Interesting Reads from ESPN

[Sgt. Ryan]

Lets see, the huddle brothers, ESPN, Fox Sports, CNNSI. Can we all be wrong?

 

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs05/c...hael&id=2320683

 

 

Updated: Feb. 6, 2006, 11:46 AM ET

Game's third team upstaged Steelers, HawksBy Michael Smith

ESPN.com

Archive

 

DETROIT -- Three weeks ago, after the Steelers held on to upset Indianapolis, Joey Porter was unhappy about the overturning of Troy Polamalu's fourth-quarter interception that could have sealed the win much earlier. Believing that deep down the league preferred Peyton Manning and the Colts to win, Porter publicly criticized the game officials, asking them not to "take the game from us."

 

Well, the Steelers can call it even now, as the officials who performed well enough throughout the season to earn the privilege of working Super Bowl XL performed Sunday as though they were trying to make it up to the Steelers by giving them the game -- not just any game, but the biggest game. And, yes, this time the other guys, the Seahawks, cried conspiracy, only not quite as loudly as Porter.

 

"You know, that's what happens when the world is against you," one Seahawk said after the 21-10 loss at Ford/Heinz Field. "No one wanted us to win. They wanted Jerome Bettis to win and go out a hero, and they got it."

 

Seattle had its share of goats: in particular, tight end Jerramy Stevens, who dropped four balls, and kicker Josh Brown, who missed two field-goal attempts. Almost to a man, the Seahawks pointed the blame finger at themselves for converting only one of three red zone attempts (when they had been the best in the league in that area, scoring a touchdown on 71.7 percent of their trips inside the 20-yard line); for allowing Ben Roethlisberger to improvise and complete a 37-yard pass to game MVP Hines Ward to the 1; for giving up a 75-yard touchdown run to Willie Parker; and for getting beaten by a trick play on Antwaan Randle El's pass to fellow receiver Ward for a touchdown, a first in Super Bowl history. If you read between the lines, though, they pretty much spelled out in bold letters that they had plenty of help in handing Pittsburgh its fifth Lombardi Trophy.

 

Namely, the boys in black and white.

 

"Those things are out of our control," Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said of the three major penalties that helped change the game completely. Not saying the outcome of the game would have been any different, but for sure it would have been a different game. "That's the way [the officials] called them," Hasselbeck continued. "The Steelers played well enough to win tonight, and we didn't. They should get credit. It's disappointing, it's hard, but what are you going to do?"

 

Here's what referee Bill Leavy's crew did, point blank: It robbed Seattle. The Seahawks could have played better, sure. They could have done more to overcome the poor officiating. We understand that those things happen and all, but even with all the points Seattle left on the field, there's a good chance the Seahawks would have scored more than the Steelers if the officials had let the players play.

 

In the biggest game of the year, the biggest game in sports, even, the officials were just a little too visible. In that regard, the Super Bowl provided a fitting conclusion to a postseason packed with pitiful performances by the game's third team. There were incorrect down-by-contact rulings in both NFC wild-card games; a touchdown that could have gone either way and should have gone the other way -- in favor of Tampa Bay -- in the Bucs' loss to the Redskins; the Patriots got no love in Denver in being hit with a bogus pass interference penalty and not catching a break on Champ Bailey's fumble at the goal line that looked as though it could have been a touchback; and, of course, the Polamalu play.

 

Still, what happened to the Seahawks wasn't the same as, say, New England going into Denver and playing badly (five turnovers) on top of the bad calls. Seattle gained almost 400 yards and turned it over just once.

 

You see, you can spend weeks -- and we did; two, in fact -- analyzing and dissecting matchups and giving each team the edge in certain areas and trying to figure out how the game is going to play out, but the two things you can't account for are turnovers and officials. The latter were the X-factor Sunday. Edge: Steelers.

 

It actually was a fairly clean game from a penalty standpoint, without a whole lot of yellow on the field -- 10 accepted penalties between the teams. Seven were against the Seahawks, though, a team that tied with Indianapolis for the second-fewest penalties (94) in the regular season. But those calls against the Seahawks stuck out like the Space Needle on the Seattle skyline.

