The Fix was in at the Superbowl

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After watching the Rams get trounced 3 or 4 years back, I had an ephiny. The Officiating in the Superbowl at least is FIXED.

Now the NFL, Media, Advertisers etc don't care who wins the game. What they do care about is providing a game that is close, exciting, all to entice people to keep watching instead of turning on something more enlightening like Gilligans Island. Now how to accomplish this goal, have the Refrees have a BIAS. In other words come down harder on the Team that is most likely to win.

Check out this years Stupid bowl. Seattle was able to move the ball, and was able to contain Pittsburg Offense to a standstill. The ONLY plays Pittsburg made that were successfull were its Speciality plays. If you noticed Seattle was Penalized nearly every time it was moving the ball. The notable calls were the overturned TD by Seattle for Pushing Off in the 1st Quarter. The Pittsburg QB TD where he pulls the ball out from under him and puts it over the goal line after he is down. The 3rd down in the 2nd Quarter where the referee places the ball short of the 1st down by inches for Seattle, when it was obvious that the players forward momentum had given him the 1st down. The 1 Yard Line Seattle pass that was called back. The 4th Quarter blocking play by the Seattle QB that was deememd legal by the announers of the game but penalized. The Holding Call on Pittsburg that was never called but was mentioned by the Announcers of the game

Now I am not telling U boyz t believe anything, but start watching the veracity of the Officiating and see what conclusions you can come up with.

[DaveE]

Boo Hoo..... By the way, it's Pittsburgh.

[89911]

2 missed field goals, 4 dropped passes, bad coaching, bad interception. Nahhhh, that didn't have anything to do with it. If your looking for something fishy, start with Seattles tight end.

[Eric 951]

The only fix was that the AFC was light-years better than the NFC this year--and it showed.

HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO!

One for the thumb is a sweeeet thing.

[lendaddy]

You Steelers fans don't think they played well do you? I mean you won the game and that's all that really matters, but they looked and played aweful.

[89911]

Originally posted by lendaddy
You Steelers fans don't think they played well do you? I mean you won the game and that's all that really matters, but they looked and played aweful.

Whats your point? Yes, they didn't play that well. But you can still play the way they did and beat an NFC team. The Lombardi trophy winner was decided in Indianapolis.

[Eric 951]

Originally posted by lendaddy
You Steelers fans don't think they played well do you? I mean you won the game and that's all that really matters, but they looked and played aweful.

Check out my post in the other thread. It wasn't a slam-dunk, but when they needed to, the Steelers made the play--that is the mark of a Champion.

[Joe Bob]

Big deal...they played like a wild card team with a number of losses in the first half.

I agree....
The QB touchdown was questionable...

But.....
The called back TD in the end zone for the push off was right on the money.....

Even a UCSB grad should be able to see that? Or were you there AFTER they dropped football as a varsity sport?

[DaveE]

Originally posted by lendaddy
You Steelers fans don't think they played well do you? I mean you won the game and that's all that really matters, but they looked and played aweful.

The Steelers DIDN'T play well. Was it them or do you give credit to a good Seattle defense? They didn't run well and Rothlisberger didn't have his best game. They made the plays they had to make to win and Seattle couldn't do that.

Rothlisberger's touchdown was a good call if you look at the sideline view objectively. The Seattle push-off in the endzone was a good call that you see called 65-70% of the time.

[Rich76_911s]

How about when the seahawks player clearly fumbled a pass he had total control of the ball, that the steelers picked up. That was also called a fumble by the announcers but not by the officials? The call turned out to be uncritical because the seahawks had to punt a play or two after it, but regardless it was a missed call that went the seahawks way. Officiating is pretty tough. I officiated ice hockey and it is a lot harder when you are on the field making split second decisions that effect a game than it is sitting on a couch when your call has no effect on a game. Even with instant replay. Mistakes happen and over a period of time they all even out but that period of time will not necissarily be one game. Which could make one game look one sided. Now why didn't the ref's make the Eagles win the SB last year?

Rich

[Big Ed]

Originally posted by Rich76_911s
How about when the seahawks player clearly fumbled a pass he had total control of the ball, that the steelers picked up.

Steelers didn't pick it up, ball went out of bounds.

[tabascobobcat]

Tabs, was it George Bush's fault then ??
Condi picked the Steelers in pregame.
Was it to keep New Orleans down ??

This is stupid.

[89911]

I just re-watched the game in its entirety and I came away with the impression that if the announcers didn't subject the listeners to their "correct impression" of what isn't or is a penalty, there would be little controversy. Every "controversal" penalty call made had grounds for being called. What was clear is that the SeaHawks committed more of them. You will frequently find the team that is being outplayed or losing doing this. Seattle outplayed the Steelers in the first half. I don't think they give out trophy's for that. When the game started coming down to crunch time, it seemed every drive Seattle had ended with a Hasselback overthrow or a dropped pass. Didn't see any penalty flags around those plays. Watch the game again if you can.

[dd74]

Grant Wistrom says Pittsburg outplayed Seattle. They got the job done, and won the Superbowl. Grant Wistrom didn't bring up bad calls, or unfairness, and certainly not a "fixed game."

Grant Wistrom is a denfensive end for the Seattle Seahawks. If he says Seattle got beat, he has more say than anyone else except his team mates.

[lendaddy]

Originally posted by dd74
Grant Wistrom says Pittsburg outplayed Seattle. They got the job done, and won the Superbowl. Grant Wistrom didn't bring up bad calls, or unfairness, and certainly not a "fixed game."

Grant Wistrom is a denfensive end for the Seattle Seahawks. If he says Seattle got beat, he has more say than anyone else except his team mates.

No player would. Maybe a Steeler, but most players don't whine

[dd74]

Originally posted by lendaddy
No player would. Maybe a Steeler, but most players don't whine

I'm not certain, but I can't recall Pittsbugh truly ever whining - at least not this season. Yes, Bill Cower sheds copious tears in victory and clenches his jaw hard when plays are blown, but I don't remember him - or any Steeler quite frankly - of whining. Granted, this season, the Steelers had three opportunities (i.e. loses) to whine.

Now, if I want whiners, I look to L.A. teams:

1) Kobe Bryant - on the floor whenever he fouls or fouls out.

2) Matt Leinart - in that pathetic interview after the Trojans lost the National Championship to Texas who had a quaterback the Trojans should have stopped. On that same note, offensive playcalling for USC was abysmal.

[Icemaster]

The poor showing kinda makes one wonder what would have happened had they not taken out Carson Palmer...

Nah......

[Sonic dB]

Im not saying that the game was fixed...but what I am saying is:

1) The officiating was disgusting. That entire crew needs to be canned.

Absolutely unacceptable for a major sports championship.

To flag Hasselbeck for "illegal block" when he was making a tackle was like freaking playground official stuff. Unacceptable.

It tainted the Super Bowl.

2) The NFL wanted Pittsburgh to win. Bigger Market. Much bigger and more rabid fan base who buys more Gear...and the Bettis story was a nice sidebar.

No doubt that the NFL makes more money by Pittsburgh winning...

Again...im not saying the game was fixed...but....

[dd74]

Here's Sports Illustrated's take on it:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/andrew_perloff/02/06/super.bowl/index.html

[Sonic dB]

more

http://blogs.foxsports.com/category/Super_Bowl

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5310192