> Wikipedia can be changed by anyone to say anything. You're full of shit and
> I can put that in Wikipedia as well. Go whine with your Seacunt NG.
>
> "iNFiDEL" no.com> wrote in message news:45A10C77.9040600@no.com...

>> Here is some info for everyone from Wikepedia. I was unable to find the
>> original ESPN Poll, but this does a decent job of summarizing it and other
>> findings following SB XL.
>>
>> I was also incorrect in my 80%% comment. It was actually 62%%. My bad.
>>
>> ----------------------------
>> Initially, fans reacted negatively as well. A February 7 online ESPN poll
>> found that, with 103,167 votes cast, 61.7%% of voters felt that
>> "officiating mistakes affected the outcome of Super Bowl XL."[2]
>> ----------------------------
>>
>> Enjoy!
>>
>> Reaction to officiating in Super Bowl XL
>> From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_to_Officiating_in_Super_Bowl_XL
>>
>> The officiating in Super Bowl XL was met with harsh criticism from both
>> the fans and the media soon after the game. Some columnists decried the
>> officiating for costing the Seattle Seahawks the game, while other
>> columnists and the National Football League said the calls were largely
>> correct. Others suggested that the calls wouldn't have made a difference
>> anyway, and that there were also calls that went against the Pittsburgh
>> Steelers. The Steelers won the game, 21-10.
>>
>> Initial reaction
>> Shortly after the game, Kansas City Star writer Jason Whitlock
>> encapsulated many views when he wrote the day after the game, "Leavy and
>> his crew ruined Super Bowl XL. Am I the only one who would like to hear
>> them defend their incompetence?" [1]
>>
>> Initially, fans reacted negatively as well. A February 7 online ESPN poll
>> found that, with 103,167 votes cast, 61.7%% of voters felt that
>> "officiating mistakes affected the outcome of Super Bowl XL."[2]
>>
>> Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren himself took issue with the officiating at a
>> celebration for his team on February 6 at Qwest Field, saying, "We knew it
>> was going to be tough going against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn't know
>> we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well."[3]
>>
>> Others argued that the calls were largely correct, and that, in any event,
>> the Seahawks did not play well enough to win. Kevin Blackistone, a
>> columnist with the Dallas Morning News, expressed this view on ESPN's
>> Around the Horn: "The litmus test for this is the fact when you talk to
>> the Seattle Seahawks after the game, they didn't talk about the referees.
>> They talked about problems they had of their own making."[4]
>>
>> In response to the criticisms leveled at the officials, the NFL, just two
>> days after the game, released a statement defending the officials'
>> performance. "The game was properly officiated, including, as in most NFL
>> games, some tight plays that produced disagreement about the calls made by
>> the officials," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement.[5]
>>
>> The game ended a playoffs season that was plagued by complaints about
>> officiating, most notably during the divisional playoff games between the
>> Steelers and Colts, the Broncos and Patriots, and the Bears and
>> Panthers.[6]
>>
>>
>> [edit] Calls against the Seahawks
>> The following is a list of the most oft-criticized calls that went against
>> the Seahawks:
>>
>> First Quarter, 2:08 left, score tied 0-0: Seattle quarterback Matt
>> Hasselbeck threw a 16-yard pass that wide receiver Darrell Jackson caught
>> in the end zone, but the play was called back on an offensive pass
>> interference call against Jackson for pushing off Steelers safety Chris
>> Hope. Seattle had to settle for a Josh Brown field goal. Critics claimed
>> both Jackson and the defensive player were jostling for position and that
>> officials should not have flagged either player. Michael Smith of ESPN
>> wrote that "Jackson extended his arm, yes, but both players were fighting
>> for position, and he didn't create any separation by doing so."[7] Others
>> argued that the call was correct. Sean Salisbury, also of ESPN, said, "You
>> see the receiver straighten his arm on the contact with the defensive
>> player … that's a penalty."
>> Second Quarter, 2:00 left, Seahawks lead 3-0: On third down from the
>> Seattle one-yard line, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took the
>> snap, faked a handoff, and dove toward the left side of a pile along the
>> goal-line before being hit by Seahawks linebacker D.D. Lewis. After first
>> raising one hand (as if to indicate that the quarterback was down), head
>> linesman Mark Hittner raised a second arm to signal a touchdown. The play
>> stood after review, to the considerable ire of Seahawks coach Mike
>> Holmgren, who berated Leavy on the way to the locker room following the
>> first half. [8] The play was hotly debated in the media between those who
>> thought the play should have resulted in a fourth-down-and-inches
>> situation [9] and those who thought the ball crossed the goal line[10].
>> Roethlisberger appeared on the The Late Show with David Letterman the day
