SUPERBOWL XL = Fixed by Refs.

[Plainview1981]

The fact is a lot of their receivers / TE couldn't hold on to balls, hasselbeck horribly overthrew a lot of balls (after a good start), and they didn't go to alexander enough if he really is the MVP they think he is."

Tiki Barber was the real MVP. I'd like to run behind Walter Jones. My slow wh!te @ss could probably get 1,000 yards.

[Lascar78]

yeah I kind of agree. Basically the seahawks' O-Line was the MVP, but they didn't play too many defenses like the steelers. Hard to deny the numbers Alexander put up though.

[Plainview1981]

Alexander just seems like one of those guys that looks great when there is a big hole for him, but when he has to gut out some yards he fails to impress me.

Yes, I know that offensive lines have a big part in most of the leading rushers numbers, but Walter Jones is probably the best linemen in the league and Steve Hutchenson isn't that far off.

[AHF]

If the two terrible calls against Seattle reversing the touchdown and reversing the pass to the one yard line had been called correctly (i.e., been balanced) then that would almost surely have been 11 more points for Seattle and we wouldn't know who would have won the game under those circumstances.

I agree with the failure to reverse the Big Ben touchdown call (although the timing was strange).

I also found the call against Hasselbeck to be laughable but less outcome determinative since it might not have made a difference if Pittsburgh picked up a first down anyway.

[chillzatl]

the only two calls that I felt were bad was the holding call that was clearly not a holding, and the clipping call on Hasslebeck. The other calls were legit and had they gone the other way, the steelers fans would be screaming bloody murder. The seahawks, as a whole, were the better team. But they made too many KEY mistakes and that's why they lost. The officiating was not to blame for Seattle losing.

[Diesel]

In a game like football when momentum plays such a big role... How can you say: Calls were not balanced... But Seattle lost the game??

That's BS.

[chillzatl]

becuase there is this belief that "calls have to be balanced". if one team has 30 fouls and the other has 15, someone is bitching beucase the game wasn't officiated evenly. As if it just isn't possible that one team committed 2x as many fouls as the other team.

Seattle lost the game because they made stupid mistakes. Receivers can't create seperation like he did. You can't commit 3 offensive holding penaties. YOu cant stand around like noobs when you have 35 seconds in the half and an opportunity to at least get a FG. You can't drop wide open catches. Seattle did all of those things and that's why they lost.

[Squawker24]

Calls dont have to be balanced as long as they are FAIR. If one team has twice as many penalties as the other and they were the correct calls, that is fair.

If the correct calls were made the Steelers still could have won, but so could have the Seahawks. Both teams played bad on Sunday. Its unfortunate that the game turned out to be the Seattle vs. Pittsburgh and the refs. Its too bad because this game will go down in history as Tainted Superbowl XL.

[chillzatl]

the refs had little to do with the outcome. The steelers won because they didn't make stupid mistakes.

[DominiqueWilkins]

Don't hate, because the Steelers still shut the Seahawks out with their defense, and Seattle couldn't find away to score.

[AHF]

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the refs had little to do with the outcome. The steelers won because they didn't make stupid mistakes.

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The Steelers had more turnovers and the dumbest mistake by Seattle was caused in part by the bad holding call (interception by Sea in Pitt territory instead of Alexander plunging in from the 1 yard line).

They didn't have little to do with the outcome but Seattle still could have won or been significantly closer but for the terrible clock management and missed FGs even with the suspect calls.

[AHF]

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Don't hate, because the Steelers still shut the Seahawks out with their defense, and Seattle couldn't find away to score.

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It is easier to shut a team out when they score against you and the TD is called back and when the refs take away first and goal on the 1 yard line. I do think the refs turned the game from one that either team could win to one that Seattle would have had to be substantially better to win.

[Diesel]

That's why momentum has to be considered. Pitts stole momentum due to unfair officiating (suspect calls, wrong calls). Did you see how deflated Pitts was when Seattle caught the touchdown and the first refs arms went up for a touchdown before the second ref came in and broke it up.

Did you hear the crowd groan when Big Ben went airborn and the first ref was about to spot the ball before the second ref called a touchdown.

It was a travesty..

[Lascar78]

I would say that letting Willie Parker run all that yardage on his way to a TD was a pretty big mistake. I would say that failing to prepare for Pitt's notorious trick plays this year was a pretty big mistake that gave ward a TD.

Again, there were a couple shady/bad calls, but they did not cost them the game

[Diesel]

I just see momentum as being a big part of why they lost and why pits were able to win.

When you have momentum, you play harder. If they would have had momentum it's possible that neither of those plays would have worked.

A perfect example of momentum's effect on the outcome of a game was the Steeler's first superbowl under Cower.

Dallas won 27 to 17.

All year long, Pitts was the better looking team.. especially with their defense.

In the game, O'donell threw 2 passes right at Larry Brown.

That took the momentum away like nobody's business. That Steelers defense came in and just laid down! And America's team looked far more dominant than they actually were.

Another better example is Lakers Pistons.

By game 5, the Lakers had lost the momentum of the series and watching them, their body language was like "what's the point of us being here.".

So when you say bad calls which causes a shift in momentum doesn't effect the game.. I say... Yeah right.

[AHF]

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I would say that letting Willie Parker run all that yardage on his way to a TD was a pretty big mistake. I would say that failing to prepare for Pitt's notorious trick plays this year was a pretty big mistake that gave ward a TD.

Again, there were a couple shady/bad calls, but they did not cost them the game

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Reverse the scenario and assume this happens and then tell me why Pittsburgh wins the game for sure:

Seattle gets a touchdown on the throw to Jackson in the first quarter. +4 points Sea

Pittsburgh is called for holding on the 3rd and 28 when they completed the first down and pounded in the touchdown. Now they face 3rd and 38.

Big Ben ruled down at the 3 inch line. The officials rule that there is not indisputable visual evidence to overturn the call and it is now 4th and inches. While Big Ben implores the coaches to go for it, Pittsburgh takes the safe 3. -4 points Pitt

Pittsburgh is flagged for offsides on the catch by Stevens at the 2 yard line. Seattle declines the penalty and Alexander pounds the ball in. +7 points Seattle

On the kickoff, Pittsburgh runs the ball to where their would have been interception ended up at the 35 yard line. No bad blocking call is made against Hasselbeck. However, Big Ben is called for a low block on the trick play that would have resulted in a TD from Randel El to Ward. Now Pittsburgh is staring at 1st and 25 from their own 20. -7 points Pitt

I don't think that making good and/or consistent calls necessarily means that Seattle wins. But I do think that the officials put them in a position where they could not win based on the way they played that game when they would have still been in it but for those calls (i.e., they moved the ball very well, turned it over less but still made some serious errors). If all the calls were "reversed" as in the hypothetical above and Seattle won, I suspect Seahawks fans would say that they gained more yards than Pittsburgh and had fewer turnovers and deserved to win despite getting a few breaks from the officials much like Pittsburgh fans are saying now.

[DominiqueWilkins]

Right, both the Ben TD wasn’t one, and the pass interference at the start of the game. I was only messing around with my other post, but serious those two helped the Steelers greatly.