Bires

[Rant]
I am so done with football, and am very glad the season is over. I'm not a big fan for either team, but the way the officials called non calls tonight (nearly all against Seattle) just pissed me off. I turned off the game during the 4th quarter.

TD? push off.
Almost a TD? Holding.
Block by the QB? Chop block.
Interception? No call.
Knee clearly down? Make Holmgrin burn a challenge and kill Seattle's momentum.

Instant Replay = excuse for poor officiating

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Five years...

gear02

I'm wondering why the NFL didn't use their top officials like Ed Hocholi or Johnny Grier.

Sirrich3

Whoo Hoo!!! Congrats to the Steelers! and to Cowher!

Now its back to Vegas to Cash in these tickets!!!!!

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Markel

I had the same thoughts about the officiating - it was pretty bad.

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MikeD

Yeah, you're going to have a few questionable calls from time to time. But this was supposed to be the best of the best out there tonight, and there were horrible calls. Jackson's end zone push off was questionable, the hold on the completion to Stevens to the 2 yard line was bad, and the personal foul / block on Hasselbeck was simply a joke.

Seahawks had their chances, though. Stevens killed their drives a few times, as did some holding calls.

Congrats to Cowher and the Steelers. Glad to see him finally get one...

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mcs328

It was very favorable to the Steelers. I went back and that guy had a touchdown because he hit the pylon but they didn't challenge it. Clearly it was a touch down.

Should have gone the Seahawks way but I was rooting for the Steelers.

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Grubbie

EXACTLY

I have seen it all year, the refs will make a call and NOT make sure it is the right one cause they belive they can just go back and review it. The problem is that half the time there isn't enough "Evidence" to overturn the call.

What pisses me off is that Big Ben looks like he gets stopped. The linesman is running in MARKING IT DOWN but then changes his mind. Wait what? Why would he call him down at the 2inch line, then run in and be like oh wait he moved the ball across TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!

That call should have been ruled down at the goaline and then a review(which wouldn't of had enough evidence to overturn). Instead the ref made a call, then changed his mind for no reason.

attgig

yeah, the holding was the worst. the tacke was horrible.

but this HAS to be the second worst officiated game ever compared to the pitt/indy game. maybe some of the same officials were here, and wanted to make it up to the stillers.

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bachviet

No it was not a touchdown. His other foot was out before the pylon was touched. Plus the official blew the whistle = death play = no challenge.

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TofuNinja

I didn't think it was that bad. I mean EVERY game you will have calls that are questionable. But overall the refs were kinda off all Post season.

Seatle can only blame themselves. They made some bone headed calls and plays.

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ialsohaveadream

I don't think it was the worst officiating I've seen, but there were definitely some bad calls. The push-off in the end zone I can see, but the holding didn't happen and Hasselbeck's tackle was completely legit.

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Booyamos

the 2 week break from football had almost made me forget how bad the officiating this post-season has been. Supposedly one of the best Refs they have and they just make horrible calls.

The instant replay is a double edged sword. Half the time i am thankful its there to overturn horrendous calls they have made, but on the other hand the refs just make stupid calls expecting to overturn them with replay if they need. But they never do because they need the "evidence" to overturn it.

Seattle made a lot of mistakes but the penalties killed them. Shoulda been 24-17 Seattle by my count. Ugh just makes me so angry.

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mcs328

Well I can't argue on your last point but I too thought his right foot was out but when I went back and saw the play his left foot was in and his right foot knocked the pylon before stepping out.

Could be my eyes...I just got new contacts earlier in the afternoon and my left contact was giving my blurred vision.

DarkFury

On the replay he had one foot out of bounds before he crossed the pylon... at least that one call was clear.

Or is that "Stealers"

Tru that as well... Basically the game sucked, the halftime was "ho hum"...

And the commericals were boring....

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ShawnLee

Did they lose on called penalties? I would've said so at start of the Pittsburgh turnaround, but by the end of the game, no. Parker's 75 yard run sealed it, penalties or no. Pittsburgh played well at the end there, and despite a good show by Seattle, it didn't happen.

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DarkFury

Pretty much folks are saying that these calls were "momentum busters"... which took alot out Seattle's game...

VTGreg

Not really sure how Parker's run sealed the game????? Seattle was driving and would have had a first and goal at the 2 with the chance to go up 17-14 were it not for a phantom holding call.

This game was very poorly officiated, very poorly played and very poorly coached (Seattle's playcalling in the last 2 minutes of each half, Cower only giving Parker 3 carries after breaking his 75 yard TD run). One of the worst superbowls I can remember.

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zero2dash

I've seen/heard a lot of people saying this was horrendously officiated; makes me that much more glad I didn't bother watching it. I think I heard or listened to about 10 minutes worth, including about 30secs at the end to see who won. We spent the majority of the night at the [empty] grocery store spending $220 to fill our empty fridge.

Dare I say the 2005 seasons for the major sports have been plagued by poor officiating? (Baseball playoffs comes to mind also.)

