In my last statement I said that the NFL would not and will never, ever admit that their referee teams would do anything wrong. Typical, political BULLSHIT by the governing faction. Are they running for congress? You can always tell when they are lieing....their mouth's are moving. They are as effective as a fart against a tornado. They cannot overturn the traversity that has occurred and will not admit any wrongdoing. The NFL's governing body is a farce and a political figurehead which is totally impotent as to having control over the workings of the league.

First of congrats to Pittsburgh they won the big game. Not without help but they won non the less. As far as all the Steeler saying that we Seahawk fans are whinning SHUT THE HELL UP! You would be doing the same thing if the game and calls had been against your team. All I wanted to see was a fair called game.Yes I am a Seahawk fan but I also like Pittsburgh. So as far as the winner goes i'm good. Now for the NFL officials Hey Aiello why don't you stand in front of the refs you put into that game maybe you are the one who needs to be criticized and taking the verbal onslaught not them. Either way someone should pay for the blown calls that were made. It's to bad the best sport in the world has had to come down to this. League officials watch the tapes of the game and then tell us honestly that was a fair game. If you can say that then maybe you should go into politics with the rest liars and cheats.

I am a Steeler fan from Pittsburgh, BUT above that I am a FOOTBALL fan. When the midseason reports came out I predicted that the Seahawks would represent the NFC in the Superbowl.
Who had the worst performance in the game.
1. Steelers
2. Stones
3. Referees
You had a great season and I wish you better luck next year, if a rematch is down the road lets hope its a clean game...

As an aussie living in the U.S. for the last 3 years i decided to try and get a handle on the local game of football, and i must admit i still don't understand most of it BUT I can say that what i saw on the TV on sunday was incredibly sloppy refereeing. back in Sydney if the refs had done as poor job as these guys had they would now be back refereeing the under 5's and would not see a professional game again for several years. The NFL needs to stand up and say "ok we have a problem lets FIX it" not just deny that there is one, it won't change the outcome of sundays game but they can make sure that the next team to play doesn't get robbed by the refs.

Amen, Chris

Coach Holmgrem spoke the truth and now he may get fined. What is this world coming to?? You should be able to say it like it is.It is sad when it come down to a play off that the REF'S can't be fair. Even the kids noticed it.

I didn't think a game viewed by 90 million viewers could be fixed, but I was wrong. If there's one change I would like to see the NFL make next year, it would be to change the refs' uniforms so that they have horizontal instead of vertical stripes. That way we can all be reminded that, although they may be unindicted and unconvicted, they're still capable of criminal actions. And we wouldn't have to refer to them as zebra's anymore, which is an insult to a fine animal.

Hate to see nfl officals get greedy like the politicans.

While I believe the Seahawks ended up beating themselves in the end.

I have to believe it was the refs that started the process. It's hard to put your heart in to a game that is being officiated so poorly and lopsided; that in the end makes you feel like, no matter what you do, you are going to loose.

Given that the Seahawks started strongly, I will be left wondeirng if that momentum would have carried through the rest of the game. Had there actually been impartial or at least competent referees.

It seems to me that a game as BIG as the super bowl the officiating should have come from out of country, IE: Canada, where they have PROFESSIONAL referees... not part time wanna be's. How can you expect officials to referee the game when they are NOT fully qualified to do so? I have watched the superbowl for many years and have tried to be a good sport and yes I KNOW that the game was a HUGE disappointment to millions of people however, I have NEVER been so disgruntled. This game will be the game that will go down in history as a learning opportunity gone awry. THe NFL needs to start with a whole new approach... PROFESSIONAL REFEREES ..... full time. As for BILL LEVY, my thoughts are this, when was the last time you had your eyes checked? How can you make a call when the consensus from the upstairs viewing refs and sports heads ALL disagree with you on the call ? I think that the option should be that a game this important SHOULD have VIDEO refs that check all the angles and views to make sure it is a PROPER call. Had this happened on Sunday this would all be a moot point as all the angles show the same thing.THOUGHTS for the next major game..... BRING in pro refs that have NO affiliation with any teams that way there can be no bias. I would offer one last thought, Bill Levy should be applauded for helping the Pittsburg Steelers live up to their name.... the STEELERS got a helping hand in stealing and cheating their way to the win....How bad is it when your own home town is having a hard time accepting a win that they know was NOT rightly earned and even the QB in question went on national television and said even he didnt think that it was a touch down?

If Mike Holmgren is going to be fined for saying something so obvious that people around the world had seen, then the refs should be fine 10x's more for each horrible onesided call that they made against us. By the way were do these refs live, home town Pittsburg??? Mike you did the right thing although it is going to cost you. Everybody in the state of Washington stands behind you and our beloved players. See you in September.

I have never seen a game like this before!!!

I would like to see a criminal investigation into the officials to see if one or more was shaving points for the Gambling Industry.

Regards, Ward

I am a steelers fan and i saw the game too. I know the stripes cheeted, but we won and thats all that matters. so stop crying!

Shut up john, you have a player on your team that was crying after you WON the game...plus you said you know the ref's "cheated". We know we didnt win the game but we were the better team, by far. So just go enjoy your "victory" and stay off seattle boards!

The NFL vows to “review the performance of the officiating crew of Super Bowl XL and issue a statement”. GREAT! I hear many say that it will not change the out come of the game. With this comment I can agree. Then I hear others say that the NFL can’t do anything about it anyhow. With that I can NOT agree!

Consider this; The errant penalties resulted in a combined loss of yardage of about 160-170 yards over all (penalty yards + negated gained yardage). About the same amount of yardage garnered by the Seattle Seahawks in a regular season half of a game.

With that in mind what the NFL CAN do to correct the errors of their part-time employees is this:

Select and appropriate venue in a city under consideration for an expansion franchise. Set a date and time about one week after the Pro-Bowl. Have a panel of former NFL officials, i.e. Jerry Markbright, Jonny Greer, Red Cashin, etc. select the official’s crew. Open the gates to the local fans and play one half of evenly called football……WINNER TAKE ALL!

Dennis Reis

Tacoma, WA

So people can parse the nuances of the actual language, here are the rules the NFL will be applying this week as it reviews the Darrel Jackson Offensive Pass Interference call:

>>>>
It is pass interference by either team when any player movement beyond the line of scrimmage significantly hinders the progress of an eligible player of such player’s opportunity to catch the ball.

Actions that constitute offensive pass interference include but are not limited to: Initiating contact with a defender by shoving or pushing off thus creating a separation in an attempt to catch a pass.

Actions that do not constitute offensive pass interference include but are not limited to: Incidental contact by a receiver’s hands, arms, or body when both players are competing for the ball…

If there is any question whether player contact is incidental, the ruling should be no interference.
<<<<

http://www.footballscrimmage.com/nfl/pass-interference.shtml

Here's the rule for Holding:

>>>>
Pass blocking: Hand(s) thrust forward that slip outside the body of the defender will be legal if blocker immediately worked to bring them back inside. Hand(s) or arm(s) that encircle a defender—i.e., hook an opponent—are to be considered illegal and officials are to call a foul for holding.

