Vin is a Philly boy who shouldn't be invited into your house because he'll judge you on your book and music collection. He owns Dawkins, Utley, Iverson, and Lindros jerseys, which is all you really need to know about him. He can be reached at [email protected].
One of the crucial calls came on a hold by Sean Locklear against Clark Haggans. However, some say that, on top of the phantom call, there was a missed call because the person whom Locklear supposedly held was offsides. Was he? Notice below that he’s already in running motion and the ball is not hiked yet.
Just a few hours after the Super Bowl ended and we’re waiting for all the reaction around the league. Mostly it has come from Seattle fans crying in their beer. I’m sure we’ll get plenty of coherent Pittsburgh blogging tomorrow. For now, here are some interesting stories from the SB.
[Football Outsiders]: Montana wanted $100k for appearance
[Random]: Bill Leavy’s home address
[Google]: Super Bowl commercial videos
[Daily Pepper] Super Bowl Ads Winners and Stinkers
[Yahoo]: NY euphoria wins Lingerie Bowl III
Isn’t it amazing that football fans from all walks of life can put aside their differences and collectively agree that Seattle absolutely got robbed in the Super Bowl?
It seems almost any team with an active forum (outside of the Steelers) has fans chiming in on what they perceive to be the worst officiated game in recent memory.
Here is a run down from various fan forums:
Bills
Broncos
Browns
Bucs
Chargers
Colts
Dolphins
Eagles
Jaguars
Patriots
Raiders
Redskins
If you have any more, please add a comment.
Outside of Steelers fans (and even some of them will admit it), everyone believes the officiating in SBXL was the worst in Super Bowl history. A current ESPN sportsnation poll has the poor officiating as the #1 most memorable story from Super Bowl XL.
Here are some opinions by national columnists:
[KC Star]: Jason Whitlock “A group of middle-aged executives trying to keep pace with a group of highly trained 20-something athletes destroyed America’s sports holiday.”
[WashPost]: Michael Wilbon “Seattle should have been ahead by a couple of touchdowns, yet found themselves down 7-3 at halftime because the referees blew a call.”
[FoxSports]: Kevin Hench “Every single questionable, marginal or outright bad call went against the Seahawks.”
[Patsfan.com] Bob George “Capping off a postseason littered with bad officials calls all over the place, it seemed only fitting that referee Bill Leavy and his crew apply the coup de grace in the biggest game of them all. Three bogus calls were what basically did the Seahawks in.”
[ESPN]: Skip Bayless “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 if the refs had even less of Aretha’s r-e-s-p-E-c-t for your Seahawks than I do.”
[ESPN]: Michael Smith “Here’s what referee Bill Leavy’s crew did, point blank: It robbed Seattle.”
[Rochester Democrat]: Bob Matthews “The Steelers may or may not have been the better team. They certainly got the best of the officiating.”
Here’s a petition to review NFL officiating.
Understandably, Seahawks fans are busy blogging (and drinking) while the Steelers fans are busy celebrating and drinking. Here are the early returns:
[ TeknoDave]: At least people now know that Seattle has a football team. It was not our best performance of the year, but we made it to the final showdown … the Super Bowl. *sigh*
[SeattePI]: Doughy in the blog: “Clearly the winner of this super bowl was decided before the teams hit the field. I’ve never seen the likes of this before in 40 years of being a football fan. I guess the marketing opportunities around “The Bus” are just to sexy. Too much money to be made if the He get’s his Super Bowl ring.
[NW Republican]: I don’t want to believe that the officating is crooked, but with all the incredible amounts of money that is bet on these games, and when all the key calls go one way… you can’t help but wonder. One thing I know for certain. All those advertisers paying $3 million a spot have lost me because of bad officiating. If nothing else, the abysmal quality of the officiating in the most-watched NFL game of the year is inexcusable.
[Seahawks fan in Bronco Land]: Well, the Steelers were the better team today. Yes, the refs made a few questionable calls, but the Hawks also just didn’t make the plays when they needed to.
[Korrektiv]: Seahawks 24, Steelers 14. The outcome of the Super Bowl in a parallel universe with good refs.
That was one of the worst officiated games in Super Bowl history. There were at least four important plays that were incorrectly called.
Notice a lack of calls that went against the Steelers’ way? Yeah, we do too. Sorry Seattle fans, you go hosed.
The goat of the game is Jerramy Stevens. Even though he caught the lone Seahawks TD, he dropped numerous important passes that cost Seattle the game.
Oh come on. The appropriate song for when you couch catches on fire is “We don’t need no water, let the mofo burn!”
OK folks, it’s getting to crunch time so I’m stepping up the Vitamin Water+Vodkda cocktails. Seattle is on the move.
10:46 Great drive by Seattle negated by terrible holding call and then a bad interception by Matt Hasselbeck. Still 14-10 Steelers. Seahawks fans might have a gripe against the refs in this one. Was that not a horsecollar on Alexander? And a terrible call on the Hasselbeck cut block.
8:56 Randle-El to Hines Ward for a TD on a gadget play. Apparently everyone knew one was coming except the Seahawks defense. ABC inexplicably shows Jerome Bettis on the sideline. 21-10 Steelers.
