Did the NFL fix the Super Bowl? No, the refs were just horrible.
I don't believe in the conspiracy theories because of one principle: risk/reward.Bottom line: the risk of fixing games by the league is far too great.If the NFL was caught doing that, it would be the greatest scandal in sports history and could cripple the league for years.Do you think the league would risk all that just so that Jerome Bettis could win a championship?Or just because Pittsburgh makes a better story?No way, it’s not worth it.
Trust me, as a Utah Jazz fan who watched Michael Jordan get all the calls in the playoffs, I've given it a lot of thought.
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Did the refs cost the Seahawks the game? Sort of. Yes, it's true that great teams can overcome bad calls and Seattle didn't -- they're not a great team. But neither is Pittsburgh. If there were phantom penalties on the Willie Parker run and the pass play that set up the first Steelers’ touchdown, Pittsburgh doesn't win either.
Seattle fans shouldn't complain because the Seahawks still had their chances to win it. But Pittsburgh fans shouldn't be gloating, either, because the Steelers were flat-out lucky. Just celebrate the title and thank your lucky stars that the officials had a Peyton Manning-like meltdown on the big stage, but don’t try to tell us that Pittsburgh was the better team on Sunday.The only people who think that the penalty calls on the Seahawks were legitimate are Pittsburgh Steelers’ fans or people who thought the halftime show was great – either way, they’re both delusional.
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Does anything scream rock ‘n roll more than a 62-year-old man doing Jazzercise moves in a belly shirt?I think not.
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Why were all the people around the stage during the show wearing bright, neon-#### shirts?It looked like a Wham! concert.
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What was the deal with Al Michaels making a random Lake Placid reference at the start of the game?“Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”Yeah, yeah, you made a great call, Al.But seriously, you’re probably been congratulated on that at least a million times.You were even in the movie.Do you really need to remind us again that you were there?
how does lucky win by 11 points? Lucky is when Scott Norwood goes wide right and your team wins. Unlucky is when your big plays are undone by bigger penalties that were rightly called.
1. Jackson pushed off. Any with eyes saw it. He pushed, the defender went one way, he went the other.
2. It was holding on Locklear. Plain and simple.
3. Who cares about Hasselbeck's penalty? Why not discuss his bonehead throw? The damage was done.
It was bad luck on their parts that the Seahawks committed penalities on their two biggest plays, but it wasn't bad officiating.
Teams, like people, create their own luck. And Mike Holgren and co weren't creating any for themselves.
Everyone's ####ing about Big Ben's Td...but who slipped and fell on the play on 3rd and 28? Michael Boulware. Steelers shouldn't have even been in FG range, much less first and goal, but Seattle lets him complete a pass on 3rd and 28? That's pathetic.
Pitt made the plays when they needed to make them. Seattle had to commit penalties to make their best plays. And they got caught. Sorry
You can keep on thinking the Jazz lost the NBA finals because of the refs, and not because they were going up against the most dominant team in the last 50 years of sports. Of course every moving pick John Stockton ever put on was called.
If you ask me, I think you've been using Karl Malone's rogaine and its seeped through your skull.
The NFL may not have "fixed" the game but you can always tell which team the officials favor. I'm not a Seahawks fan but come on! Let the teams decide the game by their abilities. Sorry, Ben did not break the plane of the endzone before the first half. He dragged the ball across the goal line - ON THE GROUND AFTER HE WAS DOWN!! Offensive pass interfernce? Nope. Holding? Nope. The score without the official's interference was 24 -14 Seahawks. I'm just as infuriated as when the officials tried to throw the game in favor the Colts a few weeks ago - and I was rooting for them. Come on, NFL. Are you going to sit there and let the officials ruin this or any sport? Someone needs to be able to intervene and over turn obviously bad calls and/or heavily fine the individual(s) responsible. I've been a football fan all my life but last night killed it for me. If something decisive is not done soon my new motto is going to be "To Hell With the NFL!"
Pittsburgh did not win the Super bowl, The Seahawks lost it. The blame can not go totally on the referees but on a lot of missed key plays; the 75 yard touchdown run, or the fake reverse. The penalties did seem to favor the Steelers; the phantom holding, the chop block (which the Steelers QB did next possession and was not called for it), the pass interference that would have resulted in 7 instead of 3. No one will talk about the referees possibly favoring the Steelers because nobody in the country but Seattle wanted the Seahawks to win. The commercials and every sport show favored the Steelers, the hype at the beginning of the game was about the Steelers finally getting to the Super Bowl, not about the time it took for the Seahawks to get to the Super Bowl. The list could go on about what happen but what’s done is done, I am upset about the calls in the game but nothing will change it . All I can say is congratulations Pittsburgh, but it won’t last forever and we will be back next year with the Vince Lombardy trophy.
How can these persons call themselves football fans,when they obviously haven't a clue.I am referring to the ones out there saying Seattle lost the game on there own,penalties or no penalties.#1 by the time these guys are in the super bowl the physical part of the game is well established by now these guys are in tip top shape and can chew nails,and when they come into the stadium they are nervous and fired up,mentally they are perged,and mental is 98% of how well they will do.Well the way the refs stomped on Seattle with bullshhitte calls,over and over again how the hell can your momentum not be destroyed,if your blind and stupid then keep believing Pittsburgh won the game,then look again at the replays of those calls and try yo be nuetral try and think of it as another team is playing or something,because there is no explanation to your views,they are wrong if Seattle would have had the fair calls you could not of touched them they would of ate Pittsburg alive,how many times can you stab somebody before they quit coming at you,it depends but I say maybe 2 or three,stab me 2 or 3 times and I am done.Same principles the refs killed Seattle,getting stabbed sucks,getting stabbed over and over will KILL anybody,and the refs stabbed Seattle then they stomped on them when they were down and when they came back got there second wind and put the retarded stone throwers out of there mind they,grabbed them and #### down there necks,and everybody who has a brain and eyes knows it.I picked Pittsburg to win,but unfortunatly they lost,because in my eyes there is alot more hype and fair
That was a depressing super bowl,myself I see no reason to continue being a football fan it is as honest as big time wrestling,so hello baseball the NFL is dead to me now,hey that makes me think maybe if they had the death penalty for refs who make the most obvious bullshhitte calls,at lesat after they ruin a multi billion dollar business we get to watch them hang.As far as I am concerned and I am sure I am not alone,this superbowl put football in a bowl alright the one I sit on every morning before work to drop a couple of pounds,ya feel me Tagliabue.
as far as i am concerned your views carry as much weight as your gamename there,lets break it down crook,we all no that one,ed,you must mean the talking horse,and nose,you don't nose squat dude.try watching a chess tournament or something like that,you would be able to call one of those games much closer then you saw this game.Its totally amazing that you think this game was not played by the refs,and there is no responce dude,except what game were you watching?
if that was a push off in the end zone, I am a virgin. The story of this game is the canser in the NFL. This looks like a fixed game. God I hope not. Still looks like one. This will be remembered as the game of, not the steelers or seahawks but the ZEBRAS gone wild. Wonder who they bet on? It matters not who you wanted to win. The real losers are ALL football fans. One day the zebras will get you too. You are right, Seattle did not go get the win. They dropped the ball. For that they need to look in the mirror.The first Super Bowl INFECTED by the OFFICALS. Wake up Tag, you are in real trouble. GET IT FIXED or we may opt to watch uor grass grow. What was the year of the big baseball scandal, World Serious 1922? Garyizm.blogspot.com
I am sick of hearing people call these official's incompetence mistakes. These are not mistakes people, make no MISTAKE about that. Aren't mistakes made on both sides of the ball? Why are all of these quote on quote MISTAKES made on one side of the ball. If anyone can think of one MISTAKE made on the Seahawk's behalf, come forward. They are not mistakes, so stop calling them that. If the NFL was serious about correcting this, and they won't be, but if they were, they wouldn't put 90 yr old fat men on the field to deal with the most physically demanding sport in the world. Did you see the play where Hasselback supposedly fumbled the ball to the Steelers advantage? Look at the referee who was trailing the play, and who made the call. His eyes were somewhere in the stands, he wasn't even watching the play. It's hillarious! Also look at Big Ben's supposed touchdown. Never mind him not getting in the endzone, watch Alan Faneca HOLD and CORRAL one of the Seahawks seconds before Big Ben jumps over both of them, and comes up short of the end zone. These rules, these refs, these MISTAKES are not a coincidence. Like I said if that was the case, they would have been made for two teams, not ONE. I am increasingly becoming skeptical on how all sports are fixed. This is just one more reason for me to think that.
