Posted on 02/07/2006 4:55:05 PM PST by bikepacker67
GOT SCREWED, USA -- Complaining about officiating is a time-honored sports tradition. It's much easier to believe your team got screwed than it got whupped because anger is more manageable than sadness.
It's sour grapes, plain and simple.
But, America, please forgive Seahawks fans if they sound a little bitter and paranoid after the rest of the country got its sweet, little fairy tale with Jerome Bettis winning Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit.
It just seems a bit too tidy, considering how things went down.
Here's the rub: No intelligent person, and that includes Pittsburgh fans, watched the Steelers 21-10 "victory" and believed it was well-officiated. Period.
And every -- EVERY -- call went against the Seahawks.
Seahawks fans promise to stop being paranoid just as soon as the NFL proves it isn't out to get them.
The Seahawks, who were tied for second-fewest penalties in the NFL this year, were flagged seven times for 70 yards. Three were critical. Two were dubious. Another flag was so stupid the official explanation didn't actually make any sense.
As for head linesman Mark Hittner's oh-what-the-hell delayed touchdown call on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's 1-yard touchdown dive? Think the officials want that tape taken to the FBI crime lab?
The Steelers, who were tied for sixth-fewest penalties this year, suffered just three horrible hankies for 20 yards. Two were false starts on their first possession. The third was offensive pass interference on rookie tight end Heath Miller deep in Seattle territory in the second quarter. That call will inspire no wringing of hands, even from Miller.
Thereafter, apparently, the Steelers felt guilty and decided not to break the rules for the next 35 minutes. Jerome probably wanted it that way.
Apoplectic Seahawks fans are not alone. ESPN.com's Michael Smith pointed this out Monday in a story ripping the officials: "The Seahawks lost 161 yards to penalties when you combine the penalty yards (70) and the plays the flags wiped out (91). By halftime alone, when it trailed 7-3, Seattle had had 73 hard-earned yards and a touchdown eliminated."
Let's rewind.
Matt Hasselbeck hits Darrell Jackson for a 16-yard touchdown pass for a 7-zip lead?
Nope. The incidental contact that occurs on nearly every NFL passing play was, actually, offensive interference -- at least the officials decided so after safety Chris Hope stomped and huffed and demanded a flag, perhaps insisting that Jerome wanted it that way.
Beleaguered tight end Jerramy Stevens makes a spectacular catch inside the Steelers 2-yard line setting up what surely would have been a Shaun Alexander touchdown run and 17-14 Seahawks lead early in the fourth quarter?
Nope. Seems that offensive tackle Sean Locklear's incidental hooking (which occurs on nearly every NFL play from scrimmage) on his block of Clark Haggans (who was offside) was too dastardly to ignore.
Maybe the officials were calling the game tightly.
Nope. Only two plays later, Steelers linebacker Joey Porter used an illegal "horse collar" tackle on Alexander, and the officials decided to let it slide, even though that would have transformed a third-and-18 on the Steelers 34 to a first down on their 19.
"Penalties, as much as anything, were the story of the game," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "That's unfortunate. And that might be the first time I've said that in my life."
Here's the comic relief.
After the no-call on the horse collar, Hasselbeck tossed a critical interception to cornerback Ike Taylor. Hasselbeck then, apparently, forgot which team he plays for and tried to throw a block in order to spring Taylor. Only he threw a "low block," according to the game's official book.
So not only does he toss a pick and then try to block for an opposing player, but he also gets called for a 15-yard penalty.
Most folks would figure that Hasselbeck was trying to TACKLE Taylor. Seeing Hasselbeck is a quarterback lacking tackling skills, he went low. But the officials decided it was a block. Only Hasselbeck was credited with a tackle on the play.
(The official explanation is he went low on a guy trying to block him, which is against the rules on a change of possession. But the fact that he made the tackle erases, at least for a reasonable person, his potential motivation based on the result. It was a tackle.)
