The Khadaji Memorial Steelers March to the Super Bowl Thread

The Game Room
401

No. The NFL kisses the ass of the New England franchise followed by the New York franchises. I don’t think the Steelers have been treated favorably by the league this year. The Tomlin incident alone is enough to show that there is no favoritism in the NFL offices for the Steelers. The fines levied against James Harrison last year were also a bit heavy-handed IMO. I think the Steelers have become such a lightning rod for jealous fans who see the Steelers relatively consistent success and hate them for it. That is just jealousy, nothing more.

If i had to pick one franchise that seems to get breaks to fall their way, it would be the Patriots. And you can start with the “tuck rule” and work your way forward if you’d like. How was that fumble reviewed and reversed, however the OT fumble in the KC/SD was not even reviewed?

I will not argue that the Steelers really have no one but themselves to blame for not being in the playoffs.

However, i think it is sad that people cannot at least admit that the refs in the Charger game blew two calls at the end that should have given the Chiefs the win and would have put the Steelers in the playoffs as a result. These are two different issues.

If you look at the FG, clearly that should have been a penalty. There is no debate, there is no judgement. Why the NFL refuses to permit something like this to be reviewed and fixed right then and there is a disgrace. We aren’t talking about a holding penalty being called after the play. We are talking about a play that is a penalty before the ball was kicked. As soon as the ball was hiked, the flag should have been tossed. What the fuck was the ref looking at? His one job before the ball is snapped is to check for the number of defensive players on each side of the ball. Ok, so he blows the call. Why cant the refs in the booth buzz down and call it a dead-ball foul, permitting the Chiefs another kick or to take the 5 yards if it gave them a first down?

Do NFL refs ever get fired?
The OT non-fumble is also a bad call, but again, the NFL falls into the old “this play is not reviewable” bullshit. Why? The play could have resulted in a Chief touchdown thereby ending the game and giving the sixth seed to the Steelers.

But the hell with the sixth seed for the Steelers. That is just a lucky (or unlucky) downstream outcome based on the Chiefs winning in SD. And THAT is what the NFL is missing… There were two very simple calls that were blown at the end of the game that would have given the Chiefs another kick (and a possible win) or a fumble recovery and return for a TD (a definite KC win). How is that the preferred way to have the game finish? Getting it wrong, and not reviewing a play because it’s not permitted by the rules? Fix the fucking rules!

I still don’t understand how the fumble was not reviewable. I also don’t understand why a coach gives up any chance to review plays in overtime. The Refs this year were just awful, and these two plays in the KC/SD gsme are just the latest examples of it.

I do not believe in any conspiracy theory to keep the Steelers out. However, I do think that the game being in SD helped the Chargers get those favorable calls. That impacted the Steelers, but that (IMO) was not why those calls were missed. If any theory is floating out there, it should be that the NFL wanted the Chargers in the playoffs. Why? I don’t know… But if there was a conspiracy (which I highly doubt) it was to favor the Chargers, NOT to screw the Steelers. And having the Chargers in the playoffs would have to result in more money for the league. Because that’s all the league cares about. MONEY.

But the NFL couldn’t force Succop to miss that FG. He should have had a second chance at kicking it, but who knows if he makes that one? The fumble that wasn’t is the real problem for me. That is a play that MUST be reviewed for the integrity of the game. With all of the replays available to everyone watching the game, it just pisses everyone off (everyone except Charger fans and Steeler haters, of course) that knows the game was not officiated properly and the outcome of the game was impacted as a direct result.
I would love to see the Super Bowl end the same way the KC/SD game ended. Then maybe at long last, someone in the NFL would get a bug up his/her ass to fix the rules on reviewing missed dead-ball, non-judgement call penalties, or turnovers, regardless when they occur, which could or would have a definite impact on the outcome of the game.

402

After the lengthy and detailed rant, let me just say, QFE.

403

Though to be fair, the state of Minnesota had it’s way with all of Pennsylvania this year.

404

Ike Taylor and William Gay have both had discussions with the team about moving to Free Safety which I find interesting. Ike played better after being assigned to one side of the field and he has hands of stone so I hope they leave him where he is. Gay might be a good fit there, they also like Robert Golden a lot. I’d say there’s roughly zero chance of Clark returning.

