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That was a good game. I'd say if you picked any two teams in the NFL that were the most alike (coaching, talent, style of play...) certainly the Ravens and the Steelers would be at or near the top. I'm a Steelers fan and I respect the Ravens.

That said, after the last three weeks I have just about zero respect left for the refs. As I posted on an earlier thread, the refs (and the NFL commish?) have obviously decided to make an example of the Steelers - for what, I don't know.

Consider, in the first 9 games the Steelers had averaged 5 penalties per game, for 42 yards. Then three weeks ago "the decision" was made. For the next two games, that average jumped to 12 penalties for 135 yards. Obviously that didn't work, the Steelers continued to win even in the face of this twelfth or thirteenth man on the field helping their opponent. Last weekend it was so bad the refs may as well have put on a Bills uniform.

So what to do if you're a biased referee corps and you're not fulfilling your marching orders, and people are beginning to notice the obvious bias? Change it up a little, allow the other team almost a free hand to abuse the Steelers. Who better to do this than the equally hard-hitting Ravens? (ok, maybe the Raiders...)

Last night in the first series of downs a Ravens lineman hit Ben in the face breaking/bloodying his nose. It was intentional - watch the replay. Ben is what, 6 foot 5? You don't get a forearm up that high unless you are aiming to. In spite of this obvious shot at another players head (something the NFL is supposedly cracking down on) there was no flag.

Later on in the game a Ravens linebacker hits the Steelers tight-end Miller helmet to helmet so hard the announcers could hear it up in the booth. Again, supposedly a big-time no-no in the kinder-gentler NFL. Well, not so gentle, Miller is knocked nearly unconscious. Even the Ravens nearby immediately signaled to the Steelers sidelines to send medical help out. Miller suffers a concussion and is out of the game. Oh, the "impartial" refs? No flag.

Late in the game the Ravens big man Suggs is chasing Ben out of the pocket. Suggs is batting at Ben, trying to knock the ball loose and cannot. He then obviously intentionally takes a swipe and punches Ben in the head. Ben stays on his feet though and dumps the ball to avoid the sack. The refs, who usually protect QBs like their sisters' virtue? No flag.

Now, we'll never know, but I'll guaran-damn-tee you that had the Steelers Harrison taken a shot at the Raven's Flacko and broken his nose... Harrison would've been flagged and more than likely ejected from the game for the obvious head-shot. Had Troy Polamalu gone head to head with the Raven's tight end he would have been flagged. In fact the Steelers were flagged several times - whenever they played rougher than girl-scout flag football.

NFL, you're refs are as biased as an MSNBC "news" program. You will lose fans. No-one wants to come see an unfair contest. How much respect does professional wrestling get? (hint to those who don't know it, it is a show and all set up/rehearsed), how many fans did boxing lose when it went through its big fight-fixing scandals?

The league can fine all they want and make noises about safety and fairness all they want. But the front lines for them are their refs. And right now, their refs are showing themselves to be anything but the fair and impartial arbiters of fair play during the game. Clean up your act NFL. Lets see some public fines and suspensions of referees for poor performance. Even better, lets see some better called/run games. Then I'll believe it. Otherwise, the NFL is losing this fan, a little more every game I watch, I get a little more disgusted and fed up.