I work in marketing, and yeah, unfortunately, I do think most pro sports
will pass a few favors if it means creating an icon, prolonging in icon,
or pleasing an incredibly profitable group of people that they know will
spend, spend and spend more if the outcome is right. It's a sad reality
that money runs the world, including sports.

I didn't think both teams played like crap. =) There were just too many
penalties.

On Willie's 75 yard run, if you watch the replay, there were two very
obvious holds by the Steelers line and one of them was right in front of
the ref and right were Parker ran. The caliber and level of play between
two Superbowl contenders is such that nearly any team would score with
that kind of an advantage.

The trick play was awesome. No doubt about it and no whining from me.
The only information I have to suggest the Seahawks weren't a part of it
was a video I saw of the players where one of the hawks, I forget who,
turns to another one and asks him if he sees what's going on out there
and they were both complaining about how the refs were making it
impossible for them to gain any traction. So from that perspecive, I
have to believe they didn't get the memo.

I'm not convinced the Steelers got the memo, either. I think the NFL
made the conscious decision on their own and that's why they
intentionally plugged Leevy in there. Where was the super crew they
always use for the Superbowl? My guess is they either refused to cheat
or the NFL knew they had their man in Leevy.

The score was definitely 21-10. But it was a close game and the Hawks
were winning up until the point I noticed the calls were changing. The
Steelers very well may have beat the hawks legitimately without the
calls. I'm not contesting that possibility. But as a football fan, it
would have been nice to have known who the real champion was without ref
favoritism or interference. I even hate watching my team win with cheap
calls or mistakes.

I found a website back in the day that chronicled all of the missed
calls and mistakes, for both teams. It had an impressive array of videos
and close-up shots to support the comments. I wish I could find it.

I've read so many commentaries from fans and in the media, I'm almost as
shocked that more Steeler Fans don't admit that something stinky "may
have" happened. As a Seahawks Fan, I'd HATE to win the big dance under
so much controversy. It's more fun to win and have the world know you won.

---------------------
http://www.outsports.com/nfl/2005/superbowl.htm

As I sit here now, I'm still stunned at what I watched. I've seen NFL
games that I felt had questionable officiating, but I have never thought
that an NFL game was rigged, that the referees and/or the league
cheated. Until now. For the first time that I can remember, I'm glad
this was the last NFL game this season, because I don't want to watch it
again or hear anything about it for a long time.
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1682568/posts

New NFL Season: Remembersing Superbowl XL (Fixed Outcome POLL)
ESPN Sports Nation ^ | 2/8/2006 | ESPN Sports Nation

Posted on 08/12/2006 2:30:42 PM PDT by YoungKentuckyConservative

Welcome to The Pulse, the place to find out what the sports world is
thinking. Every day on ESPN.com, SportsNation registers its opinion on a
wide range of topics by casting votes and chatting with experts in The
Show. We collect the daily highlights and put them in The Pulse.

Story of the Day: Super Bore Bill Leavy wasn't the only unhappy viewer.
Upon further review, SportsNation finds insufficient reason to get
excited about the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl XL in Detroit
on Sunday.

By beating the Seattle Seahawks 21-10, the Steelers gave Jerome Bettis
the perfect parting gift as the burly running back heads into
retirement. The Steelers also became just the third franchise to win a
fifth Super Bowl, although SportsNation voters still rank them behind
the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys for dominance during the
Super Bowl era.

But while Pittsburgh fans can revel in the moment of Antwaan Randle El's
strike to Hines Ward and savor the historical significance of Ben
Roethlisberger's first title, most of SportsNation appears a little put
out with Sunday's show (and not just the part involving the Rolling
Stones). More than half of SportsNation voters didn't enjoy the game and
nearly 62 percent think officiating mistakes affected the outcome.

Did you enjoy the Super Bowl this year? (18,231 votes)
52.1%% No
47.8%% Yes

Do you think officiating mistakes affected the outcome of Super Bowl XL?
(103,167 votes)
61.7%% Yes
38.2%% No

Which is the best franchise of the Super Bowl era? (53,176 votes)
30.1%% San Francisco 49ers
23.4%% Dallas Cowboys
21.5%% Pittsburgh Steelers
15.5%% New England Patriots
9.2%% Green Bay Packers

What was the biggest play of the game? (54,243 votes)
40.1%% Antwaan Randle El's TD pass to Hines Ward
30.4%% Willie Parker's 75-yard TD run
14.6%% Ben Roethlisberger's disputed TD run
12.0%% Matt Hasselbeck's interception in fourth quarter
2.3%% Seahawks wasting time on final drive of first half
0.6%% Hasselbeck's fumble in the fourth quarter

Mike Holmgren told a crowd in Seattle that the Seahawks had to battle
the officials just as much as the Steelers, and as mentioned above, two
out of three SportsNation voters think the guys in striped shirts
affected the outcome of the game.