 

Consider: 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.

 

Hasselbeck hit Darrell Jackson with an apparent 16-yard scoring pass in the first quarter, but the play came back when Jackson was called for offensive pass interference. It was a touch foul. Jackson extended his arm, yes, but both players were fighting for position, and he didn't create any separation by doing so. It was like a referee calling a hand-check in a key moment of Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

 

The Seahawks had to settle for three instead of seven.

 

Still, that was early, and that one didn't change the game as much as did a holding call against Sean Locklear early in the fourth quarter with Pittsburgh leading 14-10. That one wiped out an 18-yard catch by Stevens that would have taken the ball to the 1. Locklear supposedly held Clark Haggans, so instead of first-and-goal at the 1 and the chance to complete a 98-yard touchdown drive and take a three-point lead, Seattle faced first-and-20 at the 29.

 

Three plays later, Ike Taylor picked off a Hasselbeck pass, and Hasselbeck went low to make the tackle on Taylor's return and was called for a 15-yard personal foul for a low block. The Steelers set up shop at their 44. That one right there made no sense.

 

Pittsburgh likes to run its trick plays in the middle of the field. Boom! Four plays later, from Seattle's 43, Randle El took a reverse and threw a sweet strike on the run to Ward. It was 21-10, and that was all she wrote. Everyone knows how important it is to play Pittsburgh with a lead or with the score tied. The Steelers don't lose when they're up by 11.

 

Eleven just so happens to be the total points taken away by bogus calls. Some penalties meant points; others meant field position. A holding call in the second quarter negated Peter Warrick's 34-yard punt return that would have started Seattle in Pittsburgh territory.

 

By contrast, the Steelers might have gotten a break on Roethlisberger's 1-yard touchdown plunge on third-and-goal in the second quarter. Leavy reviewed the play under the booth's orders, since it occurred inside the two-minute mark, and while still photos of an airborne Roethlisberger showed that the ball might have broken the plane of the goal line, he landed short of it and reached the ball over. It was close. Head linesman Mark Hittner didn't seem so sure of it, hesitating before signaling touchdown.

 

"I don't think he scored," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said.

 

It was that kind of evening for the Seahawks, who represent a town where residents know all too well that when it rains, it pours. If having what seemed like 90 percent of the 68,200 in attendance waving Terrible Towels wasn't enough to make Seattle feel as though it was playing on the road, the officials called it as though the Seahawks actually were.

 

Pittsburgh capitalized on its opportunities. And guys like Bill Cowher, Ward, Dan Rooney and The Bus are all very deserving of a championship -- and it's nice to see them win one -- but it would have been better had it not happened like this. It's like the Seahawks said: Not taking anything away from the Steelers, but keep it real.

 

"We had a touchdown taken away from us, the first one we scored," said Hasselbeck, who was measured in his words but clear in his frustration, "and then we had the ball at the 1-yard line, they called a penalty on us. That was unfortunate."

 

"I thought they were offside [on the play Locklear was called for holding]," center Robbie Tobeck said. "I thought we had a free play on because they had two guys come across. You know, that's the game. In a game, there's situations you have to overcome, and all night long we didn't do a good job of overcoming those things, and that's something we've done all year."

 

In the offseason, 31 teams will be back at the drawing board, evaluating what they need to do to knock off the Steelers in the fall. After the postseason they just had, Mike Pereira and the NFL's crew of officials would be wise to take a long, hard look at themselves. It's a real shame when, on the game's biggest stage, the major players aren't players at all. We saw too much of the third team in Super Bowl XL and not enough Seahawks and Steelers.

