What fools Seattle fans are. I'm embarrassed for you. Have some class!!!!!

I know everyone is talking about the bad calls during Sunday’s game. We have heard about the pass interference, holding, and blocking below the knees. Lost in all of this was a missed call in the last minute of the second half. I believe the officials on the field and upstairs in the review booth missed the call in the end zone when Darrel Jackson caught the pass from Hasselbeck just before the end of the first half.

In 2002 the NFL changed the rule regarding the end zone pylons to state the following: "A player who touches a pylon remains in-bounds until any part of his body touches the ground out-of-bounds" If you review the Jackson catch, you will see that his inner-shin/calf actually touches the pylon before his foot steps out of bounds. According to the rule, he could not be ruled out of bounds and the catch should have been ruled a touchdown. This is the same rule that allowed Michael Vick to score a touchdown in a Monday Night game this year.

If you replay and listen to the television broadcast, you can hear Al Michaels start to say something about the catch and ruling, but hold back his comments. He had obviously seen this rule applied before during the Monday Night game this past season.

Please take a minute and watch the replay.

Has anyone else questioned this?

I though the same thing, and questioned it elsewhere.

I was told (not by an authoriatative source) that the pylon only represents the space above the end-zone(i.e. if the ball touches it, you know you've crossed the plane), but it is not 'ground' that can be touched to mark the end of a play (i.e. it's not in-bounds territory for your foot).

Since his leg only hit the pylon on its way past, and his foot landed out of bounds, it was incomplete.

I tried to confirm this explanation, but couldn't find anything. Does anyone else know more?

http://www.footballscrimmage.com/nfl/

Um yea, the NFL is going to buy this petition with some of the childish names and comments posted.

To be quite honest, I've worked in the state public school system for many years now, and the behavior and comments of some of these people is identical to what I see between rival JV and varsity high school teams - both from Steelers and Seahawks fans.

People, come on and have a little class and knock off the childish comments and behavior, Seattlites are better than this. Its just a game, learn from the mistakes and we'll be back next year in Miami.

Superbowl XL = Pure robbery! How on earth can anyone have faith in the NFL after Sunday's game. I have always thought that league is "fixed", and I believe it is now more obvious to everyone! Why work so hard to get there, then get shafted by the girls in stripes........SHAME ON YOU!

Did the Detroit city prosecutor see the superbowl? First the refs need to be charged with robbery. And then the Steelers need to be charged with theft of a trophy. I know we have plenty of witnesses. Merry Christmas Pittsburgh.

I signed the petition yesterday. I encourage all football fans and anyone who care about fairness and decency to stand up and be counted against the NFL. We demand an answers from the NFL. Please forward to your friends.

http://www.petitiononline.com/nfl12006/petition.html

Having class would actually be what I would have asked the referees of any Super Bowl game to have. Making questionable calls happens, but not 3 or 4 times in the Super Bowl.

We hold the players to a higher standard in this game and the officials should also be held to that standard. The officials should be fined for their errors just as they fine players and coaches for not acting appropriately in their job. They did their job poorly on the biggest stage in the world. Bad form.

Nuff said - my kids believe the Super Bowl is a waste of time and money because it is fixed and they don't care if they watch another... hmmm, great for the NFL that the 'future' viewers are also disgusted.

Fools!? Excuse me... when a team tries for thirty years to get where the Seahawks have dominated this year only to have the game GIVEN to an inferior team only because the $$$$ flowed into Pitt. Feel embarrassed for yourself because you're too affraid to stand up for whats right and call it like you see it. The NFL CANNOT continue to serve its fans by having corrupt officiating. I contribute financially to the NFL for fair and just games...Sundays fiasco was neither!

Like the saying goes, the only happy fans at the end of the NFL season are the winning team's fans. I'm very happy. Seattle, take a deep breath and let it go. All your whining won't change that you got beat by a better team.

Seattle dominated (that's not what I would call it) in the NFC. They probably wouldn't have even made the playoffs in the AFC. Oh, by the way how many times did they make the playoffs when they were in the AFC. Point Proven!

Again , for those of you who call us Seahawks fans "whiners" for wanting the NFL to apologize for tilting the playing field against our team in the Super Bowl, let me quote (and slightly update) the immortal words of Joey Porter:

"I know they wanted [Pittsburgh] to win this game, the whole world loved [Jerome Bettis], but come on, don't take the game away from us."

At least when Seahawks complain, it's about bad calls that perhaps changed the outcome of the game.

You know, there was a "bad call" against the Steelers also. There was a catch then a fumble(caused by a great Steeler hit) by a Seattle receiver that was ruled a no-fumble, when indeed it was. This was in the first half. The Steelers defender would have picked it up had the whistle not been blown immediately and had the chance for a run back. If nothing else, this play could have generated some much-needed momentum for the Steelers on what was a great defensive play.

Also, Big Ben was blocked in the back as he pursued the DB in the interception play in the 2nd half.

Also, the conclusion of a 2nd qtr play, as a Pitt DE was walking away, the Seattle Center blindsided the defenseless player, leveling him to the ground, which was after the action, and should have been a late hit, or unnecessary roughness.

But, you all want only to think that the Seahawks had bad calls against them, but not the Steelers. The irony is, that while you claim the officiating wasn't fair, your analysis isn't fair also as you ignore the following points in addition to the above:

http://www.brenandjess.com/images/evidence.jpg

http://photobucket.com/albums/v469/R-D/?action=view¤t=proof.jpg

Super Bowl XL:

1. The Refs didn't give up the longest run in SB history...Seattle's defense did.
2. The Refs didn't bite on a 43 yd trick play, Randle to Ward for a TD...Seattle's defense did.
3. The Refs didn't allow Ben to scramble around on a 3rd and 28 and complete a long pass to the 2 yd. line...Seattle's defense did.
4. The Refs didn't miss two field goals, that was Seattle.
5. The Refs didn't fail to step out of bounds late in the 1st half to stop the clock in Pitt territory in a crunch time situation...Seattle's offense did.
6. The Refs didn't let the 1st half clock tick down from 48 seconds all the way down to 13 seconds before finally running their next play at Pitt's 36 yd line...Seattle's offense did.
7. And on this play, 3rd down, 53 yds away from a FG, it wasn't the Refs who tried and failed to go deep for a TD rather than a safer 5-7 yd play and timeout setting up a much easier FG attempt....that, again, would be Seattle's offense.
8. The Refs didn't get confused by Pitt's zone defense and throw an INT...that would be Seattle's QB.
9. The Refs didn't let a little physical contact intimidate them from catching 4 very catchable passes...that would be the Seattle TE Jeremy Stevens.
10. With approx. 20 seconds left in the game, knowing they need a TD and FG, in no particular order, and in easy FG range on 4th down, it wasn't the Refs who ignored the FG and elected to throw up a prayer trying for a TD...that AGAIN would be Seattle.
11. The Refs didn't constantly punt deep into the end zone, repeatedly giving Pitt the ball at the 20 yd line...that of course was Seattle.
12. It wasn't the Refs who received a Christmas gift wrapped easy INT lobbed in perfect position to return deep into Pitt territory...the lucky beneficiary of that break would be Seattle.
13. It wasn't the Refs who got a break when a Steeler DB dropped an easy int early in the game...that too would be a break for Seattle.
14. It wasn't the Refs who caught a break when a Steeler WR dropped a very catchable TD pass...that break again would go to Seattle.
15. It wasn't the scapegoat Refs that received a break when a WR caught the ball, turned, stepped, was hit hard enough to cause a fumble, and then ruled INCOMPLETE, thus negating the Steeler defender the chance to have a fumble recovery...that would be of course, another chance for Seattle.
(this was an interesting call considering that after Troy's famous overruled Int, the NFL stated that it WAS a catch. If so, than this definitely WAS a catch)
16. The Refs werent the ones who caught a break when at the conclusion of a 2nd qtr play, as a Pitt DE was walking away, the Seattle Center blindsided the defenseless player, leveling him to the ground. This mysteriously unseen crime was again another break for Seattle.
17. It wasn't the Refs who got a break when Pitt QB Big Ben was blocked in the back as he pursued the DB who he'd tossed an int to...that again would go to Seattle.
18. It wasn't the Refs who stopped Seattle RB Alexander in a few key situations. That would be the Pittsburgh Steelers.
19. It wasn't the Refs who converted many of their 3rd downs yet stopped their opponent on 3rd down often...that would be the Pittsburgh Steelers.
20. And the very bottom line is this...On plays when there wasn't any penalties ...One team made plays and one team didn't.

The end result was the final score, 21-10.

For those of you who watched the Indy-Pgh game there were many more bad, game changing, calls that went against Pgh in addition to the Pass Interference call. But guess what, Pgh overcame them and won any way. Can't say the same for Seattle because they weren't a good enough team to do so.

Great - it looks like we're all now in agreement on the utter incompetence of the officiating in the game.

Since we've settled that, let's talk about how such grossly incompetent officiating can result in one team losing a net of 160 yards on penalties - many of them at key points in the game - compared to other team's net loss of only 30?

We'll let the petitions speak for themselves. Thats garbage BD...nice try though :)

The difference between the Indy-Pgh game and the Super Bowl is that there were many missed calls in the Indy-Pgh game. In the Super Bowl the calls were based on actual penalties that Seattle just can't accept happened. Watch a replay of the game, I have. Every call made looked right to me. Except the missed fumble by Seattle when the Steeler DB blasted the Seattle receiver.

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

FACTS: Both the Seahawks and the Steelers are excellent football team and they both deserved to be in the Super Bowl and compete on a fair ground.

My Opinion: I have no doubt in my mind either the NFL or some of the referees have fixed the game. There should be an investigation of fraud. NFL, if you are not guilty yourself stand up for what's right for the game.

In all the years of watching Super Bowls, I have never seen such a one-sided game. This includes press coverage in pregame highlights to the pathetic officiating. I just hope I never see this happen again in another Super Bowl game in the future.

so overall, the seahawks, the better team, was robbed of a victory in which they deserved. Too bad they screwed up at the superbowl making it irreversible. overall, seahawks beat those candy-arse steelers into the ground. The hawk tore at the steel curtain but the curtain was covered by a veil of black and white.

Please, all of you Steeler fans heed my words. You know it down in the depths of your black little hearts that the Seahawks are better then the Steelers. They proved that in the superbowl, and you need to admit it. Roethlesberger is so "good" in the East, but sadly he hardly makes highschool varsity in the west. So quit with the AFC is better crap because it isn't true. The Seahawks are substantially better than the Steelers.

Please tell the striped asses who label themselves "referees" that they're nothing short of criminals. They obviously rigged the game before it even began. They rempved any degree of "sportsmansahip" from the XL Bowl game and took their filthy payola from the Steeler crooks.

A few more points to consider (plus the 23 in the post above), for Seattle fans. I am not here to argue, but let you all know that there are always 2 points to every controversy.

Just take this stuff into consideration, while you ask Steelers fans to see your point of view, which I guarantee you, many already do.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=2322300

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060207/SPORTS01/602070353/1027

Plus, some photos of Big Ben's TD:

http://photobucket.com/albums/v469/R-D/?action=view¤t=proof.jpg

http://www.brenandjess.com/images/evidence.jpg

If you want proof, go to KDKA for the vidio proof (something Seattle media didn't do) for the proof of the TD, the hold and offensive pass interference.
You folks should all move to Wisconsin, the cheese they have will go with your whine.
Blame your offense, defense and coaching staff. Put the blame where it belongs.

what the hell is vidio?

Actually, I am not much of a Seahawks fan. As a matter of fact, I am still bitter about the $ that went into building the new dome. I really would have been delighted if Seattle had gone winless. That having been said, I tuned in hoping for a good game. It didn't materialize. That was no fault of the players on either side. The officiating destroyed my enjoyment of the game. I will probably watch the superbowl next year, but that isn't a certainty. It would be too disheartening to see a cultural icon like the superbowl degraded by a repeat of the incompetence that we saw last Sunday. The sponsors and the network should be alarmed. I suggest everyone write them and suggest that they have a serious heart to heart with the NFL. Money talks.

New petition regarding improved officiating just went up:

http://www.petitiononline.com/SBXLref/petition.html

I dont know what this guys problem is "the comment right below me" But I watched the superbowl and it was the most unreal football game I have ever seen. This is a perfect example of how things in life are not fair. I hope this makes a difference and I never want to see a game that one sided ever again. I agree with the sign I saw on TV "The Steelers 12th man has stripes"

hopefully we will be treated fair when we make it to another superbowl down the road

one of the many fans
-Cody

why cry the game is all over it is not like they will replay the game just because a couple of fan are going to cry about it. all the fans are saying that the refs where unfair then. then how about all those fans become refs and and see how hard it is to do there job

For the sake of full disclosure..I am a steelers fan.Now all of you who will not listen to reason can shut your mind and continue in your schoolyard antics.I'm guessing that everyone of you who keeps ranting about the refs fixing the game ruefully tilted your heads and laughed at Mr. Porter when he suggested the same thing a few weeks ago.You said"Ahh, Mr. Porter is a blowhard who can't accept reality.These refs and the league they work for would never fix a game to help out a sentimental favorite like the colts.When will he ever learn."How many possesions did you have in which you did not score?If seattle is such an amazing team, then they should have scored everytime they touched the ball.The score should have been like,, a million to 14.But they didn't did they?They were so dominant! Did they win? Then they weren't dominant.I think if the NFL was going to fix the superbowl they would have fixed it for your sake.I mean, lets be honest, don't you think the story of this overwhelming and powerful new dynasty that has never won before makes a better storyline than some old favorite thats got a few rings?I do,even though it would be a rerun (see superbowls 9,10,13, and 14).You could say that the steelers paid off the dallas receiver that dropped a pass in the endzone or that the refs were paid off to make the call which enabled the pats to go on and win against the raiders.It just didn't happen.Get over it.

You lost the Super Bowl. Get over it. Even if Ben didn't score that touchdown, they would have gotten in on the next down. And even if they didn't get it then, we steal would have beat you. Maybe you should be more concerned with the missed field goals then the officiating. We won. Get over it.

I have watched many superbowls growing up but sunday was a sad story, I cannot believe some of the things that went on. It seemed that it was rigged but I know thats not the case. Its simple "the refs cost us the game" I dont ever want to see a game that unfair again and mabey next time the hawks go to the superbowl they get treated fairly. If this was my opinion then how come im not the only one to sign this? think about it "the steelers 12th man had stripes that day" weither they knew it or not, I have no idea what this comment below me is stating but if it was that guys team he would also be fighting back.

go seahawks!

I just want to say that this
is my first year as a football
fan and it was the Seahawksthat did that. I am not upset with them, as far as I am concerned, they won.
I am concerned with the so
called officiating,shame on
you, you can watch the re-runs and live with yourselves.

Someone should sit Holmgren down and shut him up. I always thought he had more class until his out-of-line NFL officials comments. He is really disgracing and distracting attention from a really great football season for the Seahawks. They are a good team and I would expect them to reappear in the playoffs again. Mike, stop the cry-baby comments... it's over!

The Steelers had 16 men on the field, the Seahawks 11, you do the math.

I wonder who all the Refs were rooting for?

The fix was in and no matter what anyone says the fixed media,the right wing comments in here,or any where else,this game was fixed and it is shameful.
90 million plus people saw ref's that fixed the biggest sporting event in the united states,and we are just suppose to forget it,I think not.
It is such a shame that the Media is going along with this fix,you would think that Bush was spinning this to....

I am a Niners' fan from the Bay Area and have family in Seattle. To all the Steelers fans on this blog who tried to shut up the Seahawks fans: Yes the reality is Pittsburgh has won the SB, If you are true to your conscience you have to admit the officiating was very one-sided. The worst I've seen in my 23 years of watching football.

If the Steelers were that good, they would not have needed all the extra help from the refs. Apparently, someone thought they needed extra help before the game started.

The game was fixed no questions asked. Im glad Seattle made it to the Superbowl, but why try to win a game that was lost before it started? The Steelers name really fits them, or should they be called thieves?

For the love of God, our country and the game of fotball the NFL needs to stand up and admit their guilt or pursue to the fullest extent who is responsible for Sunday's travesty.

This isn't about who won the game - this is about "fair" calling by the referees. The Steelers did not win the game fairly.
Were the refs paid off to overlook penalties that should have been called against the Steelers? I don't know, I wasn't there before the game. I just know what I saw.
Yes, I saw the Seahawks make some very poor plays and I also saw them make some awesome plays. Awesome plays that were taken away from them.
I saw the Steelers make some awesome plays and I saw them make some very poor plays. Poor plays that were still given to them.

Like I said, this isn't about the Seahawks or the Steelers, it's about the referees. Why should we keep quiet about it? People all over the United States, Steeler, Seahawk, no team fans are saying the same thing - the referees didn't do their job properly. So it isn't the Seahawk fans whining.

I now wonder if the superbowl should be changed to the Refbowl because it was very obvious the game belonged to the refs and the only way the steelers won was with the help of the refs. Seattle Seahawks, you rock and you are truly the champions. It truly takes integrity to stand up and say that the game could have had a different outcome had the refs officiated correctly but the steelers nor their coach has had the integrity to do so. I have never been a steeler fan and never will be.

Well, for once the both sides of the state are in agreement about one thing. I do not what to take anything from the steelers, I think they are owned by a great family and they have a great team. But to say the have the Best team in the nfl, we cannot say for sure because there was'nt a fair fight. The hawks shot themselves in the foot, but they had help from the stripe shirts. Some people are saying ya right sour grapes seahawks were guilty, okay einsteins tell me that it is against the rules for a defense player can be called for a clip ( A Illegal Block). If you are a true football fan then think about the integrity of the game, fair play and then there will be no doubt who is the best.

Steelers stole that superbowl. Refs are supposed to be there to make sure that doesn't happend. But this superbowl tells different. Anyone who disagrees needs to open thier bias eye and watch the replays of those questionable calls. By the way John Madden said that he didn't see the holding call. I know he knows more than most. And Greg Aiello is snake.
Holgrem I got your back.

I don't know if any of you all noticed but there were some more non-calls by the ref's when the defensive end #53 (Haggans) kept jumping offsides to get past Locklear before the ball was snapped and they never called offsides. The officiating was a farce.

please,Please!Tell me that there not are people on the seattle blog that are trying to say in front of thousands of seattle fans that know that we got screwed by the men in stripes. Who clearly pulled for pittsburgh. Is it the steelers fault No,not in any way and i'm not taking the championship away, plus yes a great team could over come the odds to beat down the refs but the point is that they should'nt have to try to beat the system aka. Those payed off officals that we once called impartial refs. Now really is there anything we can do about it No but next time when we go next year keep in mind those of you who feel it was a fair game that the NFL never wanted us to have that championship but soon enough not even the steelers or anyone else will stop us.

I think the Steelers fans are misguided.

In the play of the disallowed TD in the 1st QTR, their was hardly a push and in a regular game that would have been allowed. How can this sort of thing be enforced so sternly in the superbowl.

A referee should be consistent in every game...not stricter, the closer towards the superbowl....

The Roethsinger TD should not have happened as the ball never crossed the line nor was there momentum to make it cross the line.

There were several passes to the 1 yard line that were disallowed due to stooopid officiating.

The intercept call...geez there were so many bad calls that I don't have enough fingers to count them. I'll have to use my toes !

ALL of the penalties against Seattle were points worthy calls. The opnes against Pittsburgh were not.

It's such a farce makes me angry !

Cheated out of 2 touchdowns by the Refs.

Play FAIR!!!

Consider Bob Waggoner, the Back Judge. Juniata College Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Juniata is in the little town of Huntingdon, PA. Bob is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. He called the pass interference. No Conflict Of Interest, hmm?

Injustice to Seattle Sports Fans

To All Football Fans:

The NFL has spent the past 40 plus years (I only use 40 because that's how long I have been watching) or so to educate us. We are probably the most sophisticated and astute fans of any sport. We know the difference between pass interference and incidental contact. We know the difference between free safetys, linebackers, centers and halfbacks. We know how the game clock should be managed and the strategies of our favorite coaches. We are, without a doubt the most educated of all the sporting leagues fans.

Now that they have spent this time educating us, they ask us to watch the Super Bowl this past week and agree with the Commissioner that the officiating was "correct."

The fans with questions about the officiating are not just Seahawk fans, they are football fans. They were born at night...not last night. Fans all over the country watched the same game and no matter who their favorite team was, the comments have come from all over the country that the officiating stunk! It didn't matter who you were rooting for the pictures on the TV didn't lie. How can that be? How can their be such an uproar if, as the NFL would have you believe, the officials called a good game? Maybe the NFL did their job too well and taught the fans too much. All I know is that this game raises real questions about the credibility of the NFL... Maybe they should be re-named the WFFL (World Federation Football League) and take their place beside wrestling. Maybe they should not be catagorized as "sports" but as "entertainment". If that happened maybe I could accept the fact that the stripes not the players earned the Super Bull Trophy. I think Vince Lombardi must be turning over in his grave. What has the NFL become?

I used to live in the Northwest and went to a few Seahawks game. I am not a Seattle fan and I hate the Steelers, but even without the ref problems you still would have lost the game. One day you will see that, but I know losing hurts. Get Over It! The more I read about this and from what I have experienced at QWest Field, the Northwest fans are classless and are fair weather fans at best. Show some class, rally behind your team, and get ready for a run at the SuperBowl next year. Simple as that. Any other arguement is about as stupid as saying the Oregon Ducks should have played in a BCS game when they couldn't beat Oklahoma...

What kind of lesson did Sunday's debaucle teach our young boys and girl who are involved in sports?

Lee: Try to call the Seahawk fans fair weather next time you come to town and try to get tickets to a game. We have the reputation for being the toughest outdoor arena in sports...all because of our fans. And classless you say? We have been behind our team for its entire existence not just this year. Apparently you moved years ago because you are certainly out of touch with the true northwest feelings about their hawks. Your loss!

TN . . . what dome are you talking about? QWest is not a dome. It is an open air stadium that was ranked this year as the #1 football stadium in the NFL.

What I want to know is why were the ushers in Ford Field allowed to hand out yellow Stealer towels without having some Seahawk towels to hand out? I don't buy this excuse that the Seahawk towels didn't get there. If they didn't get there, then they should not have handed out the Stealer towels to the people at the game.

Come on Seattle have some class. The way you act reflects on the whole state. You can't change the outcome or get the trophy back. Too bad you never learned to be a good sport.

Shame on you NFL for saying the ref's were right...I come from a football family... Dad was a coach/player and two brothers played.... I know the game rules and even an idiot could see those calls were bad.... its the biggest game, let the players play without nit pickin every little thing.... Shame on you.... Shame on you.

Quit crying Seattle!!!!! Try blaming the players for the loss. Don't be hard on the players..just admit that they could have won the game and just didn't. I wrote this in another blog section and will write it in others. I'm a long time Bills fan. They lost 4 super bowls in the 90's. Hey!!! I have an idea...let's blame the refs Bills fans! Come on people get over it!!! I know it hurts Seattle but live with the loss. It was a great season for the seahawks now quit sniveling. Don't forget trash talking Stevens' dropped passes and Hasselbeck's interception. Your Kicker missed two field goals as well. Any one of these plays could have changed the game for the Seahawks and taken those pouting looks off the players faces that were already forming early. Your coach (and yes!! I love him also!) was sniveling to the refs at the end of the first half instead of motivating his players and finding a way to get back the few points needed to get back into it in the second half. Quit acting like high school fans and live with the loss. From: an adult fan

I'm actually a Chief's fan who happens to live in the Seattle area, so of course I was rooting for the Seahawks. I am an avid NFL who watched every game televised in my area this year. (Every game) I conced the fact that Seattle did not play well in the Second half and blew several opportunities, the also were very much like days of old, when something bad happened instead of pulling themselves up by the bootstrap, they fell apart. There were very questionable play calls, and I stronlgy agree that the clock management was bad. HOWEVER.... The officiating was AWFUL. One of the worst games all year. (And there were severeal really bad ones this year.) IT was not only the calls that were made against SEattle, there were also many non-calls against the Steelers that were bad. Specifically two offsides that were not called, one of which led to a Sack on Hasselbeck. Not to mention a couple holds I saw that were not called. (But is that really unusual for an NFL game,.... No. I could looks back at almost any game and find three or four holds that never got called. The Ref's don't have camera's for that stuff and can't watch 22 players at the same time.) SEattle really did outplay the Steelers and were the better team on the field at least for most of the game, but the only thing that matters at the end of the day is the score. For my fellow Seattleites, get over it, we lost. They will be in Miami next year, playing Kansas City. (I really won't know what to do then.)

Act like you have been there before. I am not a Steelers fan. In fact as a 35 year Vikings fan I detest the Steelers. I am not happy they won as Seattle is my second favorite team.

However, reading the whining, crying, bemoaning that befalls an entire region makes me laugh. The game was interesting, there were some questionable calls, and there were some bad plays by both teams. So what. That is why it is called a game. As a former player, coach, and now just a fan it never ceases to amaze me how so called adults can act when things don't care their way.

A super bowl team will find ways to win regardless of officiating, weather conditions (were not a factor in this one) or any other factor. Win with grace and lose with grace is an old fashioned, and out of date concept I realize, but it sure would be nice to see for a change. All you are doing is embarrassing yourself. I don't hold the city,the franchise, or the region accountable for the juvenile tantrums of fans who have never been there and don't know how to react when their team loses the big one. Take a deep breath and relax. It was a great season. Bask in it.

Russian charged in Olympic skating fix. An Investigation into Olympic game fixing resulted in shared championship. Should the FBI investigate the NFL for Fraud? As a retired Special Agent of the Federal Government, Yes. There should be an investigation. This is NOT based on comments to the online petition. This is based on comments by major sports media and officials across the counry. There were just to many concerned and intelligent Americans commenting on the officiating. The dollars involved to the winner and the NFL DICTATE such an investigation be conducted and result should be provided to the media and the American people. I can't believe that an NFL referee, or judge could withhold the truth from a federal grand jury if there was fraud or criminal inducement for favoritism. Where is our sacred democracy if fraud invades our national sports.

Steelers fans if you have a conscience and any class then butt out of the Seattle blog or admit that the Seahawks got screwed by the NFL and/or the referees. The entire nation recognized the travesty and are speaking up because we are American who believe in fairness and justice.

I'm very proud of the Seahawks and yes I did watch the Super Bowl. I was very disappointed that our team did't win. Go Seahawks.

It's amazing to me how many people write on these blogs to complain that Seahawks fans have no cause or class in complaining about the Super Bowl officiating - as if this is the first time any teams fans have done this in recent memory.

That's just not true. Go look at the archives for the local Pittsburgh blogs after the Indianapolis game. Heck, read the quotes from Joey Porter openly accusing the refs of trying to steal the game.'

Look at the complaints coming from New England after the Broncos game.

We didn't suddenly invent this idea of bad officiating in the NFL because we're suddenly sore losers (believe me, if there's any group of fans who're experienced at having their hopes dashed, it's us Seattle fans.) No - this problem was being commented on long before the Super Bowl, and people predicted that the NFL wouldn't react until it hit the Super Bowl.

Well, it has! For those of you out there calling us "whiners" and snivelers, be my guest. But don't you dare complain about another game that the NFL officals botched.

Don't get me wrong - I'm one of the Seahawks fans who believes the Steelers deserve this championship; The Seahawks blew the chances they had. But officiating that was sloppy at best placed a huge obstacle in fron t of the Hawks. It's falacious to claim the bad calls went both ways, when the net cost Seattle 160 yds and Pitt less than 30.

With both teams struggling Sunday, that additional obstacle of typically incompetent officiating may very well have been the difference in the game.

Tell me Steeler fans, those of you disposed to join these blogs by taunting and name-calling, tell me that it Roethlisberger had not made that incredible shoe-string tackle to save the win against Indy three weeks ago, tell me you wouldn't be whining to the NFL.

Oh wait - he did make that tackle, you did win, and... you whined and complaine anyway.

Joey Porter: "I know they wanted Indy to win this game, the whole world loved Peyton manning, but come on, don't take the game away from us."

As a concerned American and avid football fan who has a son playing high school football, I challenge anyone in the position of power to stand up and speak up. We need to keep the momentum on and put extra exposure on the media and the NFL for a formal investigation. Yes, for God, our country, our childrent and the love of the game.

A complete scam !

questionable officiating

I heard Roethlisberger's comment on the David Letterman show the other night, that even he knew that TD was incorrectly called. I applaud his honesty....now if only the refs could be so honest! In our modern world, I am amazed that with the amount of photographic coverage, when it was so obvious to the rest of us that those refs had made errors in their initial calls. We were suprised and amazed to see that these calls were not reversed and corrected. If there isn't honesty and truth in sports as well as news, everything loses its credibility. There were numerous other calls made by the officials during the game that my eighty year old grandmothe could have called better from the Ford Field parking lot~ without her glasses! I don't blame the Steelers ~ these calls are up to the officials. I feel that this is a hollow victory for the Steelers, and it showed the Seahawks and their fans that truth doesn't always prevail.

Seahawk fans please don't take away what the Steelers did. Jeremy Stevens choked big time, Holmgren was outcoached. Steelers made the big plays when needed. Ben did cross the goal line as your superbowl first half slide shows #20. http://www.king5.com/images/slideshows/firsthalf19.jpg
Also the holding call was legit. I will admit the offensive interference was a tough call, but its in the rulebook stating that the receiver shall not push off the defender as the replay shows he did. We'll send the cheese with the WHINE. Anyway I really enjoyed the parade that wasn't officially planned in Pgh.till after the victory. 250,000 real fans!!!!! See ya next year at the superbowl. STEELERS WORLD CHAMPS 2006 SUPERBOWL.

I did sign the petition but I am wondering if we are aiming at the wrong people. I honestly believe YES, the ref's were paid off... but I am more interested in WHO paid them. Who SET the rules for them to follow... I can only come to one answer for this - THE NFL. When they said 'the game would be reviewed and we will issue a statement' I had hope for them (the NFL)... but now that they are STILL BACKING ALL CALLS BY THE REFS I can come up with no other answer than to swing the finger in THEIR direction!

Now, it is sad that Seattle happened to be the 'fixed losers' in this game (I know this could have been a huge deal for you guys) - but looking beyond that - I NEVER WANT TO SEE SUCH A ONE-SIDED GAME AGAIN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think there should be an investigation launched on the NFL AND the ref's and if it turns up the NFL is responsible I would be the first to sign a class-action suit for all the money I have poured into their corporation expecting in return FAIR, CLEAN games with REAL ref's out there and I would like to include a claim on emotional damage for my children (who heard the worst imaginable words in screaming fits by people at my house watching the game - WHOM by the way were STEELER FANS pointing out the bad calls on Seattle and are now ashamed of the empty win).
You have a deserving team - the better team (this time) and I am ashamed for the Steelers fans who have been so rude to post on your blog with such hurtful and childish words. I merely found this blog in a search looking for a place to speak my mind in support for what is RIGHT.

Congrats to the Seahawks - The REAL winners!

Officiating is not a perfect science. Players realize this going into a game and any player will tell you he only hopes his team has at least one chance to put the game away before the ref's have a chance to change the outcome. The game was close and both teams had chances to put the game away. Emotions will be running high for awhile , but just remember to keep it all in perspective.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK "NOW A SEAHAWKS FAN" FOR COMING ON HERE WITHOUT BEING RUDE, TRASH TALKING OR FIGHTING WORDS. IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT some STEELERS FANS AREN'T COMPLETELY BLIND, DUMB OR IN DENIAL OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.

I AGREE WITH PEOPLE WHO POSTED BEFORE ME THAT THIS IS NOT A FIGHT THAT SHOULD BE DROPPED. TO CRUMBLE NOW WOULD BE TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN TO EITHER US OR SOMEBODY ELSE. ONE THING THE SEAHAWKS TAUGHT US ALL THIS YEAR WAS TO FIGHT FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. THEY TOOK ALL OF US ON A JOYRIDE AND I THANK THEM FOR THAT. I WOULD HAVE THANKED THEM FOR THAT STILL EVEN IF WE HAD LOST IN A FAIR GAME BUT THAT ISN'T WHAT IT TURNED OUT TO BE. WE MAY BE THE UNDERDOG TO THE BIG SHOTS IN THE NFL AND FANS OF OTHER TEAMS AND THAT IS FINE CAUSE WE ARE ALL THE SUPPORT WE NEED - WE MAY NOT HAVE PLAYED OUR BEST IN THE SUPERBOWL BUT WE STILL WHOOPED THE STEELERS HANDS DOWN.

HERE'S TO NEXT YEAR MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS!!!

THAT WAS MEANT TO BE "A FIGHT THAT SHOULD NOT BE DROPPED" SORRY

Todd, your Blog said it best!!
Lets just let this go. We will be back next year playing in Miami, I really believe that.

I love how every Steelers fan on here is telling every Seattle fan to "get over it." But I can almost guarantee you that if it was their team in this position of horrible calls and obvious fraud that they wouldn't be "getting over it" themselves. I stand by my opinion of the game being fixed and an obvious bias against the Seahawks. Hey, Seattle, we know who the true winnners are so let these incompetent Steelers fans try to justify their tainted win because we have true class and nothing can change that.

As a Seahawk fan I was crushed not because they lost the game but how they lost it! I agree that Seattle didnt take advantage of some opportunities that were there for them but the officiating cost them this game. Steeler fans; you cannot honestly say that "The Steel Curtain" contained Seattle in this game. The Seahawks were moving the ball on you all night and you know it. Take away the blown calls and this championship would be celebrated in Seattle! The Steelers have a great franchise and no one could ever doubt that but they did not win superbowl XL! It was handed to them by the NFL!

The Seahawks got robbed

let the fans vote on questionable calls, online, realtime

MY NAME IS JIM AND I LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA, I'M NOT A PANTHER FAN, STEELER FAN OR A SEAHAWK FAN..BUT THE SECOND HALF OF THE "SB" THE STEELERS PLAINLY PUT IT TO THE SEAHAWK TEAM! I THINK COACH "MIKE" SHOULD FORGET THIS GAME AND START LOOK FORWARD TO THE 2006 NFL SEASON. I HAVE READ SOME OF THE ARTICLES IN OUR LOCAL PAPERS ABOUT HOW THE SEAHAWK COACHING STAFF FELT THE OFFICIALS CAUSED THEM TO LOSE THE SUPERBOWL.
THIS IS BOLONEY....THE STEELERS HAD TO MANY WEAPONS! {BIG PLAYS}. PEOPLE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY FEEL THE SEAHAWKS ARE SORE LOOSERS! I AGREE....YOUR TEAM LOST....AT THE END OF THE GAME THE COACHES COULD BLAME THEMSELVES DUE TO POOR "CLOCK MANAGEMENT! THEY COULD HAVE "SPIKED" TO BALL IN ORDER TO STOP THE CLOCK. SHAME ON THE SEAHAWK COACHES FOR INSIGHTING FAN "RAGE"! GOOD LUCK NEXT YEAR! THE SEASON IS OVER!

JIM.. GREENVILLE,NC.

Seattle - shoulda, coulda, woulda . . . Learn to lose with class. For how you are carrying on over your loss, the nation will now look upon you as the Seattle Whiners. wah wah wah GO STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!

First of all, congradulations on making it to the Super Bowl for the first time in 30 years. You will be back!

I have seen alot of bad calls in my lifetime of watching sports, whether college or pro. But, this Super bowl XL put the icing on the cake.

For a ref to call a touchdown at the one-foot line & to not call a touchdown for the Seahawks when it was obvious they scored is really going to far in the game of ref calling.

They should hold this tape for upcoming ref meetings & test their skill (if they have any) to see when a team scores a touchdown or not.

So much for this year. The Seahawks will win the Super Bowl next year in Miami on Feb 4, 2007 with fair calls from the guys in stripes & with men who can call the game & not have bias opinions about the Seahawks or the other team we play.

John Newman, Jr
Spokane, WA

Hey John Newman Jr, let's put an end to one of the things you Seattle Whiners are whining about:

http://photobucket.com/albums/v469/R-D/?action=view¤t=proof.jpg

Quote from one of your own!!!!!!!!!!

Citing penalties as an explanation for the loss sounds an awful lot like an excuse.

"I'm not happy about it," wide receiver Joe Jurevicius said. "It changed the momentum. But they obviously played a better game."

I've been posting to a couple of these blogs since Sunday, and I appreciate many of the NFL fans who've joined in. There are a lot of opinions circling around, and I am one of those who adamantly reject both extremems

Fellow Seahawks fans: There was no conspiracy, no "fix" on the game; it was simply a very poorly officiated game. We came out on the short end of it. Complain, vent, and yes - cry - about it, but stop this nonsense about being cheated out of a voctory. That IS whining. As I've said all along, the Seahawks failed to take advantage of their opportunities, while the Steelers succeeded in theirs. That's why they are the champions.

To a couple of you Steeler fans and others who have been smuggly wagging your fingers and your "get over it" taunts at Seattle fans who complain: Get over your hypocracy! For a month now we've been listening to radio and Tv commentators - and blogging fans - about how the NFL refs have spoiled or nearlyt spoiled several playoff games. (Waa waa waa?) Were you silent then? Did you simply disagree? Or do you honestly believe that the NFL coorected their officiating problems in the two weeks since Joey Porter cried his own conspiracy theory about the NFL's attempts to rob Steelers of the AFC championship?

The Steelers fans have a right to cheer the title they won. But you probably ought to go watch the game again before you crow too much about your dominating effort - the Steelers escaped that game.

Seahawks fans have a right to jeer the uneven officiating. But if you don't stop the wild accusations and learn to live with this one that got away, pretty soon even the people who agreed that the refs put an extra hurdle in front of the Hawks will turn against you.

My name is zyad and i live in Prince Rupert Bc Canada. I grew up watching the seahawks and it was the worst SB i have ever watched. Did the hawks ever get shaft. To all you steelers fans, enjoy this moment as it will be your last. The hawks will win the next SB as long as we don't have the same crooks running the show. GO HAWKS GO.

The difference about Joey Porter's rant was that the call he was complaining about was the MOST OBVIOUS OFFICIATING BLUNDER of the entire season. They initially called it an INT, which was obviously correct, then curiously overturned it in a clear misinterpretation of the rule. Even the head of officiating of the NFL stated he didn't know what the ref thought he saw in order to overturn that.

None of the calls that went against either team were obvious officiating mistakes. The Roethlisberger TD was lucky on the Steelers' part, as I can guarantee you if they'd have called it 'no TD', they would not have overturned it because the replay evidence was simply not conclusive. You couldn't see the ball clearly behind Roethlisberger's forearm. If you assume the pont of the ball was between his armband and his elbow, then he was in. But the replay simply wasn't clear.

The pass interference call, IMO, was ticky-tack, because the contact wasn't all that significant. Jackson didn't get much separation, but you can clearly see he did push off. That happens all the time in the NFL, and IMO the only reason it was called was because it happened RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE OFFICIAL.

The holding calls were also legit, regardless of what John Madden thinks he saw. Remember, he's a former Raiders coach, and every once in a while, his hatred for the Steelers creeps to the surface. :)

The PF call on Hasselbeck was BS, however. He was clearly trying to tackle Taylor, not take out Townsend's knees. Hass was simply doing whatever it took to stop a potential TD. If he hadn't dived for the tackle, Taylor probably takes it all the way.

I agree 7 penalties to 3 is lopsided, and when I re-watched the game, I saw several fouls that were missed both ways.

Seattle held Aaron Smith, Pittsburgh held a couple Seattle defenders on a couple plays (one was for negative yardage, so big whoop), Roethlisberger was clearly blocked in the back on Herndon's INT return, and von Oelhoffen took a shot in the back from Tobeck after one play was whistled dead.

The refs didn't "put an extra hurdle in front of the Hawks". Holding and interference happens in every game and doesn't always get called. Just because one team happens to get caught more often, doesn't mean the refs were paid off.

I'm a Pats fan and I just wanted to say that I think Seahawks outplayed Steelers! The Steelers looked like a bunch of chumps out there. If Ward wasn't so acrobatic he would of never caught Ben's crappy passes. All ben cand do is run the ball...And I also believe that those plays costed your team the game. Steelers are the Pits and always will be.

Poor Rob:

I'm a Bronco's fan and you're obviously just lashing out since your wimpy Pats met their match in the Bronco's. Your team was so lucky the last few years when they beat the Steelers to get to the SB, so you should be a Steelers fan. If the Pats wouldn't have lucked out their wins against them the Steelers would have even more SB championships. So poor poor Rob. Do you know what you call 45 guys watching the Super Bowl? The New England Patriots!

why dont all you pitz/burg fans stick your heads back in a mine shaft ? we need to rant a bit about this travesty of officiating and how we feel we were screwed with out being kissed / the whole day started downhill when Motown got their feeling s hurt by the rolling stones being the half time show - so the NFL let motown do the national anthem / it was awful ! then they sold pitz/burg stuff to the fans at the stadium / no seahawk stuff - whats that all about ? TELL ME, why dont the refs us a 50 inch plasma tv to see the replay instead of a little 3 inch hooded contraption ? and why dont 2 or 3 refs get together to watch and discuss the reply and let us fans listen to hear how they see it - we was screwed and YA LL know it !

Mike,

I appreciate all your points. Your comment about Joey Porter is true; that was an outrageous call that had all of us flabbergasted, along with many other calls this post season. My point, though, is that it's hypocritical of poeple to defend Porter's complaints about an NFL conspiracy to favor Indy, and any other game-impacting bad calls, and now criticize us for complaining about the bad calls, questionable calls, and close calls that impacted the Super Bowl.

I did re-watch the game, and even this morning caught a break-down of it by the ESPN crew. I saw, and the ESPN commentators saw, many missed calls. Since you took the time to put together a thoughtful analysis from your perspective, here's what I can say:

Jeramy Stevens had an obvious fumble blown dead that the Steelers would have recovered around the 15 yard line with some room to advance maybe to their 30. The result of that missed call: A Seahawks missed FG and Steeler ball at the 40. Net gain for the Steelers.

The refs missed what was arguably a shove in the back to Roethlisberger after the INT. The blocker hit his shoulder first, but then gave an obvious shove to his back. Result: Seahawks got to start probably about 15 yards closer to the end-zone on their scoring drive. (Looks like that Personal Foul on Hasselbeck later in the game was an inadvertent make-up call.)

On the Darrel Jackson TD push-off, the defender initiated the contact and tied-up hands hands with Jackson before the pass and kept contact while the pass was in the air. The ESPN guys didn't feel the push-off hindered the defender's ability to the ball, and that the call was one that maybe only gets called 1 out of 10 times. Guess we got the 10th time --- too bad, Seahwaks. But let the guys play; huge impact.

The Warrwick punt return hold; please explain where you see any hold occur, because no one else can spot it. Result: Not much impact; Seahawks still had a first down.

The Shawn Locklear holding: I know you said you thought it was a hold, but my biassed eyes (of course) and the unbiased eyes of the ESPN crew strongly disagree. It's clean, they lock up, they hands come off, the pass is away. Most importantly - and this is what stunned me during the game - was the flaggrant off-sides by that same defender on the play. One of the ESPN guys pointed out that he had two steps before the ball was snapped. It should have been a free play. This was the bad call that really had the biggest impact on the game.

I know many of you disagree, but the majority in the sports community believe this: The close and bad calls that impacted the game all went against the Seahawks; The Seahawks blew their opportunities; The Steelers made the plays that counted, and are the rightful champions.

I agree with every one of those points.

I'm going to try to go get my life back now.

Steelers are still my second favorite team. See you in Miami for a re-match!

I'm a Seattle fan true and true and while yes I was devastated by the horrible loss on Sunday, I feel I at least realize the best team won. Do I feel there were bad calls against the Hawks? Yes of course. But if you review the game you'll also notice that there were lots of missed blatant calls that should have been called against Seattle. Steeler fans need to realize that we just get so tired of all the gloomy weather up here and the Hawks gave us a ray of sunshine. The Super Bowl loss put us back in the gloom. But I'm getting really embarrassed by how these so-called Seahawk fans are behaving themselves over this loss. After the dust settles, Seahawk fans will realize that the Refs didn't make them lose, the Steelers just took advantage of their opportunities when they had them. Pittsburgh was probably the best team last year too, but played awful against the Patriots in the AFC Championship. They didn't complain and try to blame others. They blamed themselves and vowed to win it all this year. And guess what, they did. Hail Pittsburgh, they are the Champs. That's where we want to be. So quit blaming others, accept defeat, and let's win it all next year.

Quoted for Buffness:

"To all STEALER fans who think that Ben scored a touchdown I say this: the Side Line Judge first called the play dead and raised his hand to mark 4th Down. He then changed his mind AFTER Ben moved the ball forward. So, the call that should have been reviewed was Down By Contact, not TD. If there wasn't enough incontrovertible evidence to overturn the TD, then there wasn't enough to overturn his original call: Down By Contact...4th Down. Sorry if the logic hurts your heads."

Just my 87 cents

Probably all the bad calls against the Seahawks were just coincidence; however, isn't it possible for the refs to assess the calls made during a game and make an adjustment if necessary? Don't they confer with one another? Why give anyone the impression of a lop-sided game because of inconsistency in calling penalties? If the playoffs and SB aren't enough motivation to get it right, then what's the point of pro football? More to the point, if fans lose interest in watching bogus games, then what would happen to the NFL's bottomline?

The Steelers did nothing wrong; they simply were allowed to keep the points that they scored and won the game as a result. The officials are the ones who are tarnished. For now, Seahawk fans can take solace in the fact that the officials for SB #40 are now the "punch line" for late night talk shows! Hopefully, the NFL is paying attention.

By the way, Seattle has waited 30 years to be in the SB; therefore, Seahawk fans are not being unreasonable. If we were just being sore losers, sports writers throughout the nation wouldn't be agreeing with us. Had we lost the game solely on our own mistakes, then there would not be this level of complaining and blogging. The better team would have actually won. However, Seattle will get over this. But Steeler fans, be honest and put yourselves in our place. What would you be saying if the outcome of the game had changed in Seahawks' favor because of poor officiating?

To all the Steelers fans gripeing on the seattle fans for complaining, please produce a valid argument instead of playing that game. And let me remind some of you who are quick to still give it to the steelers amist all the bad calls (which I am not saying i disagree becuase the Steelers made some crucial plays)i ask you: Would the game have unfolded the same had the Seahawks not been raped by calls early on? The seahawks fell apart after the 2nd half, perhaps discouraged by the incredible bias, or incompetience of the officials. Could this have been psychological? I think it would have absoltuely been a different game had officiating been less nitipicky, and most importantly, ACCURATE. I wouldent be so quick to say the Steelers won it regardless of the officiateing, but I wouldent put it past the steelers. NITHER, would i put it past the seahawks.

Sux that instead of seeing a match between the 2 best teams in the NFL, we saw a disgusting spectacle of officiateing in its darkest hour.

This petitiion thing is truly one of the most pathetic, useless reactions to a sporting event I've seen in a long time. Especially since 90 million watched the game but only a couple of thousand are on the petition.

And to all of you clueless individuals who actually think the refs threw the game: the fix is on to favor the underdog and pay the long odds. Why would someone fix a game so that the favored team would win?

Guys: I do number cruching for living and let's attempt to look into what happened on Sunday more scientically. This is to reveal what the chance is to have all the 'bad call' events happened in one game against one team randomly. I assigned probability based on my 20+ years experience of wathcing and observing NFL. I am sure someone would have better stats, but these are very conservative estimation.

The EVENT and the probability of it happens in a 'random' game against one team ONLY:

1) A Touchdown (Jackson) gets called back due to the slightest push penalty(1/40)
2) A obvious Non-TD (Rothlisburger) ruled a TD (1/40)
3) A 20+ yards reception (Stevens)wiped by 'holding' (1/4)
4) A 20+ years punt return (Warrick) get called back (1/4)
5) A questionable TD catch (Jackson) ruled out of bound (1/4)
6) Weird call against(Hassebeck's tackle after INT )of blocking (1/4)

I'll stop here..

The math of the chance is (1/40)*(1/40)*(1/4)*(1/4)*(1/4)*(1/4)= 0.00000244

That's 1 in 400000 folks! This is the Super Bowl !!??

No matter how much whining and complaining the Seattle fans and Coach Holmgren do, it won't change a thing. They lost and in 10 or so years no one will even remember that they played in a Super Bowl. Like Coach Cowher said, People don't remember the loser of a Super Bowl, only the winner". I know the Seahawk nation is trying to make themselves feel better and hoping to convince people that they actually had a good team, but your whining is in vain outside of Washington. People everywhere else know who the winner was and 10 years from now no one will care or remember who Pittsburgh's opponent was. They will just remember that the 2005-2006 Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the best teams of all time!

Al: Obviously you aren't employed as a mathematician because your number crunching was one of the most humerous and factless things I have ever seen. Nice try though. Better get back in the unemployment line!

To Getreal: You're right -- Nothing is going to change the fact that the Steelers won Super Bowl #40. The point is, however, it might also go down in history as the SB that prompted a pivotal turn-around in poor officiating.

Real Enough,

Do you remember exactly what game prompted the use of instant replay? (It was a game involving the Steelers.)

The majority of fans don't. Just like the majority of fans won't remember this fabricated controversy, especially since the favored team won.

Rob,

I have questioned the same call. The reason it was called out of bounds was simply because the same foot that came down in bounds was the same foot the hit the pylon.

If it had been his other foot hitting the pylon, it woul have been a TD. The refs were correct on that and the holding penalty...

To all the Seattle fans,

Guys, arguing with the Steelers fans is a total waste of time. Much like watching the Super Bowl was a total waste of time. They will not listen to reason because they already have their tainted trophy and that is all they care about. They do not care about the dirty means it took to get it nor giving everyone around the world a total smack in the face for it. Bettis got his cinderella story and the Steelers got their win. I for one am over it. Nothing will change. The NFL will blantantly deny any wrongdoing and the Steelers fans will continue on with their pathetic banter about how us Seattle fans are whiney crybabies because that is all their education will allow. I would love to see an open minded Steeler fan come on here with a real argument, not just "we won. stop whining. get over it." Until that day, arguing with them is pointless. They are too afraid to face the fact that if the game were fair that they could possibly lost to the Seahawks. We know who really won that game and that is good enough for me. And to all you Steelers fans who say we need to stop whining and grow up? Well, why don't you do the same? If you guys are so confident in your win, then why come on Seattle boards to reaffirm it. If it were the Seahawks who won, I wouldn't come near your boards. But I guess those are the acts of a guilty conscience.

We come on here to irritate you. We know you are too emotional to listen to reason. The fact is all the penalties called were justified, you just can't bear the fact that it happened in such an important game. We call you whiners because you are. If it makes you feel better to get over your grief to think Seattle won, then go ahead and live in your imaginary little world. I've always heard people from Seattle were a miserable, depressed bunch. Now I believe it.

how could anybody watch this SB and not see all the missed calls on pit, but seattle got called for anything that was even questionable. had pit been called for all there offsides,witch of one resulted in a sack,not to mention a horse tackle, a time out after the clock exspired, a clipping call that was a tackle,three or more holding calls,yes there is always going to be calls that dont go your way, BUTT AT LEAST try and keep it fair, both teams worked there butts off to get there!!!!!!!!

Les: Even though the majority of fans won't remember it, this "fabricated" controversy will probably continue in some people's minds (at least when talking about SB #40), since it's the first time in SB history that the team who won the stats in terms of time of possession, total yards, and fewer turnovers lost the game! There were unfortunately bad calls that worked against the Seahawks, most probably not intentional. In the end, the winners are the Steelers!

Why do all you Steeler fans insist on posting obscure links that are native to pittsburgh like http://photobucket.com/albums/v469/R-D/?action=view¤t=proof.jpg and http://www.brenandjess.com/images/evidence.jpg. This is a Seattle blog so it does not help your case any. Also two words for you: Adobe Photoshop.

toirritateyou,

Shut up unless you have been here. I have been to Pittsburgh and I do not envy you one bit. Pittsburgh makes the industrial district of Seattle look like paradise.

Depressed little bunch? Again with the mindless banter that comes out Steelers fans mouths. So if you come on our boards to irritate us, is it safe to assume that you have absolutely no life? Again, just think for a second. I know it's probably hard. If it was your team in this position, you would be probably be "whining" more then we are now. I don't deny that the Steelers won and they earned it...sort of. Both teams earned their way to the Super Bowl. It was very unfortunate the way it turned out. And if you come on here to irritate us, why WOULD we listen to you? I'd rather hear a well thought out reply then some person with some low blows. You can have your victory. Now shut the hell up and get off Seattle boards. Any Seattle fan or intelligent Steeler fan wanna talk? E-Mail @ DeadlyOIeander@Aol.Com

hawkfan37: Obviously you haven't been to Pittsburgh. But matter not, we won - you didn't. So sad for you, so good for me.

I'm not going to say that the Seahawks should havw won or that the questionable touch down was or wasn't. I will say this though the number of complaints in the past NFL season has been stagering. Whether this is do to incresed media coverage, increased sepctator knowledge of football, or simply due to a lack of quality officiating calls I do not know. I do know however that the NFL needs to address this situation as they do stand to fanbase. I will use jackson PI call as an example. Under the NFL rule book it could be called, as the rule states that off. PI is any contact by a reciever to a deffender that reduces the ability of the deffender to play the ball from the time of the snap. How many times has this call not been made under circumstances that fit this criteria? As was mentioned earlier there needs to be standards set that address the interpritation of the rules. So the officiating is equal at all games from pre-season to the super bowl.

Ok Pittsburgh fans listen up! It has nothing to do with not having "Class". Its about sounding off on the horrible calls and lack of "Class" the NFL has for having Blind officials. Let Look at the following facts:

Seattle Led in time of possesion, total yards, and turnovers recovered. We also led in penalties when they counted. And they were horrible calls. Its hard to come back when everytime you gain momentum, it is taken right back with tacky calls. Jackson should have scored. We should have had the ball at the 1 yard line on another bad call, and Roethlisberger still hasn't crossed the goal line. He even believes he didn't (Watch letterman lately?)

And lets not forget to mention that fans were greeted at the enterance with people handing out "Terrible towels" what a crock!

We lost the game, but it wasn't our team that did it. Our seahawks will be back next year. And to rub salt in your wounds Pittsburgh fans... YOU WONT (No more bettis, over the salary cap and 5 free agents...)

Enjoy the cellar next year!

Amber: We've lost a Super Bowl before and we were classy enough to give credit to Dallas. We didn't try blaming anyone but ourselves. You obviously don't have that class. I had a lot of respect for Seattle going into the Super Bowl. After how you all are conducting yourselves now, that respect is gone. Do you notice the Seattle players aren't whining like you are, probably because they know the best team won. If someone needs to get a life it would be you. Does losing a game really matter that much to you self-esteem?

It is not losing a "game" that matters to me. But this was not a game. This was a travesty. There is a big difference. And yes, I know the Steelers lost a Super Bowl before. And as I remember, you guys did a LOT of whining afterwards. Maybe not yourself, but your fellow fans sure made up for that. And I did give the Steelers their congrats. They won. We lost. I just believe that if the game was played fairly that the outcome might have been different. It just amazes me to see that no Steeler fan will admit that. Maybe you could be the first? As for the players not whining, I respect them for that. But then again, I would be afraid of getting fined if I were them also. And I have tremendous amounts of self-esteem. Thank you for asking. I pose the same question to you. Because it doesn't seem like it if you come on some other teams boards to belittle them.

I laughed so hard when Bryce Fisher laid Ben Worthlessburgers ass out on the Kelly Herndon interception return that I almost had a stroke. His body language was even funnier when he got up off the ground. You know he was thinking, "wow I guess I can't fall down and one arm tackle these guys like I did with the colts."
Big Ben? more like little girl! He looked like a girl scout trying to play pro ball on that play.

Life is lot more than following professional sports and have them drive your emotions up and down and sucked all your money and time. It's just another form of entertainment! The best way to get back to the NFL is to stop throwing money to them for anything and don't get emotionally involved.

But see, you call it a travesty because you are looking at it with blinders on. You wanted your team to win so badly that you can't listen to reason, just as you imply that Steeler fans can't. The fact is, watch the game again when you can with an open mind, and I think you'll see that the Steelers win wasn't the result of the calls that were made (or weren't made), but rather because they made the correct adjustments at half time, out-played the Seahawks, and controlled the ball when they had to. Nothing more, nothing less. Anyone who knows anything about football will agree. Anyone who disagrees is acting on emotion.

You will not hear an whining from the NFL officials, owners, coaches, players, ex-players, refs, broadcasters, announcers, radio show hosts, analysts, TV producers, sponsors, street vendors....

You know why ? They all feed off from this giant pie called the NFL and who dare to bite the hands that feed them and rock the boat?

The truly real losers are the Seattle fans this year. Wasted money and time and end up emotionally devastated. Who wants to be next?

-Wise Man

hawkfan37: What Ben was looking bewildered for when Bryce Fisher hit him from behind was why there wasn't a flag thrown for blocking in the back. You would know this if you had a clue!!!!

And I ask of you the same thing, toirritateyou. I never once said the Steelers didn't play well. They did. So did Seattle. I will not get into it, but statistically we played much better than you think we did. And I never said that if some certains calls were or weren't made, that Seattle would definately win. I said the outcome might be different. That doesn't mean the whole game, maybe just the score. But as a true Seattle fan, I do believe that if it were a fair game that we could have beat you. I'm sure you feel the same. When I found out we were playing the Steelers, I knew we had a challenge on our hands and was excited about it. Two great teams going against eachother. I just wish the refs hadn't gotten involved. Wouldn't you have rather seen a game that was not interfered with so much? Your team never got to see our teams full potential. And you can't say that we don't have any because if we didn't, we would have never gotten into the Super Bowl in the first place. And I realize at the end the Seahawks were not playing their best, but you have to imagine that their morale was just sucked out of them by all those questionable calls that didn't seem to end. I mean, why try your best to win the unwinnable game? I would love to see an unbiased rematch one day.

we are not irritated with you pal, we all understand how emotionaly demoralizing it must be to have to try and defend a SB win when most of the world, including a small portion of pittsburg even knows it was fixxed.i think its more irritating for you! but try not to get to miserably deppressed, although it must a terrible feeling!!!!!!!!

superbowl L
2nd quarter
the 20 officials line up on the field of play awaiting the kickoff.as all 40 officiating cams are synced up with the official monitoring bad calls booth ,,the firing squad for referees who make bad calls load their weapons. i think this would help such lousy officiating.
You are all right,,,the game was fixed.I saw Lee Harvey Oswald in the crowd paying off the head ref.Then Jack Ruby made sure to grease the ball every time it was going to be thrown to Stevens.
If the calls hadn't been so bad, COULD the seahawks won? Possibly.They might still have lost.There is no way to tell now. Here is what i know,,Neil O'donnel threw 2 terrible interceptions and the steelers couldn't make the plays they needed to.O'donnel wasn't paid off.He just blew it.You guys will be back,,the seahawks are that good.By the way,,i have been rooting for the hawks(it goes steelers,colts,hawks,,how twisted am i?)for a long time now(anybody remember Steve Largent,I do).Was the officiating bad? OH yes!Was it a conspiracy by the right wing media,,the military industrial complex and the mafia? NO! It sucks to lose,,I know.You will be back..But the more petitions and conspiracy talk there is,,,,the less anybody ,,rational human being or steeler fan,,,will care.

we are not irritated with you pal, we all understand how emotionaly demoralizing it must be to have to try and defend a SB win when most of the world, including a small portion of pittsburg even knows it was fixxed.i think its more irritating for you! but try not to get to miserably deppressed, although it must a terrible feeling!!!!!!!!

Very disappointing to watch a game where it has obviously been predestined, which was the case here.

badnoncall,

Please, you are embarrassing yourself. You are just humiliated that your supposedly tough QB got thrown around like a rag doll. How was it a block in the back when the seahawks were all ahead of him and he was trying to get an angle to make one of his game saving, falling down, one armed tackles. You are the one who does not have a clue. LOSER.

SEAHAWKS FANS:

I would like to say I was a Steelers fan until SB and now I am embarassed and ashamed. I, as many, put the Steelers on a pedestal and I would like to express my CONGRATS TO THE SEAHAWKS.
The Steelers were simply out-played and I will accept defeat even if the team, most of the die-hard fans and our Coward Coach will not. I actually started cheering for Seattle in the 2nd quarter because I could clearly see it was a rig-job. The officiating was dismal to say the least. I am in agreement that it cost you the game. I think your team lost momentum when it dawned on them what was happening and if the bad calls had not been made I think the Seahawks would have obliviated the Steelers (who were playing like absolute crap anyway). Anything these other Steeler Fans have to say please just ignore them. THEY are the sore losers, not you and I commend you all for standing up for what is right. Way to go Seattle!

STEELER FANS:

I see that many of you are not on here to speak the truth. You know what happened, you saw it just as I did. You know that Seattle would have taken that game. You need to accept that our team was playing like ****. Those calls are the absolute only reason we even got possesion of the ball to begin with. They few good plays we had weren't even great infact I believe they were pure flukes. Seattle dominated the field from the beginning and they should have been given the opportunity to finish it out. I think you know just as the Steelers know this was a false victory.

Seattle I hope you make it bad to SB again soon.

watch inside nfl and see what 2 receivers say about the dj pushoff. watch the 1st 10 minutes and actually open your eyes u biased sore losers

HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO!! The Steelers won the super bowl!! Hard to swallow? TOUGH! PITTSBURGH WON!! Get over it, stop whining.

i am a steeler fan and always will be but as far as i am concerned they did not win the sb the refs did i am ashamed that they even ccepted the win i hope someday we will win it for real not set up sorry seattle hope to see you there next year

the steelers won the superbowl. did the refs make seattle drop footballs, throw ints, and miss field goals? no. you people are stupid. so stupid. get over it. sorest losers on the planet. idiots, really, you guys are making fools of yourself.

"b" -Do you have a real name or you are just a spinless worm hiding in a hole? It's funny you've been on the blog all day, don't you have job digging ditches? You just pop up everywhere with nothing valuable to say, no great insight just a bunch of nonsensical blabbing that only reinforces the belief that there are bigger idiots than Sunday's referees. Go back to your hole or do something useful.

Complains? email me at onepittsburghidiot@pitt.gov

Puely pathetic to even have a web site as such. All loosers want to blame the game on officiating. It is not like the Seahawks lost by one touchdown. I say we just have a buch of sorry loosers. Maybe next year but with that attitude, I would not count on it.

*Purely and get over it. The Panthers are still whining from 2 years ago but who cares

Well Seattle should get over it and I have not allegieance to either team. Green Bay fan here, but had the Seahawks lost by 7 or 10 points, woould be quite the different story. But since that is not the case I believe Pittsburg would have come out on top any way. Totally bad sportsmanship and ridiculous to think the officials would throw a game.

T'is so sad such hoopla made over a game. Well my Falcons didn't even make it but I got to move on - right?? Who am I hurting if I see here and cry - myself!!1

Suzanne,

You are "puely pathetic", learn to spell moron! I will get it right for you. You are the one that is purely pathetic. Why are you on this blog? You are pathetic for accepting a victory that is as hollow as your head. You will be eating crow next year and Seattle will be in the Super Bowl. By the way the bookies don't think the Steelers will be there next year and neither does 70% of the nation. Why would they be there next year with the way they played on Sunday.

hawkfan37:

What's the Seahawk's team song? The Starbuck's Coffee song? I'm sure Seattle doesn't have enough culture to even have a team song. It would probably offend one of your liberal idiots!

James,

That was beautifully poetic and philosophical. The only sad thing is that Existentialism died in the early 20th century. Next time you wax philosophical and poetic try bringing something more relevant.

steeler #1,

That is a bold statement considering Seattle is the birth place of some the greatest musicians in modern history. So you think Pittsburgh has more culture than Seattle? You wouldn't know culture if it hit you in the face. The Starbucks at Pikes Place Market has more culture than the whole (or hole, which is more appropriate) city of Pittsburgh put together.

ok hawkfan37 you have just confirmed how much of an idiot you truely are. Seattle has more culture than Pittsburgh????? Then you probably also think that the Seahawks are better than the Steelers!

steelers #1,

What kind of an argument was that? You couldn't counter my comment so you had to go to another topic? Name one relevant musician who has came out of Pittsburgh in the last 25 years.

Musicians from Pittsburh? How about: Christina Aguilera, Perry Como, Billy Eckstine, Stephen Collins Foster, Lorin Maazel, Henry Mancini, Roy Buchannan, and Barry Manilow.

But is culture defined as music only? Let's throw some of these names out there: Andy Warhol, Jonas Salk, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, H. J. Heinz, Richard Mellon Scaife, and George Westinghouse, Kurt Angle, Roberto Clemente, Mario Lemieux, Dan Marino, Bill Mazeroski, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, Arnold Palmer, and Johnny Unitas, Jeff Goldblum, Martha Graham, Michael Keaton, Gene Kelly, George Romero, Jimmy Stewart, and Sharon Stone.

Shall I go on???

steelers #1,

Besides Christina Aguilera, who has been relevant in the last 25 years?

The Seahawks are better than the Steelers. They outplayed the Steelers the whole game. There is only so much you can do when the winner of the game has already been decided! Interesting little fact for ya...the ref that threw the flag on the DJ offensive interference, that should have been a touchdown, was born and raised in Pittsburgh!

All of these messages from the "STEALERS" fans just prove that the only bad sports are from the side that stole the trophy. Again I say, all the "STEALERS" players should be asamed to wear that championship ring. You DID NOT win the game. The refs, along with the Seahawks mistakes, handed it too you. In this case the only team that won is called the "THE REFS".

Stephanie: If you were born and raised in Pgh and are now a Seahawks fan then I would guess that you are very young, know very little about football and are just a Band Wagon Seattle fan. True Pittsburghers never jump ship.

hawkfan37: If you need to dwell on the only the past 25 years, you must be a young pup too.

Sorry Seattle, I can't sympathize with you. As an Iowa Hawkeye football fan and a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I've been on both sides of "bad calls" in the span of about 5 weeks. And if you say there is no comparison, I say b.s., because fans are fans and fans are fanatic at any level, any sport. Even with the C-USA officials coming out and saying they blew it, they've yet to reschedule the Outback Bowl. I suspect Super Bowl XL is in the books as well.
Bad calls are bad calls because they go against your team at seemingly crucial moments and the referees are the only ones you can blame. But you can't blame them for missed blocks, dropped passes, interceptions, missed tackles, missed field goals, fumbles or any thing else individual players do or don't do that can change the outcome of a game. Last I was reminded, referees (and their calls) are part of the game. So, suck it up, sit back and wait for next September. Because that's all you can do.

JC: I totally agree, well said. What the Seattle fans just can't seem to grasp is that they weren't BAD calls or calls that were totally bogus. In fact every single penalty called, except the blocking below the knees against the Seattle QB, were justified. Granted sometimes those calls are missed in a game and not called, but every one was in fact a penalty (or in Big Ben's case, a TD). Seattle just wants so bad for all those things that went against their team to go away, thinking that if they did, they would have won the Super Bowl. Very unlikely. They should just feel fortunate that their team played in the NFC and made it. Indy, Denver, and Cincy were all better teams than Seattle and didn't even get the chance to play in the SB. So Seattle fans, be thankful for the wins you enjoyed throughout the season and get on with it!

pgh,

We know you are like 83 and are stuck in the days of Bradshaw and those guys, but your post proves my point. Pittsburgh is about as relevant as your post. I know old age and senility are hard to deal with, go pick up some Geritol or Senior Moment and it will help clear the purple haze and pink elephants from your head.

the truth,

Is this your first year watching football? Going low is only illegal in blocking or sacking the QB. Hasselbeck was making a text-book open field tackle on that play. If the Steelers were so much better than the Seahawks why didn't they score more points and hold us to none? Why did we get 400 yds of offense, and why did our defense hold the Steelers to 0 first downs and 4 3 and outs in the first quarter? Oh yeah, I forgot the Steelers were better than us. Please, you guys needed all the help you could get.

hawkfan37: Relax, take a deep breath. If you read what I said about Hasselbeck"s low-block penalty, you'll realize I said it was a bad call. As far as the Steeler's being better, they won didn't they!

Hey Seatle fans, did you hear the great news. The Refs admitted they were wrong, took away Big Ben's TD, took away all Seattle's penalties. Guess what? Pittsburgh still won!!!!!!!!!

From all the posts I've come to conclude that 5 calls come into question. I'll address them as follows.
1. The off. pass int. call on Jackson did he or did he not extend his arm into the defenders chest and create space. The answer is yes and he did this right in front of the ref. as Chris Carter said on Inside the NFL this will be called 10 for 10 in the same situation.
2. The Ben TD. Can anyone in complete honesty say with absolute conviction that he did or did not break the plane with the front of the ball. Now I'm not saying it has to be over the line all it has to do is touch the front of the line with the front of the ball. This is what the Ref had to contend with, granted he could have missed it but I saw the same replay as everyone else and I cant say for certain that he did score but I sure as hell couldn't say He did'nt either, and that is why Levy could not overturn the call.
3.The Jackson so-called TD where he got one foot down and touched the pylon. This one is the easiest to explain than any of them. He got noe foot down in bounds and his other foot hit the pylon, now if he had already established possesion of the ball and had gotten both feet down this would have been a TD. For the people who compares this to players diving in with the ball extended to touch the pylon there is one key difference those players had already establishred themselves in bounds, Jackson had not.
4. The phanton hold! Get real people your man had his arm complete wrapped around the defenders neck again right in front of the ref. Plus are you people so biased as to believe that they called that at that moment because they "sensed a big play coming" the ball was in the air when the flag was thrown. Holding is gotten away with possibly more than any other call so when it is called the offender nearly always cries foul. That is not nearly as grevious call as the fans here are making it.
5. The chop tackle by Hsselbeck. Hey ya'll got screwed there. The ref missed it and the other crew did nothing to fix it. Sorry. You got one bad obvious call. Wished it had not happen. But to blame the officials for your loss is just not fair. You want to hear you outplayed the Steelers, well, you played well enough on the stat sheet to win, but you did not have any big plays, your defense gave up three huge plays, the Steelers let you move the ball small chunks at a time until you stalled or shot yourself in the foot. D.J. had a great 1st quarter, what did he do the rest of the game. The Steelers Blitzed very little content to drop people in coverage and it eventually confused the Seattle off.Your Of line played great is one reason they did not blitz like usual. Seattle except that while your team but up a lot of yardage they could not seal the deal. While the Steelers made the most of thier opportunties.

But Ricco what's your point? Do you think Seattle is looking at this objectively? They are so upset that their team lost that they can't begin to see things clearly. They are so hyped up about this Ref thing to blame all of their misery on, that they can't admit they lost. But it really doesn't matter, they are looking more and more like whining fools every day.

guess what and ricco,

Like you guys are the epitome of objectivity. Just remember for NFL analyst you found to back up your point there is one to back up ours. Anyway the majority of the nation agrees with us. No one will ever remember this Super Bowl as the one the Steelers won, they will remember it as the one the Steelers were given. The irony of it is to great for it to be otherwise. Bettis in his hometown and getting the key to the city, Worthlessburger being the youngest QB to win the big dance, Cowher needing a win to keep his job, Mr. Rooney getting a title before he passes, etc. It is all to perfect for it to be decided by the play of the teams, it had to be decided by those who had most to gain.

what morons, what whiners, you got whupped

hawkfan37: . . . and Seattle will continue to lose. . . . . and hawkfan37 will continue to search for excuses! Have a great year making yourself misearble. Ricco and I will continue to celebrate all year!

guess what,

We will see who has a better record next February. Until then your speculations are just symptoms of your megalomania. Come on this blog next February and then you can talk about the season that hasn't happened yet. Oh and by the way no one believes Pitt will repeat.

To All Steelers Fans and Hawk Haters,

Thank you all for your versions of reality and megalomania. It has been cathartic, antiseptic, analgesic, entertaining and refreshing. I think it is time we move on and focus our attention and energy on supporting our olympiads and the US in the Olympics. See you on the grid-iron in September.

To All you Seahawks Fans: All digs aside. To win a Super Bowl takes a combination of skill, luck, and lot's of things going your way. Pittsburgh had a great year, and me being biased towards them, I am thrilled they won it all. I'm sure all you Seahawks fans are as passionate about your team as I am about mine and I respect that. Seattle is a good team. Good Luck next year!!!!

This is my last time on here but this is for all who talk shat about Seahawks dominating the game. Time of poss, 33 min to 27 min
Total yds 396-348
Penalities 7-70 / 3-20
Yds per play 5.1-6.1
3rd down conversion 5-17 / 8-15
passing 26-49 / 10-22
These are not dominating stats the 1st number is the Seahawks the second the Steelers. Lest not forget we had one additional t/o that stopped this from being even closer. Your team played well, my team did not paly as they had the last few weeks, but to say you dominated, come on be real.

I wasn't going to make any comments but felt that I needed to. I have been a SEAHAWK'S FAN since 1979 and have stood by the HAWK'S all these year's It was a great year and for the SEAHAWKS to make it to the Superbowl was incredible but what happened in Superbowl XL was a disgrace. I have also been a fan of the Steeler's and would have been rooting for them had the HAWK'S not been in the Game but I was so disappointed in all the bad call's made and lack of call's made, I knew after the first half of the game that the FIX was IN and that the REF'S were also playing against the SEAHAWK'S. I cannot be happy for the Steeler's, their Coach or their Fan's some of who are very poor Winner's, it is not necessary to bash the Seahawk's, our Coach or the Fan's. I could not watch the celebration nor the Trophy presentation it was just to WRONG, the BEST TEAM did not WIN Superbowl XL rather the Team who most certainly played like the 6TH SEED they are were GIVEN THE SUPERBOWL XL WIN. I cannot nor will not be able to look at the Steeler's as the Great Team they use to be in the 70'S and in no way can the Steeler's of Superbowl XL be compared to the Steeler's of the 70'S. Their were million's of people who watched the game and million's who know what a farce Superbowl XL turned out to be, the NFL should conduct an investigation as there are alot of NFL fan's whom they have lost some of whom will not return. To the SEAHAWK Players and Coaching Staff you all gave us FAN'S a great Year THANK YOU, to the SEAHAWK FAN'S the Truth is on our side not a HOLLOW VICTORY. ALWAY'S A SEAHAWK FAN!!!!

there are millions who know that your team choked at crunch time, same m.o. as in the past cant finish what u start

Most of the time, there may be an officiating mistake and the team must do what it must to overcome those trials and tribulations... but that was just plain s@#! What can a team do when the enitre world, besides the great city of Seattle, is against you. Not only the biased east-coast media, but the referees as well! This makes my blood boil just thinking about it. To the Seahawks and the greats 12th men and women I congratulate you on a excellent season. I WILL see the Hawks in Miami!

The Steelers cannot be called World Champions with a straight face. The NFL is show biz oriented and it sells more papers and merchandise if there is a fairytail ending such as the Jerome Bettis homecoming.
Scripted outcomes are for movies, not football games. The league needs to remember that the loyal fans are not dumb. The fix was so blatant. There was no World Champion this year. Paul Tagliabue, please Let the players decide the final scores, not the PR execs.

The offensive pass interference in Super Bowl 40 was not only the correct call, it was an excellent call. So often do we see WRs get away with push offs while a DB barely breathes on a WR and he gets flagged. The penalty against Seattle that tacked yards on the INT return was really a bad call, BUT...no one mentions the illegal block from behind on Big Ben after he was picked that should have put the ball on the Seattle 40 instead of the Pittsburgh 20. I also saw many Seattle holds which were not called. Seattle's O Line had a great year, but the Pitt D was too much for them. Oh yeah and Big Ben's TD...so what? Who out there really thinks that Seattle could have and would have stopped them on the next play from ramming it in for a score. I certainly don't. I've been a Seahawks fan since Steve Largent and Kenny Easley. Frankly I'm embarrassed that the Seattle fans have been poor sports and in general ignorant about the game and rules of NFL football.

I agree with Mike's post. There were two bad calls in the Super Bowl and one of them was against the Steelers and was probably more critical. If he (Seahawks WR) didn't push off, that wouldn't have been a TD. The refs really botched the Colts-Steelers game. It was a nightmare and all the calls when against the Steelers. The Seattle fans should be petitioning against that game, seemed like the NFL was trying to win the game for Peyton (aka the "fair-haired boy of the NFL") since he can't win a playoff on his own. I'm neither a Steelers or Seahawks fan. I'm a Patriots fan. Being a impartial observer, the Steelers won fair and sqaure. If Ben didn't throw that pick the game could have been 21-3 Pitt in the 4th quarter. There's been too much criticism against Holmgren and Hasselbeck. The game plan of short passes were executed very well. Seattle did move the ball, but the Steelers D always found a way to stop the drive after Seattle got a few first downs. Seattle's D played very well too. This was a game of the highest caliber. Fans who like 40-37 games, make me sick. The NFL has made it too easy for the offense to score. I wish the NFL reinstated the rules on the 70's. That's when a TD was hard to make. Watching 320 pound goons hold the defensive player's jerseys and pansy WRs whining whenever they don't catch one that it was interference is ridiculous. Offensive pass interference should be called more often.

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