The old saying "better to be lucky than good" applies here. Thank the officiating for this tainted win. BYW...I didn't care for either team, I just wanted a good, fair game. Highlight of the evening, commercials (but not as good as some in the past). Overall, waste of time. Mayby next year???
Last edited by johnevans3 on February 6th at 1:05 PM.
It will be years before Seattle makes it back. The ducks were all lined up on this one. Rather weak schedule, peaking as they go into the playoffs when Washington and Carolina were not so great. Home field advantage. Alexander will be gone next year and the Hawks will start the steading decline just like the Mariners after Randy, Griffey, and ROD left. Not all the penalties were lame. Jackson is a pro and should know that a hand to the chest like that could result in a penalty....the #### had him beat!!!!! He didn't even need to touch the defender. The holding call in the fourth that not a single replay could find was what really killed the game for Seattle.
Oh well....at least I have my Raiders. Oh wait..... 4 wins, fired coach, clueless owner. THIS COULD BE MUCH WORSE HAWK FANS.
While I definately agree the officiating in the NFL is ridiculous, the same can be said in all pro sports, especially the NHL, where nobody knows what is or isn't a penalty. In major league baseball the umps' arrogance increases with every new one that comes into the league. Tossing players and managers at the slightest peception of "disrespect". Joe West isn't even in the top ten anymore. Earl Weaver or Billy Martin would never finish a game. I don't watch the NBA dunk contests at all so I won't comment on that. The NFL doesn't think they need refs whose full time job is being a ref! Think that has any bearing on the problem? By the way to the person who insinuated that Rothlisberger was drinklng and womanizing I respectfully point out that he's a born again Christian and probably wouldn't want to be painted in that light.
Last edited by drenner on February 6th at 2:24 PM.
I convinced my wife to sit down with me and watch the Superbowl which, this year, featured two teams we don't even like. We made the proper arrangements, invited guests, and prepared refreshments in order to make a night of it.
Much to our dismay we saw the apparent demise of the future of the NFL; officials clearly calling the game in favor of one team (Steelers) over the other. I was horrified. This same state of affairs prompted my friends and I from watching professional Boxing and fake wrestling. If the NFL does not fix these obvious problems they will lose the billions of dollars in revenue that they are so apt to brag about. It was a sad day and a terrible state of affairs for my favorite sport.
Many of us watch Football because we believe that it is a game of chance, anticipation, skill against skill, and above all; fairness.
Watching this professional display of fixing a game for the STORY'S sake is totally WRONG!
The NFL should have just handed the trophy to the Steelers and called it a day.
Today is Saturday, six days after the Super Bowl. I'm not a Seahawk fan. Today I was at a sports bar in Monterey, CA. There were at least 8 or 10 guys discussing whether or not Super Bowl XL was fixed. More than half of the guys expressed that they thought the game was fixed. I've never seen anything like this. So tonight I came home and found this blog. The big money was on the Steelers. This is a fact. Couple this with the appearence of horrible officiating and you can see that the NFL is heading into some dangerous waters. Certain penalties need to be reviewable, at least in the playoffs. The refs must become full time pros. Its time for Tagliabue and the owners to get their head out of the sand.