It’s interesting that early in the season when things were spiralling down it seemed like every position was a position of need heading into the draft yet here we are once again heading into the offseason with the ability to go BPA once again. NT or a play-making DB are still at the top of my list but Heath Miller-style TEs are as rare as hens’ teeth nowadays and I really think they need to address that position now. Carrying eight different TEs supplemented with backup Tackles wasn’t a winning plan while Miller was out.

Not often we get to praise rookies on Steeler teams but two stood out for me: Bell’s running and catching ability are obvious but only one fumble on the season. I like that. One of Jerome Bettis’ most underrated strengths was how rarely he fumbled (let’s not remember The Indy fumble). The other standout rookie was Vince Williams. He didn’t bring back memories of Kendrell Bell’s rookie campaign or anything but he beat out several veterans and improved noticeably as the season went on.

Jarvis Jones’ rookie campaign looked just like Polamalu’s and Timmons’ where everyone whined about them looking undersized and out of place with OMG he’s a bust hand-wringing. I think he’ll be fine.

Speaking of younger players. Joe Thomas has owned us over the years, even when James Harrison was in beast mode, but Cameron Heyward bull rushed him into the QB, got the sack, AND drew a holding penalty from him. That was one of the highlights for the season for a d-line junkie like me! :slight_smile:

405

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15919643&postcount=22

I predicted this outcome in January.

406

Would you like cheese with that whine?

Who in this thread has denied that the refs made bad calls? As far as i can tell, it’s barely even been discussed, and no-one has come out and said that the refs did a great job. In the other thread about the Chargers, there are a few Charger fans who concede that San Diego got the benefit of some bad calls.

If it makes you feel any better, i’ll say it right here and now: the refs made some bad calls in the game, and those calls favored the Chargers.

The issue is whether those calls reflect some sort of bias or conspiracy against the Steelers, as Jackknifed Juggernaut so ridiculously suggested. And that sort of suggestion is just stupid. It’s whining; it’s sour grapes; it’s bad sportsmanship; it’s pathetic; and it demonstrates a complete and willful disregard for the facts in favor of an irrational and self-absorbed worldview. It’s the sporting equivalent of the people who claim that Obama isn’t a US citizen; it’s woo; it’s crackpot; it’s retarded; it doesn’t deserve even the semblance of rational consideration.

You keep saying that you don’t think there was a conspiracy, and then following it up with another suggestion that there was a conspiracy. You’re almost as pathetic as Jackknifed Juggernaut.

Just out of interest, would you care to explain your contention that having the Chargers in the playoffs makes more money for the league? Please provide a breakdown of expected revenues from advertising, merchandise sales, and other promotional considerations, taking into account the relative fanbases of the two teams, and the ability of each potential matchup they would have had to attract viewers.

TLDR version: Get the fuck over yourself.

407

I’m feeling really frustrated about the outcome of the Sunday games. Of the 4 teams vying for the final AFC spot, the Steelers were the only team that looked like they were fighting for the spot. The others just rolled over. And after watching SD get pushed around by the KC junior varsity, forgive me for rolling my eyes when the commentators talk about how dangerous that team is going into the playoffs.

Oh well. I’d given up on the playoffs at the halfway point of the season, so I guess I’m encouraged that the Steelers made it this close. Hopefully next year they’ll perform well enough so that they won’t have to rely on others to get them in.

408

You are correct, the Tuck Rule play was a horrible call. Brady was hit on the head - it should have been a 15 yard penalty and a first down. The Pats really got screwed on that one.

409

I prefer the Friar Tuck Rule.

410

When you hit your opponent with a quarter staff

411

Yeah, instead of a quarterback.

Well, you already got it, just explaining for the Dallas fans reading this thread.

412

:confused:

Dallas fans can’t read! :smack:

413

:smack:

414

Wow. Did someone forget their meds? Or are you a Patriot fan? I don’t really know who most people root for except for Airman and FoisGrassIsEvil, so I have no idea where you are coming from or what your problem is.

Sure. I like wine. Oh wait… Whine!!! I see what you did there! Cle-ver! CLE-EE-VER!!! Jeez, i haven’t hear that one since the 4th grade. (I’ll reply at the end with another clever response so you will have an extra quip in your duffle bag of “wit”)

It would make me feel better if a) you mattered or b) it was from someone I’d consider rational. Your response to my post indicates that a) you don’t and b) you aren’t. But thanks for trying.

Almost as pathetic as Jackknifed Juggernaut? ALMOST? No, I’m much worse!

If you would have read my posts in this thread correctly, you would realize that I do not and have not considered any conspiracy theory on the Steelers missing the playoffs. You seemed to miss the part where I mentioned that if the Steelers would have beaten the Vikings or Raiders, this wouldn’t have mattered.

Also, when i wrote:

I thought it was pretty clear that I didn’t believe in any CT, and if there WAS one, the reason for it would be to increase revenue for the NFL. Since I don’t see how having the Chargers in the Playoffs over the Steelers (or the Dolphins or Ravens) can be seen to be a revenue generator for the league, I don’t see how a CT can be seriously considered. As far as a single game, there are just too many variables at play to think that a ref can knowingly go into the game and make calls that will control the outcome. Is it possible? I guess anything is possible. Is it likely? No.

How you got what you did out of my post was one thing. Maybe I wasn’t as clear as I thought I was. But your anger and venom is just so over-the-top and bizarre. And pathetic. Seriously how do you type all this crap (I’ll quote it again just so we are all clear of the drivel you cranked out) while wearing a jacket?

It’s woo? Really? WTF is wrong with you, and who peed in your Cheerios? I don’t think i have a self-absorbed worldview, especially when it comes to sports. If you follow me at all in the sports threads, you should know my real love is baseball, and the Pirates are the team I get emotional about. And I have never believed that there was a CT to keep my favorite team out of the playoffs for two decades. To think i’d get that worked up over the Steelers is just nonsense.

Your post indicates that you are either a Patriots fan, and didn’t like the little shot I took at them, or you have Lombardi trophy envy and hate Steeler nation because we have 6 rings. I don’t know who/what your favorite team is, and i can’t be bothered to look. I can’t work up the froth to look for it either. I simply don’t care.

You know what’s more embarrassing than someone suggesting a CT? Someone mis-interpreting what someone else wrote and replying in such a fashion as to require one to wonder what happened in your day to cause such a reaction… That is one of the strangest, weirdest rants i’ve ever read. Especially considering I don’t believe there is any CT to discuss. How, for example, did the refs cause Succop to blow that kick? They didn’t. If Succop makes that kick, game over, Steelers in. Regardless of the bad ref calls, the game is over if that kick is made. The 7 guys on the one side of the ball didn’t impede that kick.

I know you are but what am I? HAW HAW!

Seriously, get the fuck over myself? Jesus, look in the mirror. See that goofball ranting about nonsense in a Steeler thread? That’s you. You get the fuck over that guy.

You should really try to not drink and post, because that was embarrassing.

Oh, and Happy New Year! :rolleyes:

Go Chargers!

And Oswald did not act alone! And Obama isn’t a US Citizen! And aliens are being held against their will in area 51. And Hilter and Elvis are still alive!

415

I was simply responding to your own unsupported assertions. You were the one who explicitly said:

Yet there is no evidence in this thread that such people exist. No-one has denied that the refs blew calls in the Charger game. Your whining about the issue was completely irrelevant.

Yeah, yeah, you kept saying there was no conspiracy theory. But then, each time, you kept adding something to the list that might qualify as a conspiracy theory, just to make sure that we all knew the poor Steelers got screwed by the officials. Yeah, yeah, we get it.

Anyway, my more general point about conspiracy theories was aimed mainly at Jackknifed Juggernaut, who explicitly did state a belief in a conspiracy theory. He said:

Ridiculous.

416

Simply responding? You went on a crazy multi-paragraph diatribe about conspiracy theories, wooing, and Obama nonsense. I have no idea where you are coming from, why you are so angry, or what your issue is.

You thought I was whining? Seriously? You need to re-adjust your sensitivity meter. I don’t remember what thread I was reading when I made that comment about people not admitting that refs blew the calls in that game. I didn’t call anyone out specifically in this thread because I didn’t recall where I read it. If I would have said “mhendo is a lying sack of denial for not admitting the refs blew the calls” I would understand your bizarro-land reaction. However, the generic comment I made was not pointing to anyone in the thread specifically. You need to understand something… I was reading a number of different threads and sources that day I wrote that post you flipped out over. This isn’t great debates, and I wasn’t calling out anyone in this thread directly. I may have read that people were being less that forthcoming in another thread on the Dope, but I’ll be honest, it could have been a thread I was reading on Bleacher Report or some other source. It really doesn’t matter where I read it; the point is I was making a general observation regarding this issue that I had read that day. Why you would go through this thread to see if anyone in here said that is something only you understand. It’s also not something I can honestly imagine anyone getting into a major twist over, especially when I haven’t addressed you directly or accused you of saying something you didn’t.

If you think pulled that comment out of the air, fine. If it is so important to you, go read the various threads all over the web regarding the Charger game and how the bad calls by the refs impacted the Steelers directly, indirectly or not at all. I read a number of posts by different folks saying that Steeler fans were whining and they didn’t deserve a spot in the playoffs. And their take was that those calls had nothing to do with the fact the Steelers are not in the playoffs.

I disagree on both points. Clearly calls were blown. And if either of those calls were made correctly, the Steelers would be playing this week. Yes, the Steelers lost to a number of teams that they should have beaten; however, this doesn’t excuse the refs poor officiating, and it also doesn’t minimize the impact those calls had on the Steelers playoff chances. People want to point to any one of the 8 Steeler losses and say “That’s why your team isn’t in the play-offs.” Well, yes and no. While it is true the Steelers would have been in the playoffs if they won just one more game, it is also true that the Steelers would have been in the playoffs if the refs made the right calls on Sunday. That is a fact. The Steelers needed a lot of things to happen to get into the playoffs. And even though the Chiefs played 20 out of 22 positions on offense and defense with backups, they still should have won that game. It is a shame the Steelers aren’t getting a chance to make a run in the AFC, because that would have been interesting. And it is a shame the officiating in the SD/KC game negatively impacted the Steelers.

But it is what it is. If that is whining, you have an odd definition.

I am actually starting to wonder about your mental make-up. Where did I say “poor Steelers got screwed by the officials”?

Here. Let me type this slower so you can understand what I’m saying. There is only one person in this conversation believes in CT’s in the NFL, and it isn’t me. You are reading things that simply aren’t there. I will say this again. I honestly don’t know how you could fix an NFL Game so perfectly that the team that needed to win the game (the Chiefs) to get another team into the playoffs (the Steelers) could be managed so perfectly as to bring the game down to the final play of regulation, only to have the kicker miss a pretty easy FG. Then, you add the refs not throwing a flag on the illegal alignment; then in over-time, you have a blown call on a fumble return for a TD. It’s preposterous. If the NFL has the ability to control games like that, it might as well be the WWF.

I don’t need to remind you or anyone else that the “poor Steelers got screwed by the officials.” They did; however, it’s not something I believe was done intentionally, and more importantly, it’s not something that I will lose any sleep over. I am actually shocked the Steelers finished at 8-8. If the season ended the way I thought when the Steelers were 2-6, it would have been a 5-11 season, a higher draft pick and maybe seeing Todd Haley fired. Now, it is a lower pick, and odds are Haley will return. THAT is the worst outcome of Sunday.

I agree that the idea of CT’s in the NFL to the level of controlling the outcome of a football game is ridiculous.

Hey, we agree on something!

417

Wow, well I’m glad I came back to this thread. mhendo doth protest too much! :smiley: Seriously, take a chill pill! This is a sports thread for pete’s sake. Your opinions are severely exaggerated and demonstrate a personal hatred for the greatest football team in the history of the NFL. But haters gon’ hate!

If you read my post correctly, I merely summarized what I told myself after the non-call in OT. The NFL apology statement the next day was consistent with my thoughts. I don’t really know of any conspiracy, but the botched field goal non-call was really easy and trained refs don’t ever blow a call like that. The OT fumble should have at least been reviewed for the spot. I watch a lot of football and ref crews will at least stop and have a discussion before letting the next play go off when coach challenges are no longer allowed.

That said, it really doesn’t take much for Goodell to pick up the phone and tell the ref to turn a blind eye to calls against one team. It’s not like we haven’t seen things like this in sports history. The NBA was recently exposed by a former ref. Goodell himself ordered all evidence related to Spygate to be destroyed, so it’s not like it’s above him.

Anyway, my thought wasn’t meant to suggest that any of this really happened, just that it’s not outside the realm of possibility.

418

The fact that you entertain this possibility says little for your mental acuity.

419

So you’re saying that it’s impossible? If so, it’s your mental capacity that should be questioned.

420

What, you aren’t going to root for our division to win it all?
:smiley:

The 49ers?