Edited February 6, 2006 by Sgt. Ryan

[Sgt. Ryan]

http://espn.go.com/

 

Look at the ball in this picture of the main page

[alexgaddis]

 

well said

[Sgt. Ryan]

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

 

 

 

By Skip Bayless

Page 2

 

 

DETROIT -- Dear Seahawks fans:

 

 

I've been tough on your team the last few weeks. I've called your club the Sea Frauds and said they didn't belong in a Super Bowl. After watching Sunday night's game, I believe that more than ever.

 

But, as I've also written, your team was blessed all the way to Detroit. This was the first Super Bowl that found itself with two Cinderella stories. These Steelers, the AFC's bottom seed, weren't exactly Terry Bradshaw's Steelers of the late '70s.

 

But although these Steelers were favored by 4 -- and although I picked them 24-14 -- I'm not sure they deserved to win this game.

 

And after spending a week in Detroit, I thought the city had cleaned up most of its crime.

 

The first-quarter offensive pass interference called on Darrell Jackson that turned a touchdown into a field goal was robbery enough. But the fourth-quarter holding call on Sean Locklear made you wonder whether the refs had even less of Aretha's r-e-s-p-E-c-t for your Seahawks than I do.

 

At that point, your guys had overcome enough mistakes to get blown out in most Super Bowls. In fact, this one had nearly gotten out of hand midway through the third quarter, when the Steelers drove to a first-and-10 at your 11-yard line with a 14-3 lead. But on third-and-6 from the 7, Ben Roethlisberger tossed a throw into the flat that cost him the MVP award and nearly caused coach Bill Cowher's head to explode.

 

It was, of course, picked off by backup cornerback Kelly Herndon and returned 76 yards. Matt Hasselbeck's 16-yard touchdown fling to Jerramy Stevens rather shockingly turned what looked like a 21-3 game into a 14-10 margin.

 

And suddenly your Seahawks were going to Motown.

 

Momentum Town.

 

The Seahawks forced another Pittsburgh punt, and here they came again. Hasselbeck still makes me nervous because he always looks as if he's running a frantic two-minute offense. But the biggest surprise of this game was how much time Walter Jones and Co. were giving him to throw. Blitzburg, schmitzburg. Your guys had continually knocked the bullies back on their heels and turned down the volume of a Ford Field crowd that looked and sounded more like a Heinz Field crowd.

 

Joey Porter, the loudest Steeler, was having the quietest game.

 

And on first-and-10 at the Steelers' 19, Hasselbeck had enough time to listen to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "Second that Emotion" before firing another strike to Porter's favorite pregame target -- Stevens. Eighteen-yard completion! First-and-goal at the 2! Seattle about to take a 17-14 lead!

 

I could almost hear Mount Rainier erupting.

 

But on this night, the Steelers had their own version of your 12th Man. He wore a striped shirt and a whistle. He threw a flag.

 

And Locklear went down in Seahawks history.

 

Way down.

 

Until the week before the NFC Championship Game, I barely knew who Locklear was. But he made national news by being charged with domestic violence after an incident with his girlfriend outside a Seattle nightclub. He did a couple of nights in jail, but coach Mike Holmgren allowed him to play pending his Feb. 13 hearing.

 

Now Locklear will be forever remembered in your fair city for an entirely different reason.

 

Holding, No. 75!

 

On the replay, I couldn't see Locklear do anything different from what most linemen do on every play. These days, you have to tackle to hold, and Locklear didn't tackle.

 

Phantom, killer penalty.

 

Your guys wound up in a third-and-18, and Hasselbeck cut loose one of his mystery balls that Ike Taylor intercepted, as he should have in the first quarter. Worse, Hasselbeck was wrongly flagged for a below-the-waist block when he was trying to make the tackle. Hasselbeck was punished 15 more yards.

 

At that point, your guys seemed to be hanging their heads as if they had decided the NFL just couldn't live with them winning its showcase game.

 

Moments later, it took another Pittsburgh trick play -- a reverse pass by Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward for a 43-yard touchdown -- to basically ice the game on a snowy night. That made it 21-10, and that's the way it stayed.

 

Too bad your Seahawks didn't have Porter in their postgame locker room. Had he been a Seahawk, he surely would have filled tapes and notebooks telling the media how the refs stole the game.

 

Jackson definitely gave Steelers safety Chris Hope a little push. But it didn't give Jackson enough of an advantage to prompt a penalty. The ref called it only after Hope turned and begged for it.

 

That cost your team four points, a little momentum and a little more psychological edge. The Pittsburgh offense isn't built to come from behind or to win a shootout. A 7-0 Seattle lead would have tightened the Steelers' throats more than 3-0 would have.

 

The holding call on Locklear clearly cost your Seahawks seven more points. Four plus seven equals 11 -- Pittsburgh's margin of victory. And who knows how the Steelers would have responded if they had suddenly found themselves behind early in the fourth quarter?

 

No, I haven't yet mentioned Roethlisberger's dive for the goal line that was ruled a touchdown late in the first half -- and upheld after a replay review. To me, it looked as if the nose of the ball barely crossed the white line while Roethlisberger was airborne. Either way, it was so close that it was inconclusive and didn't warrant a touchdown reversal.

 

Besides, the odds were that Pittsburgh could have scored on fourth-and-inches. Then again, Cowher can be so conservative that he might have opted for the field goal that would have only tied the score 3-3.

 

The Jackson play, the Roethlisberger play, the Locklear play -- as the Rolling Stones sang in their halftime finale, you couldn't get no satisfaction, Seahawks fans.

 

Your team had only one turnover to Pittsburgh's two … and your team lost.

 

Your team held Roethlisberger to a 9-for-21 night for only 123 yards, with two interceptions … and your team lost.

 

Your Shaun Alexander surprised me by running for almost 100 yards (95 on 25 carries) … and your team lost.

 

Your offense had almost 400 yards (396) against that vaunted Steelers defense … and your team lost.

 

In the end, it lost because of two bad calls and because Pittsburgh simply made three or four more good plays. The Steelers converted 8 of 15 third downs to your 5 of 17. Too many drops and near-TD catches, too many off-target flings by Hasselbeck at crucial times, too much high-schoolish clock management by the quarterback and coach at the end of the half and game.

 

I'm sorry, I still don't think he's a top-echelon quarterback. Then again, I'm not convinced Roethlisberger is the next Elway.

 

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.

 

On Randle El's trick touchdown pass -- Pittsburgh's best pass of the night -- your cornerback Marcus Trufant took a bad angle and ran underneath it.

 

So two bad plays by your defensive backs helped Ward -- who had dropped two passes, including one that should have been a touchdown -- win the MVP award. Oh, well, it was the kind of game that should have been played in Week 9. The Steelers didn't have one player on offense or defense who was clearly the difference maker.

 

Your Seahawks lost this game a little more than Pittsburgh won it.

 

Your defense battled its guts out and mostly stuffed Pittsburgh's run. But one breakdown allowed Willie Parker to escape untouched for a 75-yard TD. You can't overcome mistakes like that in a game like this.

 

But, no, you can't overcome 11 lost points worth of penalties, either. On this night, you belonged in the Super Bowl as much as Pittsburgh did, for what that's worth.

 

On this night, the only frauds wore stripes.

 

Skip Bayless can be seen Monday through Friday on "Cold Pizza," ESPN2's morning show, and at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN's "1st & 10." His column appears

[Sgt. Ryan]

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation...g?event_id=2011

 

 

Vote: Did the officials steal the Super Bowl?

 

Thank you for voting. See below for the results from across SportsNation.

 

Your responses in bold text below.

 

 

Click here for ESPN.com's complete Super Bowl coverage

 

 

 

 

 

1) What grade would you give referee Bill Leavy's officiating crew for Super Bowl XL?

 

 

46.3% F

 

26.3% D

 

15.5% C

 

9.9% B

 

2.0% A

 

 

2) How do you rate the overall state of officiating in the NFL?

 

 

35.5% Average

 

30.7% Bad

 

21.2% Good

 

10.8% Abysmal

 

1.9% Excellent

 

 

3) Did the officiating in Sunday's game unfairly favor one team?