So exactly what is the source of all this grumbling? Start with a pair
of contested touchdowns.

With the game awaiting its first score, Seattle receiver Darrell Jackson
appeared to haul in a touchdown to top off his active first quarter. But
the points came off the board when Jackson was flagged for pushing off
on the defender as Matt Hasselbeck scrambled away from pressure.
Offensive pass interference? Not according to 74 percent of SportsNation
voters.

Later in the first half, Ben Roethlisberger put the Steelers ahead to
stay with a one-yard touchdown plunge. Or did he? The official who
signaled for the score at first appeared to be spotting the ball short.
And while 15 percent of voters admit they're still not sure if the ball
ever broke the plane, 59 percent say the call, and the subsequent
instant replay, got it wrong.

Which played the biggest role in determining the outcome of the game?
(118,130 votes)
57.5%% Officials missing calls
28.3%% Seahawks not making plays
14.2%% Steelers making plays

What grade would you give referee Bill Leavy's officiating crew for
Super Bowl XL? (118,130 votes)
50.6%% F
24.8%% D
13.9%% C
8.8%% B
1.9%% A

Do you think the official made the right call on Darrell Jackson's
offensive pass interference in the endzone, negating a Seattle touchdown
in the first quarter? (118,130 votes)
73.8%% No
20.5%% Yes
5.7%% I'm not sure

Do you think the football broke the plane of the goal line on Ben
Roethlisberger's touchdown run in the second quarter? (118,130 votes)
59.3%% No
25.9%% Yes
14.8%% I'm not sure

Do you think the official made the right call on Sean Locklear's holding
penalty in the fourth quarter, negating an 18-yard reception to the
one-yard line by Jerramy Stevens? (118,130 votes)
74.3%% No
15.3%% Yes
10.4%% I'm not sure

Voice of the FanI'd have to say the perfect image from Super Bowl XL was
the ref running in to spot the ball on Big Ben's sneak at the goal line,
then inexplicably calling it a touchdown halfway there, after Ben had
scooted the ball over the line. I didn't think NFL refs actually fell
for that. JT (Cleveland)

Let's rename the NFL the WW-NFL; that way we won't be surprised when the
game is fixed. They REALLY need to do something about the officials;
they've screwed up this whole year and topped it off with a Super (Let's
Show Favorites) Bowl. I'm not a fan of either team, but I was hoping to
see a good game, not one decided by the zebras. I was VERY disappointed.
Art (Frederick, Md.)

What kind of officiating was that? Absolutely terrible calls that killed
Seattle's chances of winning. If those penalties were called against
Pittsburgh, people would be screaming murder today. Chris (Charlotte)

I am not a Steelers or Seahawks fan, but I have to say that this was one
of the worst-officiated Super Bowls I've seen in a long time. It was sad
to see the refs have an impact on what would have been a great game.
Jason (Buffalo)

The refs might have made some bad calls, but Seattle didn't exactly help
their cause by dropping passes, missing field goals and awful two minute
drills. They had their chances to win the game. KB (Baltimore)

Wow, despite all the drinking at Super Bowl parties yesterday, there's
apparently still plenty of whine left over! Mike (Washington, D.C.)

Perception is reality. The calls the refs made were, by the rule book,
not incorrect. But by all of them being called on Seattle, it is open to
criticism and discussion. Hende (Ohio)

Even if the Seahawks did not take advantage of their other
opportunities, the officials should not be overly visible in a game.
This is a problem that existed all year. The NFL has to do something
about the bad officiating this season.

Jeremy Green: This might be one of the worst-officiated games in Super
Bowl history. Every call they want to make, they should just go the
opposite direction.

Gary Horton: From the replays I saw, I don't think [Roethlisberger] was
in. I think he touched down before he crossed the plane. But the call
that really confuses me is that they didn't review the potential Darrell
Jackson TD catch. He was closer to being in than we thought.

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Stemkowski@hotmail.com wrote: