Ahem!

[twowheelnut]

[SIZE=21pt]PITTSBURGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/SIZE] :clap:

 

[radman]

Yeah, Seattle just doesn't look as exited to be playing, I get the impression it's just another game to them.

 

[freshmeat]

'taint over yet guys.

go hawks.

 

[escapefjrtist]

touchdown Seattle! Fat lady isn't warming up yet....

--G

 

[twowheelnut]

touchdown Seattle! Fat lady isn't warming up yet....
--G

Eh, just pissed 'em off. Never swat a hornets nest...

 

[twowheelnut]

BWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Picked off, WOOT!

 

[twowheelnut]

TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bleh:

 

[twowheelnut]

Shhhh! I do believe I hear the Fat Lady warming up...

 

[twowheelnut]

And thar she blows! The Fat Lady is singing! PARTY!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOT!!!!!!! I'm off to Disneyland!!!!!!!

 

[yanktar]

I liked Pittsburgh, but I had nothing against Seattle. I was pissed when the Giants didn't play Joe Jurivicious, then gave him up.

I didn't see any really bad calls--well, maybe one. That touchdown call was right, and so was the non-fumble on the Seahawks. I think the offensive interference that negated the touchdown was really iffy--the defender would never have had a chance at that pass anyway.

The 75 yard TD run and the gadget halfback pass for a TD were sensational!

Had the 'Hawks been playing Miami or Denver or NE--or the Raiders I would have been pulling for them.

But what I was REALLY rooting for was a good interesting game--unlike 90% of the 40 SBs--and we got one.

 

[FJR_pig]

That touchdown call was right

Are you kidding me??? I'm surprised that all the change in Ben's pocket didn't fall onto the field when he dragged the football across the goal line from his waist AFTER he was down. :nono:

Horrible call, horrible call.

 

[markjenn]

I'm from Seattle and I still thought the Steeler QB touchdown call was correct - it sure looked on TV like he broke the plane of the goal. In any event, it was very close and to get all bent out of shape about a call this close seems silly - these can go either way.

It was a very poorly officiated game. The holding calls and the offensive pass interference call, which I certainly understand can break either way, were ticky-tacky and really affected the outcome of the game. The officials seemed to be pressing to find something to penalize.

I still have no idea what was going on with that blocking penalty on Hasselbeck. Madden said the official forgot that Hasselbeck was tackling rather than blocking - he basically forgot who had possession of the ball at that point. And why wasn't that one corrected after the officials confered after the play? They picked up a flag earlier in the game to correct a mistake. That call, which wasn't especially critical since it just gave the Steelers a little better field position, really makes you wonder about their control of the game and competence. They either were trying to push the game towards the Steelers or they are incompetent. There's no other way to explain such a gaffe.

I think the Steelers deserved to win - they made more key plays, but I think the win will look tainted, which leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

The quality of officiating has declined since we got instant replay. I wish they'd get rid of it.

- Mark

 

[PapaUtah]

It appears that Mr. Rooney paid the officials cash upfront while Mr. Allen wrote a postdated check.

I would consider it poor officiating if the calls were random and tended to negate each other. When a single team has every play over 25 yards flagged, I tend to think of it as "fixed". The NFL is the most orchestrated organization I have seen in professional sports. I tend to believe that the officials were given "instructions" by either the league or other interests to affect the outcome. <_<

 

[yanktar]

It appears that Mr. Rooney paid the officials cash upfront while Mr. Allen wrote a postdated check.
I would consider it poor officiating if the calls were random and tended to negate each other. When a single team has every play over 25 yards flagged, I tend to think of it as "fixed". The NFL is the most orchestrated organization I have seen in professional sports. I tend to believe that the officials were given "instructions" by either the league or other interests to affect the outcome. <_<

Conspiracy theorist, eh? And how much would it cost to NFL to have it come out that the games were fixed, that players weren't REALLY playing to win? Talk about killing the golden goose!

How do you explain the fumble ruled down by contact?

Seattle was penalized for holding. Holding is holding and happens in EVERY game. Both teams were penalized for motion. Happens EVERY game. Touchdowns didn't happen because receivers clearly came down out of bounds.

I don't really have a dog in this fight, and while marginally for Pitt, I wouldn't have been heartbroken to see the 'Hawks win it either. SO many games people complain about the officialing, but this one was better than most I've seen this year.

