Super for NFL perhaps, but not so for fans

http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/rmelick.ssf?/base/sports/1139307476172930.xml&coll=2 ^

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

It should be interesting.

GO JOHN FORCE!!!!

GO MARK MARTIN!!!!

[discostu]

this is the part you SHOULD have bolded:
Still, as the Steelers demonstrated in overcoming questionable calls that didn't go their way in Pittsburgh's victory over Indianapolis and NFL-marketing favorite Peyton Manning, the game comes down to players making plays.

The judgment of the officiating crew does not affect the ability to catch passes or kick field goals or manage the clock at the end of the first half. Seattle had its chances and blew it.

[1Old Pro]

So I guess if I complain about starting the game so late and that they should start it no later than 4pm est, nobody will listen to me. They got ratings and money, who cares about me.

[discostu]

Both offenses sucked. Happens sometimes. 5 of 17 on 3rd down conversions is not a game winning stat.

[Always Right]

Remember, the game is not played in a vacuum.

Certainly, Seattle lost the game, the questionable calls were just a small part. Seattle has no one to blame but themselves. On the otherhand, Steelers got most the calls. Why can't Steelers admit it. Shoot, Ben himself was not sure he got in the endzone.

[discostu]

Very nice stills showing a clear cut case of offensive pass interference. The right arm extends pushing off, pass interference, no catch, no TD, eat 10 yards from the line of scrimage and try again.

[commish]

Actually those pictures show exactly why it was called Offensive Pass interference.

Were both guys touching each other -- yes they were. and Officials have let that type of hand checking go all year long. This play was no different than almost every other pass play of every game in that regard.

The reason OPI was called is because, (1) Jackson Extended his arm fully and (2) completely changed direction -- this gave the appearance of a push off.

Picture 1 : Jackson is heading Toward Taylor and extnding his arm.

PIcture 2 : Jackson is turning around and using his arm as leverage to stop and turn (or so it appears even though the real contact was very slight)

PIcture 3 : Jackson arm fully extended in push off and he is now headed in completely the opposite direction

Politico's love the term "APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY" -- that is exactly what this is. When the reciever EXTENDS HIS ARM FULLY and CHANGES DIRECTION at the SAME TIME the Offiensive pass interference penalty is called 100% OF THE TIME!!!!!

The conspiracy theorists, crybabies, and whiners can yowl all they want, but I challenge anyone to find a film of any NFL game where the reciever is GOING ONE DIRECTION, EXTENDS his arm against the defender, and REVERSES direction where Offensive Pass Interference was NOT CALLED. You will not find one single time.

Also, to put to rest another whine that others have been perpetuating ad nauseum. Watch the replay from the BACK of the endzone that has the Ref in the picture. Contrary to the lovely "he waited until the defender said something to throw the flag" -- you will see him IMMEDIATELY reach for the flag when Jackson extends the arm. You will also see his hand come up EMPTY in a throwing motion. He then reaches back , grabs the flag and throws it. IOW he MISSED the flag the first time, but did call the penalty immediately.

[andyland]

GREAT POINTS!!!!

[Condor51]

***Did you watch the game?***

Yes - unfortunately.
Anyway, I was being facetious. I'm getting fed up with the 'bad calls' whine. As any long time NFL fans knows, there's that old adage; "The Winners Get The Breaks".

It's really baseless and utter hogwash but 'seems' to be a truism. Going back to '85 I remember all the 'breaks' Da Bears 'seemed' to get early in the season regarding the calls OR non calls that weren't made. Then the 'D' took over about game 9 and the 'non' call breaks became moot.

It's akin to whining about injuries - Gee, only if 'X' didn't get hurt, only if 'Y' didn't ...(blah, blah). Good teams overcome injuries and the 'bad' calls.

Plus the "Zebras" had nothing to do with that stellar clock management the Seahawks exhibited. And the "Zebras" didn't miss all those field goals.

[One Proud Dad]

Nobody in the NFL, tv land, or merchandising was happy with the game. The final score wasn't 80-79. I swear I cannot reason why people think that high scores mean a better game, it means crappy defense. Offense wins games and defense wins championships. Steelers have a defense and the fastest RB on two feet, Parker not Bettis.

Officiating is subjective get over it. Wasnlt as bad as it was during the playoffs. At leastt he game wanpt decided. Steelers had this at half time.

You can say what you want about dropped passes you only drop them because you are afraid of getting hit. I find it satisfying that Stevens talked smack and other than his lucky TD, he got racked up everytime he crossed the line of scrimmage. That last one was poetic to see Porter and Polomalu standing over him as he wallowed on the ground. Alexander ( he was weak at best ) and the Romulan impostor Jurevcous (sp?) were the only bright spots for the Seagulls.

Suck it up world, it wasn't the Cowboys or Manning that won and that is always a good day! Steelers rule.

As a Steeler fan, I did find it classless that the Dome booed Brady at the coin toss. I am also a Pats fan and I find it hard to boo the best QB in football unless you are a little jealous.

[discostu]

Because we didn't get the benefit of the doubt on most calls. The interference call was legit and by the book, pushing off is EXPLICITLY called out in the rule book as a form of offensive interference. On the holding call you can clearly see the OL has gripped the defender's jersey and is dragging him down. On the Hasselback tackle the rule was called exactly the same way it was called against he Steelers on consecutive games in the regular season, I disagree with the rule but that is consistent with how they caught it. Meanwhile there was a catch and fumble that could have been recovered by the Steelers that was blown dead and incorrectly ruled incomplete, and a block in the back in Roethlisburgher after his second interception that went completely uncalled.

Simmply 100% BS to say most of the calls went for the Steelers. The Big Ben TD was questionable and went for the Steelers, the Hasselback tackle is a bad rule called correctly that went for the Steelers, and then you've got the fumble and block in the back. So that 4 questionable calls, 2 went for each team.

[trubluolyguy]

This game was not fixed however anyone suggesting that the officiating was flawless and fair is wearing black and gold.

[Tallguy]

Imagine the gaudy passing stats that Hasselbeck would have had had his receivers not dropped so many passes?

[Cyclopean Squid]

Pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 15..........

And in the meantime there's college baseball. Anything to avoid B-ball in all its forms.

[Always Right]

The reason OPI was called is because, (1) Jackson Extended his arm fully and (2) completely changed direction -- this gave the appearance of a push off.

It definitely appeared like a slight push off and that caused the penalty. But by the book, since it was the defender who initiated the contact, it is not offensive pass interference. But if the ref just caught the last few seconds, he probably made the right call based on what he saw and most refs probably would have made the same call. It is a tough break but thats football.

[Ditto]

Don't they deserve to have the rules of the game interpreted by full-time, paid professionals instead of butchers and bakers, lawyers and candlestick makers who work NFL games on the weekends?

Sure. Like the umpires in major league baseball. Now there's a real study in perfection.

[commish]

On the Hasselback tackle the rule was called exactly the same way it was called against he Steelers on consecutive games in the regular season

It is also important to point out -- the penalty was not called because he tackled Taylor low. The penalty was called because he CUT #26 in his attempt to get to Taylor. The rules specifically say that a Defender (which Hasslebeck was at this point) cannot Cut a BLOCKER (which #26 was) belowe the knees. That was the penalty that was called.

I personally feel that penalty was very weak as it was not Hasslebecks intention to take out the blocker, he was going for Taylor. But by a strict interpretation of the rules, he did break the Cut rule when he dove in front of #26.

[commish]

This game was not fixed however anyone suggesting that the officiating was flawless and fair is wearing black and gold.

Exactly!. The refs were horrid. They were the entire Playoffs.

[Tallguy]

It also shows the Pittsburgh defender holding BEFORE the push off. Don't get me wrong, the ref should let them play in a game like the Superbowl unless it's flagrant.

[Ditto]

Don't forget allowing Parker to run up the gut untouched for 75 yards. Probably by the end of the day these cry babies will be saying the refs were throwing blockes for him.