The fix was in. I'm boycotting football next year.

[the other one]

Congratulations Steeler fans. Congrats to Jerome Bettis. But, the refs clearly handed the game to the Steelers.

1. Two phantom holding calls at key times
2. Hasselback being called for an illegal block, but he was making a tackle.
3. Big Ben and the TD that wasn't.

The league and the media have spent the last two weeks proclaiming the Steelers the champs, and then the refs went out and made it so. As a consequence, the league loses its credibility. I will not be fans of a sport that favors one team over another.

BTW, I am an Eagles fan. I didn't have a rooting interest in the game, and I had no bets. I wanted to see a good game, but I saw a crappy fix.

[Jawja]

1. So I wasn't

the ONLY ONE who thought the same thing?

That was NOT a touchdown, I agree.

:tinfoilhat:

[Mike Daniels]

10. I was rooting for the Steelers and initially thought it wasn't a touchdown

However, in watching the replay during the post game shows I can see how the line judge ruled it as such and why the ref let it stand.

It appears that just as Ben is starting his downward motion and before being hit, the slighest edge of the ball does scrape over the plane of the goal line. Given that some sports commentators leave it open for discussion seems to indicate that it could have legitimately gone either way.

As far as the Seahawk TD called back for interference, the receiver solidly placed his hand on the defender before getting into final position for the catch. If keeping someone at arm's distance by deliberate contact once the ball is in the air isn't interference I don't know what is.

[Lefty48197]

15. That was the chinciest pass interference call I have ever seen in my life

Considering how under-called offensive pass interference has been the last couple of years, I thought it was atrocious timing for the ref's to all of the sudden call a penalty on that play. Absolutely ridiculous.
And the touchdown? It was a touchdown. I clearly saw on the replay that the ball broke the plane. I wan't rooting for either team really, but I know a TD when I see one and that was it.

[Robeson]

2. I think the goal line TD was to close to review.....

...but I do agree, since when does one get penalized for legally tackling an opponent? That call was bizzaro world.

[erpowers]

3. Explained

The explaination for the call is that a player is not allowed to block another blocker below the knees. Hasselback tackled the Steeler player belolw the knees. If there had been a blocker in front of the player that Hasselback tackled and Hasselback put the move that he put on the Steeler player on the blocker that would have been a penalty. It is possible that refs got the rules confused and thought that even if Hasselback was tackling the Steeler below the knees he was committing a penalty.

[Robeson]

7. That just demonstrates what a bogus call it was......

....he was "blocking" no one. In fact, he was a defensive player at that point, not an offensive player. He was tackling a player. Unless he did it by the face mask, leg whipped, or collared him, it was a legal tackle. The refs screwed up. One of many times in that game.

[Feenicks]

12. So they blew the call-- still didn't change the fact that

Hasselbeck had just completed a pass to the guy!

There may have been a few sketchy calls (there always are), but at least none of them were critical to the outcome of the game. And please, no "momentum" comments. The Steelers didn't have any momentum until late in the game anyway.

[Robeson]

13. The Steelers had momentum when their RB busted a 75 yarder...

...at the beginning of the 2nd half, not late in the game. As for saying that the Hasselbeck's "penalty" changed the game, I never did. I was simply commenting on a bad call.

[Feenicks]

14. Fair enough. nt

[nolabels]

4. As a Raider fan that also watched all them Steeler games because..........

the wife has always been rooting for them since forever, I would say what goes around comes around. The Steelers were robbed quite a few times before they got there (but that still wouldn't make it okay we know). I have watched the Raiders get ripped off so many times like that my head spins but you have to live with it. The motto to live by with this NFL thing is that the team has to beat the Zebras and the other team and if you get a lucky call or two don't look at it twice, just take it.

Maybe the Reffs could of given the Seahawks an extra minute or so like they gave the Patriots earlier in the year or Non-interception that was said to be an interception like they gave the Colts. I don't buy the shit about the Reffs anymore because if the team puts themselves in that position for the reffs to make them kind of calls should get what they got coming. The Tom Brady tuck rule that ripped of the Raiders in the snow bowl (that was made up after the fact rule) is just another glaring example. Pittsburgh should of lost by the way they played but the Seahawks should of lost just as much. Hassleback's last pick sealed the deal and that is who lost the game. The reffs are just another obstacle that the team has to go around.

[chimpymustgo]

5. I'm done. WWF is more entertaining.

Fewer injuries, too.

[nolabels]

9. College football games are sometimes fun that way.

That home-time cookin ya get with the local yokels that double for reffs makes for some interesting calls also. There really must be some football gods hiding in the stands somewhere because for some of the things that happen and the timing of when they happen in them games cannot be explained any other way.

The purity of the game (or just about anything else) I have gave up on, it only happens in fairy tales anyway

[trotsky]

6. I was disappointed in the officiating.

I don't think it was intentionally called to help the Steelers, but there were quite a few bogus calls that sure didn't hurt them.

That said, Seattle still had plenty of chances to win. Stevens' drops, Hasselbeck's INT, the missed FGs... the refs didn't cause any of that.

[Robeson]

8. I agree. Considering that the calls were going against Seattle, they....

...still could have won, if they had played a mistake free game. But, the chances were there. Never-the-less, refs should not be THAT involved in a championship game.

[Feenicks]

11. I'm still trying to figure out

The league and the media have spent the last two weeks proclaiming the Steelers the champs, and then the refs went out and made it so.

how the refs made all of those Seattle receivers drop ball after ball-- lasers? :sarcasm: