NFL Defends Super Bowl Officiating

[Seattle-fan]

Martha wrote:

Jaybird & Arrogant Bastard did a considerable amount of research & time & nailed it to a T! Congrats also to Kevin for seeing reality more clearly. In addition, Holmgren showed poor sportsmanship & no class in snubbing Cowher after the game! He blamed everything & everyone but himself for the loss. He mismanaged the clock in both 1st & 2nd halves + having a somewhat lacking game plan. His players had far more class in accepting their part in the loss by not getting the needed points to win as did the Steelers no matter how poorly both teams played overall.

Nailed it to a T? Give me a break.

I'm a huge hawks fan, and even though there was more adversity against Seattle that game, I'm disappointed we couldn't overcome it like Pittsburgh did at Indianapolis. I think we lost because of 2 reasons, officiating and execution.

It was clear in the first half that regardless of the score, Seattle had the better game plan. Only stupid Jerramy Stevens had to open his mouth and make himself the center point of the Super Bowl (choke under pressure). Keep you mouth shut and do your job and maybe Seattle would've won. Rant end.

That said, both teams played horrible. For all of the Pittsburgh and Seattle fans arguing, the fact is it was a horrible game. Yes, Holmgren had bad clock management, but his game plan was fantastic. Even with the questionable calls, Seattle could've easily won the game if Jerramy Stevens catches the balls thrown his way. See, Jerramy's job was to split the safeties if they started to help with the corner's on the WR's. You'll remember Darrel Jackson had a fine 1st half with 3 catches for over 50 yards, with almost a TD (stepped out of bounce). Pittsburgh recognized this and brought Polamalu to help. Stevens job was to split the safeties, beat the LB down the field, and punish Pittsburgh. Great plan, but you have to catch the ball!

I'm not going to cry about the game because it should have been closer. If the same bad calls are made, and we execute the way we should've(maybe lose by a td or less) I would be pissed. However, Seattle didn't play their best game. Notely Stevens almost all game long, Engram who dropped a pass (how could you not be looking for the pass when Pittsburgh was blitzing!!!) and Ken Hamlin, the safety who is on IR because he got in a bar fight early in the year. See, his backup is Marquand Manual, a fine Safety backup who was injured in the first half. In goes 3rd string Pruitt who hasn't played all year except in the practice squad. Bad cut on Willie Parker's run for 75 yards, and out of position for Randle-El's reverse trick play.

At the end, I blame Seattle. If it's called fairly, we may still win, but I would be disappointed in their performance because they could've played better. That said, Pittsburgh definitely didn't play their best game either. I wish it could've been played again with both teams playing like their usual selves without bad calls. Maybe next year.

[Seattle-fan]

Arrogant Bastard wrote:

Heh, since i haven't been on in a while i want to pull up the whole ticket sales point .. the general view that we somehow got some secret backdoor to all the tickets or something like that .. well .. the fact of the matter is .. the "12"th man (stolen from some college team might i add) is such a sorry excuse for a fanbase .. Clay Aiken has more of a 12th man than the Seacawks will ever have ..(owch).. besides that .. if the Superbowl was played in the middle of hell and the tickets cost 10k a piece and the average Pittsburgher made 5k a year .. there would still have been about 75% Steeler fans regardless .. we simply love our team more than anyone else and would go to the ends of the earth (or ends of certain planes of existance aka. hell) to see our team play in a regular season game let alone a SUPERBOWL .. lol .. i mean we have people having heart attacks because of fumbled balls in this town!.. i doubt such words even exist to properly explain the level of devotion a Steelers fan exhibits.. STEELERS NATION SPELLS DOMINATION!

So what you're saying is Pittsburgh fans make poor financial decisions and have heart disease(due to overweight problems and high stress from poor financial decisions)? You really give a positive view of "Steelers Nation."

[Seattle-fan]

SEATTLE BLOWS wrote:

HASSELBECK....BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHA!!!!!!!!!! SEATTLE WASNT GOOD ENOUGH TO WIN....FACE IT YA LOSERS!!!!!!

Maybe I'm on the wrong forum, but I thought there were adults here.

You're right, we did lose. I do blame my team. However, the officiating was bad regardless. I can see why people are upset.

