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Super Bowl Officiating 9 Comments More | Login | Reply /

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  • I didn't care which team won and I found myself just disappointed that the refs and calls had to be such a big part of the game.

    On the push-off in the end zone, I agree that by the absolute letter of the law, it was a penalty. However, officiating is done in the spirit of the law and I've seen the same play plenty of times when it wasn't called. The written rule doesn't mean as much when it is inconsistently enforced. In this case, I don't think they should have called it because I don't think the push mattered that much.

    There was another bad call on a phantom chop block when Hasselbeck tackled the guy running back the interception. That tacked on another 15 yards.

    While I agree that you have to roll with the calls in any given sport, my final thought on the game was that the refs just piled up too many majorly bad calls for Seattle to overcome. Two of the calls negated TDs, and there's the game.

    In a best 2 out of 3, I bet Seattle wins the next 2 with different refs. That's why I don't think the best team won.
    • I didn't care which team won and I found myself just disappointed that the refs and calls had to be such a big part of the game.

      *shrug* They followed the rules. They rules are the game. I see no problem.

      In this case, I don't think they should have called it because I don't think the push mattered that much.

      That it mattered at all should be enough. That said, if it didn't matter, why did he do it? I see no reasonable complaint here.

      There was another bad call on a phantom chop block when Hasselbeck tackle
      • By definition, the team who wins is the best team on the given day.

        When you put it that way, it made me realize that in my mind, I don't have that absolute definition. That is, I think I have some idea in my head that in a perfectly officiated game, the winner is the best. In an imperfectly officiated game, the bad calls will fall equally because officials are human but not biased. In this case, the winner is also the best.

        But I think I also hold out for the possibility that in some cases, the team that

        • That is, I think I have some idea in my head that in a perfectly officiated game, the winner is the best. In an imperfectly officiated game, the bad calls will fall equally because officials are human but not biased. In this case, the winner is also the best.

          I hear that, but a game is made of rules, and those rules include the fact of fallible human officials, and whoever wins the game in the context of those rules is the best team at this game called "NFL football."

          But I think I also hold out for the possi
      • But, you are wrong, by definition. The best team did win, because that is what it means to win: you are therefore the best. There is no other way to measure which team is best. The goal of the team is to win, and whichever team accomplishes that goal is therefore the best team: by definition.

        I'll mention that to the 1972 US Olympic Basketball Team.

        • I'll mention that to the 1972 US Olympic Basketball Team.

          Implicit in my comments is that no one is cheating. I, along with many others, am convinced the officials cheated to give the USSR more chances to win. But even if you aren't, the point is that the 1972 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team certainly is so convinced, and so they would see the notion of "best team wins" doesn't apply to their case.

    • What makes you think Seattle would win two out of three games? The Steelers beat the 1, 2 and 3 seeds in the AFC, which is generally acknowledged as the better conference. Pittsburgh's offense played poorly for most of Sunday which I doubt would happen in successive games. (Plus, Pittsburgh and Buffalo are practically kissin' cousins!)

      I do wish we would only have one week between the conference and league championships. The break helps nobody but the media.

      • What makes you think Seattle would win two out of three games?

        The worst part is, it is just begging the question. Would it prove Seattle is the better team? If so, then why does one game not prove the Steelers are? If the Steelers won two, would they still not be better?

        The only best team in the league is the one that wins the Super Bowl. The only best team between two in a given game is the one that wins that game.

        There is a single exception I can think of: and that is when a team intentionally does no
    • The NFL isn't about the spirit of the law. The rules are a huge book. It is very detailed and there isn't much spirit in its law.

      If you were talking about soccer or rugby I would agree. The rule book is much thinner and is very much open to the interpretation of the ref on the field.

      American football definitely reflects our attitude about law, very technical and nitpicky.
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