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To: GLDNGUN

I predicted a big Pittsburgh win. Encouraged betters. I will not bet on the game. I can't stand Seattle. I have always been an AFC fan over the NFC.

My wife is a Browns/Steelers fan and from the area. She grew up with posters of Pittsburgh Steelers on her wall.

I am a fantasy football fanatic to the point that I have lost all interest in the games themselves, the teams and their records. It's all individual statistics to me, week-to-week. You can say I am a Raiders fan, because that was my team as a kid. However, I always know the calibar of every team before the season starts.

When the play-offs started I told all my co-workers that every team from the AFC has a chance to go to the SB, but only Seattle and Carolina in the NFC.

I have the NFL Direct TV package with super fan upgrade and watched football every single weekend this season and for as many years as I can remember.

I won my fantasy league this season.

I watched the game. I saw one wrong call go against Pittsburgh the whole game and it had no impact what-so-ever. I doubt you or any of the others who believe Pittsburgh won that game by out playing Seattle can name it. It's not the catch-and-fumble out-of-bounds that would have been recovered by Pitt ruled an incomplete pass either.

I thought the refs favored Pittsburgh for the entire game to the point of abject rediculuousness. They called a penalty on Hassleback that cannot even be called in the context for which it was made. I.e. the penalty aplies to hits against the non-ball handler.

I would by no means rule out fixing on the part of one or a few of the refs on that field. I've never seen it so one-sided calling as this past Superbowl. Remember, I am a Raider fan.

What angers me most about the NFL is their shielding of the referees from all media contact. Because I want to know what the line judge was thinking on Rothlesbergers TD. I watched him running in SIGNALING that the runner was down by contact and then when gets up to big Ben, his raises his arms for a TD. No other ref signalled TD. No conference, just TD. Why can't ESPN stick a mic in this ref's face and ask him what he was thinking?

Don't get me wrong. I know Cower's going for it on 4th and 1 inch because he and I both know they gained one yard on each rush for the first 3 downs. Pittsburgh is pounding it in. Getting 3 yards in 4 downs is their thing.

But by this point it had just got bizarre. You ref signasl the runner down MULTIPLE times, he ran to his side, it's his call. And then he says oh what the heck let me change my call to TD.


134 posted on 02/07/2006 8:40:15 PM PST by Diplomat
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To: Diplomat
You definitely have the resume of a true fan. I could claim an equal resume, although Fantasy Football is not my gig. I watch football (college and pro) as passionately as you do. Having said that, I did not see what you say you saw.

So what was the play that didn't go Seattle's way?

I agree that the call on Hasselbeck was a bad one. But it was called after what? A Hasselbeck INT, that's what. But Seahawk fans want to focus on the penalty at the end of the play, not the INT.

Would I like hear the refs explain themselves? Sure. I watch the NFL Network and see the head of the NFL officials on there every week, explaining calls. When the refs mess up, they say so, like they did with the Pitt/Indy call a few weeks ago.

I think game fixing by the refs to be such a remote possibility in this or any NFL game that it's nonsense. On most plays there are multiple refs looking at the same play and they sometimes over-rule each other. So, you would probably have to have the entire crew in on it. The more people a conspiracy requires, the less likely it is. Then there's instant replay to also over-rule bad calls by the refs.

Perhaps you aren't aware of the lengths the NFL goes to keep anyone related to the league on the up-and-up. Here's one example. A few years ago, Dick Vermeil was in Philly to visit his old stomping grounds. A very nice elderly lady was talking to him, told him what a huge fan she was of his and would love to have him for dinner. He accepted her invite and had dinner at her house shortly thereafter. When Vermeil dined there, her son was also there. They had a nice dinner and Vermeil went on his way. Shortly after that, Vermeil got a call from the league office, asking him if he was aware that he had just had dinner with a guy connected to illegal sports gambling. Of course, Vermeil had no idea about the lady's son. What he was really freaked out about, was how the NFL knew who he had just had dinner with.

And people think the refs could get away with "fixing" the Super Bowl? That's just not realistic.

160 posted on 02/07/2006 9:24:11 PM PST by GLDNGUN
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To: Diplomat
My wife is a Browns/Steelers fan

That's possible?

I won my fantasy league this season

Good for you.

173 posted on 02/08/2006 4:46:22 AM PST by andrew2527
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