Blocker cannot use his hands or arms to push from behind, hang onto, or encircle an opponent in a manner that restricts his movement as the play develops.
<<<<

http://www.footballscrimmage.com/nfl/use-of-hands-arms-and-body.shtml

The nfl has some explaining to do.This is what they call highway robbery!!!What is there reasoning?Does it have something to do with that rock thrown through the living room window?Is it the feel good story?Is it a Vegas betting controversy?Is it the Ref that is a native of Pittsburg?Is it the pressure of the hype?What is it,we want answers!!!The officiating was obviously one sided.Seattle gets close,throw a flag.Blocking foul on Hasselback when he was tackling?Hold on Locklear when they know its not a reviewable play?Ticki tack call on Jackson tacking away a touchdown?I know we made so mistakes but COME ON!!!We dominated that game,the whole world saw this.They had 3 big plays and we moved the ball with ease.I believe the frustration set in and the one sided refs were to hard to over come.I believe that coach will get fined so this controversy will be swept under the rug.

As an impartial fan from Carolina, I can say the officiating in the Super Bowl was an unprecedented travesty. For anyone to say that the ridiculous calls did not affect a game so reliant on momentum is ludicrous. There are always bad calls, but they usually balance out. I have never before seen a game which in this day and age I honestly feel was somehow fixed. Hasselbeck's penalty for an illegal "block"??? is the worst call in the history of football, and the kick return that was called back for "holding" has to make the top ten. Other than two obvious false starts Pittsburg was unpenalized. No holding, pass interferance, clipping, nothing all game? Ridiculous. I actually feel that the national media has not made enough of an issue of this catastrophe. The entire flow of the game was disrupted, and every awful decision (I count at least eight) went against one team. I'm also not so sure Ben didn't step over the line on his hail mary, and a case can be made for holding on the Parker TD run.

I've heard it said that a person who is good at making excuses is usually not very good at doing anything else. The Seattle Seahawks seem to be making a lot of excuses about why they lost the Super Bowl. It's sad, really, that Mike Holmgren is not mature enough to admit defeat graciously, and that sets the tone for his entire team.

Jeff, I'm not a Seattle fan. Did you watch the game?

SUPER BOWL XL HAD THE WORST OFFICATING & MOST BIAS CALLS OF ANY GAME I HAVE EVER WATCHED IN MY 40 YRS OF FOOTBALL. EVIDENTLY, THIS GAME WAS A SET UP FROM THE BEGINING. EVEN MY WIFE COMMENTED HOW ONE SIDED THE CALLS WERE. YOU LET FOOTBALL TEAMS DECIDE THE GAME, NOT OFFICATING WHICH WAS THE CASE IN THIS GAME! HOW SAD THIS WAS FOR THE NFL TO HAVE THIS POOR OF OFFICATION CREW. THEY MUST HAVE DRAWN STRAWS TO GET THIS GAME.

SINCERELY,

VERY DISAPPOINTED

I'm not at all surprised by the NFL's comments on the officiating and to be honest I agree with them. There's a difference between a "no call" and an "incorrect call". Just because Steve Young and Michael Irvin, two former offensive players, feel Jacksons push off in the end zone wasn't severe enough to warrant a flag doesn't mean it's not against the rules and that the official was wrong for throwing the flag. Just because John Madden, who seems to idolize offensive linemen, reports a holding call as questionable, doesn't make it an incorrect call. Locklear had his hands outside his body and took down the opposing player down, which commonly results in a flag. As far as the Rothlisberger touchdown goes, I haven't seen any conclusive evidence that the ball broke the plane of the goal line. Nor have I seen any conclusive evidence that it didn't. So what's left the Hasselbeck penalty. I thought the officials should have picked the flag up on that one. I think Hasselbeck did intend to block low on the return but missed his original target and made the tackle, which made it a legal play. In my opinion the focus on the officiating has been driven by the sports media talking heads, who absent any significant highlights due to the poor play of both teams, are left with little else to talk about. It was sad to see Holmgren jump on the bandwagon, but I guess that was easier than explaining why the Seattle 2-minute drill looked like a keystone cops rendition, and the logic of running 4 yard plays while time was expiring.

Jeff, you do not "block" when the other team has the ball. Oh and Jackson was illegally hand checked 3 times before "pushing off".

I was a fan of both teams so I really didn't care who won. All I wanted was to see a good game, and a fair game. Too bad that didn't happen. Bad calls from the refs in the Steelers favor was a factor in their win. The Steelers should be emarrassed for not winning the game on their own merit. Hopefully the Seahawks will get a rematch next year and the refs will use their bribe money on lasik eye surgery.

First of all, I am a STEELERS fan - born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Secondly, I am a FOOTBALL FAN. I love all the teams and respect everyone's passion for their favorite(s). That's what makes it so great.

The last time I checked this was a free country. I'm also able to access this site, whether it be a Seattle site or not, so I will feel free to comment. Plenty of you "hawks" on Pittsburgh sites whining...

Just as Seahawk fans have the right to whine, we have the right to ask you to stop. Granted, if the shoe was on the other foot, the roles would be reversed. But we all have to play out our parts I suppose.

The game was not a GREAT game. Not of Super Bowl caliber. Neither the Seahawks or the Steelers played their best game.

And, maybe there were a few questionable calls. The beauty of this is the review. Once the call is made, if there is not overwhelming and undisputable evidence to overturn it, it can't be done. Period. Those are the rules folks...like them or not. Sometimes it works in your favor, sometimes it doesn't.

There are too many people out there who don't really understand the rules of the game. I've read so many posts complaining about Ben pulling the ball over the line once he was down on the ground. That isn't where it went over. It broke the plane up higher, then it came down outside the white line. It broke the plane. That's all it has to do.

Everyone who is screaming foul is acting like reversing those few calls would have put the Seahawks in the winners seat. Trust me, if Ben's touchdown would have been taken back - we would have gotten another one. If the Seakhawks supposed stolen touchdown because of the push-off would have been good - we would have gotten another one. The entire course of the game would have changed. All other things would not have stayed the same and the Seahawks would not have been guaranteed the win. We burned a lot of time off the clock just defending the lead we had. We weren't in offensive mode because we didn't have to be. I'm here to tell ya' - the STEELERS would still be having their victory parade today.

Remember the bad call against Troy Polomalu when we played the Colts? His "stolen" interception? We lost that opportunity, but we made up for it somewhere else. There are bad and/or questionable calls made in EVERY SINGLE GAME EVER PLAYED. It's the teams job to step up and overcome.

Now be good sports. Shake our hands. Look forward to next year. Appreciate the opportunity. Respect the winner and realize it's over.

Good luck next year!

For those who claim that Jackson's hand-check was clearly a foul, slight as the push-off may have been, read the language of the rule:

"It is pass interference by either team when any player movement beyond the line of scrimmage significantly hinders the progress of an eligible player of such player’s opportunity to catch the ball."

Was the defender "siginificantly hindered" by Jackson? I guess in the opinion of the back judge, Bob Waggoner (a Pittsburgh native) he was hindered. To most people not affiliated with Pittsburgh, though, the defender simply looked fooled.

To those of you who call us Seahawks fans "whiners" for wanting the NFL to apologize for disadvantaging our team in the Superbowl, let me quote (and slightly update) the words of the immortal 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 we complain, it's about bad calls that maybe changed the outcome of the game.

