Seahawks vs Steelers in the Super Bowl!! - Poll Added

[Nailz]

Yep, I am the only that thinks Seattle got hosed....  they did need to step up, but they got NO help from the refs.  A couple other opinions:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=bayless/060205

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs05/columns/story?columnist=smith_michael&id=2320683&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos2

I'm not bitter though, just filled with rage and hatred....   

[ChadTower]

Oh, the Seahawks definitely got the short end of the reffing, but that generally is only an issue in a single game.  Reffing always balances out... some games you get crapped on, other games you get the gifts.  In this game Pittsburgh got the gifts, just like they got the crap in the last game.

[jjd]

Yep. The Steelers left this one hanging and Seattle didn't grab it. 

The pass interference was close, but Jackson used is arm to 1) give himself some leverage to make a cut back to the ball and 2) push the defender away from the ball.   I slowmo it didn't look bad.  But it was right in front of the ref and he definitely looked like he pushed off at full speed.  I can't fault the ref for that one. 

The holding on the Stephens completion to the 1 was holding all the way.  The tackle was to the outside of the linebacker with his left arm wrapped around the arm and neck of the linebacker.  He grabbed the jersey and pulled the linebacker off of his feet.  If that's not holding, I've never seen it.  I couldn't beleive that Madden was complaining about the call.  That was the definition of a holding call. 

Both tough calls to make in the situation that they were made, but both were correct in my opinion. 

The Roethlisberger TD was another tough call, but the ball doesn't have to cross the line, just touch it.  IF the ref on the field had not signaled TD, the Steelers would have challenged and the call would not have been overturned for them either.  It was too close to overrule that call either way.   I'm glad that I didn't have to make it. 

[SirPoonga]

Roethlisbergers touchdown where he didn't actually cross the goal line

That was too close to tell.  Camera's too far away.  Any part of the ball just has to cross any part of the white line.  Who says a dimple didn't cross a white blade of grass with how close it got.

The STeelers may very well have scored on that 4th down, but the other two were weak calls, even noted by the commentators, huge game changing calls.
[/quote]
You mean by Madden.  Hahahahahahaha, you trust him!

There were a couple of blown calls in the seahawks favor too, like that fumble which was ruled an incomplete pass.  But everyone kinda overlooked that.

Anyway, can't blame it all on the refs.  Seattle made some bonehead time management mistakes.

[Necro]

The 'fumble' was def. not a botched call/whatever.  As he was going down, he was touched by someone on the opposing team.  That's a down, anyway you look at it...saying that he wasn't down is just flat out ignoring the grab on his jersey.

[hypernova]

well, i'll give pittsburgh their well deserved recognition.  while i'm anti-steeler, I'm also proudly objective.

That ball touched the line.  By only an inch though.  I rule a touchdown.  Thank goodness they didn't let Bettis put that in.  They stuffed him TWICE!  If he'd put that thing in, they'd've probably given him MVP for sentimental reasons.

IF the ref on the field had not signaled TD, the Steelers would have challenged and the call would not have been overturned for them either.

Agreed.

There were a couple of blown calls in the seahawks favor too, like that fumble which was ruled an incomplete pass.

He had not made a "football move" quite yet.  Yes, he got both feet down, but with the addition of that rule, it didn't qualify yet as a completed catch.  The correct call was made.

The 'fumble' was def. not a botched call/whatever.  As he was going down, he was touched by someone on the opposing team.

He was referring to a player on the right side of the field, who caught the ball, had two feet down (turning at the same time to run upfield) only to get hit and lose the ball a few moments after the second foot contacted the ground.  Incomplete pass, good call.  The refs made the correct call on that Hasselback play too.  Down by contact.

The push-off in the first half to waive a touch-down

Doesn't matter.  The minute any player stretches an arm out and makes pretty much ANY sort of contact with an opposing player, automatic interference.  And while I don't think he used it to push the defender away, I do believe he used it as a method to change direction faster, which doesn't matter, cause as I said:  arm outstretched against another player=interference.

The holding on the Stephens completion to the 1 was holding all the way.

That holding play.  I don't have a exact video of it stored in my brain nor can I find a video of it online, but I remember it fairly well.  I think that could've gone either way.  As soon as I saw the pass thrown, I saw a Steeler go down on the right side of the screen, and had a bad feeling about the play.  I thought Seattle had played it clean, but a few seconds later, learned that wasn't the case.
All linemen hold the jerseys.  That doesn't constitute holding.  It's where and what they do afterwards that determines if there's holding or not.  I don't think he pulled him off his feet.  I remember him as pushing up, trying to keep the guy back.  The fact that it WAS to the outside of the jersey is probably why they called holding, though I personally don't think it should've been called.  (I could alter my thoughts on that if I saw a replay of it though.  I'm just going by what I remember.)

Seattle made some bonehead time management mistakes.

40 seconds on the end of that play...whittled all the way down to 13 when the STEELERS called time out.  How much more time would've come off had they not called time?  1 time out left.  One word:  Idiocy.

from the ESPN site:  Worse, Hasselbeck was wrongly flagged for a below-the-waist block when he was trying to make the tackle.

The refs COMPLETELY blew that.  What the hell were they thinking on that one.  Did they not realize he made the tackle?

also from ESPN:  The play he made that salvaged a first-half lead for the Steelers -- the scramble left and deep heave from barely behind the line of scrimmage -- should have been batted down or even intercepted by your safety Michael Boulware. Instead, Boulware made a poor play on the ball and Ward caught it.

How many people would've believed that ball would've been caught, for as long as it was in the air, in the fairly short distance it was thrown (as opposed to a true hail mary?)  Boulware should hang his head in shame.  That ball was easier to hit than a T-ball.

You mean by Madden.  Hahahahahahaha, you trust him!

Does anyone like the I-have-to-explain-everything-a-million-times-because-viewers-are-idiots announcer?  I hate Madden.  I wish he would retire.  I can't stand listening to him say the same thing over and over again, or repeat what the other announcer just said with different verbiage.  Madden's a moron.

except that I'd like to add Neil O'donell

I think Cincy had them too for a brief period!

Seattle had plenty of shots to take control of the game, even when the refs didn't interfere with them.  They can't solely blame the refs for their loss.  They had (many) hands in it as well.