# The Seahawks lost. Get over it. (Super Bowl reffing) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 6, 2006, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229 "2006-02-06T14:04:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![randomlyblanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@randomlyblanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomlyblanks)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/61 "2006-02-07T01:11:00Z")
Let me quote Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The Seahawks will be left to ponder missed opportunities, questionable calls and their own impatience. That’s what losers do. The Steelers will return to Pittsburgh, hoping the place is still in one piece, for a wild celebration. That’s what winners do. " ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/62 "2006-02-07T01:34:00Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > Is there anyone who can honestly say that when the Roethlisberger touchdown occured, right at that moment, before the replay, that you knew for certain–for _certain_–that he made it or he didn’t? I didn’t. My reaction was, “Wow, that’s gonna be close!” > > I think he made it in after looking at the replays, but I’ll concede, it was really, really close. That’s why it wasn’t overturned. It was a friggin’ razor’s edge decision. > > So, in summary, we have a ref’s call made in real time (however many beats he waited) for a play that was so stinkin’ close, most folks (I’ll wager) needed several replays to confirm the outcome. And this is reflective of a bias, of a deliberate conspiracy by the refs for the Steelers to win, eh? Um, OK, sure… There was 4 of us watching it. 2 betting on Pittsburg and 2 on Seahawks. We all thought he was stopped before we saw the replay. But again, Seahawks played like shit. I wouldn’t let the punter fly with the team and Jackson should apologize to his teammates. Bad calls are bad calls. A good team can win despite bad calls. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/63 "2006-02-07T01:50:22Z")
> [@Apos](#): > > I don’t know why they use refs on the field at all anyway. It’s a complete anachronism. Cameras and other technology can completely replace having people in goofy stripes. > > I don’t watch or know anything about football. But I would guess that having a lot of questionable calls all go against your team has to be sort of frustrating and demoralizing to a team. See, this is just idiotic. Obviously, having the officiating be inarguably, unabashedly, completely fucking WRONG, and having the results of a game inexorably altered due to one guy having his head up his ass for a span of two seconds is _part of the game_. It’s what makes it fun. > [@Football rule that must exist somewhere](#): > > 34.562: Sucking of the Referee > > The referee must, during the course of any given game, call at least one (1) penalty and/or reverse a play in such a manner as to be incontrivertably incorrect. This call need not affect the outcome of the game, but it is entirely permissible if this does occur. Indeed, it is the spirit of this rule that the consequences of this call, or ‘calls’ should the referees prefer, be debated throughout NFL fandom for a period of a minimum of three (3) months. See? Clearly, if you knew exactly what happened on any given play, and applied the rules accordingly, **that would suck**. I have no idea why you, or anyone else, would ever want that. Where’s your spirit of fairness? ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/64 "2006-02-07T01:57:12Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > At this point, I give up. I’ve gone back and watched the plays. The calls were legit, except for the Hasselbeck cut-block, and even there he did go low and he _did_ make contact with the blocker, but was mostly getting around him to get to the ball carrier. The push off was a push off - a fucking hand to the chest that rocked Hope back enough that he had to take a hop step back to keep his balance - right in front of the ref. There was no “hand fighting.” The holding was an arm fully wrapped around the pass rusher, while he was already by the lineman. It’s all revisionist bullshit and woulda-coulda-shoulda inaccurate memories now. The only people who agree with you are in Pittsburgh. When every single newspaper columnist and football analyst says those calls were bullshit (and they pretty much all do) then there’s probably something there. > [@Bill Simmons](#): > > A solid Seattle drive is capped off by Darrell Jackson’s TD catch … which is quickly nullified by an ultradubious offensive pass interference call on D-Jack from tonight’s back judge, Dick Bavetta. Seattle settles for a 47-yard field goal. 3-0, Hawks. > [@Scoop Jackson](#): > > It was about three plays early in the fourth quarter: The phantom holding call on Jerramy Stevens, followed by the non-horse collar call on Joey Porter, followed by the illegal block call on Hasselbeck that gave Pittsburgh 15 extra yards after the interception. It was about those three blown calls in one series. Calls that Mike Lupica warned everybody about on “Sports Reporters” earlier in the day. > [@Skip Bayless](#): > > The first-quarter offensive pass interference called on Darrell Jackson that turned a touchdown into a field goal was robbery enough. But the fourth-quarter holding call on Sean Locklear made you wonder whether the refs had even less of Aretha’s r-e-s-p-E-c-t for your Seahawks than I do. > [@Kevin Hench](#): > > . The replay showed receiver and defender hand-fighting, with Jackson getting the slightest push into Hope’s chest before turning to catch the ball. ABC’s John Madden thought the call was dubious. FOX analyst and all-time great offensive lineman Brian Baldinger had no doubts, calling it “absolutely horrendous” on his [FOXSports.com](http://FOXSports.com) Super Bowl Instant Analysis. ESPN’s Steve Young and Michael Irvin also had no uncertainty, dismissing the call as ticky-tack and insisting the Seahawks got robbed of a TD. And on and on. Face it, the Steelers got a massive amount of help from the officiating crew. And without it, they wouldn’t have won. The Seahawks made lots of mistakes (clock mismanagement, dropped passes, etc) but they played well enough to overcome them. When you add in egregiously bad officiating that consistently went against them, it’s too late. I realize your desperate need to believe the Steelers actually played the better game, but they didn’t. The refs replaced the yellow flags with Terrible Towels and everyone knows it, outside of delusional Steelers fans. > [@](#): > > You actually have to earn a win, and the Seahawks sucked, and their fans are proving themselves to be big fucking pussies. Boo hoo. This from a fan of the team that whined and cried about officiating in the Indianapolis game and claimed there was a conspiracy against them? This from a fan of the team that whined and cried about how sometimes the better team doesn’t win when the Patriots beat the shit out of them in the playoffs? Fucking hysterical. The Steelers are the absolute Grade-A, no-class whiners of the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/65 "2006-02-07T02:17:15Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > The Steelers are the absolute Grade-A, no-class whiners of the NFL. They’re also the Super Bowl champions. If it took pissing, moaning and whining to do it it was worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/66 "2006-02-07T02:38:52Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > I realize your desperate need to believe the Steelers actually played the better game, but they didn’t. The refs replaced the yellow flags with Terrible Towels and everyone knows it, outside of delusional Steelers fans Look. I had no skin in the game at all. No bets down, no pride at stake, actually, I don’t really give a shit about pro football (see location) and watched the game as much for the commercials as the outcome., As odd as it sounds, you can’t use sports commentators for a cite about this. Here’s the thing, nobody in sports makes money by saying “The Steelers won.” No, there has to be a controversy, otherwise, what’s going to fill the talk shows until baseball starts up? In football, the difference between ticky-tack and blatant is whether the ref is watching or not. Let’s face it, there’s a foul somewhere on the field on almost every play. Jackson pushed off and 9 times out of 10 no call, **unless you do it in the clear right in front of a ref.** It happens every week, so Get. Over. It. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/67 "2006-02-07T02:46:17Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > They’re also the Super Bowl champions. If it took pissing, moaning and whining to do it it was worth it. The Steelers really grew on me this year, with Bettis’ heart, Ward’s team attitude, Ben’s growth, Cowher’s chin, and Rooney’s stature. They were very easy to root for, and I’m happy they got the win. And then I had to ruin it all by hearing their fans… ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/68 "2006-02-07T02:51:28Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > The Steelers really grew on me this year, with Bettis’ heart, Ward’s team attitude, Ben’s growth, Cowher’s chin, and Rooney’s stature. They were very easy to root for, and I’m happy they got the win. > > And then I had to ruin it all by hearing their fans… Awww. For the whole next year, every time I see a picture of the Lombardi Trophy, I’ll think, “Fuck! If only I hadn’t made **Hamlet** not like the Steelers.” ☹ ---
**Author:** ![NothingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/69 "2006-02-07T03:27:54Z")
I’ve no dog in this fight being a Broncos fan and all. I just wanted to point out that the best officials are invisible. When they do their job correctly you never notice them or think twice about them. These particular refs were about as invisible as if they had gotten the “Incredible Hulk”, “The Thing” and “Colossus” from the X-Men, and put black and white stripped shirts on them. Its not that the refs cost the Seahawks the game…its the fact that anyone can even make a plausible case that they did. The Super Bowl is supposed to about the best two football teams and the best officiating team being on the field. I’m glad there are people “whining” about the awful job the refs did, maybe for once the NFL will actually address the problem. Maybe. Sadly, the team that gets the worst of this story may in fact be the Steelers. I fear the win may be tainted by the horrific officiating, to the extent that people remeber that and not the fact that at the end of the day Pittsburgh put more points on the board than Seattle did. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/70 "2006-02-07T03:34:56Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > Awww. For the whole next year, every time I see a picture of the Lombardi Trophy, I’ll think, “Fuck! If only I hadn’t made **Hamlet** not like the Steelers.” ☹ Don’t worry so much. I still like the Steelers as a whole, it’s just you I don’t like. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/71 "2006-02-07T03:39:25Z")
