Troy Polamalu-(A Football Move)-The Zebra's 9th Circuit

Free Republic ^ | 1/16/06 | beyond the sea

[beyond the sea]

This is going to be less than pretty, but someone had to do it.

Yesterday's Steeler/Indy game was .............. well, you fill that in.

I'm a Steeler fan of 55 years or so, and the game yesterday was, to say the least, quite bizarre --- as the concept of "a football move" brought back visions of Elroy 'Crazy Legs' Hirsh. The LIVE THREAD yesterday including this incredible game was as lively as the game itself. This morning I gathered some of your comments on the Troy Polamalu interception.

Let's be honest............. he caught the damn ball and the refs blew the call. But FReepers' humor and insights were pretty darn funny as all this was happening. I'm a crappy typist, so this may be a quite ugly presentation. I am just going to present some of the posts from all of you who were transfixed by yesterday's game and the bizarre officiating. It all was unreal, and your comments were fabulous.

Yoi!

*****

I'm glad its not my team, I would have a heart attack!

932 posted on 01/15/2006 4:15:57 PM EST by scott says

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He had one knee and a head of hair down .... Interception — mikrofon (ROFL)

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What the HELL is a "Football Move" all of a sudden??

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Damn I hate the way LIBS have to try and start new verbiage.

675 posted on 01/15/2006 3:53:56 PM EST by ThreePuttinDude

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After further review, and a review of security provisions, we reverse the call.

677 posted on 01/15/2006 3:54:14 PM EST by steveegg

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HORRIBLE CALL by the Blind Zebra

689 posted on 01/15/2006 3:54:38 PM EST by GRRRRR

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I'm glad the NFL rule book is a living, breathing document! The 9th circuit is officiating today ;) (A CLASSIC !!)

714 posted on 01/15/2006 3:56:12 PM EST by cgk

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CBS considers the money slipped to the refs to make that reversal the best investment it could make. 715 posted on 01/15/2006 3:56:15 PM EST by steveegg

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Peyton Manning and Head Referee Caught in Uncompromising Position. 721 posted on 01/15/2006 3:56:45 PM EST by LdSentinal

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this ref will not be working the playoffs next year. Worst call i have ever seen.

734 posted on 01/15/2006 3:57:40 PM EST by connectthedots

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I'm a Colts fan, and that INT call was horrible. Seemed like TV wanted an interesting finish.

738 posted on 01/15/2006 3:58:12 PM EST by Teacher317

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That was an 8-point call. 745 posted on 01/15/2006 3:58:49 PM EST by steveegg

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The true 12th man in the game, The zebras..

794 posted on 01/15/2006 4:04:18 PM EST by NormsRevenge

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If the Colts win, this will be the biggest robbery since Brinks.

812 posted on 01/15/2006 4:07:15 PM EST by dfwgator

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Bettis is the happiest guy in 2 cities!

967 posted on 01/15/2006 4:17:54 PM EST by freedumb2003

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Ok Cowher, this time can you just take a knee?

974 posted on 01/15/2006 4:18:09 PM EST by dfwgator

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[Vinnie]

Did you watch the Panther v. Bears game?

There was a ruling that was the opposite of the Steelers game ruling and similar circumstances.

Involved a completion, fumble, recovery and touchdown run.

Guess the officials SWAG it . And makes me wonder about the honesty of the game.

[Ditto]

These are some of the same folks who call the Browns fans "bums" because of the beer bottle throwing a few years back.

Hell, they were bums long before that. ;~))

True story. Back in the 70s I got hit in the back with a "full" beer can tossed from about 10 rows back at the old Cleveland stadium. Smarted a little, but I drank the beer and "returned" the empty. (If that sucker had hit my head, I probably wouldn't have woke up till I was back in Pittsburgh)

[beyond the sea]

the bogus interference call against Assante Samuel in the Pats/Broncos game were awful calls.

Yes --- one of the worst I ever saw. A "no call" would have been fine, but if there was a call to make, it should have been on the offensive guy for pushing off.

That call was REALLY BAD because it completely changed the game!

[beyond the sea]

I don't know where to get it.

[Ditto]

NFL refereeing has to become a full-time job.

Why? So they can be just as good as MLB umpiers? < / sarcasm >

[beyond the sea]

that was about as exciting a game as I have ever seen

Yes it was. I wonder how many folks had to go to the emergncy rooms here in the 'Burgh.

;-)

[Aquinasfan]

How about changing the rules to allow challenges regarding penalties, in BOTH respects. That is, allow a challenge to a penalty that was called, saying that it shouldn't have been called... And, allow a challenge in a play when a penalty wasn't called, but SHOULD have been called.

I could go along with that if the number is very limited. I've heard that penalties could be called on just about every play.

While we're on the subject: are teams still allowed only two challenges per game?

I thought it was two per half.

And is a team charged with a challenge EVEN IF they're correct? If so, that's wrong.

They are, but they're not charged a timeout. I don't have a problem with that. I've yet to see a case where a team ran out of challenges.

[beyond the sea]

Dick Labeau came up with a disguised non blitz to help the coverage. It was a masterful plan and the reason the Steelers won.

Yeh, Dick is one smooth and wise fellow. The Steelers looked incredibly calm on defense yesterday!

[Colonel_Flagg]

Try this. Can't vouch for 100 percent accuracy, though.

Also, the NFL website has this, which might be more accurate.

I'm also smiling at this conversation about officiating since there's no mention of the team that gets more breaks from officials than any other two teams combined - the Green Bay Packers.

[JeffAtlanta]

When a catch is made by a receiver who comes down with both feet on the ground, the "football move" would be: stretching for a first down, diving out-of-bounds or running with the ball. If the "football move" is accomplished, and the receiver is then hit and the ball comes out, it is ruled a catch and fumble, instead of an incomplete forward pass. Source:Jerry Markbreit former NFL umpire

I wish Shannon Sharpe and the rest of the NFL "analysts" would learn this rule before going off half cocked and saying the Steelers were screwed.

Sometimes the rules results in calls that seem counterintuitive - the tuck rule was a good example.

In this case, stumbling to the ground is not considered a football move. From what I gathered from the explanation on the field, the defender could not make a football move until his knees were off of the ground. That was a nuance that I was unaware of, but I am assuming that the guys in the booth had the rule book with them and plenty of time to figure it out.

It's one thing to rag the officials on judgment calls that they obvious missed, but NFL analysts should not blame the officials when an obscure rule comes into play and the NFL analysts on TV don't understand it.

[savedbygrace]

This year, the officials in the playoffs are the absolute worst in my memory. It isn't just 2 or 3 calls. They've been blowing dozens of calls this year.

The first week, there was a long pass and run that got things going in the 2nd quater for Steelers, and a downfield blocker was so obviously holding, it should have been embarrassing for the refs to miss it.

During the Seahawks/Redskins game, when the Seahawks's quarterback ran in for the score that broke Washington's back, the offensive tackle on the right side was clearly holding. Both were no-calls by the refs.

There are many others, but I'm trying to remain calm, and to recite more of them would raise my BP again.

Grrrrrrrrr.

[Vinnie]

Another official screwup in the Bears game.

Bears player runs for a touchdown. At about the 3yd line he dives, completely off the ground. He is trying to get the ball to cross the plane, it's in his outstretched hand, though he is going out of bounds at about the 1 yd line.
The ball comes loose BEFORE it crosses the plane and flies into the end zone, rolling out of bounds in the end zone.

The official ruled touchdown. It was challenged and ruled Bears ball on the 1 yd. line.

It should have been ruled a touchback, Panthers at the 20.

[beyond the sea]

he term "a football move" was purposefully intended to be vague so the referees could keep the games close, TV viewers would keep watching, and the league could charge more for TV advertising.

Hmmmm.

I wonder, is a celebratory dance in the endzone a "football move"?

;-)

[beyond the sea]

The interception, the offsides and the pass interference all were blown calls that went to the Colts. All three were so obvious that it is an insult to say otherwise.

YOU ARE SO RIGHT. But if I keep thinking of all of ALL the bad calls my head will explode.

Something must be done about the officiating. The game is too great for such mistakes to occur.

Bad calls in ALL of the playoff games!

[maineman]

Oh, and never let it be said that the Steelers don't give you your money's worth. ;-)


If blowing a big lead and almost going to over-time constitutes 'getting your money's worth', well we sure did.

[JeffAtlanta]

I could go along with that if the number is very limited. I've heard that penalties could be called on just about every play.

That is correct - offensive holding could be called on every play. Offensive lineman get a feel for the how tightly the officials are calling the game and adjust their play accordingly.

Illegal contact downfield could be called against the secondary on almost every play too.

I would like the see the standard of pass interference raised - that would result in less judgment calls that could really go either way.

[beyond the sea]

I'm a big fan of the DGFL, the Delayed Gratification Football League. I'm so excited when my team has a great play, but I am even happier because I usually have to wait an extra 5 minutes to see if my cheering is justified. That just makes my elation even more elatier. --- ROFL............... that is one of the funniest things I have ever read.

Of course, sometimes the call doesn't go my way because of the sudden influx of "football moves", but that just gins me up for the NEXT big play where I can sit on pins and needles to see if it really happened or if the opposing team is going to file an injunction against it. Maybe it ought to be called the ACLUFL..... ---- ROFL Again.

[maineman]

What about the offside call, late in the game, against the Colts? I watched the play 12 times in slow-motion, it was a FALSE START against Pitts. Huge blown call...AGAINST THE COLTS. With the remaining teams look for one of the lowest rated Super-Bowls ever.

[JeffAtlanta]

It should have been ruled a touchback, Panthers at the 20.

That was not a blown call. The ruling of touchdown was incorrect and was overruled with the a challenge. What you left out, however, was the facemask penalty during the run. The Bears accepted the penalty which wiped out the play completely.

[Flightdeck]

"...but there are about two dozen Iron City beer cans in the sink..."

Better drink 'em while they're around. I hear they are going out of business.