But I am still not over it and I probably wont ever be.. so read this...courtesy of the phat phree
Let me start off by saying that I bet on Seattle. I mean, I bet a lot on Seattle. I bet them to cover. Bet them to win. Bet them to win by more than four. Bet them to win by more than ten. So, I’m probably not 100% objective. Why did I bet against the magic Steelers, who had come so far and overcome so much? Because I thought that Big Ben wouldn’t show up. Figured that Bettis would be just so-so. Thought Hasselbeck would have a great game. Well, Roethlisberger was far more atrocious than I ever could have imagined and Matt exceeded even my lofty expectations. So why am I not cashing all those tickets? Yes, that’s right. The refs. Not since Leslie Nielson as Lieutenant Frank Drebin interfered with a rundown between first and second base in a World Series game have I seen such atrociously one-sided officiating in a professional championship contest. Here are just a few glaring examples.
1.) Ben did not get in. He clearly did not get in. He admitted to not getting in. In fact, if you watch the replay, here is what you see. Ben is stopped. The line judge comes in from the sidelines, signaling the spot and a fourth down (closed fist). As he is running to make the spot, a full two seconds after Ben is lying on the ground, Roethlisberger reaches the ball over the goal line and the ref inexplicably changes his signal to a touchdown. Yes, it was very close. And maybe, they would have gone for it on 4th down and scored. But, that does not excuse the reality, which is that they made the wrong call and then “after careful review”, stood by it. The latter in the face of photographic and video evidence.
2.) That was not offensive pass interference on Darrell Jackson. Yes, there was a slight push and yes, Dick Bavetta threw his terrible towel, er I mean, penalty flag. But there are years of precedence for that type of play. When a receiver pushes off like that, which is common, a referee does one of two things. They either do nothing or they call pass interference on the DB. Just three weeks earlier, Broncos wide receiver Ashley Lelie’s shove against Patriot’s cornerback Asante Samuel (I remember it well, as I bet the Pat’s) was far more blatant and egregious than Jackson’s false flipper. Yet, not only was Lelie not flagged, he was awarded with a 39-yard penalty on an uncatchable pass. This tripled Denver’s offensive production for the entire half and essentially handed them an ill-gotten touchdown and a lead before intermission.
This was the same game where, ala Beebe vs. Lett, Ben Watson ran over 100 yards to knock the ball out of Champ Bailey’s hands and through the end zone. Now, it makes no logical sense that if you fumble the ball an inch before the pylon, you are awarded first and goal. But, if the ball goes an inch past the pylon, it is the other team’s ball 20 yards down the field. Nevertheless, that is the rule. And it should have been New England’s ball at the 20. But, let us look at why this play was not overturned. Because despite the pleading of Bill Belichek and a few owners, the NFL (and the networks), with its infinite wisdom and budget, have never thought to install a goal line camera. They only do that when a play starts inside the ten. What a bunch of morons! Networks will spend millions putting a camera in a blimp thousands of feet above the stadium. They will spend millions on a yellow linear graphic that shows the first down marker. The NFL will spend a million dollars marking footballs with a unique synthetic strand to prevent counterfeiting. But neither the league nor the TV stations will spring a couple grand to stick a small video camera in those little orange pylons.
3.) There was no holding on Peter Warrick’s punt return. ‘Nuff said.
4.) Joey Porter decapitates Shaun Alexander without a call.
5.) The referees ruled a fumbled after Hasselbeck hit the turf with possession of the ball. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the NFL, and the referees, the play was reviewed. If you watch closely, you can see the anguish on Bill Leavy’s face as he is forced to adhere to the rules of professional football and overturn another attempted ass-ramming against Seattle.
6.) The ghost offensive hold on an 18-yard completion that gave the Seahawks a first and goal inside the two. This was a 30-yard joke of a penalty. I’ve often maintained that offensive holding can be called on every single play in the NFL. Well, this one was the exception. Check the replay.
7.) And finally, the granddaddy of them all. It would be true to say that this was the worst call in the history of the NFL. It would also be apt to point out that other than Doug Edding’s strike three non-call on AJ Pierzinski, this was the worst call in the history of professional sports. But, I am going to say that the following call by Bill Leavy was the worst call by any referee, umpire, judge, or official in any sport at any level since the dawn of man. Of course, it is when Matt Hasselbeck was flagged fifteen yards for an “illegal BLOCK” while making a soft, kicker-type tackle after throwing an INT. If there is an investigation and this game becomes the Black Sox of our generation, this call will be the smoking gun.
Now, a few of you will say that Jerramy Stevens couldn’t catch water in a bucket. You’ll point out that Josh Brown missed two field goals. That Holmgren’s play calling combined with Hasselbeck’s clock management at the end of both halves were abysmal. That as soon as Antoine Randle El, a righty and former college quarterback, started running a reverse to the right side of the field, it was obvious to everybody in the entire stadium that the Steelers were passing and the safety and corner should have been back in coverage. And you will be right about all those things. But, because the Seahawks made those errors does not make it okay for them to be hosed by the officials. After all, Ben Roethlisberger’s passer rating was lower than his ACT score. There were only two complete passes of more than eight yards. One was a badly underthrown, poorly-judged Hail Mary of a duck and the other was a gimmick from one wideout to another. Because their offense was so inept, would that make it okay for refs to invent holding calls whenever the Steelers make a play?
Another classic argument, one widely circulated by the moron ex-jocks (and there is no shortage of them) on ESPN radio goes like this. “If you play well enough and are that much better than your opponent, you will overcome bad officiating. Everyone has obstacles at their jobs that they can turn into excuses.” Well that’s just the kind of mindless tripe I’ve come to expect from the mouth-breathing knuckle-dragging ex-Bears and ex-Packers that station continues to hire. That is such a crock of shit. The bad calls occurred on Seattle’s biggest plays. In a game of this magnitude, you should have an obligation to outplay and overcome the opposing team and the opposing team only. Not the opposition and the refs. I’d love to sit in the studio and unplug their microphone every time they spoke. After all, we all have things we have to overcome in our jobs.
I am in no way, asserting that the NFL is pro-Pittsburgh. They are simply pro-storyline. They continually favor the team whose victory makes for a better story. Did you watch the AFC Divisional Playoff game in Indianapolis? The Troy Polamalu debacle was just one of many calls that tried to alter the deserved outcome, a Steelers victory. Why? Wouldn’t it be great if the Colts, once on track to have the first perfect season in over 30 years, overcame personal tragedy to go to the Super Bowl? Once they lost, all the NFL could do was remind us (every day for two weeks) that Jerome Bettis would be playing his last game in his hometown. And despite a lackluster performance by himself and his teammates, they won. What a great storybook ending.
For some reason, our culture denounces conspiracy theorists as delusional crackpots. We don’t want to believe that such a big coat of wool could be pulled over all our eyes. Baseball fans felt the same way 98 years ago. Well, in this case, the conspiracy theory is far more believable than the commonly accepted reality. Think about it. These officials represent a handful of handpicked men. They are the best at what they do on the entire planet. Aided by each other, years of experience, and video replay, they totally blew. How can these accomplished professionals, the best and brightest, be so horribly and completely inept? And it wasn't just during the Super Bowl; it was the entire playoffs, of which I watched every play of every game. And as luck would have it, bad calls went my way (the team I bet) as often as against. But, in each contest, they consistently went in the direction of one team. Even if I were to swallow the fact that the best crew in the world could be so totally incompetent. We are further expected to believe that every horrible call benefited the same team. And even further yet, coincidence of all coincidences, the worst calls just happened to occur on the four most successful yard gaining, momentum turning plays of the game for Seattle.
What possible motive could there be for fixing a football contest? Here’s one. In that one NFL game, over one billion dollars changed hands (and that is just among NHL players and coaches, ba dum bum), depending on the final score. The referees who did so much to influence the overcome are doing so as a second source of income. After all, what purpose does the NFL serve, other than for gambling interests?
Think I’m being cynical? Or to quote Tom Cruise, I’m being glib. Maybe you’re the sucker. How many times have you walked into a bar and instead of asking about the Bears, you ask how many yards Thomas Jones has run for? Instead of asking if the Colts are winning, you ask how many TDs Peyton has thrown for. At any point Sunday, did you catch yourself thinking, “If only the Steelers score and miss the extra point, then the Seahawks get two safeties, my numbers will hit.” Well, those who play fantasy football and square pools are no better than those who play parlays and teasers. And, the NFL is complicit in this. They mention fantasy stats, talk about the favorites and underdogs, but never mention things like “money lines” or the “over/under”.
What, up to this point, has separated the NFL from the WWE? After all, they both have intricate story lines and over-the-top caricatures with their own dances, celebrations, and catchphrases. The only difference is people don’t bet on professional wrestling. After all, its commissioner tacitly acknowledges that he influences the outcome of each match based on how well it serves his league. Why would you bet on a predetermined outcome? Unless of course, you knew the outcome and others did not know it was predetermined. If the NFL were to lose its integrity, it would lose its bettors. And the reality is, without betting, it would lose a lion’s share of its viewer ship. Sad but true.
In my mind, the NFL has already lost its integrity. After all, more than a week after the Super Bowl, the performance of the men in stripes stands out more than the performance of any single player. When the team that is superior in passing completions, passing yards, first downs by pass (more than the sum total of Pittsburgh’s first down), passer rating, passing efficiency, total yards, punt return yards, total return yards, yards per rush, interceptions, yards per interception, time of possession, first downs, fourth down conversions, field goals, and the all-important turnovers, is dealt 21 points worth of bad calls and cannot even cover the spread, let alone win, something is amiss. And if you cannot see that, then you are a rube. I, for one, am done betting and therefore, done watching.
