Super Stinker
The refs stunk in the Super Bowl, plain and simple. I'm still upset about it. I didn't have a dog in the fight but I did want the Seahawks to win for several reasons.
1) Shaun Alexander and the Seattle DST helped me win my Fantasy Football League this year.
2) Matt Hasselbeck is a dam good Quarterback that constantly gets overlooked because he's in Seattle.
3) The whole Jerome Bettis back to Detroit thing was SOOOOOO played out.
4) I don't like anything about Joey Porter...anything.
5) It was as clear as day that the NFL wanted (and needed) the Steelers to win this Super Bowl XL.
Three Questionable Calls
#1 That WAS NOT offensive pass interference by Jackson in the end zone. Yes, I've watched the replays a gazillion times...but give me a break. It was two good players that both had their hands on each other, but neither pushed. Terrible call - should've been a TD.
#2 Big Ben didn't look like he got into the end zone but Bill Cowher would've went for it on 4th and two inches and they would've scored - so stop crying about that one.
#3 The holding penalty on Locklear was another absolutely terrible calls. That would've put the Seahawks on the 1 yard line and first and goal. I would've bet a grand that they would've scored a TD...they have Shaun Alexander being led by Mack Strong.
Three Guys That Played BIG
#1 Hines Ward. He always plays bigger than his small frame. Hines might be the toughest guy in the NFL...and he also happens to be very good.
#2 Matt Hasselbeck had a very nice game. It's unfortunate that the refs basically took 10 points away from him...which probably would've given them more momentum to score. We'll never know.
#3 Combo pick...C Jeff Hartings, G Alan Faneca, G Kendall Simmons, T Marvel Smith, T Max Starks. These guys are really good. Jerome Bettis couldn't beat Muhammad Ali in a foot race these days and Willie Parker doesn't seem very patient with his running - but the Steelers O-Line was near perfect in this game. Roethlisberger was weak but had a lot of time to throw because of the great team protection that his linemen gave him.
Three Guys That Played SMALL
#1 Jerramy Stevens was awful. Don't EVER open your mouth again about anything buddy. Your three drops made a big difference in that game. Sure, he scored the Seahawks only touchdown but had he made a very key 3rd down catch it would've put them in better scoring shape and they wouldn't have had to try a 50-yard field goal.
#2 Ben Roethlisberger may be the youngest quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl but he's also the luckiest. He should thank a hoard of people...The referees, Willie Parker, Hines Ward, his O-Line and the referees.
#3 Tom Rouen/Josh Brown...Had Seattle's punter and place kicker had really good games as oppossed to bad games they might have won even with the referees bad calls. Rouen, a two-time Super Bowl Champion, didn't have a good punt the entire game and Josh Brown needs to hit that 50-yarder in the dome. I'm sorry, I know it's 50 yards...but he needs to hit it. He missed a 53-yarder and I can forgive that. But in the dome 50 yards is like a 45 yarder outside. He hits that and the Steelers don't get the ball in good field position and maybe don't score their second TD.
All in all - I give the game the grade of...C-
Except for a very few, nobody did anything to be proud of.
posted by Gregg M. Schmidt @ 1:45 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
First off the NFL doesn't need any one team to win. It is the strongest professional league in existance. As for your calls..#1 When an offensive player extends his arm, stops the momentum of a defensive player, changes direction of both players, causing the defensive backs feet to leave the ground, thus creating space to catch a ball, how is that NOT pass interference?? Would Jackson have been able to change his momentum enough to catch the ball without pushing off? Who knows. Physics suggests otherwise.
The TD was just that. In the air, the arm carrying the ball crossed the plane.
The holding call was correct. If a pass rusher is between a lineman and the quarterback and his progress is impeded, he's being held. Only because Haggans was strong enough not to fall down after almost getting tackled was what caused the controversy. No one would have questioned the hold on King of Holding Sean Locklear if it hadn't wiped out an apparent long gain. Of course, such whining ignores the possible contributions that said penalty-drawing actions made to the plays in the first place. Would Hasselbeck have completed the pass as he was being drilled by Clark Haggans ? I tend to doubt it.
The truth is, most of the whining is as bad as it's been because of the apparent results of the plays that they negated.
Oh yeah, what about Seattle's block in the back on Big Ben after the interception which led to seattle's only TD drive? What about the catch and fumble that Jerramy Stevens got away with??
Face it, The Steelers are the champs, nothing was rigged, you just didn't like what you saw. BOO HOO!! -SPICOLI
For the record Field Level fans should know that Mr. Anonymous Spicoli is a die-hard Steelers fan.
As if you didn't realize this already.
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