Not that I think that Steelers or their fans have a monopoly on this, but personally, I think this whole thing would be a lot easier for a lot of folks to swallow if only the media had not played Pittsburgh and Jerome Bettis as the second coming of Jesus Christ, and the Seahawks as poor, hopeless chumps who had absolutely no chance of scoring even a single point against this almighty team destined to win. And if so many folks hadn’t bought into that POV. ---
**Author:** ![randomlyblanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@randomlyblanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomlyblanks)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/72 "2006-02-07T04:13:06Z")
And I refer you to an image of the ball CLEARLY over the goal line. It broke the plane, touchdown. [http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/2375/beninforthetd1tp.jpg](http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/2375/beninforthetd1tp.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/73 "2006-02-07T04:19:42Z")
> [@randomlyblanks](#): > > And I refer you to an image of the ball CLEARLY over the goal line. It broke the plane, touchdown. > > [http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/2375/beninforthetd1tp.jpg](http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/2375/beninforthetd1tp.jpg) There’s NOTHING clear about ANY portion of that shot. It’s closer to abstract art than solid evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/74 "2006-02-07T04:24:48Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Face it, the Steelers got a massive amount of help from the officiating crew… True. > [@](#): > > …And without it, they wouldn’t have won. False. Seattle played a horrible game. In the immortal words of Jim Mora, they couldn’t pass, couldn’t catch, couldn’t manage the clock… they couldn’t do diddly poo. Pittsburgh played better than the Seahawks did. They still made mistakes, and they didn’t play a _good_ game by any stretch of the imagination, but they didn’t play as badly as Seattle. To say that the victory was handed to them by the officials is bullshit. It was handed to them by the Seahawks, plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![randomlyblanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@randomlyblanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomlyblanks)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/75 "2006-02-07T05:00:14Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > There’s NOTHING clear about ANY portion of that shot. It’s closer to abstract art than solid evidence. Well then debating with you will be pointless (hey surprise!). You can see the ball, you can see the goal line, you can see a portion of the ball over the goal line for at least a split second. That’s a touchdown. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going go decide where along the championship parade route I’ll be. Enjoy waiting for next year 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/76 "2006-02-07T05:07:19Z")
> [@randomlyblanks](#): > > Well then debating with you will be pointless (hey surprise!). You can see the ball, you can see the goal line, you can see a portion of the ball over the goal line for at least a split second. That’s a touchdown. Hey, all I asked for was a photo of reasonable quality. My big mistake was thinking that a worthless fucking chickenshit like you could handle such a simple assignment. ---
**Author:** ![randomlyblanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@randomlyblanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomlyblanks)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/77 "2006-02-07T05:09:17Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > Hey, all I asked for was a photo of reasonable quality. > > My big mistake was thinking that a worthless fucking chickenshit like you could handle such a simple assignment. No reason to get snippy. I’ll be waiting eagerly for your photographic analysis. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/78 "2006-02-07T05:11:09Z")
> [@randomlyblanks](#): > > No reason to get snippy. I’ll be waiting eagerly for your photographic analysis. :rolleyes: I won’t get snippy if you don’t give me a reason to, asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/79 "2006-02-07T05:33:08Z")
> [@randomlyblanks](#): > > And I refer you to an image of the ball CLEARLY over the goal line. It broke the plane, touchdown. > > [http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/2375/beninforthetd1tp.jpg](http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/2375/beninforthetd1tp.jpg) What in the name of hell is that even supposed to _be_? ---
**Author:** ![randomlyblanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@randomlyblanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomlyblanks)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229/80 "2006-02-07T05:36:56Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > I won’t get snippy if you don’t give me a reason to, asshole. And what, pray tell, would the reason be? Providing probably the closest thing that will ever exist to evidence? Sorry, but the ball was either centimeters over or centimeters short of the goal line. No way anybody will ever be able to tell 100% if it was over or not. The freeze-frame sure makes it look like it was in. You find me a series of images that prove no portion of the ball ever crossed the goal line and we’ll talk. Until then I’m going to enjoy one of the greatest runs to a championship ever. You can either calm down or spend the entire offseason stewing. Regardless of what you decide to do, the Steelers will be the World Champs and I couldn’t be prouder. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seahawks-lost-get-over-it-super-bowl-reffing/343229.md?page=5)