Was that the Big Sky refs

[whitetrashgriz]

well, like everything, we can all agree and disagree all day. but the media, (espn, espn news, nfl network) all seem to believe that the refs played way to big of a role in the biggest game of the year. holmgren is so furious that it sounds like there is talk about him wanting suspensions or at least fines. just like the official that completely bombed the call between the steelers and colts and overturning the interception who got fined, holmgren wants the nfl to review "5 huge plays" during the game and come to their own conclusion. in my opinion they were garbage. anytime we are even having this conversation the next day, something had to have been up.

[catsrback76]

As per Michael Smith on ESPN,
"Here's what referee Bill Leavy's crew did, point blank: It robbed Seattle. The Seahawks could have played better, sure. They could have done more to overcome the poor officiating. We understand that those things happen and all, but even with all the points Seattle left on the field, there's a good chance the Seahawks would have scored more than the Steelers if the officials had let the players play.

In the biggest game of the year, the biggest game in sports, even, the officials were just a little too visible. In that regard, the Super Bowl provided a fitting conclusion to a postseason packed with pitiful performances by the game's third team. There were incorrect down-by-contact rulings in both NFC wild-card games; a touchdown that could have gone either way and should have gone the other way -- in favor of Tampa Bay -- in the Bucs' loss to the Redskins; the Patriots got no love in Denver in being hit with a bogus pass interference penalty and not catching a break on Champ Bailey's fumble at the goal line that looked as though it could have been a touchback; and, of course, the Polamalu play."

That was my original point said far better than I could have said it.

[SonomaCat]

And again, the job of sports writers and commentators is to be entertaining. This is clearly a good avenue for drumming up excitement where little else exists. No sports writer or commentator out there has any more insight into the calls than each of us who watched the game.

[catsrback76]

And again, the job of sports writers and commentators is to be entertaining. This is clearly a good avenue for drumming up excitement where little else exists. No sports writer or commentator out there has any more insight into the calls than each of us who watched the game.

Yea Brad, corporate sent down a note to all the commentators and told them to "play the angle" to sell more commercials.

[kmax]

Okay, I was going to stay out of this, but just can't help myself. I'm sorry, there is no way you can say the refs didn't negatively affect this game. No I am not necessarily saying they are the reason Pittsburgh won, even without the calls there is no telling how things turn out, but they did affect the course of the game in a negative way.

The big plays they affected:

The Jackson push off TD. Did he extend his arm yes, did he push off, if so barely. Fact is his change in direction froze the DB, that is what gave him the seperation. That is a no call 999 times out of 1000 over the course of an NFL season, no way it should suddenly be called in the Super Bowl.

The holding on the Seattles pass to the one yard line. I somehow missed the replay on this so I really can't say.

The Big Ben TD dive. I have no problem saying that the ball crossed the plane of the goal in the air before being pushed back. I believe that was the final call and you really couldn't overturn it. The problem I had with this one was the line judge that called this on the field. He came in from the sideline preparing to signal 4th down, then AFTER Ben was on the ground and extended the ball and the line judge had jogged in several yards he changed to a TD. I'm sorry, but if you are going to say it crossed in the air before he was down, he should have been signalling TD immediately before he even started running in. He was indecisive and I believe was influenced by the final positioning after Ben was down.

The chop block on Hasselbeck. Okay, this one I just do not understand. Maybe someone with more knowledge on this can explain it to me better. Yes, hasselbeck went low and hit a blocker AND the ball carrier. But how can you call a chop block on the defender that is trying to tackle the ball carrier just because one of the ballcarrier's blockers happens to be there? Why on earth would Hasselbeck be trying to hit a blocker low anyway? He wasn't, he was trying to tackle the ballcarrier. It just doesn't make sense to me. Again maybe I just don't understand the rule.

Lastly, on Seattle fumble that was overturned. BAC is right on this one, it was called a fumble on the field because they thought he hadn't been touched. If there is no contact he wouldn't have been down and the play is still live even if the ground caused the fumble. The replay easily showed the contact and they correctly overturned. The only surprising thing to me was that it took almost the entire two minutes for him to see conclusive proof that there was contact and that he was down before fumbling.

[SonomaCat]

And again, the job of sports writers and commentators is to be entertaining. This is clearly a good avenue for drumming up excitement where little else exists. No sports writer or commentator out there has any more insight into the calls than each of us who watched the game.