>> after the game and told the host that, immediately after the play, he had
>> told Cowher, "I don’t think I got in," but that the team was "ready to go
>> for it on fourth down anyway."[11] He later explained that he was
>> referring to his initial impression only, and believes "the ball crossed
>> the plane."[12]
>> Fourth Quarter, 12:35 left, Steelers lead 14-10: Hasselbeck completed an
>> 18-yard pass to tight end Jerramy Stevens at the Steelers 1-yard line. The
>> play was nullified by a penalty against Seattle guard Sean Locklear for
>> holding Pittsburgh linebacker Clark Haggans. Critics of the call dubbed it
>> a "phantom hold," [13], but others argued that, since NFL rules prohibit
>> the encircling of a defender with hands or arms (i.e., "hooking") and
>> since Locklear did appear briefly to have an arm around Haggans’ neck, the
>> call was correct and not unusual. [14]
>> Fourth Quarter, 10:54 left, Steelers lead 14-10: Three plays after the
>> nullified pass to Stevens, Hasselbeck threw an interception to Pittsburgh
>> cornerback Ike Taylor, who returned the ball 24 yards. A 15-yard personal
>> foul was whistled against Hasselbeck for a "low block," advancing the
>> Steelers to their own 44-yard line. During the American television
>> broadcast, commentator Al Michaels said, "We think this was a bad call,"
>> suggesting that Hasselbeck was not blocking another Pittsburgh player but
>> was instead making a low tackle on a ball carrier, which is legal.
>> However, NFL Network announcer Rich Eisen in an column he wrote for
>> nfl.com claims it was the right call by the rules, even if the rule itself
>> may be defective.[15] Mike Pereira, the Director of Officiating for the
>> NFL, has said that "the call was not correct" and "should not have been
>> made."[16]
>> Fourth Quarter, 4:45 left, Steelers lead 21-10: With the Steelers' hoping
>> to convert a first down on third-and-six in order to take more time off
>> the clock, Roethlisberger was forced to call a timeout when Pittsburgh had
>> difficulty getting a play off as the play clock ran down. The Steelers
>> were awarded a timeout, but some contended that the play clock hit zero
>> seconds before Roethlisberger called for a timeout, which would have
>> constituted a delay-of-game and resulted in a five-yard penalty against
>> Pittsburgh.[17]
>>
>> [edit] Calls against the Steelers
>> Although the negative media reaction against the officials was largely due
>> to calls that did not go the Seahawks way, others suggested that there
>> were calls that didn't go the Steelers' way. Gregg Easterbrook of NFL.com
>> wrote:
>>
>> Four of the six big officiating decisions went against Seattle. Does this
>> mean a pro-Steelers bias, as some in the sports yak world are saying, or
>> perhaps a slap at Mike Holmgren by the officiating guild? ... The two
>> decisions that favored the Hawks were the fourth-quarter replay reversal
>> that gave possession, initially awarded to Pittsburgh, back to Seattle;
>> and the no-call of a block in the back by Seattle during Kelly Herndon's
>> record interception return. Of the four big decisions that favored the
>> Steelers, two seemed correct to me.[18]
>> 1. Another call that went against the Steelers was actually a no-call. In
>> the second quarter, the play that picked up Pittsburgh's 2nd first down of
>> the game (a reverse to Hines Ward), Ward was clearly hit with
>> helmet-to-helmet contact from Seattle's Marquand Manuel which should have
>> resulted in a 15 yard penalty. It was not called.
>>
>>
>> [edit] References
>> ^ Jason Whitlock, Kansas City Star. February 6 2006.
>> http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/football/13801313.htm
>> ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?page=thepulse060206
>> ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs05/news/story?id=2322700
>> ^ http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/258540_hrail07.html
>> ^ http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/258739_nfln08.html
>> ^ http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5251620
>> ^
>> http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs05/columns/story?columnist=smith_michael&id...
>> ^
>> http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?id=3DF78390-FF85-6B4A-2563F5AE08B912E7
>> ^ http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11242265/
>> ^ http://www.jaguars.com/story/5015.asp
>> ^ http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5313884
>> ^
>> http://www.benmaller.com/archives/2006/february/09-roethlisberger_i_crossed_goal_line...
>> ^ http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/justice/texans/3640886.html
>> ^
>> http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/seahawks/2002795956_theplays10.html
>> ^ http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/9235142
>> ^
>> http://play.rbn.com/?url=nfl/nfl/open/nflfilms/demand/s2005/nfln-ta/off/official_review_300k...
>> ^ http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5311162
>> ^ http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9213999
>> Retrieved from
>> "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_to_officiating_in_Super_Bowl_XL"
>>
>> iNFiDEL wrote:

>>> Oh Goodness. It's been almost a year and we have the same old song.
>>> Seahawks' Fans are bitter they were robbed in the Superbowl. Steelers
>>> fans are blind and think they "won" with honor. And 80%% of the fans that
>>> didn't cheer for either team contributed to a poll on ESPN that
>>> decisively announced the game was decided by refs.
>>>
>>> Superbowl XL will go down as the most pathetic and least deserved title
>>> in the history of the NFL. And that's precisely why so many Steeler fans
>>> feel the need to "lash" out, and so many Seahawk fans feel the need to
>>> poke and prod the Steeler Nation.
>>>
>>> Here's where I stand on the issue ...
>>>
>>> 1. The NFL cheated in Superbowl XL. The Seahawk market, which has grown
>>> significantly since, was too small and pathetic. The fans didn't even
>>> show up for the game in Detroit (I would know, I was there). The Bettis,
>>> Cowher, Steeler story was better and more lucrative. Any moron reviewing
>>> the game tape should be able to figure that out. Anyone that can't is a
>>> blind Steeler Fan.
>>>
>>> 2. To backup claim #1 I'm constantly approached by fellow business
>>> travelers when I wear my Seahawks Gear on Sundays. I'm amazed at how many
>>> people come up to me only to say, "you were robbed in the Superbowl".
>>>
>>> 3. The defeat didn't sicken me as much as the way it was handed to the
>>> Seahawks. For the sake of the sport I love to watch, I don't want to see
>>> ANY team blatantly cheated for or against. That takes all the fun and
>>> purpose away from all of us.
>>>
>>> 4. It was great to see the refs to a good job in last nights game. There
>>> were several calls for and against the Hawks and they nailed them all
>>> perfectly and took the time to review every play that needed to be. Good
>>> for them. I just hope they can continue to call it fair for small market
>>> teams like Cincinnati and Buffalo, who may not bring the big "green" to
>>> the NFL, but have equally devoted fans.
>>>
>>> It's time for us all to lay this issues to rest.
>>>
>>> Steelers Fans need to admit they were handed a gem. It's was a cheapened
>>> victory, but a victory nonetheless.
>>>
>>> Seahawks' Fans need to move on and realize that this is a "bigger" issue
>>> than just about the Hawks. It's about the integrity and worthiness of the
>>> NFL and whether or not it's even worth watching.
>>>
>>> Jeramy
>>>
>>> Zach wrote:

>>>> Mr. Brian Allen wrote:

>>>>> Al Michaels did not just say that Holmgren will be in the Hall of Fame
>>>>> some
>>>>> day, did he?

>>>> Holmgren and the Seahawk fans are the biggest bunch of immature whiners
>>>> in NFL history. He should be in the Crybaby Head Coach Hall of Fame.
>>>>
>>>> It's been almost an entire year since the Steelers kicked the Seabirds
>>>> ass in SB XL and our newgsroup still gets regularly infested by
>>>> brainless Seacrap trolls. How pathetic.We won - you lost. Get over it
>>>> already. Sheesh.
>>>>
>>>> Zach
>>>>

>
>