I'm sitting here in the office and my editor and I talking football and how Mr. Tony is going to Monday Night Football and we began to talk about the Super Bowl XL officiating.
I didn't get to see much in the way of news or PTI or Around The Horn and see what everyone is saying about the officials, but the first "bad" call of the Super Bowl was not a bad call. I don't even know the names of the two players involved and I'll admit that it wasn't over the top pass interference, but it was still pass interference.
Somehow, I'm the only person in the world that sees this. Even the women in the office are against me. And I kind of believe that people are arguing this call because of some of the other questionable calls that occurred. That and the fact that this call was in the endzone costing Seattle 6 points.
If you didn't see the game, the situation was Seattle on offense and Seattle's receiver was covered by a Pittsburgh defender and they ran as far as they possibly could. Into the endzone, under the goalposts and all the way until any further would have put them out of bounds. At that point they both came a complete stop. Well, as complete as you can come when you are in the Super Bowl.
At this point the ball is thrown and the Seattle receiver put his right hand into the Steeler defender's chest as he went after the ball which was thrown to the left side of the Seattle receiver, away from the defense. Whether or not you agreed with the call, the Seattle receiver did push the Steeler defender and you can see it in the replay. If you watch the Steeler defender's feet, he had make a little hop backward in order to maintain his balance. I admit that the push was little, but if you don't think that it had a bearing on the TD catch, then you have to wonder why the Steeler defender didn't begin to try and make a play on the ball and break up the TD.
Instead, he just stood there like a statue. And for those of you who are whining about the late flag, the official pulled the wrong thing out of his belt the first time. I guess it was the fumble bean bag, but he instantly made the call and was completely on top of the play.
So after all of that, the rest of the plays were pretty questionable. Roethlisberger didn't make it in. Holding calls were really hit and miss, but only when Seattle had a big play were they "hit".
Complain all you want, but that pass interference call had no bearing on the game because it was the right call. Talk all you want about the rest of them because I won my money for the Pittsburgh win fair and square.
Tee Hee!!!!
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6 comments:
You're wrong. The Seattle Player (Jackson) did extend his arm, but it was clear that he didn't actually push off. Besides, the call wasn't made until after the Pittsburg player complained.
FYI, weather is pretty nice in Fla this week.
It was what a call that would be termed "ticky-tack" in basketball. The officials were calling a tight game.
Do I think they did a good job, not necessarily, but I think we can always find something wrong with the officiating, they are human after all.
I do not think that the officials cost Seattle the game, Seattle cost themselves the game. They had plenty of opportunities to win the game and they just couldn't come through.
Pittsburgh did not play much better, but they had luck and destiny on their side, as all champions in a one and done title game have.
FYI, I predicted the winner and the MVP.
P.S. Are you in Florida? It's snowing like a son of a bee sting right now in the OC.
By the by, a former teammate of John "The John" Oldham stopped by my office today to praise me on my article about Mr. Oldham. He had newspaper clippings from his high school days and claims that he and Mr. Oldham are the only two remaining teammates alive.
I most certainly am not wrong. If you watched that replay and looked at the Pittsburgh defenders feet, he had to hop backward to maintain his balance when the Seattle receiver made his play on the ball.
Also, if you checked out one of the different angles of that same replay, before the Seattle player even hit the ground the official went immediately to his belt for a flag. He just grabbed the wrong thing and had to find his flag.
I'll agree that it's "ticky-tack" like Piccu said, but all it took was the Pittsburgh player to lose his balance for him to no be able to even begin to make a play on the ball.
Either way, as soon as it happened I was said it was pass interference right away. If it was clear that he didn't push off, the Pittsburgh defender wouldn't have been on his heels.
He would have been trying to make a play on the ball and you can't tell me that Seattle has a receiver so fast that he could leave that DB sitting there like a statue. If that was the case, we wouldn't be having this conversation because poor officiating can't stop that kind of speed.
you're wrong and I am right. I would typr more, but I'm holding Aiden.
Would all the trash talk from Porter and Stephens leading up to the game have caused the refs to be more conservative than usual? Maybe the refs were just trying to keep things honest no matter how ticky-tack.
How in the world can you believe without a doubt that there is no possible way that pass interference should have been called?
I don't care how ticky-tack you think it is, the bottom line was that he created separation with his arm. When I side step something to get out of the way I don't throw my arms in the opposite direction unless I want a little help. Otherwise that dude looks like a moron on a daily basis since he throws his arms out in the opposite direction when he moves.
If he did push him, good call. If he didn't, the Pittsburgh player was smart enough to make it look like he did and the receiver helped by extending his arms also making it a good call. It's like a flop in basketball. It's either a good call or a helluva smart play on the Pittsburgh player's part.
Aren't DBs and wide receivers taught not to extend their arms?
And besides, you are basically arguing that this guy extended his arm, did not push even the least little bit and would have not offered any resistence if the Pittsburgh player moved forward to defend him more closely.
If he screamed like a little girl and yelled, "Eww, get AWAY!!!!" Then maybe that argument holds water. Otherwise he didn't throw his arm out like a limp noodle.
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