SuperBowl officiating was Horrible/Game was fixed/Steelers Stole it...

[Wildbill3]

think about how many bettis jerseys and steelers championship shirts and hats and all the other stuff they'll sell. it could be fixed without gambling being a consideration. i'm not saying it's fixed. in the "dishonest" or "stupid" derby, i'll take "stupid." it's much easier to justify watching another football game at some point if i can convince myself they're just stupid.

I don't buy that either, we saw more than one game this year where it seemed like every call during the game went against the Dolphins, yet in some of those games we WON DESPITE all the bad calls. The Seahawks lost to a better team today, no matter what the calls were.

You cannot deny a team that beat the patriots, colts, and denver... all on the road...

 

[Jimmy James]

1. PI in the endzone against Seattle. Takes a TD away

Jackson's fault. I agree that he didn't need the push, but that just means he shouldn't have pushed. A lot of WRs get away with a push, but they don't get away with ones that blatant right in front of an official's face. This was a good call, though it was regrettable that it had such an impact on the game.

2. Bens TD, the ref clearly looks as if he would signal fourth down, then changes his mind and declares TD. The call could not be overturned due to inconclusive evidence. Therefore, the call on the field was huge.

This was also the right call. I don't buy this "ref looked like" line of reasoning at all. He made a TD call. That is what counts. The replay decision was also the right one.

3. Holding on #75 when Hasselbeck completes it to the 1 yard line. Terrible call. The guy was actually offsides for crying out loud.

If he was offsides (instead of timing the snap count as the Steelers did many times tonight), that is a bad call. The hold was legitimate, though. It wasn't the worst in the game, but they called ones just as minor.

4. A couple plays later the same gut jumps off sides, sacks Hasselbeck, and no flag is thrown.

If you have that on the DVR, check again. He timed the snap count very well on that play.

5. Horse collar anyone. Alexander was clearly horse collared by Porter no cal is made.

You have to get inside the pad for that rule to apply. That was a good no call.

6. Hasselbeck personal foul for blocking below the knees. He is a QB, give me a break.

This was a bad call, but I think the flag was thrown because he looked like he was going for the lead blocker's knees. That turned out not to be the case, so the flag should have just been picked up.

7. Time runs out on a 3rd and six, then Ben calls timeout. Oh wait a minute they give Ben the TO before the clock runs out. BS call. There is a big difference in 3rd and six and 3rd and eleven.

I *think* this was a failure of ABC coverage. My guess is that Cowher called the TO from the sideline (which coaches can now do) when he saw that the center missed the snap signal.

Well that is all I got feel free to add to the list.

Certainly.

Jeremy Stevens catches the ball, turns, takes two steps, and fumbles the ball. The official waits until it is apparent a Steeler will scoop the ball up and blows the play dead, ruling the pass incomplete. I think Holmgren could have gotten a first down from that by challenging the call on the field and getting it overturned. That would have been manifestly unjust.

Hines Ward catches the ball and goes out of bounds. A Seahawk defender gives him a helmet to helmet hit after Ward stepped out. No flag.

Ben completes a screen to a receiver who is not Miller. Miller is flagged for offensive pass interference. How is that even possible? This may have been a legit holding call, but that isn't what was announced.

I think the officials did a bad job, but I don't think it was lopsided at all.

 

[Pennington's Rocket Arm]

i don't get how the playclock was a "bad call." every single game i see the playclock wind down to zero, then the play is snapped, and no play. roethlisberger called the timeout RIGHT at zero, so it wasn't a bad call. they always give an extra beat to the QB.

 

[Pennington's Rocket Arm]

Like when? When the receiver pushed off? He should have gotten away with it?

apparently because it's the super bowl, you're allowed to get away with penalties.

 

[NJL52]

I just thoguht of something about the Ben Rberger touchdown.

I umpired Little League Baseball for a few years when I was 12 or so. One of the key things that the trainers tought you was to ALWAYS GO WITH YOUR FIRST CALL. Never doubt your first decision and under any circumstance call it. Changing your mind creates doubt in others that are watching your call and makes you lose control and start doubting your self.

Now I would imagine an NFL referee should hold this close to heart. And seeing the linejudge running up with his hand in the air sporting the 4th down signal and suddenly changing it to touchdown makes me realy question things.

 

[Jimmy James]

i don't get how the playclock was a "bad call." every single game i see the playclock wind down to zero, then the play is snapped, and no play. roethlisberger called the timeout RIGHT at zero, so it wasn't a bad call. they always give an extra beat to the QB.

