Why not a word about the people that really won the Superbowl for the Steelers? The Refs. I've rarely seen such a one sided set of calls. The Steeler's "touchdown" when Rothlesberger clearly didn't have control of the ball when it came near the end zone, the fact that Madden and Michals couldn't see who they'd called for holding on the Seahawks pass to the 1 yard line despite being announcers that routinely say there's holding on every play, the non-call on the horsecollar tackle on Alexander, the bogus "pushing off" penalty on the Seahawk's first touchdown. The Seahawks had one play go in their favor when a catch and fumble was ruled incomplete, but even there that fumble rolled out of bounds before anyone came near it. The officiating was so bad and so one sided that even in a room full of people that were either Steelers fans or had no side to root for, when Hasselbeck's "fumble" in the second half was overturned the entire room erupted. Not because it was a bad call but because everyone was astonished they'd made the right call. One guy who had missed the ruling came back in the room, saw the reaction and said "Seahawks get screwed again?" I've seen bad officiating before, often at Dallas home games, but this really was miserable.

I'm not saying The Seahawks didn't have their problems, like Holmgren showing once again that he melts down during the big game, but their momentum, their chances and even some scores were taken away from them by the refs.

Also, can you tell me why the Seahawks catch didn't count for a TD when the receiver caught the ball, put one foot in, had the ball cross the plane and then the other foot touch out of bounds? The out of bound foot hit well after the ball had crossed the plane and had hit the pilon, knocking it over. The pilon is considered in bounds.

But we hear so often that the instant the ball crosses the plane, it is a TD. Doesn't matter if he drops it a split second after, doesn't matter if it is stripped. The receiver clearly had posession, his foot hit the pilon, which is in bounds, so when he crossed the plane he was in bounds and demonstrated control.

You know, I think this was the play that cemented in my mind the idea that the refs were rooting for Pittsburgh. Hasselbeck made a tackle. He's on defense at this point, and he's called for making a cut block on the guy with the ball? 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct? These refs should be demoted for that. That wasn't a horrible call, that was not knowing the game. And I don't mean "oh they missed an obscure rule", I mean "do they understand what a tackle is?" Not too long after that, I saw the Steelers make a similar tackle, where was the flag?

Honestly in a situation like that, why doesn't the booth call down to the head ref and say "um... no. Call an offical time out and get your head together, you look like a moron out there."

wrybread,

See, that was the root of my question too. Announcers spout all the time that all that has to happen for a TD to count is that the ball has to break the plane while in posession. Apparently, the 2 foot rule for a catch supercedes this. However, Rothlesberger clearly didn't have posession when he crossed the plane either. As the ball gets as close as it does to the end zone, it is slipping from his hands. By the time he's on the ground, it is down around his stomach 'cause he had to reach down to keep hold of it. At the end of the play he drags it from there to put it back in the end zone.

But hey, at least it isn't a Vinny Testeverde TD. Wasn't it against the Seahawks when Vinny was awarded a TD by getting to the 1 yard line?

Maybe the refs just heard for 2 weeks that the Steelers were favored and that this was the big game for Bettis, so they made sure that happened.

I'm no fan of Madden and Michaels, but they too noticed how bad the officiating was. There were several times in the game that they questioned the officials. And for these two company men to do so during the Superbowl meant there really was something to it. On the Seattle catch at the goal line that was called back for holding, neither could see it as I mentioned earlier. And when Alexander was dragged down by his shoulderpads, Michaels said something like "and no call on the horsecollar". When the booth gets snippy about the calls, something is wrong.

Rob H,

I mentioned him in my first post. He's melted down in all three Superbowls he's been to. The Packers won the first despite him. He lost the second for them and toward the end of the game lost track of how many time outs he had. Holmren probably would have found a way to lose this even if the refs had known what game they were officiating.

You know before you hire the Rolling Stones that their songs have lyrics like this, why be surprised that they'll be sung? They were probably hired 'cause they showed a willingness to censor themselves in the past. Of course, they haven't had a decent song since what, 1972? 1970? So you knew what they'd sing.