8:26 Hasselbeck fumbles the ball but it looks like he was contacted by Larry Foote. If the refs don’t overturn this call, the fix is in.
Refs finally get a call right and overturn the fumble.
6:20 We’ll say it again, Tom Rouen sucks. He’s had 3 opportunities to pin the Steelers near their own endzone and touchback every time. This game is over folks.
Is it possible to vote for the refs as the Super Bowl MVP?
4:07 Steelers pick up the first down on a crucial 3rd and 6 and the game is over.
3:31 Roethlisberger picks up the first down and the game is over.
That’s it folks. If you think I’m going to watch the post game with spitting Bill Cowher and everyone slobbering over Jerome Bettis who did nothing tonight, you’re crazy.
Yes, we get it, there are hybrid vehicles. Give me entertainment, not eco-friendly lectures.
14:38 Parker busts up the middle for 75 yards and the Seahawks are in a big hole. 14-3 Steelers. Hope this turns into a more interesting game.
12:37 “Jerramy Stevens is soft.” Josh Brown sucks. The Seahawks special teams are horrendous today.
10:27 I think ABC just tried to give Jerome Bettis credit for that Willie Parker run.
This Hummer monster commercial isn’t new but just so disturbing.
7:49 Kelly Herndon just made the defensive play of the game. Unfortunately he runs out of steam at the 20 yard line. The Seahawks can’t seem to close the deal on offense tonight. This game just got very interesting.
6:45 Jerramy Stevens makes up for two dropped passes with his first TD! That looked like he might drop it too. 14-10 Steelers.
The putting towels up to cover up working on a guy’s groin is always a good image on TV. Suzy, probably shouldn’t mention “sniper” on national TV.
Does this Tundra commercial mean it’s tough or that it’s made out of plastic?
4:40 Joey Porter might be a genius because he’s clearly in Jerramy Stevens’ head even if he’s not covering him. Seattle goes 3 and out and this looks like a big fourth quarter folks.
Hey will you look at that, a lifesize projection of Jerome Bettis on a building.
0:00 After a kick by Pittsburgh, the Seahawks found themselves backed up against their goaline but have gound a way to get out to the 48 yard line after some nice work by Hasselbeck and the backup TE, who is catching the ball better than Stevens.
This seems to be one of the quickest Super Bowls in recent memory. I think the network suits are wishing for more penalties and injuries so they can get more commercials in. The Seahawks seemed to have dominated most of the first half, yet end up down going into the half.
The biggest surprise of the half is that Madden hasn’t mentioned Favre yet.
Everyone on the Halftime crew agrees the Darrell Jackson catch was a TD and that there was no PI on the play.
What the hell is a code black!!!
Rolling Stones: American as apple pie. Why is it that drummers always have to wear something different so they’ll stand out. I guess it’s because of that old joke about what do you call a guy who hangs out with musicians.
:This one is called Rough Justice!” Everybody goes silent cause no one knows the damn song. Listen, Mick, no one cares about your new album, just sing Start Me Up and Satisfaction and get off the stage. You gotta love the opening licks of Satisfaction. (Well, except when Justine Bateman’s band does it.) Should Mick Jagger really be wearing little boy shirts? His arms look like a turkey neck.
When did the Rolling Stones get a black guy in the band? And who doesn’t love Captain Jack Sparrow.
Well, that’s the end of the halftime show. Let’s get back to the game.
14:44 Another good return by Peter Warrick but wiped out by a holding penalty.
How many times do you think that guy in the stands has gone around detroit this week claiming he was Matt Hasselbeck?
12:23 Jerramy Stevens drops a first down. Maybe Joey Porter is right. Tom Rouen sucks.
I’m pretty sure sports heaven doesn’t include Stephon Marbury. The Budweiser “streaker” commercial is my favorite so far.
11:59 The Boy from Detroit gets 2 yards on his first carry. What a momumentous occasion. With 11 minutes left in the first quarter, Pittsburgh gets its first first down. What were the odds on that?
10:10 There’s the first turnover of the game. And it’s by Michael Boulware, who was 13/2 odds. Pretty decent win there.
Dear lord in heaven, I will never ever ever watch The Shaggy Dog. You’d have to kill me first.
Ok, this Michelob Ultra commercial where the guy just drills the girl on the field gave me the best chuckle of the day.
3:09 Roethlisberger/Ward with the play of the day on 3rd and 28, picking up a first down to the 3 yard line. And here we have the long awaited Go Daddy commercial.
Al Michaels, shut the hell up about Bettis coming home already.
Anyone remember the original Poseidon adventure with Ernest Borgnine? No one really was clamoring for a remake.
It’s a razor, not an alternative energy source. I can’t wait till we have 54 blades on one razor.
1:55 The line judge gives Ben the touchdown but replay shows that he didn’t make it! They are going to review this. This should be interesting. Very very close. I don’t think they’ll overturn the call on the field. Seahawks fans are busy googling the address of the line judge. 7-3 Pittsburgh.
0:13 I was just going to remark how well the Seahawks two minute drill was going and now they pulled a page from the Eagles two minute playbook.
Josh Brown misses a 54 yarder and that’s the end of the first half with the score still 7-3.