Refs on today's Super Bowl

[Russ Smith]

And I forgot the gift Time out!! LOL

3nd and 7 and the play clock is at zero..... Ben THEN calls the TO. I mean he was having a seizure trying to get the center to snap the ball. The clock hit zero dudes..... ZERO

They then freaking gave him the time out! The next play.... The little screen to Randle El for 8 yards and a first down. If it was 3rd and 12 they would have never made it.

The problem with many of these calls were the impact they had on the next few plays. Horrible in my opinion.

That happens all the time though, Madden even explained there's a delay from when the clock goes to 0 and the ref reacts to it. I see that every Sunday balls snapped at 0 that don't get called, same with timeouts. Note, you don't have to make the TO sign, you can call TO verbally, so just because Ben's hands didn't make the sign until 0 doesn't mean he wasn't calling TO already.

 

[Billy Flynt]

IMHO, this Michael Smith guy is a chump, there were two bad calls. The holding call (not on Locklear, the other guy) and the chop block on Hasselbeck. The biggest thing to remember is these officials are human and working in the biggest game of their careers- just like the players. They are watching it from 10 feet - 20 yards away in real time, not from 15 different angles in super slo-mo.

PI on Jackson: He pushed off. That the write above says it created no separation is BS. And the reaction of the DB is the best indicator, he immediately throws his hands up in disgust (before the ball is caught) b/c of it. It is Irvin-ball. Of course Irvin had no problem with the push-off b/c that was his MO.

Locklear Holding: he got beat and collared the guy... right call.

Hasslebeck fumble/no fumble: I hate this rule. The defender grazed him on Hasselbeck's own fall to the turf. The touch by the defender had no impact as to whether Hasselbeck was going down- and no one touched him after he hit the ground. If he had not lost the ball, he could have gotten up and ran ... so the offensive player has it both ways... don't like the rule but they got it right after replay.

chopblock by Hasselbeck: watching it live it looked like the right call. Of course when you see the replay it really was a feeble attempt to "tackle" or at least get in the way of the INT return man. bad call but those things happen.

Other Seattle OL holding: poor call, guy got beat so badly he couldn't hold him.

Roethlisberger TD run: They called TD and there was nothing in the replay to dispute it. The replay angle was not perfectly above the goal line- it was a little inside of the goal so it makes the play harder to assess. I think he was in by a fraction of an inch... The thing that makes the play suspect is that the linesman didn't signal TD right away...

PIT TO: Called right as the play clock ran out. The big deal is that the Ref who watches the clock can't watch both the clock and the snap at the same time... As Madden says there' usually a half a beat from the time the clock hits zero until the whistle blows...

*****

Who performed worse than the Refs?

Roethlisberger, almost played bad enough to lose this game. His poor start and the INT looked, (some of you will love this) Plummeresque... Didn't manage the game well overall. One more bad pass in this game and the Seahawks could have won.

Seahawks time managment: at the end of both halves it was pathetic. Throwing in the iddle of the field without timeouts and no one made an effort to get to the sidelines even after they caught the ball. They needed to kick the FG as soon as they got in range... oh right... the kicker...

Josh Brown, K: two makeable FGs missed gave Holmgren no confidence in him in the 4th Q

Stevens, TE: uuuugghh! what, like five dropped balls? Horrible... And I think he caught the last ball and didn't get out of bounds...

The Stones: uuuggghhh, again. I was worried that Mick was going to fall down and have to use the lifealert pendant to call for help.... were they playing the same songs? And they have written like a 1000 hit songs and had to pick a new one that no one knows.... Paul McCartney was much better last year...

Commercials: most of them sucked.... especially the creepy Burger King- King... The only good ones were the Ameriquest (don't judge too quickly "defibrillator" and "airline passengers"), the bud light (magic fridge) and the Ultra Amber ("touch football") ones.

 

[Billy Flynt]

one more comercial.... The sprint phone with crime deterrent...hilarious...

 

[duckfallas]

The calls were pretty one sided. On the first TD called back, it looked more like the Hawk was making his cut and stuck his hand out as a balance move. It could have gone either way, but how many calls did Seattle get compared to Pittsburgh? I don't think Seattle played well enough to win, but the game should have and would have been closer with less biased officiating.

 

[john h]

How ae the Ref's doing today? Please make your Comments.

So Far they seem to be favoring Pit. What do you think.

Bobcat

I thought the pushing off call on the Seattle TD was ticky to say the least. Ben's TD was a close call but they have a better view than me. I think Pittsburg was the better team today and indicated good defense can still stop good offense. Both QB's seem to have all the time in the world to throw. The big end for Seattle sure dropped a lot of passes and should get the "goat" award for this game. Best play was surely the pass by Randall El.