Yea Brad, corporate sent down a note to all the commentators and told them to "play the angle" to sell more commercials.

I'm not talking about a conspiracy ... I'm saying that commentators gravitate towards controversy ... and drum it up accordingly. There wasn't much else about the game to talk about, so this is the most eye and ear-catching topic for them to write and talk about. That's the nature of sports talk -- it's not based on content as much as it is on creating excitement.

[G.W.Bush]

And again, the job of sports writers and commentators is to be entertaining. This is clearly a good avenue for drumming up excitement where little else exists. No sports writer or commentator out there has any more insight into the calls than each of us who watched the game.

Yea Brad, corporate sent down a note to all the commentators and told them to "play the angle" to sell more commercials.

The refs did a very poor job. During the game I kept saying the refs were killing Seattle, and go figure everyone else happened to agree. Could it be that the refs did a poor job? I am not blaming Seattle’s lose on the refs, but they did make the game an uphill battle for the Seahawks.

[catsrback76]

And again, the job of sports writers and commentators is to be entertaining. This is clearly a good avenue for drumming up excitement where little else exists. No sports writer or commentator out there has any more insight into the calls than each of us who watched the game.

Yea Brad, corporate sent down a note to all the commentators and told them to "play the angle" to sell more commercials.

I'm not talking about a conspiracy ... I'm saying that commentators gravitate towards controversy ... and drum it up accordingly. There wasn't much else about the game to talk about, so this is the most eye and ear-catching topic for them to write and talk about. That's the nature of sports talk -- it's not based on content as much as it is on creating excitement.

Point taken. There were several other stories that should have been brought forward other than this one. How about the humility of a player of the quality of Troy Palamalu who showed great poise and character. Who this guy is needs to be a bigger story.
How about Jerome Bettis ending it all in Detroit as a champion. Nice story!
And, how does a team with a QB who rated out at 23% win the biggest game in his career, team effort. All those stories should have been heard, but sadly won't the way they should, because the 3rd team on the field was way too involved, for all the wrong reasons.

It's over from my end now. I'm done on this stuff. It goes without saying, this in only my opinion.

[rtb]

Ok, it is clear that we probably will never agree on this so I won't continue beating it. Even one of the moderators must have been drunk to think the refs ruined the game. Just kidding, I can see both side of the argument for sure!

I do have a question though about Holmgren. Did he leave the field without congratulating Bill? I never saw Mike on TV after the game so it appeared he left the field and didn't talk to the reports. Did I miss something or is this the case. I don't care how bad you think the officials were, that is poor form on Homlgren's part. Anyone agree or disagree?

[SonomaCat]

Ok, it is clear that we probably will never agree on this so I won't continue beating it. Even one of the moderators must have been drunk to think the refs ruined the game. Just kidding, I can see both side of the argument for sure!

I do have a question though about Holmgren. Did he leave the field without congratulating Bill? I never saw Mike on TV after the game so it appeared he left the field and didn't talk to the reports. Did I miss something or is this the case. I don't care how bad you think the officials were, that is poor form on Homlgren's part. Anyone agree or disagree?

[Just to lower the discourse into familiar territory] U gize jus hav Stiller envi!

Even though I am a lifelong Steeler fan, and something like this would have been a huge event in my life when I was young, I just can't find much satisfaction in the Super Bowl victory. It was cool, and I'm glad the Steelers won, but as I described it to a friend this morning, the joy I feel right now is up there with "I am happy that I got my laundry done this weekend." I'm not sure if it is sad or liberating, but I just have a hard time caring about the NFL anymore.

College football, on the other hand ... my love for it has grown at the same rate my love for the NFL has diminished.

[kmax]

College football, on the other hand ... my love for it has grown at the same rate my love for the NFL has diminished.

Now there is a statement that I can understand, relate to and whole heartedly agree with.

[ChiOCat]

Hey, being Cat's fans we've all walked away from big games knowing we did not win.

I just did not feel that way last night. I don't think it's being a sore loser, cause usually I'm back down at the bar with all the Griz fans. I just don't feel like it was a fair fight, and I wonder if the Steelers in the backs of their heads feel at all bad about it too.

[catamaran]

The lack of postgame handshake is mostly on Cowher. He walked directly from the sideline towards the podium. Most believe it's because he was told by the production crew they wanted to start the ceremony right away. That should be .02 worth

[Ponycat]

This thread is honestly the first time I've heard anyone say the refs didn't blow those calls mentioned.

