Posted on 01/15/2006 9:24:47 AM PST by mainepatsfan
So who won the games for Brady the refs or Adam? I'd like to see him try and win a playoff game with Jim Mora or Tony Dungy as coach, its impossible.
In a chaotic day for the National Football League and sports world in general, the future of the NFL playoffs has been thrown into turmoil.
This morning, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced that he had decided to ignore the upcoming conference championship games, and instead invite the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts to play in the Super Bowl . "At the request of ABC, we focus-tested the potential ratings to a selected group of people in Lower Manhattan and Beverly Hills, and frankly, the numbers weren't there," said Tagliabue. "I'm sure those remaining teams....I'm not quite sure who they are; I haven't really kept up...will understand. Heck, I couldn't even tell you the capital of Pittsburgh myself!"
A visibly upset New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady fielded questions from reporters, even though he was busy working on his upcoming MTV reality series with Nick Lachey and Matt Leinart. "Look at this face," said Brady angrily, "You're telling me they couldn't have moved a few extra million Wheaties boxes with this mug on it? I'm dating Bridget freakin' Moynihnan, for crying out loud! Ahh, forget it. I'm gonna go download some porn."
A rumor that Pittsburgh Steeler coach Bill Cowher killed and ate a creative executive at ABC turned out to be unfounded.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning also held a press conference in which he said that "It's great to finally get this monkey off my back once and for all. And frankly, we deserve it. I don't want to, you know, uh, be a bad teammate or anything, but some of those refs didn't earn the money we paid them. That's all I'm sayin'."
Reporters also were able to obtain several quotes from someone they thought was Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer, before it was discovered that the man in question was actually a homeless street person. "The beard fooled me. What can I say?" said an AP reporter.
However, in the afternoon, NFL referee Pete Morelli announced that, after viewing and re-viewing Tagliabue's press conference, he had no choice but to overturn the Commissioner's decision. "I determined that the Commissioner's left big toe was exactly 3 3/4 inches off the dais while his mouth was still 5 15/16 inches away from the microphone. Further, his left knee broke the plane off the area surrounding the podium while he was still in the process of speaking. Therefore, he did not complete a 'Commissioner Move.'"
The situation was still unresolved at press time.
So who won the games for Brady the refs or Adam?
Brady
LOL!!!!! You hit the nail on the head. The SB ratings will be the LOWEST in history. BTW, did you see Cowher do a 'muscle-man' pose to the crowd? Idiot! Love your post, you are dead on!
Go Stillers
The Steeler game was a blow out but for two horrendous officiating MISTAKES ...
Don't bother with Referee Morelli's explanation. Mike Pereira, NFL vice president of officiating, isn't buying it either:
Polamalu's interception stands after all
Ed Bouchette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
January 16, 2006
Upon further and further review, Troy Polamalu's interception stands.
The NFL today admitted that referee Peter Morelli erred when he overturned Polamalu's interception in the fourth quarter of Sunday's AFC divisional playoff game between the Steelers and Colts in Indianapolis.
Polamalu intercepted Peyton Manning on a play that started with 5:33 left and the Steelers leading 21-10. Polamalu fell to the ground and rolled over, untouched. As he stood up to run, his left knee knocked the ball out of his arm. Polamalu fell on the ball and the officials ruled it an interception and a recovery of his own fumble.
Colts coach Tony Dungy challenged it, and after looking at replay, Morelli overturned it and called it an incompletion.
"Before he got up he hit it with his leg with his other leg still on the ground," Morelli told a pool reporter after the game. "Therefore, he did not complete the catch. And then he lost the ball. It came out and so we made the play an incomplete pass."
Wrong, his boss said today.
"The definition of a catch -- or in this case an interception -- states that in the process of making the catch a player must maintain possession of the ball after he contacts the ground," said Mike Pereira, NFL vice president of officiating, in a statement.
"The initial call on the field was that Troy Polamalu intercepted the pass because he maintained possession of the ball after hitting the ground. The replay showed that Polamalu had rolled over and was rising to his feet when the ball came loose. He maintained possession long enough to establish a catch. Therefore, the replay review should have upheld the call on the field that it was a catch and fumble."
Morelli further tried to explain his decision on Sunday when he said that Polamalu "never had possession with his leg up off the ground doing an act common to the game of football. He was losing it while his leg was still on the ground."
Wrong again, Pereira said.
"The rule regarding the performing of an act common to the game applies when there is contact with a defensive player and the ball comes loose, which did not happen here."
LOL
There've been some less-than-exciting SB matchups, so this is nothing new. Remember Broncos vs. Falcons in '99 and Rams vs. Titans in '00?
Meanwhile, the Steelers had a day off today, all except the coaches. They were working hard on watching film of Denver and planning their strategy for the next game that they will reveal later today at the South Side Steeler/Pitt Complex.
No word from anyone on it but Dick Labeau had a masterful defenesive plan for the Colts. Look at the films. Early on in that game they backed off on a disguised blitz. That is why Manning couldn't find any open receivers. Later, it changed and the blitzes were for real.
Good observation. ....and that's one of the reasons Manning had happy feet for 3 quarters. Then soon after his confidence returned the blitzes started coming in earnest. Excellent defensive plan and execution.
It's pretty exciting around these parts as well; the 'Hawks are looking for their first ever SB appearence.
The Steelers and the Hawks. That sounds great.
Been all over the US and the world but never Seattle area. Heard it is great. Best of luck to the team.
Thankfully poor officiating did NOT reverse the outcome of the play on the field like it did in 2002 when Tom Brady's fumble was overturned allowing the Patriots to tie the Raiders on a FG and then win in overtime with a FG en route to their first (tainted) Super Bowl Championship.
I have heard Manning on several losing situations and he is always making excuses and passing responsibility on to other players. He did have a good game, in that he threw no interceptions (haha) and had 220 passing yards, yet he still wants to shift responsibility to other players. This is not the mark of a leader, and I hope he never wins a Super Bowl.
In the play, the Steelers were beating the Colts 14-0 with 13:35 left in the second quarter. Steeler teams under Cowher were 100-1-1 in games in which they had taken a lead by at least 10 points due to their formula of tough defense together with a powerful clock-consuming ground game.
So. at 13:35 of the second the Colts punted after a three-incomplete-pass possession, and the Steelers take over at their own 44. Jerome Bettis is in the backfield. It's time to grind out the clock and preserve the lead, right? NO! Roethliberger drops back and lofts a 40 yard pass that meets up with Steeler wide receiver Antwaan Randle-El at the Colts 16 where he is mugged by defensive back Marlin Jackson.
Dick Enberg: "Roethlisberger going deep. Randle-El. And that should be a flag. Oh My! It was Marlin Jackson, the rookie, who's playing because Nate Harper (was) injured early. It appeared that Jackson tackled him before the ball arrived."Dan Dierdorf: "Normally this brings a flag... Take a look at this, that's Marlin Jackson #28. Now he's beaten there... How that is not interference I have no idea at all."
Dick Enberg: I'm stunned."
Dan Dierdorf: "That is blatant interference. And how that didn't bring a flag... "
At the halftime commentary:
Boomer Esiason: "(The Colts) also have a break, 'cause Marlin Jackson should have been called for pass interference on Antwaan Randle-El. So they get the break right there. Take a look at this. Last night we saw a questionable call that went against the Patriots. This should have been called against the Colts."Greg Gumbel:"When you're talking about calls that were made or weren't made then all of a sudden you are not talking about a great officiating weekend so far."
Following the game:
Boomer Esiason: "This would have been highway robbery had not Pittsburgh not hung on to win this football game, because that interception by Troy Polamalu, I don't care what the NFL says, that was an interception. The Pittsburgh Steelers deserved to win this football game... Not only this call, but there was a pass interference (non-)call that happened early in the second quarter that should have been called against the Indianapolis Colts. So a couple of plays in this game that really went against Pittsburgh. I'm glad they won, because they deserved to win, as you (Dan Marino) said."
The NFL said they will not fine Joey Porter for his comments. Does that mean that all that were fined and in the future get fined get a pass?
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