High 5 to that, Todd!!!

First off: The Steelers won Super Bowl XL. Nothing will ever change that, as much as we would LOVE a rematch. I just find it interesting that all I've heard so far from the "experts" is that the officiating at the game was abysmal and had the appearance of being biased. These are people that have no real reason to love or hate either team (for the most part, I assume). I hope in the future that the NFL takes this lesson to heart. Get referees from somewhere that has absolutely no reason to call anything other than an neutral game. I feel this will be a topic of discussion for a very long time.

Hopefully we'll have the chance to redeem ourselves in Miami next year.

I just re-read my above post and I have to clarify: The ones I refer to being (for the most part) impartial are the ones who are saying that the refereeing was horrible, not the referees themselves. If I caused any confusion, I apologize.

GO HAWKS!!!

With all due respect to both teams and their fans, I have to say that you all need some serious lessons in English and spelling. It is painfully obvious where many of you spent your time in school and it was not in the books.

You have all proven to the world that America has the average of a sixth grade reading level! SAD!

As for you Steeler fans: if you KNOW that there was cheating going on, AND you ADMIT it, that just reaffirms my thoughts about the game. The Hawks did win...they just didn't take home the trophy. So go ahead and be proud of your cheap, TD stealing, referee favored, home team advantaged, lopsided fan-based, HOLLOW "victory".

I feel better.

The steelers beat the heck out of the worthless Hawks.
The hawks barely beat SF and they were terrible this year.
They won their way to the big game.
They just could not deliver due to a beter opponent.
Hate to say it, not really, they lost, get over it.
Not a fan or either team, just hate cry babies.

This game was fixed. These were not just bad calls, these were made intentionally with a pre-chosen winner in mind. I have seen sports that have been fixed before (boxing, wrestling, horse-racing), but this is much bigger than any of those. This calls for a Congressional investigation immediately. I would recommend Sen. John McCain to be the Chairman. If we allow our sports institutions, such as The Super Bowl, to be overrun by undue influence and corruption, what's next ---- our Presidential elections?

Ben....
you are an idiot....
everythign is fixed in this country....
those with power chose who does what.....
do you really think your vote counts....
have you no clue what the electoral college stands for....
I now see why our vote does not count....
what a place have we created for our children to grow up in....
how can they succeed with fools like this running around populating this country of ours.....
Cowhler help us......

My greatest concern is, as a season ticket holder and a fan of the game since I was 6 years old, how do I keep faith? Several "non calls" also greatly impacted this game, and in the end tarnished the Steeler victory, as well as the league's image. If Mr.Taglibue cannot or will not correct it, why should I continue to support this multi billion dollar industry.
It is time for the NFL to join the NBA and MLB and go to full time employed officials, not school principles and other guys doing a weekend gig. Then review each officating team at the end of the regular season, and the team with the best record should be doing the Bowl.

I have to agree with almost all the comments about the strange officiating. A couple of additional points: on the Locklear phantom hold, the left defensive end of the Pittsburg line was in Seattle's backfield before the ball was snapped and there was no call on them. Both Hesselbeck and Robeck stated after the game that when they saw the flag, they knew it was for offsides Pittsburg, and were "surprised" it was for holding. The "block" by the QB while making a tackle was the most absurd. If that rule can be interpreted that way, it needs to be changed. Then there was the Pittsburg trick play for a TD. Ever wonder why there was no one there for the left side of Seattle's defense? Look at the holding Pittsburg is doing on the defenders near the line of scrimmage! It is obvious from the pressbox! No call! Finally was the weird NFL moments showing players holding the Lombardi trophy during the first half. All the players were Steelers. Strange... The national media had the Steelers pre-ordained as the winners 2 weeks ago. It seems impossible to think there could be a "fix" going on in this day an age, but you gotta wonder sometimes...

My greatest concern is, as a season ticket holder and a fan of the game since I was 6 years old, how do I keep faith? Several "non calls" also greatly impacted this game, and in the end tarnished the Steeler victory, as well as the league's image. If Mr.Taglibue cannot or will not correct it, why should I continue to support this multi billion dollar industry.
It is time for the NFL to join the NBA and MLB and go to full time employed officials, not school principles and other guys doing a weekend gig. Then review each officating team at the end of the regular season, and the team with the best record should be doing the Bowl.

Sean....
what can I say.....
you pay your money to go to the game because it fills a void in your life...
do something rpoductive with your money...
say school perhaps....
find a woman maybe....
something to keep your little seahawk mind entertained for a couple hours each week...

I made this image just for you Seahawk fans:

'SuperBowl XL Wardrobe Malfunction'
http://www.johnkalnin.com/images/ref.jpg

Enjoy... well try to, it'll be funny in a few weeks when the pain wears off.

John K - I think it's pretty damn funny!! Although the truth usually does hurt....

What can you do but laugh???

GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!

The NFL should be ashamed. You can't change what you don't admit. The Seahawks were the underdogs because the marketing value $ of a Steelers win rather than the legititmacy of a fair game. The excessive Steelers w/trophy commercials, media and selling of yellow "terrible towels" at the stadium rather than anything Green/Blue or Seahawk related showed this. The officials were blatant and biased and they have tainted the sport forever. The Seahawks (even with self admitted mistakes)is the BETTER, classier team. They can be proud of their season. Seattle doesn't need a Superbowl win trophy if it is won the way the Steelers had to do it. Celebrate a hollow, truly undeserved win. A majority across the country and globally know this win didn't come fairly....

I called the NFL office at (212) 4500-2000 and spoke to an underling for Greg Aiello regarding Greg's comment that the game was "well officiated". His response was that the wide majority of those who believe the officiating was poor are simply "wrong". The NFL is in huge DENIAL and are a sorry example of what this sport has become. They will not strive to do better because they are not willing to be objective. How PATHETIC. I am disgusted.

oops - NFL telephone number is actually (212) 450-2000

I believe the NFL should be investigated to find out who the corrupted officials and administration are and then maybe we can watch a real game instead of one that is officiated unfairly just to line someone's pockets.

I watched the Super Bowl with hopes of seeing a CLEAN game. I knew there was a chance we could lose but I was hopeful; I also knew that even if we lost - at least we made it there!

When I turned on the TV and saw STEELERS PLAYERS in lights on BUILDINGS in Detroit, I was unimpressed, when the bad calls started I figured it was just a few minor mistakes AT FIRST, then came ALL the players commens while holding the Trophy - OH WAIT - ALL THE STEELER PLAYERS THAT IS. The calls got worse and worse. Big Ben's TD that even HE ADMITTED on the Letterman Show - he knows was not right. Anytime we started a play that could have given us an advantage it was flagged. I hear from people who were AT the game that even the Steelers fans were disgusted by the ref calls, as they also paid to see a fair game, and many people left in the 3rd Qtr. (or maybe the Stones just scared them away). We were robbed of a touchdown, on and on it went...

Now I am not saying we played our BEST but we had a GREAT start! It's hard to play GREAT when it seems the game has already been predecided in the opposing team's favor. I want to thank the Hawks for playing as a team and I want them to know that even if they don't have the rings or the trip to lame DisneyWorld... They won it and they should hold their heads high no matter what the officials or anyone else say.

