Posted on 02/07/2006 4:59:52 PM PST by B Knotts
Before David Letterman got to shave Ben Roethlisberger's beard Monday night, he got the Steelers' Super Bowl-winning quarterback to admit a little something that might rankle Seahawks fans even more.
Roethlisberger told Letterman that he didn't think he scored on a controversial play in the second quarter that put the Steelers ahead for good 7-3. Roethlisberger dove toward the end zone but didn't appear to get the ball to touch the goal line. But officials on the field signaled touchdown.
"I told Coach, 'I don't think I got in,'"
Roethlisberger told Letterman. "But we were getting ready to go for it on fourth down anyway, and I would have run it again. So we would have found a way to get in."
The play infuriated Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren and has provided Seattle fans plenty of fodder for their fury over the game's questionable calls. Referee Bill Leavy upheld the call after a replay review, and Holmgren then upbraided Leavy on his way off the field at halftime.
Holmgren walked over to Leavy, a fifth-year referee calling his first Super Bowl, and could be seen angrily telling him, "It wasn't even close."
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.foxsports.com ...
ping !
I know what a touchdown is.
The play was very close, and could have gone either way.
It was the line judge's hesitance, and his TD signal only after seeing Ben on the ground, that made people think that something wasn't right.
The review was correct, in that it was not clear enough either way to overturn the call on the field.
Ahhhhh...would that it were but one.
(courtesy 82ndAirborne)
"So what, questionable calls are a part of the game. If one bad call makes them fall apart, then they didn't deserve to win anyway."
1. It was more than one questionable call.
2. The vast majority of the questionable calls went against Seattle.
Roethlisberger said yesterday that after seeing the play on tape, that it was a touchdown. By the way, new photos are coming out that show it clearly.
By the way, the league has reviewed the officiating and have upheld the calls. It just goes to show that Al Michaels and John Madden are still morons.
And there's no way Bettis would cough up the football at the goal line in such an important game, right? ;-)
There was exactly one bad call: the Hassleback illegal blocking call.
Photo evidence proves the offensive pass intereference, Ben DID get in (the ball broke te plane at the apex of the div -- most of the crybabies are pointing to the end of the dive), and the holding call.
What about all the holding calls that DIDN'T get called against the shehawks? What about the clip that DIDN'T get called when the Shehawks whacked Ben on the 7 on his back?
Seattle got beaten. Period.
"There was exactly one bad call: the Hassleback illegal blocking call"
Either you're one of the idiot referees, or you're a Steelers fan.
I've seen better officiating at a Pop Warner game.
I had no dog in this fight. I'm neither a Seahawk or Steeler fan, but one word of advice: if you're that close to the goal line and you want to cross that line, stick the ball out in front of you. Make dam#d sure that at least the ball gets in. The rest of you can be laying in the field of play. Big Ben could have done that. There was no defenders in position to knock the ball loose. In the futere, my money is on him or anyone extending the ball over the goal line. Leave no doubt about it.
Excellent point, well taken, but I'd have to say he'd be hugging that ball for all it was worth....if he was holding it. According to Cowher & Ben, the next play was another QB Sneak. Even against a very good Seahawks line, chances of an inch were very, very good.
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