I'm a die hard Hawks fan so I'm biased but my brother who has loved the Steelers his whole life even agrees the Hawks got hosed. And two of my other Steeler fan friends said the same thing.

The Rothlesburger touchdown was the wrong call IMO. WHat ever call was made originally was going to stand so I'm not too mad about that one. The push off TD was terrible, the the holding call was the worst I've seen in a long time worst call of the day, and as for the chop block the only person Hasselback hit was the ball carrier so how could it have been illegal.

The Seahawks shot themselves in the foot numerous times but the Steelers got every break in a game where they were outplayed.


I'M STILL PISSED.

[ChiOCat]

Steeling One: The Hawks Get Robbed
By Skip Bayless
Page 2


DETROIT -- Dear Seahawks fans:


I've been tough on your team the last few weeks. I've called your club the Sea Frauds and said they didn't belong in a Super Bowl. After watching Sunday night's game, I believe that more than ever.

But, as I've also written, your team was blessed all the way to Detroit. This was the first Super Bowl that found itself with two Cinderella stories. These Steelers, the AFC's bottom seed, weren't exactly Terry Bradshaw's Steelers of the late '70s.

But although these Steelers were favored by 4 -- and although I picked them 24-14 -- I'm not sure they deserved to win this game.

And after spending a week in Detroit, I thought the city had cleaned up most of its crime.

The first-quarter offensive pass interference called on Darrell Jackson that turned a touchdown into a field goal was robbery enough. But the fourth-quarter holding call on Sean Locklear made you wonder whether the refs had even less of Aretha's r-e-s-p-E-c-t for your Seahawks than I do.

At that point, your guys had overcome enough mistakes to get blown out in most Super Bowls. In fact, this one had nearly gotten out of hand midway through the third quarter, when the Steelers drove to a first-and-10 at your 11-yard line with a 14-3 lead. But on third-and-6 from the 7, Ben Roethlisberger tossed a throw into the flat that cost him the MVP award and nearly caused coach Bill Cowher's head to explode.

It was, of course, picked off by backup cornerback Kelly Herndon and returned 76 yards. Matt Hasselbeck's 16-yard touchdown fling to Jerramy Stevens rather shockingly turned what looked like a 21-3 game into a 14-10 margin.

And suddenly your Seahawks were going to Motown.

Momentum Town.

The Seahawks forced another Pittsburgh punt, and here they came again. Hasselbeck still makes me nervous because he always looks as if he's running a frantic two-minute offense. But the biggest surprise of this game was how much time Walter Jones and Co. were giving him to throw. Blitzburg, schmitzburg. Your guys had continually knocked the bullies back on their heels and turned down the volume of a Ford Field crowd that looked and sounded more like a Heinz Field crowd.

Joey Porter, the loudest Steeler, was having the quietest game.

And on first-and-10 at the Steelers' 19, Hasselbeck had enough time to listen to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "Second that Emotion" before firing another strike to Porter's favorite pregame target -- Stevens. Eighteen-yard completion! First-and-goal at the 2! Seattle about to take a 17-14 lead!

I could almost hear Mount Rainier erupting.

But on this night, the Steelers had their own version of your 12th Man. He wore a striped shirt and a whistle. He threw a flag.

And Locklear went down in Seahawks history.

Way down.

Until the week before the NFC Championship Game, I barely knew who Locklear was. But he made national news by being charged with domestic violence after an incident with his girlfriend outside a Seattle nightclub. He did a couple of nights in jail, but coach Mike Holmgren allowed him to play pending his Feb. 13 hearing.

Now Locklear will be forever remembered in your fair city for an entirely different reason.

Holding, No. 75!

On the replay, I couldn't see Locklear do anything different from what most linemen do on every play. These days, you have to tackle to hold, and Locklear didn't tackle.

Phantom, killer penalty.

Your guys wound up in a third-and-18, and Hasselbeck cut loose one of his mystery balls that Ike Taylor intercepted, as he should have in the first quarter. Worse, Hasselbeck was wrongly flagged for a below-the-waist block when he was trying to make the tackle. Hasselbeck was punished 15 more yards.

At that point, your guys seemed to be hanging their heads as if they had decided the NFL just couldn't live with them winning its showcase game.