I wanted to boycott the NFL all together after this disgusting display - I never imagined the Super Bowl could be FIXED.. until NOW!

I will however continue to support our team and buy my season tickets because I KNOW we can do it again and this time teach them a lesson - and WHEN (not IF) we make it again I want to see those blue flags FLYING!

GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!

HEY SEAHAWK FANS...GO TO WWW.FOX970.COM AND CLICK ON PROOF: BEN SCORES...NOW SHUT UP AND BE GOOD LOSERS INSTEAD OF CRYBABIES..

I live in the Southern Oregon town of Roseburg; the area where Troy Polamalu grew up. I, in fact, worked with Troy's Uncle Salu and was casually acquainted with Troy. Therefore, I really was kind of neutral as to who won the game. I would have liked to see Seattle win but if Pittsburg won, I would be glad for Troy. However, it’s rather obvious to me that Seattle got the shaft. The Steelers know in their minds that they got handed the game. I also know Troy’s not proud.

Since there were several games with officiating problems this post season maybe the NFL should have to answer some of these questions:
Is the NFL a legitimate sports event or a staged theatrical performance?
Who made the most money with the Steelers covering the point spread?
Is it time for the Pittsbugh fans to replace or renovate their stadium?
I always thought that "fixing" a legal sporting event was a crime, especially when you factor in the gambling that was done on the game. Since the NFL will not correct the problems, perhaps it is time for congress to investigate the league.
I always thought of myself as a fan, I now feel like I am the victim of a fraud!!!

If everybody was SO SURE Seattle was going to lose, WHY didn't they LET us? One of the things that just sticks with me is that we never had the CHANCE to lose the game on our own. If they were so SURE we were going to lose, why didn't they just let it be? The truth is the way the Seahawks came out and started the game, I KNOW they would have WON and WON HANDILY had they been allowed to just play the game as it should have been played, cleanly. IF the game had been played cleanly and it happened to turn out the other way (which I doubt), I also KNOW that every single solitary Seahawks fan is a good enough sport we would have said congratulations to the champions. BUT WE WERE NOT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN OR LOSE THE GAME. Our Seahawks made the officials too nervous. They just couldn't let the game progress as it should have. What a shame.

Can't believe Ref's got pay for that game... However, WHO PAID THEM???

This game made me wonder if the Mob's bookies were in on this. It seems obvious the referees were paid to call a bad game against the Seahawks. I wondered if the "officials" were worried about starting a riot by letting the Seahawks win.. since steelers fans greatly outnumbered Seahawk fans. Whatever it is, SOMETHING doesn't add up. I think it's pretty obvious that the Seahawks would have won handily, if they were allowed to score, or do anything without getting a flag.

If they don't replay that game cleanly, I'm going to lose all confidence in the fairness and sportsmanlike conduct of the NFL.

I really hope that the greed of big buisness isn't rearing it's ugly head in something as innocent as a football game.

A STRAIGHT FORWARD MESSAGE:

I was very upset by how obvious and evident it was - for the Referee's to make "such very bad calls" whenever the Seahawks made a touch down, especially in two separate incidences! Then the Referee's gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a touchdown, when it was again obvious and clear (after watching the replay in slow motion) that the football never really never did go over the goal line. Ending up "totally opposite" to what all those scores should have been. In reality, without all the wrong calls, the Seahawks should have won the Super Bowl.

I understand that a review is being made by the NFL and a statement issued within a week. A statement? Is that all anyone is going to do is issue a statement? How ridiculously stupid!!! How about re-playing the entire Super Bowl game over again? Now that is "reasonable" under the circumstances!

I, like many millions of others who watched the game closely, feel that the Referee's either had some "personal" incentive, or was simply paid off to rule against the Seahawks whenever possible! In times past, this sort of thing would be under serious investigation, and a felony if found guilty of intentionally shaving points by one means or another. This is indeed a "Crime"!

This was a very important Super Bowl game, and it was so evident something was so terribly wrong with the way the Referee's were making their decisions.

I personally feel that someone who really has the power to deal with this issue, should do something about this, and "criminally investigate" the Referee's involved in this game in order to get to the bottom of this. If this is not done, I for one... will lose all my faith in the credibility of the NFL for allowing the Referee's to simply get by with such a tragedy.

We the people (including the Seahawks), do not deserve such injustice!

At the very least, I feel that the Super Bowl should be played all over again, with referee's we can trust. This will be the best way, under the circumstances, to clear up this matter once and for all. Otherwise... this Super Bowl will always be remembered as the game with corrupt officials and a "NFL" that can no longer be trusted.

In America we are taught from grade school on that institutions are good and honest and we have to trust the system. We believe and expect fairness in all sporting competitions and trust the referees/umpires/judges are impartial and doing the best to be fair. Unfortunately it is a often un-truefantasy it is painfully obvious on Sunday. The NFL is just part of the MATRIX to make money from us and feed us fantasy.

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

Wow, I just a short time ago heard the clip from David Letterman where the Pittsburgh QB admitted he did not make the touchdown. Champions? You must REALLY be PROUD Pittsburgh!!! AMAZING.

Cathy:

Amazing what can be done with sound clips, you can make anyone say anything.

I still don't know what you're complaining about, the rules apply to Seattle too.

Just love Chris above stating that he knows nothing about football, yet he thinks that seattle was cheated. Just like the rest of you who know nothing about football.

Dodonfred (that probably says it all right there),

Have you heard the clip? If not, SHUT UP. He said he did NOT get in and TOLD THE COACH he did not get in but they were getting ready to go for it on fourth down anyway.

I'm complaining about the fact that a touchdown that was a touchdown was NOT a touchdown to the officials. I'm complaining that a touchdown that was NOT a touchdown (and you can clearly see when he pulls the ball out from under his big BELLY where it was and puts it over the line that it was NOWHERE NEAR THE GOAL LINE) WAS a touchdown to the officials. I'm complaining that every time the Seahawks moved, a penalty was called, even though it was NOT a penalty. I'm complaining that every time the SteAlers scored, even without crossing the GOAL LINE (for them, CLOSE COUNTS) that was considered a score and there was no scrutiny for the least little thing that they could spin into a penalty.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm NOT Chris and have watched Seahawks football from the beginning. I KNOW about football, so stop with the condescending BULL!!!

As I said before, what are SteAlers fans doing on a Seahawks blog anyway if you are so comfortable with your "win?" I can guarantee if the Seahawks won, blogging with Pittsburgh people would be the last thing on my mind. Feel a little guilty maybe? I thinks SO.

Well said Cathy.
I am so tired of Pittsburg fans telling the rest (yes I said rest) of the country and apparently Canada as well that they are the only people in the world who apparently understand the rules of football. Football fans (outside a radius of 200 miles of Pittsburg) all over the country are outraged at the officiating of this game. It is just not Seahawk fans...it is all fans. Everybody (except the obviously vision impaired Pittsburg fans who are blogging here) is wondering if it could happen to their team next.

It will if the fans don't demand an answer...And you Pittsburg fans...you should be careful what you wish for. If this is swept under the carpet, Joey Porter may have a lot more complaints next year when Pittsburg gets a taste of the biased officiating that the Seahawks were subject to at at Super Bowl.

