NFL Defends Super Bowl Officiating

Referee Bill Leavy reviews the play after Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's one-yard dive was called a touchdown during the second quarter of play against the Seattle Seahawks at the Super ...

[TINA]

How can you get that call wrong in the biggest game? Maybe two officals should review the play separately and then tell umpire their results.

[aninterestedloca l]

TINA wrote:

How can you get that call wrong in the biggest game? Maybe two officals should review the play separately and then tell umpire their results.

GET A LIFE IT'S OVER
nothing's gonna change so just live with it OK???

[Terence]

Clearly the network, advertisers, and nfl wanted Pittsburgh to win. Bet those refs made good money.

[Mike Moore]

Terence wrote:

Clearly the network, advertisers, and nfl wanted Pittsburgh to win. Bet those refs made good money.

Man, I couldn't agree more! When the Steelers player, only a few weeks ago acused the NFL of stacking the deck and trying to take it away from them, he had that at least partially correct. The deck was stacked all right, only not for Peyton Manning and the Colts, but for the crybaby Steelers. Let's get the record straight, if Peyton Manning and the Colts get a ring, it will be earned, it will not be a gift from the NFL.

[Rick]

Mike Moore wrote:

<quoted text>
Man, I couldn't agree more! When the Steelers player, only a few weeks ago acused the NFL of stacking the deck and trying to take it away from them, he had that at least partially correct. The deck was stacked all right, only not for Peyton Manning and the Colts, but for the crybaby Steelers. Let's get the record straight, if Peyton Manning and the Colts get a ring, it will be earned, it will not be a gift from the NFL.

Wah..Wah.Wah.(Baby crying and shaking a rattle)

[Jaybird from Pittsburgh]

The Steelers got horrible calls when playing against the Colts, but they are a better team and overcame the refs to win. The calls in the Super Bowl weren't even close to that bad and the Hawks' still lost. Face it, The hawks'played a weak schedule and it caught up with them. San Fran twice, the Cardinals twice..... Come on, Did you really think that they were great?!?!?!? Welcome to the AFC ladies.
ONE FOR THE THUMB, NONE FOR THE BUMS!!

[HumboldtHawk]

None for the bums!?(WHAT) You and your pathetically helped by zebra/bookie team an insult to true football fans.

[Kathy]

You can't have an intelligent conversation with Steeler fans. My brother lives in Philadelphia and that side of the State doesn't really consider Pittsburgh a part of it (now I see why...arrogance), and don't you know your not allowed to have an opinion?? Because they won...cough...The NFL is right, because they agree with them, I really don't know why I bother putting anything on here because they'll just try and rip me some more by....lets see if I can do it like they would:

Cry Cry, the Steelers won, deal with it...all I have to say is 21-10. One for the Thumb!!

**as for the week schedule...lemme see who's in your division Steelers...the Browns and the Ravens?...yeah they're awsome!!

[LOL]

People are taking the calls too far....there was like 1 bad call the whole game...that was the Hasselbach chop block. Eveything else was legit...

[Tom]

Kathy wrote:

You can't have an intelligent conversation with Steeler fans. My brother lives in Philadelphia and that side of the State doesn't really consider Pittsburgh a part of it (now I see why...arrogance), and don't you know your not allowed to have an opinion?? Because they won...cough...The NFL is right, because they agree with them, I really don't know why I bother putting anything on here because they'll just try and rip me some more by....lets see if I can do it like they would:

Cry Cry, the Steelers won, deal with it...all I have to say is 21-10. One for the Thumb!!

**as for the week schedule...lemme see who's in your division Steelers...the Browns and the Ravens?...yeah they're awsome!!

Here are the 2005/2006 season facts regarding the Seattle/Pittsburgh schedules, opponents and final stats.
Take what you will from them but Seattle should have been better tested going into the SB.

Regular Season

Seattle’s divisional opponents won 15 of 48 games/Pittsburgh’s divisional opponents won 22 of 48 games.

Seattle played 5 games against teams with winning records loosing to Jacksonville and Washington and getting a free win in the late Indianapolis game. Pittsburgh played 8 games against teams with winning records losing to New England, Jacksonville, Cincinnati and Indianapolis.

Seattle’s combined regular season opponent’s records 95/113 – Pittsburgh 103/105.

Passing/rushing TDs – Seattle 25/29, Pittsburgh 21/21
The big deal made of Seattle’s lead leading 50 sacks – Pittsburgh has 47.

With 32 teams in the NFL -
Seattle finished 16th in defense - 5th against the rush/25th against the pass. Seattle finished 2nd in total offense - 3rd in rushing/13th in passing. These rankings include scoring a whopping 339-points against hapless, Atlanta, Arizona, St. Louis, Houston, San Fran, Philly and Tenn. Jacksonville, Washington, Dallas(Losing Rec.), Green Bay(Losing Rec.), Indianapolis and the NY Giants held Seattle to just 113 points, which includes 28 in a game where Indianapolis sat nearly their entire starting lineup.

Pittsburgh finished 4th in defense - 3rd against the rush/16th against the pass. Pittsburgh finished 15th in total offense – 5th in rushing/24th in passing but spent most of the year protecting leads and running out the clock.