 

[Redheart]

No holding call on Parkers TD run...

I saw that on replay too, looked like a clear holding foul that allowed Parker to spring free.

I did not really care which team won, but it looked like the officals did.

Honestly, it did.

 

[duckfallas]

It was pretty obvious by the end of the first quarter. Pittsburgh played like crap in the first half but the calls allowed them to hang in there. It was almost like watching a Cardinals game except Seattle was Arizona.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I am waiting for the commerical where the refs say there going to Disney World.
A sad sad day in NFL refs.

Over on the Hawks board someone said the Ref should be the Super Bowl MVP...lol

Same things were said at my Superbowl party.

First off.....Watch the actual play were Ben runs in the ball...THen watch the REF come from the top of the screen, He points his fingers down at the ONE!!! Then he call TD after Ben puts the ball over after he is down.....IT'S A SETUP...He is the only ref that could see if from that angle!! YOU WATCH IT AND TELL ME!!! CONFIRM THIS!

Yup. Saw that clear as day. Was calling it down and then changed his mind (why, I don't know) and called it a TD. Bizarre.

I did not really care which team won, but it looked like the officals did.

Honestly, it did.

I have to agree. I thought there were a lot of weak calls and a lot of non-calls. I really didn't care who won (don't care for either team), but halfway through I found myself rooting for the Hawks, just because of the poor officiating.

Will the NFL ever go to fulltime refs?

 

[golfcardfan]

You guys are just going way overboard! The chop block is really the only debateable call, all the other calls were correct. Some of them ticky tack but correct none the less. Why may I ask are you so upset the Seahawks lost? I love that they lost, screw Seattle I am a Cards fan and don't want them to have SB rings. Some people are never happy this game was just not officiated as bad as you saw it. Pitt deserved to win period they made the plays they had the hard road to get there and stepped up. Seattle sucks and sucked last night.

 

[PortlandCardFan]

Did anyone get sick of the Pitts player interviews holding the Lombardi trophie? Or how bout the Stealers images on the sides of the buildings?


Naaaa the NFL didn't want Pittsburgh to win!!!!

It was almost like the Seahawks didn't exist.

 

[HooverDam]

IMHO, this Michael Smith guy is a chump, there were two bad calls. The holding call (not on Locklear, the other guy) and the chop block on Hasselbeck. The biggest thing to remember is these officials are human and working in the biggest game of their careers- just like the players. They are watching it from 10 feet - 20 yards away in real time, not from 15 different angles in super slo-mo.

PI on Jackson: He pushed off. That the write above says it created no separation is BS. And the reaction of the DB is the best indicator, he immediately throws his hands up in disgust (before the ball is caught) b/c of it. It is Irvin-ball. Of course Irvin had no problem with the push-off b/c that was his MO.

Locklear Holding: he got beat and collared the guy... right call.

Hasslebeck fumble/no fumble: I hate this rule. The defender grazed him on Hasselbeck's own fall to the turf. The touch by the defender had no impact as to whether Hasselbeck was going down- and no one touched him after he hit the ground. If he had not lost the ball, he could have gotten up and ran ... so the offensive player has it both ways... don't like the rule but they got it right after replay.

chopblock by Hasselbeck: watching it live it looked like the right call. Of course when you see the replay it really was a feeble attempt to "tackle" or at least get in the way of the INT return man. bad call but those things happen.

Other Seattle OL holding: poor call, guy got beat so badly he couldn't hold him.

Roethlisberger TD run: They called TD and there was nothing in the replay to dispute it. The replay angle was not perfectly above the goal line- it was a little inside of the goal so it makes the play harder to assess. I think he was in by a fraction of an inch... The thing that makes the play suspect is that the linesman didn't signal TD right away...

PIT TO: Called right as the play clock ran out. The big deal is that the Ref who watches the clock can't watch both the clock and the snap at the same time... As Madden says there' usually a half a beat from the time the clock hits zero until the whistle blows...

*****

Wow- I agree 100%, I thought the officiating was pretty OK/average over all.

 

[Stout]

Boo hoo...people think Seattle got jobbed because of bad referees...cry me a river! Let THEM feel it for once.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

for once?!

are you f'ing kidding me

do you realize that seattle getting screwed over is one of the main reasons instant replay is in effect?!?!