Seattle is a cool town, but you are terrible losers. Get over it. Refs make mistakes. Your team had a far worse game than the officials. I'm from Milwaukee so I know the feeling...we've complained about officiating a few times too. Dennis Johnson and Jack Sikma come to mind. Don't worry, though. It goes away... but it takes a long, long time.

The Officials for Super Bowl XL not only did a huge diservice to the Seattle Seahawks, but also to the Pittsburg Steelers, this game will always have a cloud of controversy hanging over it, and neither team deserves that.......

As a Steelers fan, I completely agree with that. It isn't fair that we have to listen to all of this instead of enjoying our championship.

You know Mike... Refs do make mistakes... Heck, we all make them... However, you can't sit there and honestly think this was all mistakes.. Could you?
I admit.. I am a Green Bay Fan... I am from WA Love the Hawks and very happy for them.. I cheer them on when they aren't playing GB...
If The REFs would have made those calls the oppisite way... Called all the bad against Pits I would be just as outraged! As a football fan, as an American, as a hard working person, as a person that trys to do some good in this world... It shouldn't matter what color shirt you wear sitting at home on Sunday, watching football! If you have an honest bone in your body you should be OUTRAGED!

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 us.

As a Steeler fan, I have to point out the obvious: bad calls happen at some point in every sporting event on every level. It doesn’t matter whether the officials are part-time or full-time it happens across the board. It’s called being human.

Over the past few years the Steelers have been victimized by many many bad calls. They have received at least two apologies from the league, not including the league statement regarding the Colts game.

That Colts’ game embodies the difference between the Steelers and Seahawks, champions and challengers. Pittsburgh was able to overcome more bad calls against Indy than Seattle faced on Sunday. That’s why you will find few sympathetic ears outside of the Pacific Northwest.

Moreover, outside of the low block call (which wouldn’t have given Seattle the ball back anyway), every call brought up was borderline. No one on this board who watched the came can say, without a doubt, that the ball DID NOT break the plane of the goaline on Ben’s run. Even if it didn’t, the Steelers would have gone for it on 4th down and less than an inch. And odds are we would have made it. Seattle fans cry about the holding call, but of course have nothing to say about all the other times holding was NOT called when it could have been.

The Seahawks were beaten by big plays, penalties, dropped passes, and piss-poor red-zone efficiency. The Steelers played poorly, but the Seahawks played worse. No one took anything away from you, you choked it away.

Now deal with it.

You're right, Les, Steeler fans have been complaining a lot in these blogs about the bad calls that almost cost them the AFC title. I remember the righteous outcry in the days after the game, revived now - ironically - to somehow demonstrate that Seattle has no right to complain. And to think the Steelers almost choked that game away with a goal line fumble! Thank God for Roethlisberger's amazing shoe-string tackle and the missed kick by Indianapolis: Considering what we heard after their win, I can only imagine the whining and complaining we'd have to endure to this day if Pittsburgh had ended up LOSING that game.

So enough of the hypocracy: let us vent our own frustration and be done with it, and don't pretend you wouldn't be doing the same thing if Roethlisberger's 3rd-and-28 completetion to Ward on the 1 yard line had been called back on what ESPN, FoxSports, and nearly every other neutral analyst describes as a bad holding call; and if Ward had been flagged for a 1-in-10 push-off penalty on his trick-play touchdown. Lucky for you none of those kinds of "bad-calls-happen-it's-just-football" flags came your way. Count your blessings, but leave us alone while we commiserate.

You can taunt and complain about the complaining all you want, but the impact that shaky officiating had on this game is always going to be the sad side-line to this Super Bowl. In your words - Deal with it.

Hey Jim Stringer,

"HEY SEAHAWK FANS...GO TO WWW.FOX970.COM AND CLICK ON PROOF: BEN SCORES...NOW SHUT UP AND BE GOOD LOSERS INSTEAD OF CRYBABIES.."

IS Fox970 the flagship fox affiliate in Pittshburgh? I bet if you went to KJR950 in Seattle the picture would show a different story. You know the saying, "Pictures never lie"? It is not the same thing in the day of photo rendering and the fact that you can buy photo enhancing/editing software at walmart for $39.99.

Hey Todd,

You are absolutely right. I still find it funny (and, yes, now I'm laughing) at the mean-spirited comments by the "winners/champions." They whine about us being bad losers. What great "winners/champions" they are, an inspiration to one and all!!!

This post by John K proves my point about photo rendering/editing software:

I made this image just for you Seahawk fans:

'SuperBowl XL Wardrobe Malfunction'
http://www.johnkalnin.com/images/ref.jpg

Enjoy... well try to, it'll be funny in a few weeks when the pain wears off.

And the Steeler fans want us to take their supposed "photo evidence" seriously. I am sure you have all seen the photo of Bill Leavy with the black and yellow striped officiating uniform, yellow hat, and terrible towel hanging from his pants. Enough said.

Thanks so much to King 5 for giving us this blog so we could vent. It has been cathartic. I appreciate it.

You don't have to be too bright to realize the bias that the refs showed at the Super Bowl . . . for the benefit of Steeler fans who believe they got the Lombardi trophy fair and square.

I hope the media puts pressure on the NFL until they come clean and admit the officiating was bias and that the head referee is made to talk about the game, not to defend his decisions but to admit to wrong doing.

Lastly, the remark that Mike Holmgren made wasn't anything close to what should have been said. If he should be penalized in any way the media should put even more pressure on the NFL for making another officiating boggle.

Thanks King 5 for this opportunity to vent. :-)

Anyone like the Eagles (band, not the team)?

"Get over it, get over, you gotta stop sometime so why don't you quit? Get over it"

if seattle is full of morons like those who post on here, can we just trade it to canada for toronto or something?

WOW, that last post was TOTALLY intelligent. Must be one of the "WINNERS" from Pittsburgh. Do you count yourself among those "morons" posting on this blog? How about we just send you to Canada and be done with it?

I am a Seahawks fan and like many have rode the wave of shock denial anger acceptance. This is part of the grieving process. We need to go through it or we will go "postal" later in life.

I dont care about the game whats done is done.

ITS TIME TO MOVE ON!!!!

PART II

THE NFL HAS SOME CREDIBILTY ISSUES TO CONTEND WITH:

They have come out and said that they have no problems with how the game was called?

When they come out and say that its like saying "What elephant in the living room"

Hello... are you kidding me?????

The officiating has been lacking for the entire season every team will tell you that, steelers fans included. Its just a shame that they can't admit that their system is broken... and that they are working on repairing it.

It cheapens the experience for all fans. In the back of peoples minds their is a trust issue that has been broken and unless they deal with it people wont buy into it in the future.

Intergrity in all parts of our lives is crucial.

Good Luck NFL. I am less inclined to buy into the product now that they are not dealing with an issue that all fans can agree on.

I can't let the dig on Pittsburgh's terrible towels pass. First of all, they are an original Pittsburgh idea from over 30 years ago, and iconic of the Steelers. All other team towels are knock-offs from this idea. So what if they sold more terrible towels in the stands? Maybe they had just as many Seahawks towels available. Doesn't mean people will buy them, especially in a crowd that was predominantly Steelers fan.

