I'd like to get King's reaction to the notion that the two weeks off is at least partly to blame for the sloppy, inconsistent play by both teams. Particularly now with the playoff structure, you have the strong likelihood that the two teams are on at least a three game winning streak coming into the Super Bowl, and probably more than that depending on how they end the regular season. But all that momentum and synchronicity, it seems too me, fades with the long layoff and distractions.

No, Wrybread, you're not the only one who deplores this increasingly stupid business.

Sucks.

And someone grabbing at the QB's jersey coupla seconds before he actually slides to the ground of his own accord counting as 'down by contact' either.

Geez.

I thought the replay showed conclusively that he crossed. He was carrying the ball tucked up next to his arm, parallel to it, and you can clearly see the white from the wristband on that arm break the plane, so the ball did, too, right?

At least, that's what I saw. And I wasn't even rooting for Pittsburgh.

Yes, sir, King. You're absolutely correct. It was Steve Young that I meant. I was too busy noticing that big gap. And the booing. I didn't think it was 'all in good fun'.

Went right up there with having attended a truly miserable LSU game season before last where the Bayou Bengals were beating the crap outta tiny poor little AR State and the fans in the stands were chanting 'hit him again - harder harder' when the Tigers were already up by 40 some points and the poor ARState QB was barely on his feet.

But really I read many commentators in the weeks leading up to this game and much ink was devoted to the four previous championships. Chuck Noll got play. Franco, too.

No mention of Terry. None.

Likewise the columnists and articles following the game. I looked. Lots of mention of the 4 rings. No mention of the guy with all four of them. None.

Do you think that maybe, just maybe, Terry got the idea that any comparison between the the current Steelers QB and his own record wouldn't be appreciated. Like maybe he didn't feel all that welcome.

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."

Forget about Roethlisberger TD. It was good, and if not, they would have had another down with the ball right on the goal line.

No, the call that should have Seahawk fans upset is the phantom hold that killed what would have been a spectacular drive. Imagine: 98 yard drive to take the lead. But no, killed by a zebra. I didn't see any hold, and John Madden said as much. It's too bad, because a score on that drive would have led to an exciting finish.

Other calls did the referees no credit either, and somehow they too went against the Seahawks. That ridiculous cut-block call on Hasselbeck; the fumble call on Hasselbeck that cost Seattle a challenge (is it just me or did anyone else notice the tone of contrition in Bill Leavy's voice as he explained how they got it wrong?); and that questionable offensive pass interference call that negated a TD.

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.

Yeah. I mean, seriously.

I acknowledge that most of the calls were judgement calls, even though I stand by the opinion that they were the wrong calls. But that call was just bizarre. Just absolutely loony. Illegal block? What? Thats just having no conception of whats going on down on the field. I don't cotton much to conspiracy theories but I can at least understand how someone can look at a play like that and think that the refs had a rooting interest in seeing the Steelers win. The NFL needs a wide overhaul of its officiating system-- starting with full time officials. The job is too difficult, and too much money is invested in it, for the leauge to continue to employ part timers.

that last post of mine was in regards to the weird blocking below the knees call on Hasslebeck when he made a tackle, not the hold (which I agree was egregious and the real game killer.)

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.