Playoffs

Washington 10/6 wouldn't even have made the playoffs if they were in the AFC. Hard to believe a truly one-dimensional team could make the playoffs even in the NFC.

Carolina 11/5 - defense 3rd in NFL but offense limited to a good quarterback and 1 outstanding wide receiver and a 4th string running back. Carolina was an easy target for any reasonably good defense.

Cincinnati 11/5, Indianapolis 14/2, and Denver 13/3 all teams with very productive/ well-balanced offensive attacks and outstanding defenses.

[Kathy]

Good stats, and you make a good points. All I have to say is maybe the Steelers road wasn't as hard as it appeared.

Playoffs:

Cincy game may have had a diferent outcome w/Palmer not getting hurt.

Colts game: we all know Manning for some reason always chokes.

Denver: Jake Plummer - do I really have to explain this one?

You are correct about Seattle's playoff schedule:

Washington: did not deserve to be there (Tampa actually was robbed against them)

Carolna: Deserved to be there - Delhomme was the Highest rated passer ever in playoff history - until that game - Seattle just did have one of those games where they did no wrong.

Both teams got some lucky breaks to get to the SB, I just hate when the officials make an impact on a game that should be decided by the players on the field - marginal calls, even though technically correct, should not be called - its like everyone says - technically holding can be called on "every" nfl play...but do they? Its a judgment on their part and clearly they're judgment favored the Steelers.

[Jaybird from Pittsburgh]

Thanks Tom, couldn't of said it better myself!

Seattle was a good team at best, just because you guys have a franchise that never produces you automatically think that as soon as you put together a good season you deserve the Super Bowl win. Keep crying while we celebrate, a real competitor would never blame anyone but himself for a lose. You guys should feel lucky, If we would have blitzed you like we did the Colts or Denver you might be out a QB too.

ONE FOR THE THUMB, NONE FOR THE BUMS!!!!!!

[Kathy]

ummm...you guys did Blitz...just never got there. But your right your the champs, enjoy it.

Jaybird from Pittsburgh wrote:

Thanks Tom, couldn't of said it better myself!

Seattle was a good team at best, just because you guys have a franchise that never produces you automatically think that as soon as you put together a good season you deserve the Super Bowl win. Keep crying while we celebrate, a real competitor would never blame anyone but himself for a lose. You guys should feel lucky, If we would have blitzed you like we did the Colts or Denver you might be out a QB too.

ONE FOR THE THUMB, NONE FOR THE BUMS!!!!!!

[Tom]

Kathy wrote:

ummm...you guys did Blitz...just never got there. But your right your the champs, enjoy it.

<quoted text>

Pittsburgh got to Hasselbeck 3 times, that's pretty good on any given Sunday, however, the pressure was nowhere near the consistent pressure applied to opposing QB's through the second half of the season or playoff run.

I didn't like the defensive play calling but it worked. The reason was coverage - I've never seen a recent game where Pittsburgh dropped linebackers and kept safetys in coverage so often. The goal was to take away the quick/underneath passing Seattle employed all season. It worked to some extent because Hasselbeck spent many a play with all the time in the world - just standing there looking for an open receiver. Unfortunatly when Pittsburgh's coverage broke down - Seattle's receivers ended dropping a boat-load of passes. Not Hasselbeck's fault but he gets the credit for these - if his receivers catch even 75% of the dropped passes the outcome may have been different.

Pittsburgh took this strategy from Seattle's close game with Dallas. The idea was to keep Seattle's receivers in front of defenders and then punish the receivers with hard hits. Seattle receivers dropped a lot of passes in the Dallas game as well and this is a tactic that will be used against Seattle's recievers often if they don't correct the problem.

[BILL]

PITTSBURGH STEELERS #1

[Jaybird from Pittsburgh]

Kathy, we did blitz a lot from what most teams are used to ,but not nearly as much as the Steelers usually do!! Tom, you seem to be more knowledgeable than I concerning football so I'll take your word for it, but It just seems like se didn't get a lot of pressure on Hasselbeck which almost turned out to be a really bad. Thank god for the dropped passes! I just think that we demolished the three best teams in the AFC with a massive blitz attack and we shouldn't have changed what wasn't broke. Just my 2 cents.

[SEATTLE]

I'm just soooo glad that is wasn't MY teams quarterback (Roethlisberger)that went on national television and admited he didn't make it across the goal line.
Have a nice tainted celebration. I wouldn't want my team to earn it that way. Hasselback has so much more class.

[Arrogant Bastard]

"I'm just soooo glad that is wasn't MY teams quarterback (Roethlisberger)that went on national television and admited he didn't make it across the goal line.
Have a nice tainted celebration. I wouldn't want my team to earn it that way. Hasselback has so much more class."

~Take a lesson in being humble Seattle .. maybe after you win a game .. but there are plenty of pics out there that will show without a doubt that he did have the touchdown regardless of what he said .. the only thing tainted was your season by the Pittsburgh Steelers enjoy the offseason, losers~

[hhgg]

man you suck

[hhgg]

you suck