I don't think any team in the league has had as many run ins with officials

from the testeverde helmet call, the fiasco in baltimore, to the refs running into a WR against the rams, to the shockey phantom TD the list is very, very long

I think there is an open warrant for phil luckett in that city

i understand that some of you really don't like the hawks - that fine - just don't talk like this is the first time they've had some crucial calls in big situations go against them

 

[clif]

For all you conspiracy theorists out there... don't you think it would have been a better story to actually have the Seahawks take their first title? I mean a newcomer slaying the 4 time championship organization?

 

[MigratingOsprey]

absolutely not the better story

and i'm not a conspiracy theorist ... seattle could of definitely played better ... just some of those calls were very tough to swallow and i'm not along in that thought - most major media outlets have articles and polls that are leaning to the same thoughts

some people have gone as far as calling that span from where there was the holding call, to the lack of horsecollar call, to the chop block call culminating in the gadget TD the worst 2 minutes in SB history and a definite game altering potential 14 point swing

 

[clif]

I'm sorry I just don't buy it. With all these cameras too many people are overanalyzing the games and every stinkin call. Sure I thought there were some so so calls.. and some bad ones.. but that happens every game.

 

[arthurracoon]

If the Cardinals had been in the Seahawks position yesterday, I would be furious right now.

 

[NEZCardsfan]

If the Cardinals had been in the Seahawks position yesterday, I would be furious right now.

If we would have given up the Randle-El TD, I would have been furious. Everybody in America knew that was coming except for the 11 guys in blue.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

sure it's a big spotlight

big for the players, big for the coaches and big for the refs

these types of calls shouldn't happen in a game when you can compile the best of the best

it's a shame that this would happen in any game - let alone the one game where it is imperative to get it right - this team hopefully isn't the best the league has to offer, if so then be prepared for many more years of crap officaiting (especially since our teams tend to get the lower end crews as it is....)

 

[clif]

sure it's a big spotlight

big for the players, big for the coaches and big for the refs

these types of calls shouldn't happen in a game when you can compile the best of the best

it's a shame that this would happen in any game - let alone the one game where it is imperative to get it right - this team hopefully isn't the best the league has to offer, if so then be prepared for many more years of crap officaiting (especially since our teams tend to get the lower end crews as it is....)

come on.. each call was pretty much interpretation of the ref. That is what happens when humans are involved. they are going to make mistakes. Anyone find it coincidence that recently calls "seem" to be getting worse? It's the nature of the sport. Each freakin play is replayed like 10 times a game.

BTW that call for holding (where the pass got to the one) was the correct call. It wasn't blantant but the guy did hook the defenders arm. ABC in their zest to call it a bad call only showed one angle.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

no he didn't

also a couple guys jumped offsides on that play - should of been a free play

that was a downright horrible call

and most of the nation agrees with me on this ... pretty much the only people who don't are steeler fans and seahawk haters

i won't debate if a call was bad or not ... it is pretty much accepted nationally that they were very poor

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

If the Cardinals had been in the Seahawks position yesterday, I would be furious right now.

I'd be more pissed that we dropped passes, screwed up special teams, let up too many big plays, didn't manage the end of both halves effectively, and didn't capitalize on many of the opportunites during the first half when Pittsburgh was clearly on it's heels than I would have been at the refs. Sure the zebras were horrible, but the Seahawks have only themselves to blame for losing yesterday. The "everybody is out to get us" inferiority complex shown by Seahawk fans in the last 24 hours is nothing short of embarassing and I hope Cardinals fan never exhibit such ridiculous behavior.

 

[golfcardfan]

MO sorry but you opinion on this topic is just bias pure and simple. The only call that was questionable was the chop block on hasselback, which at full speed looked illegal. The holding call was absolutely correct no doubt! The offensive pass interferance CORRECT sure people get away with it but don't do it right in front of the ref. Seattle got beat plain and simple they scored 3 freaking points in the first half. They only got tot the superbowl because the weak NFC they were clearly outmatched. If Ben even has an average game it would not have even been close.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

clearly outmatched?!?!

did you watch the game?!

and does my bias lead 70% of the resondents in a national poll to think the officiating was bad?

does my bias lead over 60% of respondents in a similar national poll to think that this game will be remember for bad officiating?

 

[clif]

no he didn't

also a couple guys jumped offsides on that play - should of been a free play

that was a downright horrible call

and most of the nation agrees with me on this ... pretty much the only people who don't are steeler fans and seahawk haters

i won't debate if a call was bad or not ... it is pretty much accepted nationally that they were very poor

sure they all were iffy but the only one that I thought clearly was a bad one was the hasselbeck call, but the ref thought he was going low on the blocker who was right next to the ball carrier so it seemed close.