Most importantly- I don't want to hear a word about $$$ and greed prompting the sales of the terrible towel. Myron Cope, the designer of the terrible towel signed over all of the royalties and rights from the TT to the Allegheny Valley School, a school for children and adults with mental retardation. This was down as charity for the school that has educated his son for the past 20 years. So that's where all the greed driven profit goes- to help children and adults with disabilities.

b,

Nobody has listened to the Eagles since the late 80's. I say that Seattle residents buy Pittsburgh and turn it into a landfill.

maybe YOU haven't listened to them since the late 1980s, but a lot of people still have.

and instead of buying pittsburgh, maybe you should invest in a college education. or maybe even a high school education.

Hey b,

TRUST me, NOBODY listens to the Eagles anymore except you, and as I said before maybe we could just send you to Canada. I'm sure with your quick wit and your superior intellect, they would more than welcome you.

My beef is with the officials flagging the Steelers for only 20 meaningless yards. Was the defender off sides on the Locklear hold? Was there a chopblock by big ben or offensive holding on the Ward TD? And I don't remember what play it was but there was once or twice the Steelers had offensive linemen down field illegally.
And take a look at the tape of the Indy-Pit game. In the first quarter Manning threw a pass over the middle and the receiver was bumped before the ball had arrived. No CALL. Easy to see and nobody complained thinking it was early in the game. Peyton went on to throw very erratically the rest of the half. Small play but I think it affected his performance. Another play was when I think it was Randle El went for that long pass and got tangled up with the defender. If you look at the tape it will show that he pushed off with his right arm to get separation about 10-15 yards before the ball got there. Why no flag on that play. And how can they throw a flag on a Colt offense lineman flinching and not throw a flag on a Pit offense lineman flinching. Only 2 flags thrown against Pit for 8 yards in the game. How can that be. So in 2 big games Pit gets flagged for 28 yards. I don't understand how this could ever happen. Just take a look at the tape. All people are concerned about is that int that got reversed. The refs thought the game was in hand at that point in the game.
And then the next game gets started and there is a flag thrown on one of the first plays of the game on the Steve Smith TD. So I know that officials will throw flags. Look at those five flags thrown in those 2 Pit games and how many were involved while there was a play going on.

It would be nice to see a replay because it appeared to me that on the same series where they called the Locklear holding penalty Pittsburgh was offsides TWICE on the right hand side of the line. It had to have at least been close, and had one of those penalties been called, the Locklear gain would have stood. But, of course, no calls FOR the Seahawks!!

you guys are such sore losers. it just makes me laugh to see how little common sense you guys have. but whatever. in 10 years when pittsburgh has 6 or 7 championships, you'll still be complaining about this one and the seahawks will suck again. have fun.

Ah b,

You are such a sore "winner" the only thing you can do is taunt Seattle fans. You represent your "championship" city so well with your wit, superior intellect and class, we are all in awe of such greatness. Wow, don't we all wish we lived in Pittsburgh (NOT!!!!!!!!!!). GO b (to Canada or anywhere else but this blog)!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know what kind of sense you pit fans have but any more of this nonsense from officials outright favoring one team like they did this postseason and all football Fans need to speak up and not attend these games.

b,

You assume greatly. Your rantings are symptoms of your megalomania, which it seems all Pittsburgh fans have these days. The reality is life goes on outside of the stadium or away from your tv set. Just because you have a trophy doesn't mean you can walk on water or heal cancer and it certainly does not make you better than us. I will put my college education up against yours any day. Just let me know where to send my transcripts. I say transcripts because any moron can get a degree with crappy grades but alot of people do not get their degree(s) with a Summa Cum Laude.

b,

One last thing, we will see who sucks next year. Until then you can only speculate. Oh yeah who is favored to win next year? Not the Steelers no one in NFLdome thinks they will.

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.

Well said hawkfan37!! The refs can HAND Pittsburgh a trophy, but it has to be the most HOLLOW victory in the world. When your own QB ADMITS to the world he didn't score, I think that pretty much says it all. Seahawk players (even though they can't and WON'T say so) Seahawk fans, Pittsburgh players and Pittsburgh fans alike all KNOW Pittsburgh did not EARN or deserve the trophy they were handed. That's probably why the Pittsburgh fans who come on this blog are so venemous in their attempts to defend their "championship."

Super Bowl XL, The Steelers Vs. The Seahawks, 2 great teams with loyal fans, That should have been a true SUPER bowl, however the officiating cost both teams the ability to play to their fullest potential. Congratulations to the Steelers, and to the Seahawks, thanks for a great year, you are our Conference champs!

hawkfan, i'll put my grades up against yours any day. i'm almost a senior in college and i have a 4.0 cumulative GPA, taking engineering and honors classes in one of the highest ranked engineering schools in the country (wvu), so bring it on buddy. so no, i'm not getting a degree in a bs field with crappy grades, i'm at the top of my class.

and to cathy: did you not see any of the other steelers playoff games? they completely dominated the bengals, then tore apart the colts(supposedly one of the best teams ever, or at least by some analayts views) and then the broncos and seahawks in the superbowl. and who did seattle beat? ... no one that good

b,

A senior in college? WVU what? Wow! I am so in awe of your brilliance. You are omnipotent and omniscient and I lay prostrate in the light of your 4.0 GPA. Next I will hear how you can walk on water and part the Red Sea. Once you get a doctorate and 3 masters degrees then we will talk.

You know b,

I really could care less about the Steelers. What would I be doing watching them? You love your team. Fine and dandy. It just doesn't change the facts as they are. There is no way, shape or form the Steelers "dominated" or "tore apart" the Seahawks in that game. Your own QB ADMITS on national TV that he DID NOT EVEN SCORE that touchdown. You know the story of the officiating as does the rest of the world. It was as unfair to you as it was to us because your "championship" is tainted no matter what you say, and everyone KNOWS that, no matter what either Pittshburgh or Seattle did before that game. This is the Super Bowl that will always be remembered for the yellow and black striped officials with their little yellow towels. If the game had been played fairly and your team had won, we'd all be saying congratulations, but that's just not how it was and you know it.

cathy: What Ben said was he didn't think he scored, but he wasn't sure. Theres a close up picture somewhere on the internet that clearly shows that he was over the line. Regardless of that, we would have scored on 4th down anyhow.

and to hawksfan.. good job graduating summa cumme laude. and if you actually have a doctorate and 3 masters degrees, good for you. i'm striving towards multiple degrees myself, and i'm actually only in my second year of college, but i'm so far ahead that by credit hours i'm considered a senior, and i'm at the top of my class, so good for me. and yes, wvu was ranked amond the nations top engineering colleges (no, its not just a party school, we actually do other things here..). this really has nothing to do with football though, don't really remember how we got into this, but whatever.

i just wish everyone would stop whining and accept the fact that you lost, but i suppose that is a lost cause.

b,

He didn't say he wasn't sure. I have never seen this phantom photo and, gee, like everyone says to me, anybody can do anything with pictures. They can be photoshopped and enhanced with any of those programs. The one that I see is where he is clearly pulling the ball out from under his belly, then putting it over the line but second effort is not supposed to count (he was already stopped) and his belly is at least six inches away from the goal line. There is NO WAY any part of that ball crossed that line. Maybe they would have scored on 4th down and maybe not. We just will NEVER know. What we DO KNOW (anyone with eyes, that is--even your QB) is THAT was NOT a touchdown. As far as the "whining" is concerned, guess you better get used to it. You are "whining" about "winning." That tells us you recognize it wasn't a clean win. You can spout anything you want to but as the saying goes something like "Me thinks thou doest protest too much." We will never accept a "loss" like this. If OUR TEAM had lost the game that would be one thing. THAT we could accept, but they didn't even get the opportunity to do that. For the officials to HAND it to Pittsburgh was another thing altogether. THAT we cannot and WILL not accept. That is why this was also unfortunate for Pittsburgh. Because of the circumstances, NO ONE will ever see you guys cleanly as 2006 Super Bowl champs, and that's a fact, JACK! YOU need to accept THAT.