[Seattle-fan]

Martha wrote:

My point is: SHUT UP & STOP WHINING!! You lost, get over it, it will not change anything! Make yourselves a little cardboard 'trophy', curl up in a corner & live in your fantasy world telling yourself, "Seattle really won, Seattle really won" & see if it makes you feel any better. Someday, you will face the truth, that the # of NFC teams will never equal the # of AFC teams who can, will, & do win play-offs & Super Bowls. Just remember, "There are none so blind as those who will not see." That pretty well describes Holmgren & you whiners! No further discussion required.

Other than the 3 Superbowls won by the Patriots, the AFC and NFC have been even in Superbowls in the last 10 years. This isn't baseball where there's an unlimited salary cap. I don't believe the difference between AFC and NFC teams are that different. The majority of top offenses lay in the AFC, the majority of top defenses lay in the NFC. The two teams that faced in the Superbowl had the best mix.

I will say that if there were a team I'd want to win in the AFC, it Pittsburgh. I wish Cowher won their last visit against Dallas.

Let's see if we can rematch next year!!!

[bobo the goat]

The officiating was pretty lousy, but Seattle would have easily overcame it if Jackson had stayed in bounds and Stevens had actually caught the ball.

As for the fan show-out, well, I prompt you all to look at a map. I'm not sure the exact distance, but Pittsburgh is something like five times closer to Detriot than Seattle. The fact that it was easier for Stealer fans were able to make it to the Super Bowl shouldn't be surprising to anyone and doesn't speak much to the quality of Seattle's fans.

Besides, Pittsburgh has had more success throughout the years and more media coverage (being an East Coast team). It really seems a lot easier to be a Pittsburgh fan than to be a Seahawks fan. I can easily see fans of other teams just wanting to go the Super Bowl, and then cheering for the Stealers just because they know that team better.

Seattle's stadium is also one of the loudest places to play in the NFL. They might not have as many fans as the Stealers do, and they might find it more difficult to travel to Detriot (can you blame them?), but Seattle's got a great fanbase too.

[Steelerfan]

bobo the goat wrote:

As for the fan show-out, well, I prompt you all to look at a map. I'm not sure the exact distance, but Pittsburgh is something like five times closer to Detriot than Seattle. The fact that it was easier for Stealer fans were able to make it to the Super Bowl shouldn't be surprising to anyone and doesn't speak much to the quality of Seattle's fans.

Besides, Pittsburgh has had more success throughout the years and more media coverage (being an East Coast team). It really seems a lot easier to be a Pittsburgh fan than to be a Seahawks fan. I can easily see fans of other teams just wanting to go the Super Bowl, and then cheering for the Stealers just because they know that team better.

Seattle's stadium is also one of the loudest places to play in the NFL. They might not have as many fans as the Stealers do, and they might find it more difficult to travel to Detriot (can you blame them?), but Seattle's got a great fanbase too.

The only problem to your argument is, it isn't just STEELER fans traveling from Pittsburgh. The Steelers have lots of fans scattered across the country, many who worn born in Pittsburgh whose families had to move due to economic reasons.

And if you watch games throughout the season Steeler fans always represent in large numbers at away games. Why do you think during the playoffs teams were asking their ticket holders to not sell tickets to Steeler fans?

It would not have mattered where the Superbowl was held, the Steeler fans would have represented in large numbers.

[Erik]

Jaybird from Pittsburgh wrote:

You guys realize that no matter how much you complain about the so-called bad calls Seattle isn't going to win SB XL, RIGHT? You guys WERE NOT THAT GOOD this year, look at the schedules. If you were in the AFC you wouldn't have even made it to the playoffs let alone the SB. My girlfriend doesn't cry this much after a sobby love movie. Grow a pair already! What the F&*# are you so mad about anyway, you guys couldn't even sell all your tickets, thanks by the way from all the additional Steelers fans that got to attend history on account that Seattle's super fans couldn't make the SB. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves!!! You call yourselves football fans?!?!?!?!?

One for the Thumb, NONE for the Bums!!!!!!