I saw whatever show it is on NFL Network where the head of officials explained that the rule is that the official responsible for the play clock has to see it hit 00 and then check to see if the ball has snapped. He is only to throw the flag if the ball hasn't been snapped by the time he looks.

 

[DPlus47]

And seeing the linejudge running up with his hand in the air sporting the 4th down signal and suddenly changing it to touchdown makes me realy question things.

that's the key on that play. he had the fourth down signal and then looked down at ben one more time after he was down. then he changed his call. always call what you see, not what you think you see. how can you have your mind made up one way and then change it after the play is over? those kinds of calls drive me crazy.

 

[DPlus47]

I don't buy that either, we saw more than one game this year where it seemed like every call during the game went against the Dolphins, yet in some of those games we WON DESPITE all the bad calls. The Seahawks lost to a better team today, no matter what the calls were.

You cannot deny a team that beat the patriots, colts, and denver... all on the road...

i think it's great what pittsburgh did. i'm not a hater. all i wanted was a good game. a good, clean game. you'd think you could get that in the biggest game of the year. i had no real rooting interest and no money on the game.

no, you can't deny what the steelers did. it certainly was impressive. but you don't get a super bowl ring for winning your conference.

it's hard for me to admit who was the better team out there. somebody got more points than somebody else, but both teams and all the refs could have done better. that should have been one of the most exciting games of the year, decided by the teams on the field. i'm not buying that it was. there wasn't a close call that went the other way.

 

[Jimmy James]

there wasn't a close call that went the other way.

BS

Try the Stevens fumble that got blown dead.

Try the late hit on Ward that was also helmet to helmet that wasn't called.

Try the bizarre offensive pass interference call on Miller.

 

[DPlus47]

apparently because it's the super bowl, you're allowed to get away with penalties.

yeah, cuz if you watch the whole play, the DB never touches the receiver beyond the 5-yard area. okay. ticky-tack fouls are okay in a game like this if they go both ways. i'm not a big fan of them, because i'd rather have the men who are playing settle the game on the field, but i'm certainly not a fan of one-way ticky-tack fouls. i'm not sure how that benefits either team, if you're looking for a good contest.

that's right, it's not how you play the game, it's whether you win or press "reset."

 

[B-LO BABY]

The Seahawks are not very marketable. Pittsburgh is.

Their are not many Seahawk fans outside of the Pacific NW. There are tons of Steeler fans everywhere.

The Seahawks didn't have a star player, playing in his last game (the SB), in his hometown. Seattle wins = storybook finish is ruined. Pittsburgh wins = the two-week Bettis hype is justified.

Just look at the commentary. Of those commercials where a player was holding the Lombardi Trophy, 80% (and the first 4 or 5 they showed) were Steelers. Bettis was miked up, not Alexander, the league MVP. This game was orchestrated to be a Pittsburgh victory. Don't be naive. The NFL is a business, not a league.

 

[DPlus47]

BS

Try the Stevens fumble that got blown dead.

Try the late hit on Ward that was also helmet to helmet that wasn't called.

Try the bizarre offensive pass interference call on Miller.

the stevens fumble was only close when watched in super slow-mo. it's two feet plus a football move. i didn't see that happening there.

i didn't think the hit on ward was late. i agree about the helmet to helmet, so you're right. i'm clearly a deranged seahawks fan with an axe to grind.

i'll have to rewatch the "bizarre offensive pass interference call" on miller later. when was it?

 

[Jimmy James]

the stevens fumble was only close when watched in super slow-mo. it's two feet plus a football move. i didn't see that happening there.

It was a catch, a turn upfield, and two steps before a fumble. That's a catch.

i didn't think the hit on ward was late. i agree about the helmet to helmet, so you're right. i'm clearly a deranged seahawks fan with an axe to grind.

:refuse: Don't put words in my mouth. You made a claim (that there wasn't a call that went the other way). It wasn't accurate. That's the extent of my argument.

i'll have to rewatch the "bizarre offensive pass interference call" on miller later. when was it?

Let's check the box score...

It was 4:47 in the second quarter.

BTW, those were the only ones I personally saw. I see others in various places making a lot of a block in the back on Ben that wasn't called.

 

[DPlus47]

BTW, those were the only ones I personally saw. I see others in various places making a lot of a block in the back on Ben that wasn't called.

that block was from the side. i initially thought it was from the back, then i watched it again. side. still, i'm surprised there was no flag there, since he's a QB.

i apologize for making inaccurate statements and putting words in your mouth. i still say, as a fan, that game was a ripoff. and i had no money riding on it and no dog in the fight.

 

[Jimmy James]

I'll agree that the officials were far too visible in the game even though I don't think the Seahawks have much to complain about.