Moments later, it took another Pittsburgh trick play -- a reverse pass by Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward for a 43-yard touchdown -- to basically ice the game on a snowy night. That made it 21-10, and that's the way it stayed.

Too bad your Seahawks didn't have Porter in their postgame locker room. Had he been a Seahawk, he surely would have filled tapes and notebooks telling the media how the refs stole the game.

Jackson definitely gave Steelers safety Chris Hope a little push. But it didn't give Jackson enough of an advantage to prompt a penalty. The ref called it only after Hope turned and begged for it.

That cost your team four points, a little momentum and a little more psychological edge. The Pittsburgh offense isn't built to come from behind or to win a shootout. A 7-0 Seattle lead would have tightened the Steelers' throats more than 3-0 would have.

The holding call on Locklear clearly cost your Seahawks seven more points. Four plus seven equals 11 -- Pittsburgh's margin of victory. And who knows how the Steelers would have responded if they had suddenly found themselves behind early in the fourth quarter?

No, I haven't yet mentioned Roethlisberger's dive for the goal line that was ruled a touchdown late in the first half -- and upheld after a replay review. To me, it looked as if the nose of the ball barely crossed the white line while Roethlisberger was airborne. Either way, it was so close that it was inconclusive and didn't warrant a touchdown reversal.

Besides, the odds were that Pittsburgh could have scored on fourth-and-inches. Then again, Cowher can be so conservative that he might have opted for the field goal that would have only tied the score 3-3.

The Jackson play, the Roethlisberger play, the Locklear play -- as the Rolling Stones sang in their halftime finale, you couldn't get no satisfaction, Seahawks fans.

Your team had only one turnover to Pittsburgh's two … and your team lost.

Your team held Roethlisberger to a 9-for-21 night for only 123 yards, with two interceptions … and your team lost.

Your Shaun Alexander surprised me by running for almost 100 yards (95 on 25 carries) … and your team lost.

Your offense had almost 400 yards (396) against that vaunted Steelers defense … and your team lost.

In the end, it lost because of two bad calls and because Pittsburgh simply made three or four more good plays. The Steelers converted 8 of 15 third downs to your 5 of 17. Too many drops and near-TD catches, too many off-target flings by Hasselbeck at crucial times, too much high-schoolish clock management by the quarterback and coach at the end of the half and game.

I'm sorry, I still don't think he's a top-echelon quarterback. Then again, I'm not convinced Roethlisberger is the next Elway.

The play he made that salvaged a first-half lead for the Steelers -- the scramble left and deep heave from barely behind the line of scrimmage -- should have been batted down or even intercepted by your safety Michael Boulware. Instead, Boulware made a poor play on the ball and Ward caught it.

On Randle El's trick touchdown pass -- Pittsburgh's best pass of the night -- your cornerback Marcus Trufant took a bad angle and ran underneath it.

So two bad plays by your defensive backs helped Ward -- who had dropped two passes, including one that should have been a touchdown -- win the MVP award. Oh, well, it was the kind of game that should have been played in Week 9. The Steelers didn't have one player on offense or defense who was clearly the difference maker.

Your Seahawks lost this game a little more than Pittsburgh won it.

Your defense battled its guts out and mostly stuffed Pittsburgh's run. But one breakdown allowed Willie Parker to escape untouched for a 75-yard TD. You can't overcome mistakes like that in a game like this.

But, no, you can't overcome 11 lost points worth of penalties, either. On this night, you belonged in the Super Bowl as much as Pittsburgh did, for what that's worth.

On this night, the only frauds wore stripes.

I like him better today than I did last week!

[Ponycat]

I still hate him.

[WYCAT]

Here is another article by Kevin Hench with Fox. He pretty much agreed with the overall assessment, but I am sure he is also just trying to stir the pot. It really wasn't that bad.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5310192

[SonomaCat]

And now that two days have passed, and the ref-bashing storyline has been played out and is passe, the contrarian argument storyline comes into vogue:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/ ... id=2322300

[catsrback76]

Not quite everyone is on the noncontrarian train,

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnis ... r-xl_x.htm

It seems to be a general feeling that the refs stunk. In this off season they need to revisit some basics and come up with appropriate adjustments to make the game more visible with less black and white striped players on the field.

[catrodeo]

you're darn right those were big sky refs. the big sky conference must be the new training grounds for future NFL refs.