broke the plane with the ball. Still don't think so.

The stupid below the waist penalty against Hasselbeck, then not calling the SAME thing on Rothlesberger on the reverse pass stunk it up pretty bad.

The holding call on the catch by Seattle at the one was a bad call.

It was Pittsburgh after all. The refs screwed the Cowboys twice when they played the Steelers in the Super Bowls. Makes you wonder.

[Leopards,class of 75]

Originally posted by sinton66
I watched that replay several times very closely, and DIDN'T think he broke the plane with the ball. Still don't think so. I don't think he was over the white line either, one of many bad calls.

[piratebg]

The Rothlisberger TD would have been the talk of Monday whether it was overturned or not. The video was inconclusive. I don't blame the ref for standing by his call.

Now the Seahawk fumble that was ruled an incomplete pass was a bad call, so was the holding call on Seattle on what would have been a TD. The pass interference call was questionable, but I guess that would have to depend on who you were rooting for. IMO I thought the receiver did give just a little push, but the DB also made contact. The receivers push was a little more obivious and that is why I think he got the call.

All in all, I think the officiating stunk both ways. While I had a feeling that Pittsburgh would win, I just wanted to watch a good, close game.

[Chief Ohera]

the MVP was the Zebras. worst called game i have seen in recent memory,
i believe that the seahawks lost the game more than the steelers won the game, the seahawks controlled the ball better had better defense and offense and still got beat, Big Ben isn't so great, this is no dynasty team, just like UT isn't they just got lucky on one night and had every ball bounce their way and every call go in their favor,
the steelers have got to be one of the worst super bowl winners of all time,
and i am glad the bus is done, he is overrated and should check his tires and engine, athlough he was good back in his prime,
so brothers that's all i have got for now, thank you and take care all of you,
so until next time.................

[Jason1725]

You should have seen the Steelers Colts game that was the worst called game I have ever seen. The Refs tried everyway they could to help the Colts out. Palomolu had the INT but it was givin back to the Colts so they could try to win.

[cheatchu]

Originally posted by bhtrainer
even tho i had wanted the steelers to win... bens TD was a horrible call the ball never even crossed the plane and on the review of the play i dont no how the ref could watch the replay and still call it a TD... horrible officiating

For all of you that dont think that big bens td was a td here is proof.....
http://photobucket.com/albums/v469/R-D/?action=view&current=proof.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/R-D/proof.jpg
If you look closely where the ball is circled part of the ball has broken the plain of the goal line. It was a td.

[olddawggreen]

It would have helped if Seattle's receivers could have held on to the ball a lot more, they refs or no refs, they were awful.

[Underwater Basketweaver]

I think a few people have taken this thread the wrong way. Please review the first post. I did not start this thread to say that I thought Seattle should have won. I only stated that I felt that there was a possibility of favoritism in this particular Superbowl. The NFL would have been much happier if the Colts had been there and won, but since the Colts choked it off again, that wasn't possible. Seattle is considered a small market team with very little tradition and history behind them. They didn't make a good story as a Superbowl champion. There were no characters on the team to make it interesting either. Just face it, Pitt made a better story and brought more to the party. Young QB, retiring "legend" back, and long haired safety boy. "Characters". Did you notice a few other things:

During all of the pre-game shows; what were the majority of the stories about? Mostly the Steelers. I admit they did a story on Holmgren's wife, and a story on the Hasselback family, but the majority was Big Ben, Jerome, and Palomalo (sp?).

ABC showed all of those short interviews with the guys holding the Lombardi trophy. Notice they only showed one or two Seahawks, but several Steelers. Maybe they didn't want to waste their time or tape.

By the way, I also agree that big mouth Jackson killed them with the dropped passes as well, but maybe he was in on the fix. Just kidding.

[Underwater Basketweaver]

I have noticed that no one has commented on the part about the refs being made full time.

I know we like talking about the refs, but I really believe the NFL has dropped the ball on this thing. No pun intended.

Baseball has it, basketball has it, and I think Hockey has it. I know they call alot more games in those sports, but the NFL is a multi BILLION dollar profit maker every year. Your telling me they can't afford to pay some guys 100 grand a year to be full time officials. It would be chump change for them, and it would make the game better. Most of these guys are lawyers and investment guru's 6 days a week, and then on Sunday they call football games. How good can we expect them to be?

[NateDawg39]

Good job on the line judging cheat! You could take Joh Maddens place!:)

[NateDawg39]

I still think it was the Steelers who should have won. What they had like 2 missed field Goals in the game? and a few bad calls by Holmgren.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by Chief Ohera
this is no dynasty team, just like UT Should've known you'd find a way to hate on Texas in this thread.:rolleyes: