Denver also benefited from the #1 seed in the AFC, and everyone had to play in their stadium.
So, it's interesting that the two best teams have not been upset in the playoffs, no come-from-behind dream team stuff this year. Just the two most powerful teams that dominated their respective conferences, and got the job done without too much drama in the playoffs meeting in the Superbowl.
I think it will be an excellent game. Seahawks fans are still angry about the Pittsburgh loss in the Superbowl a few years back, where the officiating was terrible. So my biggest hope is that we have a good clean game without a lot of ridiculous penalties.
From Wikipedia:Reaction to officiating[edit]
The officiating in Super Bowl XL was met with criticism from a few members of the media soon after the game. One call that was complained about was an offensive pass interference on wide receiver Darrell Jackson for a push-off against Steelers safety Chris Hope that nullified his 16-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.[13] In the second quarter, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger dove for a touchdown and was tackled by Seahawks linebacker D.D. Lewis short of the goal line. While laying on the ground with possession of the ball short of the goal, Roethlisberger then reached forward with the ball, placing it over the line after he was down. Another complaint had to do with a penalty in the fourth quarter against Seattle right tackle Sean Locklear for holding Steelers linebacker Clark Haggans that nullified a deep pass. Also disputed was the penalty on Hasselbeck for an illegal block while making a tackle during Ike Taylor's interception return.[14]
Kansas City Star writer Jason Whitlock encapsulated some views when he wrote the day after the game, "Bill Leavy and his crew ruined Super Bowl XL. Am I the only one who would like to hear them defend their incompetence?"[15] Initially, some fans reacted negatively as well. A February 7 online ESPN poll found that, with 103,167 votes cast, 61.7% of those votes were cast for the choice of "officiating mistakes affected the outcome of Super Bowl XL."[16][17]
Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren himself took issue with the officiating at a celebration for his team on February 6 at Qwest Field, saying, "We knew it was going to be tough going against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well."[18] Holmgren was not fined for the remarks.
In response to the criticisms leveled at the officials, the NFL, just two days after the game, released a statement defending the officials' performance. "The game was properly officiated, including, as in most NFL games, some tight plays that produced disagreement about the calls made by the officials," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement.[19]
High-profile referee Ed Hochuli said "the league felt, actually, that the Super Bowl was well officiated. Now, that doesn't mean there were no mistakes. There are always mistakes, but it was a well-officiated game." [20] On August 6, 2010, while visiting the Seahawks' preseason training camp for an annual rules interpretation session with the Seattle media, Leavy brought up Super Bowl XL without being asked, and admitted to having blown calls:[20] It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights, and I think about it constantly. I'll go to my grave wishing that I'd been better ... I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn't good enough ... When we make mistakes, you got to step up and own them. It's something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl it's difficult.[21] The Super Bowl XL officiating controversy was later listed as #8 on the NFL's list of the top ten controversial calls of all time.[22]
This will probably one of those games that I don't know who I'm for until the game begins and I feel myself rooting for one or the other. Sometimes that even changes during the game if I see something I don't like.
There was also a ‘horse collar’ tackle by Pittsburgh that wasn’t called.