Pit should never have been in the super bowl in the first place. If you look at the tape of the indy game there were nary a flag thrown when there surely should have been on pit. They were only called twice for 8 yards. Just pathetic refering this postseason. And mostly in pit favor.

Here's what I accept about the super bowl:

I accept that there were more than a few "close" calls in the Super Bowl (as tere are in any NFL game).
I accept that more of these calls went against Seattle than went against Pittsburgh.
I accept that this fact does NOT mean the NFL was trying to 'fix' the game.
I accept that good teams can overcome questionable officiating calls (as Pittsburgh demonstrated against the Colts).
I accept that Pittsburgh made some HUGE plays that propelled them to victory.
I accept that Seattle did not make any big plays, and on the contrary, shot themselves in the foot repeatedly with missed field goals, dropped passes, poor clock management, and completely being fooled by Pittsburgh's trick play.
I accept that Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl, it was not handed to them, and they proved themselves the best team in the NFL :).

b,

There were not a FEW CLOSE calls. They weren't EVEN close, and only if your name was SEATTLE were they called. No the NFL was not TRYING to FIX the game, they DID FIX THE GAME. Darlin, when there are THAT MANY calls against you, you are NOT going to overcome them. Pittsburgh made "huge plays" only because they were ALLOWED to make those "huge plays" and no questionable (or otherwise) penalty was called to bring it all back. Seattle TRIED TO MAKE BIG PLAYS but your pals, in yellow and black stripes, the REFS, called them all back. Pittsburgh has a trophy, HANDED to them. Delude yourself with any wonderful name you want, but SteAlers are NOT the best team in the NFL, and the ENTIRE WORLD KNOWS IT.

the entire world? last time i checked, the city of seattle didn't encompass the entire world,lol. you are pathetic. so glad i'm from pittsburgh.

You are only talking about ONE call in the colt game and the refs felt the game was in hand at that time and the int was reversed. But there were other plays in the game, like the SB that there should have flags thrown against pit and were not thrown. You have to look at the whole game and not just one play, one int that did not go your way. The fix was in for the whole postseason.

Oh poor little b,

There is no hope for you. For your information, the cities of Detroit, Pittsburgh and Seattle were NOT the only ones where the Super Bowl was televised; THEREFORE, yes, pathetic little b, this travesty was seen around the ENTIRE WORLD, and there's one HUGE THING we agree on: I certainly second that emotion, SOOOOOO GLAD you are from "pittsburgh." VERY catchy, little b from little p.

Must b the pits to live in pittsburgh

while the super bowl was seen everywhere, only people in seattle (and a select few seahawks fans/steelers bashers elsewhere) are still whining. and pittsburgh is awesome (even though i live 60 miles south).

sore losers.

PITTSBURGH: THE CITY OF CHAMPIONS!!!

GOOD ONE, Bill!!! Can't stop laughing:)

Pittsburgh city of frauds

b,

I'll go slowly this time. To reiterate, the Super Bowl was seen AROUND THE WORLD. Most people around the world could SEE and HEAR it. Anyone (not just Seattle fans) who could see and/or hear it could see and hear that things were just not quite right somehow, unless, of course, you were a Pittsburgh fan or a referee; THEREFORE, the ENTIRE WORLD knows your QB did not score that touchdown and when all penalties go against one team, well that just smells a touch rotten. SO, we can conclude the WHOLE WORLD KNOWS that Pittsburgh was given a trophy.

Certainly the biggest fix in all the SB's I have ever seen. And I have seen most of them.

b,

I think you're wrong. Isn't Pittsburgh the city of Charmin? If not, it should be.

And Charmin is not even that good of tissue.

So what does THAT tell you about Pittsburgh? Think about it.

tells me that we wiped the green shat off the field sunday night.

waaaa hawks (wow, isn't that sweet, great "winners" hahahahaha),

That's REALLY DEEP. We just love the class of Pittsburgh and the officials they bought. There wouldn't be enough Charmin in the world to clean up all the "shat" that was on that field and not a bit of of it was green, TOTALLY yellow and black.

have you ever been to pittsburgh? if you haven't been there in the last 5 or 10 years, dont f'ing talk trash about the city. have i said anything bad about seattle? no. i said it was rainy, which is true, and i also said i figured it was a perfectly nice city. pittsburgh is as well.

and theres something YOU do not understand. while the super bowl was seen all around the world, that does not simply mean that everyone in the world outside of pittsburgh thinks the same as you do about the outcome(yes, surprising as it may seem, seattle, or even the US for that matter, is not the center of the universe). and yes, i know it was seen ALL OVER THE FREAKIN WORLD. but people ALL OVER THE FREAKIN WORLD also saw pittsburgh win the game, and many of them would call you guys crazy for saying it was fixed. and unless you can show me a SCIENTIFIC poll (and some poll off of espn.com or foxsports.com is not scientific, you can easily flood those with votes) that shows otherwise, thats not a valid arguement.

do you honestly think the nfl, or any other professional league would fix a game? come on. congress would be on their ass in a heartbeat, like they were with the steroid issue. so just chill out, drop the anger, and enjoy the seahawks best season ever... or be bitter, make yourself miserable. i'm thrilled that pittsburgh won, and all of this is just making it all the more sweeter.

Ok, I'm a hawks fan, and yes, there were quite a few questionable calls that went against us. But saying the game was fixed? Thats a bit much. Even if some of the calls were huge momentum swings, we still had chances to win the game, and we didn't. Would Seattle have won if the calls had went the other way? Who knows. Maybe, maybe not. Both teams played really sloppy, really. But stop this crap.. its really making all the Seahawks fans sound really bad. You're acting like we'll never get back again, this was our only chance.

Just admit that we didn't get it done on the field in the given circumstances, and Pittsbrugh did. Say "Congrats Steelers", goto thankyouseahawks.com and add your signature there to support the Seahawks, and just drop all of this. Its really not worth it.

b,

One of the many things YOU don't understand is that there are MANY people in this world (OUTSIDE of SEATTLE) WHO DO NOT AGREE with you. Fine and dandy, you tell yourself your team won. You have a trophy to prove it after all. Great, go on believing that, just not all of us do. Ah, a poll guy. Corruption in professional sports? Wow that is a crazy idea. Give me a break. Congress? Yeah, Congress is always right on top of the really important issues, aren't they, and, for heaven's sake, no corruption there.

b,

You come on a Seahawks blog, for SEAHAWKS FANS, and taunt them and then don't like what you brought on yourself. If you don't like it, YOU stop it. YOU started it.

For you to keep coming back means we are touching nerves in you, must be some little bit of truth in what we say. The honest truth is these are both great cities, both good teams, but this game was NOT played fairly and no matter what you SAY you cannot change the fact that the officiating and the admission made by your QB on national television will taint your victory forever.

what roethlisberger said makes no difference, because on something that close a player can't really tell if hes in or not. and the nerve you are touching in me is that you are trying to take away from pittsburgh's victory. you are trying to say they were not good enough to beat your beloved seahawks and that the game was simply handed to us by the nfl. you are trying to stretch the facts to meet your own view points. there is no truth in your saying that the nfl handed the game to pittsburgh. the steeler's victory is in no way tainted.

however, there might indeed be an asterisk placed next to this super bowl victory. and that asterisk will say "this team had the toughest road possible to being super bowl champions. they beat the top three seeds within their own conference, on the road, then beat the top seed in the other conference in the superbowl. also, they tied the 49ers and cowboys for most super bowl wins by a franchise, and hall of famer jerome bettis ended his career with a super bowl victory in his hometown." that is what people will remember about this super bowl.

and while there could be many people in the world that agree with you, there are also many people who agree with me.

in terms of leagues instructing referrees to make calls to effect the outcome of a game.. i challenge you to give me a proven, admitted example of this happening in the last 50 years.

and i'm not "taunting" seahawks fans, or at least i wasn't at first. i'm defending the super bowl champion steelers.

and i know its coming.. "the facts are that the officiating cost seattle the game".. that is not a fact, that is an opinion.

Cindy,

Thanks for the info on the website. I hadn't heard about it. What a great idea!! :)

Oh Boy, oh b,

Love your logic (?!?!?!???). Professionals? Now your players have no clue what they are doing out there on the field, where am I? Sorry, darlin, but that's JUST TOTAL BS and you know it. The facts are the facts and you can't change them much as you want to. I'm not stretching anything. Everything was there for all the world to see. It was so blatant you had to be blind not to see what was happening, and you have already admitted things were not quite equal with the officiating. If it's true a lot of people are with you and a lot of people are with me, that STILL means your "victory" is tainted because that's what those who believe as I do believe. Recognize that fact or don't, of course that is up to you. I promise you people (other than the staunchest of Pittsburgh fans) are NOT going to remember all that other "stuff." They are going to remember a not-so-Super Bowl Sunday and the yellow flags in the stands where they belonged and on the field where they did not.

cathy needs to get her vibe out and mellow. cuz i know she dont have a man with her tude. pretend its a real man from Steeler country not the limps u usually oincounter. everyone know your team is "soft". as for class your the one with the charmin reference i just came up with simething better. dont hate us cuz were smarter or better .

The last post speaks for itself in it's own extremely bizarre language. If that and "b" are examples of Pittsburgh's finest, well, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case. Smarter? Better? YES, UH HUH.

if you want to take a personal shot at me, we can play that game, and i'll put my intellect up against anyone's anyday.

i never admitted anything about the officiating in the game being slanted towards pittsburgh. as far as i'm concerned there were a lot of close plays, and there were 2 that were blatantly wrong, one against each team. when i spoke of seattle getting more bad calls the pittsburgh, i was speaking hypothetically (thats when play the "what ifs"). if you were smart enough, maybe you would have been able to figure that out, but i guess expecting that from someone who thinks the game was fixed is a bit of a stretch.

and no, the fact of the matter is, THE GAME WAS NOT FIXED. your opinion is the game is fixed, but you have no evidence to prove that the NFL or the Steelers coerced the refs to "hand" the game to pittsburgh. all you have is a few questionable calls on the field.

maybe if your coach could manage the clock or if your receiver could hold on to the ball, you would have won. but you didnt.

bbbbbbbbbbbb,

We've been over this a billion times before and for all your brilliance you still won't get it. One of the things that has bothered me about your posts is that you have been so condescending and mean (Seattle so full of morons you need to sell it to Canada? NO, b, you didn't say anything bad about Seattle, now did you) tried to put us down, as though you are so FAR superior to anyone here. YOU, my dear b, have taken personal shots at a lot of us, you and your degrees and all. Just as possession of a trophy doesn't guarantee a champion, possession of a piece of paper doesn't guarantee brilliance. You don't like it when people give you a taste of your own medicine. So much of this is joking, but you don't seem to realize it. You think I'm angry. I am not angry. I can disagree with people without getting angry. I am SAD because I wish for YOU and ME and the teams we LOVE that it had been a fair game. That way no matter who won, no one would have had any questions. All I'm saying is a great number of people WILL (YES WILL) always have honest questions about the officiating and that TD.

And seriously, b, WHY are you blogging with Seattle? I find that so curious. If Seattle had won this game, I would be right here blogging and celebrating with my fellow Seahawks fans. I just don't understand why you are not celebrating with people in Pittsburgh.

oh believe me we've been celebrating hard core in pittsburgh. i'm always one for a good argument and getting people riled up though, as it was so easy with you guys, i couldnt resist. and i still do think you guys are acting quite silly, lol.

I think it's quite obvious how argumentative you are. We've been having lots of "fun" lol,lol,lol with you too, getting you pretty riled yourself. Put yourself in our place and I guess you'd be acting pretty "silly" too. One thing we can agree on, b, is that we will never agree. lol.

yeah we never will. and honestly, if i were in your position, i might try to say that the officiating calls might have lost the game for seattle, but i would NEVER try to say that the nfl tried to "fix" the game, or hand it to the steelers.

If we're being TOTALLY honest, you don't know WHAT you'd say, but at any rate. We will never agree.

being totally honest, i can say that i would never accuse the nfl of trying to fix a game, because they have no reason to fix a game. whatever possible reward they could gain from that couldnt possibly outweigh the consequences if they got caught.

Well, b,

Okay. That's your story and your stuck with it, as they say. LOL. At any rate, it's been real...something...not sure what. Looks like you and I are the only two left using this blog, and I'm going to end now because I have a real life outside of this forum.

I would just like to say once again a HUGE THANK YOU to king5.com for giving us Seahawks fans this chance to express ourselves. I SO look forward to our new season. LOVE YOU ALWAYS SEAHAWKS!!!!!!

well cathy, i suppose you and all the others here stuck with your crazy conspiracy stories as well, lol.

but to all you seahawks fans: support your team, celebrate a great season. don't 'taint' your own wonderful season with all this negativity. remember it for being the best season in franchise history, don't remember it and believe the super bowl was "stolen" from you, in a year or two you will realize how ridiculous it really was to think the nfl fixed the game. and at any rate, its better to remember with happiness than anger. and i'll even offer congratulations to the seahawks, because they did indeed have a very good year, they just came up a little short in the end. and of course, CONGRATS STEELERS, WE LOVE YOU!

late Draconian ironic declarers?Aramco spiller sensitives sugarings.

What a bunch of crybabies. The Steelers won it fair and square. Deal with it already.