I saw a lot of good defense and a lot of offense that couldn't get on-track or get it's timing. All Seattle had to do was connect on the field goals and not throw that interception and all the Steeler fans would be saying the calls went against them.

The things Seattle needed to do to win the game that it failed to do were not in the control of the officials. A 75 yard TD run from scrimmage. A successful half-back option pass for a TD. Officialling had nothing to do with that.

I looked at that touchdown a dozen times and I saw the ball just touch the plane of the goal line, then get pushed back. That's a TD. First I thought it was a bad call, until I looked at the replay again and again.

Hell, it's just a GAME! It's just ENTERTAINMENT! Sure, it's big. Sure it's popular, but don't get in a lather about a game.

Fixing a sport ultimately is far more expensive and far less profitable than keeping it honest--compare football and baseball to pro wrestling--and there's SO much doubt in boxing these days--yet again. The money is in advertising and viewing and skyboxes--not in betting.

 

[Randy]

Pittsburgh fan here since I took my first breath of air.

The officiating wasn't that great, but, it didn't determine the outcome of the game.

It was a classic defensive battle to the bitter end:

Big Ben had a passer rating of about 23 - around 100 points lower than his playoff average

Pittsburgh has 181 total yards rushing, but, 75 of it on one play

Hasselbeck held to less than 300 yards passing - many of those yards coming late in the game trying to play catch up

MVP Alexander held to less than 100 yards rushing

No Seattle receiver breaks 100 yds receiving

 

[PapaUtah]

"...officiating didn't determine the outcome of the game..."????? I saw a different game than you. Pittsburgh got lucky on 2 plays. Other than that they had their *** handed to them. The officials phantom holds on the kick return and the Stevens catch were momentum stuffers. The Jackson interference call was horrible! Why didn't the ref pull the flag when the d-back ILLEGALLY contacted Jackson at the goal line??? NFL officials suck. The 15 yard penalty on Hasselback for tackling the person intercepting his pass??? I hope Leavy has his name engraved on the trophy. He was more responsible for the one for the thumb than the players. In a league that is a packaged as the NFL, dependent on gambling, I have zero, nada, zip, zilch faith in the league not stooping to fixing or tilting a game.

Thank heavens for the deck of cards yesterday! We only had to watch replays when the officials were bending the Seahawks over for a good buggering. I used to be an NFL fan...because of crap like this I try to spend as much time on Sundays in the fall out on my FJR or golfing.

 

[twowheelnut]

See what happens when you drink Iron City vs. Red Hook Latte Frappuccino Pale Ale? BWAAAAAAAAAAA! Bunch of pansy-*****, those Shehawks!!!!!! :haha:

 

[FJRocket]

That touchdown call was right

Are you kidding me??? I'm surprised that all the change in Ben's pocket didn't fall onto the field when he dragged the football across the goal line from his waist AFTER he was down. :nono:

Horrible call, horrible call.

Is this going to turn into a political debate between "those other guys"? Great, then it will get shut down.

That was a very tough call on #7's run in. It looked to me like before he went down, that the very tip of the ball, covered in his gut by both arms, probably broke the plane. But I had to see it from a lot of different angles to make judgement.

I guess the big issue for the ref was "reasonable doubt" or whatever they call it. It was so close to call, they had to go with the guy who made the call.

At the other end of the spectrum, calling back the touchdown by Seattle was a pretty panty waisted call. But I guess it was a push off. Too bad.

Heck, I fell asleep with 6 or so to go. Anything happen after that? I woke up and saw some nurse had her hands buried in someone's bloody guts, then everyone but her hit the deck. I know, I know, it's such a lively and exciting life that I lead....

I thought the commercials were more lame that usual, and Mick Jagger should have just stayed home. Hope it sounded better in person. And thank gawd that HE didn't have a wardrobe malfunction. ICK!

 

[Just Plain Dave]

Do you suppose that after the half time show Mick and his gang sat down to a joint and a good laugh??? I can hear them now, "How about that, we just got a pocket full of American dollars for less than nothing. We can't sing, we can't dance, we can't play music, we're old as the hills and ugly as sin, but these ***** Americans have zero brains and lotsa bucks." B) I guess what they say is true. If you drink enough alcohol, everything is good.