Refs were far from Super in this one

msn sports ^ | 2.06.2006 | Kevin Hench / FOXSports.com

[kevkrom]

Sure it figured in, they scored off that drive, aided by this bad call

And Seattle scored after being aided by not calling a clip on the INT return. Your point?

[kevkrom]

not

I am overcome by your argument.

[Echo Talon]

At first, I thought so too. But the more I think about it, especially with all of the Seattle whiners nit-picking about other calls, I'm not so sure. Hasslebeck was going down of his own voilition (he stumbled). While he was already on the way down, but not yet down, there was incidental contact with a defender. When he hit the ground, he was not touched before the ball came loose. The question is, does that incidental contact constitute "down by contact"? I'm not sure sure... I thought you had to either be touched while down or have gone down as a result of contact with a defender.

You are a moron.

[kevkrom]

the bad calls and non-calls went consistently in the Steelers favor

Excuse me? There were an awful lot of non-calls that went against the Steelers. I think the bad calls evened out, it's just that most of the ones against Seattle were sins of commission, and those against Pittsburgh were sins of omission.

[Echo Talon]

And Seattle scored after being aided by not calling a clip on the INT return. Your point?

Wasnt a clip.

[PLM]

OH, AND, that was the worst sung National Anthem at a Super Bowl in a long time.

[PLM]

Could be...

[NCC-1701]

A friend of mine has always stated that it's not just the bad calls. It's when they happen and what they affect. Take for instance that "holding" call that wiped out a first and goal for the Seahawks. There was holding all game long by both teams. Why did the the refs choose to call it then? To take away the momentum Seattle was gaining and wiping out a potential scoring oppurtunity? Had Seattle scored, they may have had mo on their side and held off Pittsburgh. We'll never know. In any game one team could have four or five penalties, but some of those could have wiped out big gains or scores. While in the same game, the other team could pick up eight, ten, twelve calls, but they are of the five yard variety and made late in the game just to "balance" out the tally sheet. And those eight to twelve penalties wouldn't be the back-breaking, game-changing types. I hope that NFL takes a long hard look at this travesty this offseason. Officiating has gotten progressively worse for the last ten years. Sometimes, you can't help but feel the fix was in on some games. And yes, the refs should be held accountable for their actions.

[kevkrom]

Why did the the refs choose to call it then? To take away the momentum Seattle was gaining and wiping out a potential scoring oppurtunity?

That doesn't fly unless the refs threw the flag after the pass was complete.

[kevkrom]

Wasnt a clip.

I see, the refs were OK when you agreed with them, and if anyone else questions them, then they're the ones who are wrong, not the refs.

But when you disagree with the refs, those who do agree with them are still wrong. Must be nice to have it both ways...

[Junior_G]

That angle is worthless to try to determine if the ball was over the goal line. The cameras that were at the goal line did not show the ball breaking the plane.

[Tallguy]

And if Hasselbeck had bounced back up & continued running (instead of fumbling) the Steelers fans would be screaming about him being touched on the way down. You see, either way the "ground" should be allowed to cause a fumble. You have to take the "ref-factor" out of this common event on a football field.

[Echo Talon]

see, the refs were OK when you agreed with them, and if anyone else questions them, then they're the ones who are wrong, not the refs. But when you disagree with the refs, those who do agree with them are still wrong. Must be nice to have it both ways...

No i go by the rules, I have played football for 8 years, and watched it for over 25 years. here is the rule

2. Clipping: Throwing the body across the back of an opponent's leg or hitting him from the back below the waist while moving up from behind unless the opponent is a runner or the action is in close line play.

3. Close Line Play: The area between the positions normally occupied by the offensive tackles, extending three yards on each side of the line of scrimmage.

NFL.com rules

[the OlLine Rebel]

You seem to be crossing from "naked eye" to "replay", yourself.

It may not be clear to the naked eye, but it IS clear in the replay.

I am not "seeing what I want to see". I couldn't really care less, although I'm OK w/the Steelers and my husband is a big fan. I've disagreed w/him MANY times as it is; if anything I'm a Ravens fan. And I have no problem w/the Seahawks and it's nice that they've "broken the mold" sorta speak and are at this level, finally. I'd be happy for them if they won - I always sort of feel for the "underdog". Although, not as much as for a historically Good team who can't seem to bring it home in the end (and hence, I can finally stop cheering for the Red Sox) - which would be the Steelers.

[Echo Talon]

OH, AND, that was the worst sung National Anthem at a Super Bowl in a long time.

Thats something we could probably all agree on.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Yup. Esp. by AaAAAAaaaAAAAAaaaaAAAAAaaaaron NEHehEHehEHville. His style is irritating anyway, and he couldn't handle the *low* notes!

[kevkrom]

Ok, not clipping. But it was an illegal block in the back, above the waist. Still a spot foul penalty that was missed.

[NCC-1701]

I'll check the tape of that as to when the catch was made and the flag thrown.

[z3n]

"A friend of mine has always stated that it's not just the bad calls. It's when they happen and what they affect. "

I don't mean to sound conspiratorial about the NFL, because my feeling is that superbowl XL was simply unfortunate, not rigged.
However, I do actually beleive that games are changes somewhat intentionally in other sports with the timing of calls. Basketball is particularly prone to this, because the calls can seem so much more subtle to the fan than in football. I'm not even a big fan of basketball, but I have seen many times over how a couple of calls in the paint at the right times (on both ends of the court) can totally change the way teams play. Again, it seems so subtle, because it really only means a 2 to 4 point swing. But the affect is much deeper. One or two charge, block, over-the-back, or a few similar calls under the basket basically tell one team that they can no longer be agressive in scoring and rebounding. The opponent (the ones who receive benefit from the calls) know it too, and become free to be even more agressive. It happens nearly every game I watch, and usually in the last 5mins of a half.

[steelcurtain]

OH, AND, that was the worst sung National Anthem at a Super Bowl in a long time.

Thats something we could probably all agree on.

AMEN!!! Aaron Neville could have been strangling a cat, for all I know. Wow.