Here We Go Steelers

[gonelong]

The officiating sucked. No doubt but did it cost Seattle the game?

We'll never know now. I was kind of hoping the officiating crew would allow the Steelers and Seahawks to decide it themselves.

As a fan, I feel a bit cheated. It wasn't just one bad call, that I can live with. You just can't ask a team to overcome 2 or 3 calls that end up taking points (or likely points) off the board.

GL

[savafan]

http://www.slate.com/id/2135435/nav/tap1/

Stealers
How the referees handed Pittsburgh the Super Bowl.
By Robert Weintraub
Posted Monday, Feb. 6, 2006, at 3:11 AM ET

A media meme emerged late in the long, two-week march to the Super Bowl: Since everyone had basically handed the game to Pittsburgh, Seattle was sure to shock everyone and win. Unfortunately for underdog lovers, no one briefed the refs about this scenario. Remember all that screaming about the Troy Polamalu pick that wasn't against the Colts a few weeks ago? Well, the Steelers got so much payback last night that I'm sure Steelers fans have found it in their hearts to forgive the men in black and white.

Four critical calls stood out. A rinky-dink offensive pass interference flag wiped out an early touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Darrell Jackson, forcing Seattle to settle for three instead of seven. When Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger lunged for the goal line near the end of the first half, replays indicated a close play but a clear stop by the Seahawks. Nope—touchdown, Steelers. Then came the pivotal double shot that ended all hope for Seattle. With the Seahawks trailing 14-10, a phantom holding call negated a completion that would have given Seattle first and goal at the one yard line. Three plays later, Hasselbeck was picked off by Ike Taylor, a mistake he partially made up for by tackling the Steelers CB. Sadly for Seattle, tackling now brings a 15-yard penalty—the zebras somehow called Hasselbeck for a "block below the waist." The last call set up Pittsburgh for the clinching score.

Even John Madden, as reliable an apologist for the NFL as there is, started questioning the calls. The videogame pitchman sounded especially miffed after the phantom hold/illegal tackle sequence. He wasn't quite as persistently loud and angry as Billy Packer in the 2001 NCAA basketball finals, sounding off on a series of laughably pro-Duke calls. But this was eye-opening stuff coming from the usually see-no-evil Madden.

Before I start sounding like some embittered Seahawks fan—for the record, I'm an embittered Bengals fan—let's go through Seattle's flurry of mistakes and near-misses. Several key drops by Jerramy Stevens, who the bored media (and the bored Joey Porter) inexplicably cast as Terrell Owens after an innocuous "we'll win" comment. Two bombs caught just out of bounds by Darrell Jackson, who might have been MVP but for a few inches. Grant Wistrom tripping over his own feet rather than sacking Roethlisberger on a third-and-28 heave to eventual MVP Hines Ward.

Give the Steelers some credit. For sublime blocking on Willie Parker's record TD run. For Chris Gardocki's excellent punting. For speedy pursuit from the linebackers that kept Shaun Alexander to a quiet 95 yards. And, of course, for continuing their remarkable streak of successful trick plays. For at least one play every game—when Antwaan Randle El flicks a perfect pass downfield as the defense reacts just a few seconds too late—the Steelers look like the boldest, smartest team that's ever laced them up. As for those other 100 plays ...

Maybe Randle El should have played quarterback the whole game. Ben Roethlisberger played like he knew the game was fixed, completing a mere nine passes for 123 yards and throwing a critical interception when a touchdown would have iced it. He also got clobbered during that Kelly Herndon interception return, a sad irony after his memorable, game-saving tackle against Indy.

Then there was the Most Valuable Backup. It may not be Jerome Bettis' fault that he became the centerpiece of this storyline-deprived Super Bowl. Nevertheless, his self-absorption was astonishing. First, Das Bus turned the player introductions into a dig-me moment, waddling out a few seconds ahead of everyone else. Unfortunately for him, ABC missed the memo, and its cameras stayed on the team. Four hours later, Bettis turned the Lombardi Trophy presentation—which was held atop a bizarre, teacup-shaped, UFOlike structure—into a self-love session, essentially saying the team won it all for the glory of Jerome.

Seattle's role as afterthought to the pre-ordained Pittsburgh coronation was confirmed when ABC didn't even bother with the traditional losing-coach interview. But perhaps Seattle brought this on themselves by coming out of the tunnel to The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony." Note to the Seahawks: That's probably not the best choice of pump-up tunes. Next time, why not just play Beck's "Loser"?

Also absent was any mention of the industry gossip that Madden and Al Michaels will be reunited at NBC next season. Michaels is expected to weasel out of the contract he signed with ESPN to broadcast the cable network's Monday Night Football package—apparently, Sunday night is now the bigger stage. My favorite moment of the broadcast came at the very end, when the two glumly shook hands in a bit of network blazer kabuki, as though they would never see each other again. Here's hoping that when the long-lost pals meet again to call the Super Bowl for NBC, the officiating won't be the only thing worth talking about.

Robert Weintraub, a freelance TV producer/writer based in Atlanta, writes about sports media for Slate.

[traderumor]

Nothing completely determined the outcome of this game. Matt Hassleback remembered he was Matt Hassleback. Poor clock management. Red zone inefficiency. Dropped passes. Missed field goals.

Alexander was having success running, yet the Seahawks wanted to play pitch and catch.

Bas calls? The Hasselback penalyty was bad, but had no effect. El's TD Pass would have been 15 yards longer. The TD run? Too close to call. Who is to say if its 4th down He dowsnt run it in there? You dont know. Jackson did push off, there was holding on the other play.

Strawman. Of course we don't know if things would have turned out any differently because the calls were made the way they were. However, it is certain that a whole new set of variables kick in if the CORRECT call were made in the first place. That seems to be the egg on the officiating crew's face, is that they had about 5 close calls and didn't get a one of them right.

And just like it is a disaster when the championship game turns into a blowout, the league has some soul searching to do about its officiating and some of the rules monsters they have created with the advent of instant replay, like "making football moves" and crap like that. If that is what looking at a call to try to get it right, and still failing at times even with the replay (i.e. Rothelberger was about a shot of whiskey distance away from the goalline), then lets just go back to accepting that refs screw up calls and play football without all these stoppages that often yield no fruit, except perhaps more commercials...ah, I may have hit on something there.

[GAC]

If Mick can't get no satisfaction at age 62.... he never will.

[NJReds]

We'll never know now. I was kind of hoping the officiating crew would allow the Steelers and Seahawks to decide it themselves.

You nailed it. That's exactly how I felt as a non-partisan football fan; cheated because the officials didn't let the teams decide the game on the field. It's one thing to have a few bad calls -- but when they're all stacked against one team it looks really bad for the NFL, IMO.

[Yachtzee]

I don't honestly believe that the fix was in, but the refs definitely suffered from what I call "Maddux-Glavine Syndrome." I think that in their mind, the refs felt the Steelers were the better team. When they missed calls, they missed them in favor of the Steelers, when they went ticky-tacky, it went against the Seahawks. They give the "good" team the benefit of the doubt. Seriously, Hines Ward had a push-off that was way more blatant than Jackson's, yet it wasn't called. My friend called that penalty "Illegal touching a Steeler." Phantom holding penalties against the Seahawks. And I believe that the side judge called the TD on Big Ben's "second effort" to get the ball over the line after he was down.

Sure, the Seahawks should have just kept chugging and overcome. But at some point, when the calls are going against you, it messes with your psyche. I think the NFL needs to get professional refs and work harder to improve impartiality. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd like to see stats kept on missed/blown calls and see how often they favor the "favorite." Maybe an NFL Questec system is in order.

[savafan]

As a fan, I feel a bit cheated. It wasn't just one bad call, that I can live with. You just can't ask a team to overcome 2 or 3 calls that end up taking points (or likely points) off the board.

GL

I feel cheated as well. I could have watched the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet. At halftime I should have started watching Titanic, that would have put me in a bit more suspense than the "game" did.

[savafan]

Seriously, Hines Ward had a push-off that was way more blatant than Jackson's, yet it wasn't called.

Ward had about 10 push offs. And let's not forget the block below the waist that Roethlisberger made on the Randle El touchdown pass play.

[gonelong]

I feel cheated as well. I could have watched the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.

My toddler laughed his head off at the puppy bowl. He was really digging the water bowl cam.

GL

[deltachi8]

::edit::

not worth the argument anymore.

[kbrake]

Steeler fans this is not an arguement. This game was a joke and if you can not see and admit that well thats just sad. I dont even care about the Big Ben TD could have gone either way. But that 4th qtr holding call on the Seattle pass to the one yard line? Come on Steeler fans you know that was not a penalty. PHANTOM FLAG. Darrel Jackson if your going to call that pass interference in the Super Bowl your not a grown up. I just gave you 14 points and you want to claim the refs did not cost Seattle this game. Get Real.

[deltachi8]

While I pick out my Steeler Championship Hat, maybee this can make you guys feel better:



Have fun.

Pitchers and Catchers report soon.

[kbrake]

Thats nice Deltachi, like I have said before I am not even close to a Bengals fan I was just real mad at how bad I thought the refs were. I have no personal grudges agaisnt the Steelers like it appears some others do. Funny picture.

[Caveat Emperor]

Darrel Jackson if your going to call that pass interference in the Super Bowl your not a grown up.

I would bet any amount of money I own (which isn't much, but that's not the point) that had that NOT been called, you would've heard the following in the replay commentary both during and after the game:

"Darrell Jackson got away with a bit of a push-off"

The call was made technically correct: the wide reciever used his hands to create separation from the defensive back and impede his ability to get in position to make a play on the ball. As I said in my earlier post, the positioning of the players in the field, coming across the field of vision for the referee standing in the back of the endzone, made this a VERY easy call for the official to make.

You cannot argue correctness of call, you can only argue that, in the Super Bowl, that kind of call should just be let go (which I think is something of a valid argument).

[Maldonado]

"Sure, the Seahawks should have just kept chugging and overcome. But at some point, when the calls are going against you, it messes with your psyche. I think the NFL needs to get professional refs and work harder to improve impartiality. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd like to see stats kept on missed/blown calls and see how often they favor the "favorite." Maybe an NFL Questec system is in order."

I think this would be a very interesting study. This of course has been an issue in baseball for years, as it's assumed that pitchers like Clemens and Johnsons get the questionable calls over 90% of the time.