 

 

77.6% Unfairly favored the Steelers

 

17.4% The right calls were made

 

5.0% Unfairly favored the Seahawks

 

 

4) Which played the biggest role in determining the outcome of the game?

 

 

54.2% Officials missing calls

 

31.2% Seahawks not making plays

 

14.6% Steelers making plays

 

 

5) Do you think the official made the right call on Darrell Jackson's offensive pass interference in the endzone, negating a Seattle touchdown in the first quarter?

 

 

72.4% No

 

21.6% Yes

 

6.0% I'm not sure

 

 

6) Do you think the football broke the plane of the goal line on Ben Roethlisberger's touchdown run in the second quarter?

 

 

56.5% No

 

28.0% Yes

 

15.4% I'm not sure

 

 

7) Do you think the official made the right call on Sean Locklear's holding penalty in the fourth quarter, negating an 18-yard reception to the one-yard line by Jerramy Stevens?

 

 

73.2% No

 

16.0% Yes

 

10.8% I'm not sure

 

 

8) Do you feel that you understand what constitutes a ''football move'' on plays involving potential fumbles?

 

 

62.9% Yes

 

37.1% No

 

 

9) How much would creating full-time officiating positions, instead of the current part-time positions, help improve the quality of NFL officiating?

 

 

44.7% A lot

 

42.3% A little

 

13.0% Not at all

 

 

10) Which major sport has the best officials?

 

 

43.7% MLB

 

22.6% NHL

 

20.8% NBA

 

12.9% NFL

 

 

Total Votes: 40,037

[Sgt. Ryan]

From Foxsports news.

 

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/

 

Officially Clueless

 

 

http://blogs.foxsports.com/category/Super_Bowl

[Sgt. Ryan]

And one from CNNSI

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writ...bowl/index.html

 

 

Move over Dolphins and Vikings from Super Bowl VIII. Make some room next to your Super Bowl MVP trophy Mark Rypien. Get ready for company Jamal Anderson and the 1998 Falcons. Here comes the Steelers and Seahawks with the latest entry into the pantheon of utterly forgettable Super Bowls.

 

The only thing that could have matched the pregame drudgery from Detroit was Sunday's slop-fest from Ford Field.

 

The NFL's next great star, Ben Roethlisberger, came up surprisingly small. Jerome Bettis couldn't get in from the 1-yard line. The officials capped a miserable postseason with another disaster. Mike Holmgren made Herman Edwards look like the Albert Einstein of clock management. And as much as I live for the Stones, Keith Richards clearly didn't know where he was at halftime.

 

There were a couple of plays that will turn into enduring highlights. Antwaan Randle El's touchdown pass was so impressive, a dozen teams have to be wondering if they should woo the free agent to play quarterback instead of receiver. Willie Parker managed not to trip on his 75-yard run. And I thought Matt Hasselbeck made a great tackle on Ike Taylor, although the officials disagreed and flagged him for a personal foul.

 

In the long run, there will be little to remember from Super Bowl XL. I don't think we're going to see the Seahawks back on the national stage again. And the Steelers will still be an elite team, but it's hard to imagine we're seeing the beginning a new dynasty because the AFC is so competitive right now.

 

Maybe my expectations are too high, but I was already thinking about April's Draft by the third quarter. Good-bye Super Bowl boredom. Hello D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Vince Young and three months of draft fun.

 

Let me know what you thought of last night's game.

[Bier Meister]

very nice sgt.....

[Brentastic]

http://espn.go.com/

 

Look at the ball in this picture of the main page

 

1309692[/snapback]

 

 

 

So, what's that photo show us? It shows us that when he was on the ground the ball wasn't over the goaline. Did you even watch the game? He crossed the goaline when he was still in the air.

 

I made a $20 bet with my cousin as soon as the play happened saying it would remain a TD. I was positive because he crossed the goaline (barely) when he was airborn and it only takes the very tip of the ball to cross the very front of the goaline. At the very least, there was not enough evidence to overturn the call which means it could go either way.

[bushwacked]

So, what's that photo show us?  It shows us that when he was on the ground the ball wasn't over the goaline.  Did you even watch the game?  He crossed the goaline when he was still in the air.

 

I made a $20 bet with my cousin as soon as the play happened saying it would remain a TD.  I was positive because he crossed the goaline (barely) when he was airborn and it only takes the very tip of the ball to cross the very front of the goaline.  At the very least, there was not enough evidence to overturn the call which means it could go either way.

 

1309736[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

 

I bet the ref was still signaling 4th down on that play when the photo was snapped.

[Big Score 1]

He crossed the goaline when he was still in the air.

1309736[/snapback]

 

 

I've TiVo'ed that in super slo mo probably twenty times and I still can't say he definitely crossed the plane with the ball, or conversely, that he definitely didn't cross the plane with the ball. It's just impossible to tell. Anyone who says they KNOW for SURE that he scored, or they KNOW for SURE that he didn't score, is full of it.

 

I guarantee you that if the Ref had made the down call that he was originally signalling, while he was running to the play and the Booth Replay Officials had reviewed, it would have stood as 4th down no TD.

 

I still don't know why he changed the signal and nothing has come out of the NFL's PR department to explain why he did that. I'll be interested to hear their spin for that one.

[Azazello1313]

I've TiVo'ed that in super slo mo probably twenty times and I still can't say he definitely crossed the plane with the ball, or conversely, that he definitely didn't cross the plane with the ball. It's just impossible to tell. Anyone who says they KNOW for SURE that he scored, or they KNOW for SURE that  he didn't score, is full of it.

 

I guarantee you that if the Ref had made the down call that he was originally signalling, while he was running to the play and the Booth Replay Officials had reviewed, it would have stood as 4th down no TD.

 

I still don't know why he changed the signal and nothing has come out of the NFL's PR department to explain why he did that. I'll be interested to hear their spin for that one.

 

1309808[/snapback]

 

 

 

i agree with that. that call was only iffy because the line judge was obviously running in to spot it for 4th down, then all of a sudden his arms go up. what the hell? once it went to review as a TD though, it wasn't going to get overturned.

[Jedi]

I've TiVo'ed that in super slo mo probably twenty times and I still can't say he definitely crossed the plane with the ball, or conversely, that he definitely didn't cross the plane with the ball. It's just impossible to tell. Anyone who says they KNOW for SURE that he scored, or they KNOW for SURE that  he didn't score, is full of it.

 

I guarantee you that if the Ref had made the down call that he was originally signalling, while he was running to the play and the Booth Replay Officials had reviewed, it would have stood as 4th down no TD.

 

I still don't know why he changed the signal and nothing has come out of the NFL's PR department to explain why he did that. I'll be interested to hear their spin for that one.

 

1309808[/snapback]

 

 

 

I agree here. I saw his elbow cross, but not the ball. Play needed to stay as called on the field. I will of course believe it was the wrong call on the field. It appeared that the ref's instinct was to call 4th down. Why the change?

[slovak]

Lets see, the huddle brothers, ESPN, Fox Sports, CNNSI. Can we all be wrong?

 

Every one that you mentioned get bashed and ridiculed non-stop all season long for their comments, All of the sudden their word is Gospel?

[Brentastic]

Anyone who says they KNOW for SURE that he scored, or they KNOW for SURE that  he didn't score, is full of it.

 

 

1309808[/snapback]

 

 

 

Maybe the wording was a bit off, but I said was that I was positive the call would remain a TD because there was not enough evidence to overturn it. And also to my eyes it looked like he got the ball over.............by a cont hair

[H8tank]

And also to my eyes it looked like he got the ball over.............by a cont hair

 

 

There was no way to tell. The call after review would stay whichever it was called. It was called down, then he changed his mind and decided TD, it was the mighty BEN ROETHLESSBOOGER after all.