[quote name='h2dk']Where to begin...
The Seahawks played poorly, yes, but the Steelers played their worst game in months. Questionable calls were made by the refs, but the only "bad" call was the blocking call on Hasselbeck.
Watch the replays (tivoed it myself)
Jackson most definately pushed off in the endzone, no it may not have given him an advantage, or been necessary at all. But the fact remains, he did it, right in front of the ref.
Big Ben scoring his TD: It DOES NOT matter where the ball is when it hits the ground. The plain of the goal line extends from the front of the white line up into the air. There definately was not conclusive evidence in the replays to show that the tip of the ball did not break that plain when it was 2-3 feet off the ground. It doesn't have to penetrate by 4 or 5 inches, a millimeter is all it takes to "break the plain".
The holding penalty that nulified the TD: Again, watch the replay, his forearm was clearly locked around the Pittsburgh players chin/neck. Holding doesn't require grasping with the hand. Putting someone in a "headlock" constitutes holding as well.
Who cares what Madden has to say (or Steve Young or Micheal "no Hall of Fame for you" Irvin for that matter). He is not an official, he is a blow hard and the only reason I am happy Monday Night Football will no longer be on ABC.
Now lets talk about a non-call for a second:
Big Ben throws the interception, during the return he is trying to get in to position to make the tackle, he is blocked/pushed in the back. If that flag is thrown, 10 yards from the spot, Seattle takes over in their territory instead of the Steeler 20. If that happens, the Seahawks are lucky to get 3, let alone a TD.
Now you might have a beef with the refs, the way they opened up that hole for Fast Willie to bust that 75 yd TD or the way they allowed Randel El to throw that TD to Ward or when they were swaying the goal posts when Brown missed those field goals or how they put the "grease" ball in play when Seattle hat the ball so their receivers would drop passes or how they forced Seattle into the worst display of 2-minute clock management in Superbowl history...but sometimes, that is just how the ball bounces....
Be happy with the outcome, there will always be could'ves and would'ves, hell if Pittsburgh would have brought their "C" game, it would have been a rout.
If the Hawks can sign Alexander, they will be back, and next time, they'll be ready to play.
And if I get the chance to draft Alaxexander again in my fantasy team, I'll ride him to the bank like I did this year.
Just because we are in the NW doesn't mean we are all Seahawk fans (had to get this off my chest, everyone around here, my father-in-law included, refers to the Seahawks as "our" team because they are the only one around). I went to the PIT/SEA game a few years ago, and I swear half the stadium was wearing black and gold. (Lucky for you, not for me, Maddox was at the helm)[/QUOTE]
The Big Spot for Big Ben could have went either way, the line judge just hesitated which will always lead to doubt. As for the push off and the holding call, this is the NFL not the underwear bowl, those were ticky tack fouls that took the game out of the players hands where the referees decided the game. As for the block on big ben, it was clearly in the side and legal.
On the other hand, I thought of another call that clearly went against the Steelers, which I think goes ever further to say that it was a badly officiated game. I think it was the butterfingers seahawks TE. He caught the ball, made a football move by turning upfield, and got hammered by a couple of defenders, causing a fumble. But the officals, ruled it dead. Another Bad Call
I would be at rest with the whole sitiuation if someone would convince me that the Steeler fans (of which 90% of the people watching were for) would have swallowed a loss and went silently into the night had the tables been reversed.
Would any Steeler fan admit that "We got beat by a team that played better than us tonight" had the tables been turned???
What if that Big Ben spot had been the difference in the game? (if the officals had ruled it short and they lost by 3 points)
I bet an indecisive line judge would be getting home just in time to see his house burst into flames.
My point is if ANY "national" team had got beat in the same way that the Seahawks got beat, the entire football watching nation would cry sheenannaagans.
I'm not normally a big "What if" person, but the Yin and the Yang are just not at ease.