AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > February > 10 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USThis Bowl officially tainted
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
It’s better late than never, I guess. I’m referring here to the work of the crew that officiated the Super Bowl, a subject still very much alive in the minds of many. Biggest game of the year, biggest audience of the year, yet it shall be forever tainted by plays that cost touchdowns, and in the long run, cost the Seattle Seahawks their chance at winning No. XL.
That having been said, let me make it clear that this comes from a guy whose prediction was that Pittsburgh would win the game by a margin of 13 points. No bias here, just disappointment that it wasn’t clean-cut, no knockout but like a prize fight awarded on points.
Here’s the Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, telling a national television audience that, no, he did not get the ball across the goal line until he nudged it forward after he was obviously downed. The play was called for review by the Challenge Crew in the upstairs booth — which, by the way, was in command of Bob Boylston of Atlanta, a longtime NFL official who had worked three Super Bowls. Bill Leavy, the referee, upheld the touchdown, though he couldn’t have been watching the play I saw on the screen.
That crew had already taken a touchdown away from the Seahawks on a flimsy interference call. Darrell Jackson, the receiver, and Chris Hope, the defender, had exchanged pushes along the goal line, both of light force. But Jackson pushed last, and last culprit always gets punished.
One rule applies here as to no other game: You don’t take a touchdown away from a team in a game of such magnitude on a borderline call (and one that can’t be reviewed). Then award one to the other team even when the quarterback so awarded confessed that the ball never crossed the line. You could say what you wish about the holding call on Sean Locklear that nullified the Seahawks pass to the 1-yard line, for holding is a disease that breaks out on about every play, but was this one so flagrant? Many a football critic has said that one was too tame to be called, and I join the throng.
That preceded the interception that Matt Hasselbeck threw, then tackled the interceptor himself — and was penalized for tackling him below the knees. What ho here? A quarterback is not allowed to tackle below the knees? (I know, they called it a “block.”)
You expected the NFL to defend its blundering bunch, but a big disappointment to me was that Jim Tunney did as well. Tunney is a man I deeply respect. He refereed over 30 years in the league, including three Super Bowls, and I expected him to give this bunch a blast. There were two calls he didn’t understand, but when he gave Leavy and associates a “grade of A, or B,” I nearly choked. Which was it, A or B, or how about C, Jim?
Well, nothing will change. I do staunchly defend the right of Mike Holmgren saying, “I knew we were playing the Steelers, but I didn’t know we were playing the men in stripes, too.”
One belated note that reflects to the glory of Georgia was overlooked, not that it was important only to our precinct. When Hines Ward was awarded the prize for Most Valuable Player, it was the second year in a row that the MVP has been a pass catcher from a small town in Georgia. Ward comes from Forest Park. Last year in Jacksonville, it was Deion Branch of the Patriots. He comes from Albany.
Ward even had a beef of his own: “the touchdown pass that I dropped.” It might have been a TD, but I thought it was a little high. So be it.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Furman Bisher, Other
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By geechee
February 10, 2006 05:14 PM | Link to this
So now you are attacking chocolate? Jeff you are either with us or you are with the terrorists. Which is it going to be?
“Given its unmatched trail of graft, corrupt judges and drug scandals”
Gretsky should fit right in these days.
By geechee
February 10, 2006 05:35 PM | Link to this
I just commented on a Jeff Schultz column but you pulled the column, inserted a Bisher column and left my comment which has absolutely nothing to do with the column it is now under. True professionalism at work.
By northwestDAWG
February 10, 2006 08:41 PM | Link to this
being an SEC fan living in the land of the PAC 10 isn’t easy. But in the world of the NFL, I’m a Seahawk all the way and the calls were made in that game were as bad as I’ve seen in my life. The worst thing of all is that we still would have won the game if our TE. had caught the ball. Then when he caught a good one down on the Steeler 2 yd. line and the flag was thrown for holding, I happened to be on the cell to my cousin who lives down J’ville way an is a deformed Reptile, we found something that we were 100% in agreement on. the offcials were just plain bad. Imagine this, a Dawg & a Reptile agreeing on something. A or B for the officals, outlandish
By mark
February 10, 2006 10:15 PM | Link to this
The Steeler’s phantom touchdown will go down in N.F.L. infamy. The officiating was absolutely horrible. Something about the Seahawk’s winning every single offensive category and losing on the scoreboard stink’s too high heaven. You cannot blame the official’s completely for the end result , but they sure as h.e.l.l. didnt do the Seahawks any favor’s. We must give the Steeler’s defense credit for shutting down the Broncos , Colts , Bengals and Seahawks offenses. The four best offenses shut down , four weeks in a row ,just simply outstanding. The Seahawks dropped passes , missed field goals , threw an interception , mismanaged the clock at the end of the first half and simply failed to execute in the redzone. Add to that the ineptitude of the zebras and you have a recipe for disaster. My congratulations go out to the Steelers and a much deserved Super Bowl Championship for Coach Bill Cowher.
By SteelerDawg
February 11, 2006 12:58 AM | Link to this
I will admit some of the calls were questionable. But in all these calls, except the blocking below the waist penalty, were correct. Jackson did push off in the back of the endzone… Locklear did hold Haggins. But to blame the officials for seattle’s ineptness cheapens what the Steelers did. They made plays when they needed to and Seattle didn’t. Was Jeremy Stevens on the take as well? Why else would he drop so many passes. Hats off to Seattle for playing much better than I thought they would, but this was an eleven point victory. I think we are merely arguing about how many points Seattle would have lost by. A couple of weeks ago in Indy the steelers overcame calls that the NFL agreed were wrong. Thats what Champions do.
By ron
February 11, 2006 11:44 AM | Link to this
yes i agree with it being tainted and to top it off having to witness one of the officials on a pile on wrestling with the players.