Thats not cool, Were the loadest arena in foot ball and we love are hawks win or lose. They have got the short end of the stick and poeple are upset but dont start saying that crap. the steelers are just more nationaly recognized and alot closer. Suport your team but dont dis hawk fans cuase in the playoffs we were causing small earth quakes. ps good luck next year hopfully it will be a rematch

[seattlefan]

Tom wrote:

<quoted text>

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.

and didnt you notice tht the seahawks and steelers had basiclly the same schedule? wow a the steelers opponents had a few more wins WOOHOO and you have cleveland and baltimore in yuor dvision so nothing to ride hom about so shut up about are division being weak. and you forget the fact that the seahawks beat the redskins without Shaun Alexander regardless of what you say there talent was. and against Carolina we played against a defense rated better then yours and beat them (hmmm I wonder how we lost to yous???) and we shuit there offense down because we realized that if we shut off steve smith we would win. No other team thought that how pathetic is the rest of the league HA and we had the BEST offenese in football i dont care about the final stats. and we has a productive and under rated defnese, basicly opposite of ehat you say the colts broncos ans cincinnatie had. And you forget the fact that Carson Palmer got injured on the first play of the game (only reason you won that game) but anyways.... and your offense isnt as good as ares was... defense was better but its a nother style in another league . And running out the clock???? you lost 6 regular season games you werent running out the clock lol you were losing and had your tail between your legs and as far as the Superbowl goes im not even going to go there because it was a scam and i dont like to talk about it. I can see why the people in Phillie dont like you guys you hold your heads high for something you dont deserve i hope the refs have a few rings for themselves there the ones who really deserve that title seattle will win the superbowl HONORABLY someday and finally get some recogntion the deserve fromthe stupid fuckin east coast biast

[seattlefan]

Arrogant Bastard wrote:

Unless, that is, I missed something on Willie Parker's 75-yard run to daylight, the 3rd-and-28 conversion from Ben Roethlisberger to Hines Ward, or the nifty reverse-and-pass from Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward. Those three plays were WAY bigger than any of the bad calls or perceived bad calls that went against the Seahawks, and you would have to be wearing colored glasses with the rosiest of tints to argue otherwise. Tough to pin those three on the men in striped shirts, huh?

And let's talk about the offending plays, shall we?

-Ben Roethlisberger's one-yard touchdown sneak - did he get in, or didn't he? Big Ben told David Letterman he didn't, which helps play into the grassy- knoll, multiple-gunman theory. Never mind that Roethlisberger himself wasn't in as good a position as the side judge to make the call (he was being crushed by a hit at the time, remember?), but let's say for the sake of argument that he didn't get in. What do you think the probability is that the Steelers would have scored on fourth- down from the one-inch line? For the No. 3-ranked rushing team in the NFL, with two Pro Bowl offensive linemen, a 280-pound running back, and a 6-foot-5, 240-pound quarterback? I'm going to say about 99 percent.

-The pass interference call on Darrell Jackson in the end zone. If you don't think Jackson pushed off, then as the British would say, you're mental. I was sitting in the far end zone, and from that distance, in real time, it was obvious that Jackson pushed off. His arms were fully extended and made contact with safety Chris Hope, which allowed Jackson a comfortable pocket in which to catch the ball. That's the definition of offensive pass interference in any book.

-The 15-yard low block penalty on Matt Hasselbeck in the fourth quarter. Maybe the officials would take this one back given the chance, and maybe they wouldn't, but there is absolutely some context needed when discussing this play. First of all, picking up that flag would not have changed the fact that Hasselbeck threw a brutal interception in a very bad spot, as his team was down 14-10 with momentum heading deep into Pittsburgh territory. Three plays later, with a chance to get the football back, the Seahawks failed to stop the Steelers on 3rd-and-2, and one play after that, Randle El hit a wide-open Ward on the razzle-dazzle touchdown. You would have to be pretty delusional to argue that the officials had a direct impact on that TD.