Like we said: Stupid.
Steelers fans should be angry, too. For one, they know how this feels, see their playoff game vs. Indianapolis, when they were the interlopers ruining the heartwarming tale.
Moreover, the execrable officiating cheapens their championship because it's what folks are talking about now, not the glory of Bettis.
Is all this an accusation -- J'Accuse! -- like Porter's ranting about the terrible officiating in the Indianapolis game?
Yes. No. Who knows?
It's just too bad -- for everyone -- that the officials made sure Super Bowl XL wasn't "Extra Large," as the joke went, but "Extremely Lame."
I'm not a steelers fan but I sure don't like crybabies.
The refs didn't steal the games, the seahawks LOST it.
No Seattle fan has a right to complain til they've sat in the seat of a Lions fan for forty years.
You can search my posts about me hoping that Pitt wins so that Bettis (a class act) can get his ring.
It's just too bad that it was bought.
Exactly, look at the tape. He did not slide feet first and his elbow touched the ground first...which is where the first ref indicated...but when the ball was moved and spotted, the other ref he tossed it to moved it back at least a foot.
That having been said, the poor officiating (and it went both ways in the Super Bowl) did not effect the ultimate outcome of SB XL. The better team definitely won, and years from now the final scoreboard count will be the only thing that true NFL fans remember.
No, it's delicious! I love it.
Your pain--your fury--is the most satisfying aspect of this victory. To defeat an unworthy adversary is one thing, but to defeat an adversary who CRIES about it endlessly, well, that's a dream come true.
I think you and the New York Times and The Nation should form an independent commission to recount the points from the game.
Meanwhile, we Steelers fans will savor the World Championship, and the schadenfreudische joy of your lamentations.
BS.
You are talking about the run in the 1st Quarter correct?
Or are you talking about the play were the ground caused the fumble?
In that case, the ball was spotted after a review.
Except games don't last "another five minutes". We had bad calls against Indy and STILL WON.
Speaking of Brokeback... I saw several not-called penalties by Seattle's offense that were so blatant it looked like some kind of love scene from BM!!! The only way Seattle got some of their best plays completed was due to holding. And another thing....If the Seahawks would have put more points on the board the Steelers would not have called as many running plays to chew clock. We did pretty well putting points on the board against the best in the NFL during the playoffs, if you happened to notice.
IMO the first call reversing the touchdown because of offensive interference was correct - the pushoff gave the receiver a clear advantage and therefore should have been flagged. Even though it wasn't much of a pushoff, it gave the receiver the room to make the catch.
The call over Roethlisberger's touchdown could have gone either way, it was so close, and if it had been called the other way, as not being a touchdown, it would also have not been reversed, because there was not conclusive evidence either way. That stuff happens.
IMO the only really bad call was the holding call that took away first and goal. I didn't see the hold.
But, then again, the flag was thrown before the catch, so it wasn't as if the ref realized he was making a game-changing call.
My advice to the Seahawks fans - quit griping.
LOL! More like my ridulcule and disrespect!
AFAIC my Pats are still the rightful champions!
OH PLEASE, no cares TODAY who lost the superbowl.
Seahawks have been losers, are losers and will remain losers.
They had one chance and didn't show up to play.
The "EMERALD CITY" is just Detroit covered with MOLD.
Right. History is truth. Who else said that?
Reminds me of the Conan quote about what is good in life:
To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women.
If the polls had been kept open for two more hours in Ohio, John Kerry would have won! Form a commission!
I thought it was a great game, especially since I took the under for $100.
Many years ago, a rather tough character told me it's almost impossible to pay off a player. If you want a game thrown, do it through a ref. I'm not saying that's what happened, but the IRS needs to take a long hard look at how ref's are living...
It's over.
In a few years folks will care as much about this as they do about the 1999 Superbowl....which most folks cannot quickly remember the winner of....or the loser of...or anything about whatsoever.
Time heals and time reveals.
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