DarkFury

As the old saying goes...

"Don't let the officiating determine the outcome of the game"...

Sometimes, you gotta just let 'em play.

Grimm

I am a fan of neither team. I don't care who won. I watched just for the comercials.

The officiating was crap. There were so many BS calls, all against the Seahawks.
Is is possible that the head reff hated the Seahawks coach so much he biased the calls against him?

I'm starting to think that soccer fans have it right. If the ref blows too many calls they kill him. This results in some very carful calls.

THe Steelers played a good game, but in the end, it was the officiating that gave them the game, not their playing.

zero2dash

Especially in the playoffs and/or the final playoff game...that just ain't right to allow a blown call to ruin a season's worth of hard work.

attgig

no, i'm with you mcs. his left foot was in, and the right foot barely brushed the pylon.

it should've been a td.

guiseppewv

I disagree. Were there bad calls made? Yes.

-The pushoff was questionable.
-The holding call didn't happen on the side of the O-line that they said it did but I never saw a replay from the other side.
-The chop block was a bad call....I think....unless Hasselbeck made contact with one of the blockers' legs first. If he did then they called it the same way they called it against the Steelers when they played Cinci in the Wild Card game.
-Which interception are you talking about?
-Knee was clearly down but from the ref's perspective and from the original camera angle it was not clear that he was down by contact. If he is not down by contact it does not matter if his knee is down...it is a fumble. The ref called what he saw.




The other bad call that was not reviewable b/c the whistle blew was a catch and fumble by Seattle's TE. The guy caught the ball, made a football move (whatever the hell that is), and took 2 steps....then he had the ball knocked out of his hands. There were 3 defenders close to the loose ball and the TE was on his back. It clearly would have been Pittsburgh's ball but the whistle blew and it was ruled incomplete.

Bad calls went both ways and I think the Steelers were the receipents of more calls going their way than the Seahawks but I do not think it cost Seattle the game.


If you are going to say that Big Ben was on the 2-inch line when he was down then he def broke the plane of the goal line b/c it was clear from the replay that he was knocked backwards when he was tackled. If any part of the ball breaks the plane of the goal line it is a touchdown. That was a good call.





Other foot was out before he touched the pylon.

VTGreg

1) I agree the pushoff was questionable. It really could have gone either way, but 9 times out of 10 that doesn't get called and IMO shouldn't be called in the superbowl.

2) They called Locklear for holding and the replay showed that holding should not have been called against him. This play changed the outcome of the game IMO.

3) The chop block was a bad call. He was making a tackle. I think everyone agrees that this was a bad call.

4) The Stevens drop was not a bad call. It was an incomplete pass since he never secured the ball.

5) The goal line play was very close, but I think the argument is that the linesman who called it a TD originally came running in to rule Big Ben down just short of the goal line and then changed the signal to a TD when he got further in and saw Ben laying in the end zone. I did not think there was enough evidence to overrule play, but I do think that he should have been marked down on the original ruling based on the officials actions.

6) Jackson looked out on the catch where he was ruled out of bounds. I thought his foot touched down out of bounds before the other foot hit the pylon.

I don't blame any of these issues on replay. The Hasselback fumble was a very close call and he was barely brushed and the Steeler TD was too close to call even with replay.

ialsohaveadream

Jackson was out. It wasn't really that close.

With the "fumble", the Pitt defender didn't cause Hasselbeck to fall, but it's still right to rule him down by contact, even though the contact was exceptionally minimal.

ray

Even if Seattle had gotten the calls, they played so incosistently I think they still would have lost.

Grimm

The played very well the 1st half of the game, but the realization thqat the officials aren't going to let you win no matter how well you play is probably disenheartining.

Grubbie

After hearing more about it and understanding what Holmgreen was bitching about it was a HORRIBLE call. The linesman RULED him down and that he didn't make it in. The booth upstairs TOLD him IN HIS EAR that he got in, so the ref reversed the call.

Now the ref DIDN'T see him get in, so why should he trust the booth upstairs. That is what pisses me off. If they saw that he got in, then they would of seen it when Pittsburg reviewed the play. The problem was the video evidence wasn't enough.

guiseppewv

Where did you read this? I haven't heard of this until now. Interesting.


The chop block was a bad call if HAsselbeck didn't touch one of the "blockers". During a int or fumble return you cannot tackle the person returing the fumble or int by diving through the legs of the person/persons trying to block for the returner. This was called against the Steelers in the Wild Card game against Cincy. I didn't agree with it then and I don't now but if he made contact with the blockers then it was a valid call.

Stevens made a "football move" with the ball and took 2 or 3 steps. IMO it was a reception and a fumble.

VTGreg

Not really sure what you consider a football since he hadn't secured the ball completely when he was hit and the ball was jarred loose. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

As far as the Hasselback play is concerned, I agree with you. I'm just not sure if Levy's interpretation is correct. Not sure if it references a block below the knees or any contact below the knees.