-The preceding fourth-quarter hold on Sean Locklear, which negated an 18-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Jerramy Stevens that would have placed Seattle at the Pittsburgh 2. Madden didn't see a hold on this one, and from my perspective it was a borderline call, but the holding call is an extraordinarily difficult one to make under most circumstances. Most officials will tell you that you can find a holding call on just about every snap if you look hard enough. But again, here's some context. That call came on 1st-down, and put the Seahawks in a hardly insurmountable 1st-and-20 situation from the Steeler 29 early in the fourth. The officials did not sack Hasselbeck on the following play, they didn't force the Seahawks to run the football with Shaun Alexander on 2nd-and-25 (he gained seven yards), and they didn't make Hasselbeck throw the errant pass to Jackson down the field when an incompletion would have meant a safe 44-yard field goal try for Josh Brown.

If you know your right why do Pittsburgh fans need to defend there case so much? that says something right there :))))

[Wes Hyers]

Yeah, that call against Seatle's QB for the tackle after the interception was wrong. But that was the only bad call! All the rest were correct. I studied that Roethlisberger TD run and if you look at it in slow motion from the best angle possible, the ball clearly makes it over the goal line for a split second. Only about a half inch of the ball breaks the plane, but a half an inch is a touchdown! I think there should be weightless sensors in the balls and on the goal line so when the ball crosses, even if it can't be seen, a light comes on somewhere and signals a touchdown. This is what we're coming to.

[KenB]

Wes Hyers wrote:

Yeah, that call against Seatle's QB for the tackle after the interception was wrong. But that was the only bad call! All the rest were correct. I studied that Roethlisberger TD run and if you look at it in slow motion from the best angle possible, the ball clearly makes it over the goal line for a split second. Only about a half inch of the ball breaks the plane, but a half an inch is a touchdown! I think there should be weightless sensors in the balls and on the goal line so when the ball crosses, even if it can't be seen, a light comes on somewhere and signals a touchdown. This is what we're
coming to.

WHAT? Are you friggin blind? Chalk up another dipsh*t to the masses. That guy from Canada, was right. The refs gotta be enjoying their perks given to them after the game, for being so
consistent in disrupting the momentum of the game, and for their
fast thinking of creating a penalty, after throwing a flag. When
you have 60% of Pittsburgh saying it was one sided, you need not say anymore. It's not whining, it's telling it like it is. If all
places to call Seattle crybabies, when the majority vote in Pittsburgh agreed it was biased from the Network to the Refs, why
even play the game? If that's what was needed to bring the people
of Pittsburgh together, fine. But don't tell me that it was won fair and square, and there were no factors involved in the outcome of this game, if you even want to call it that. What is
discouraging, is that it was so blatant and obvious, and I'm suppose to swallow this crap. I just want to puke, on anybody who
is so convinced that there was only one bad call the whole game,
and that the Seahawks were not capable of winning this SB. If any
of you would have experienced this with your team, and the way the
Refs were trying to figure out what penalties to call, after throwing a flag (making SH*T up, to disrupt the momentum and rythm
of the game) you'd be pissed off too. Holmgren was a gentleman by
not telling those REFS to Kiss My A**, after the game. Yeah, this
one will definitely go down in the books, as the biggest SB Farce
of the century. "That's really really something to brag about" If
I were one of you who claims that Seattle or Holmgren for that matter can't do the job, I'd think twice before sounding like an
idiot with your biased comments. As if we can't tell who you were
wanting to win the SB this year. Doesn't matter how you play, you just win! Funny, that's not what I was taught growing up, but that
is all that matters now. War is different! Sports and the term
Sportsmanship is played to reveal an athletes true nature and desire for the sport and to follow the rules of the game. The $$$
is what rules the sport now. The $$$ decide. So revel in the $$$
while it lasts Pittsburgh.

[Liquid4012]

KenB wrote:

<quoted text>

WHAT? Are you friggin blind? Chalk up another dipsh*t to the masses. That guy from Canada, was right. The refs gotta be enjoying their perks given to them after the game, for being so
consistent in disrupting the momentum of the game, and for their
fast thinking of creating a penalty, after throwing a flag. When
you have 60% of Pittsburgh saying it was one sided, you need not say anymore. It's not whining, it's telling it like it is. If all
places to call Seattle crybabies, when the majority vote in Pittsburgh agreed it was biased from the Network to the Refs, why
even play the game? If that's what was needed to bring the people
of Pittsburgh together, fine. But don't tell me that it was won fair and square, and there were no factors involved in the outcome of this game, if you even want to call it that. What is
discouraging, is that it was so blatant and obvious, and I'm suppose to swallow this crap. I just want to puke, on anybody who
is so convinced that there was only one bad call the whole game,
and that the Seahawks were not capable of winning this SB. If any
of you would have experienced this with your team, and the way the
Refs were trying to figure out what penalties to call, after throwing a flag (making SH*T up, to disrupt the momentum and rythm
of the game) you'd be pissed off too. Holmgren was a gentleman by
not telling those REFS to Kiss My A**, after the game. Yeah, this
one will definitely go down in the books, as the biggest SB Farce
of the century. "That's really really something to brag about" If
I were one of you who claims that Seattle or Holmgren for that matter can't do the job, I'd think twice before sounding like an
idiot with your biased comments. As if we can't tell who you were
wanting to win the SB this year. Doesn't matter how you play, you just win! Funny, that's not what I was taught growing up, but that
is all that matters now. War is different! Sports and the term
Sportsmanship is played to reveal an athletes true nature and desire for the sport and to follow the rules of the game. The $$$
is what rules the sport now. The $$$ decide. So revel in the $$$
while it lasts Pittsburgh.

Nearly three months removed from the game and you're still bitching about the calls. The guy's right, the "questionable" calls were technically correct, and the only bad call was the low block. Labeling someone a dipsh*t because s/he doesn't agree with you is standard practice with some of you people nowadays. Pittsburgh fans get the bad rep of being cocky and stubborn and no-it-alls. That may be true for some of us, but posts like this solidify the less intelligent among us in the same way, and it's well-deserved.

Who said the "majority" believed it to be biased? Perhaps right after the game, all the disgruntled Seahawks fans went to the online polls and voted against the officiating, but those numbers changed dramatically after a few weeks, and anyone who knows the game of football saw a game in which there were a few close calls because the plays were close. The Ben TD could have gone either way. To me it looked like the nose of the ball penetrated the invisible wall of the goal line. To someone else it probably didn't look that way. The holding call on Locklear - very close, also could have gone either way. I saw what the officials saw though, a slight hook but more importantly a yank that caused Haggans to fall on the way to the QB. Without that yank, Hasselbeck is on his ass.

Most of us Steelers fans agree that the calls when slightly in our favor -- but that doesn't mean the outcome of the game would have been any different. Three months later, it's time to move on.

[KenB]

It's know it all's dingaling. And yeah your right, because if I
just sat by and stuck my head in the sand, nothing would be done
about it, like some of you people nowadays. Hey, I have an idea,
next time let's just put 14 points up on the board just because its Pittsburgh that were playing. Doesn't matter what team is playing them. Pittsburgh deserves it! They have the most fans! Yeah that's it, that justifies the means! Get this out to the REFS ASAP, make this mandatory. If anybody complains, label
them a whiner and call them names, humiliate them, tell them their worthless, and Oh yeah, don't forget to call them losers
for not winning the game. If they were any GOOD, making up 14 points is nothing, to play against the STEELERS. Please spare
me your ARROGANCE! Refs are not "untouchable" and the GRAFT is
still a factor in any game. Is that not so? Most Magnificent One!

[mike g from cincy]

Steelers are the best team in the nfl. the nfc is a joke. The bengals would have lost even if palmer didn't get hurt. the steelers came to play in the 2nd half. THey also manhandled The UNSTOPPABLE colts and made denver look like they were a nfc team. The push off was right in front of the ref. the tackle held haggan's shoulder pad. Plus u have to win no matter what the refs call and simply the steelers made more big plays. AND it will be a repeat. so everyone who thinks the SUPER BOWL CHAMPS didn't deserve to win well keep whinning and you will whine for the next5 or 6 years too when the SUBER BOWL CHAMPS more sb championships. keep whinning we will keep winning. o yea u want to know y the suckhawks lost becuz they whinned instead of growing a pair an playing some ball. AS the wise joey porter said, "You soft."

[Billy Bob]

hhgg wrote:

the steelers suck dick

If they do, where would that put the Browns?
O for two seasons vs. Pittsburgh.