SUPER BOWL THREAD

[stooka]

........the Boss tea bagging the world

 

 

 

Best description.

[tongue-tied lightning]

I could easily be one of THOSE fans. My first rock show was a Springsteen show one week before my 16th birthday. I followed him acorss the South in 1978 (San Antonio, Houston, Austin, Dallas, Jackson, Memphis, Nashville). I spent nights on the concrete waiting for tickets. You know...one of THOSE fans.

 

I am not one of THOSE fans though. I still fervently follow the Boss, but, for the most part, I keep my Bruce obsession to myself.

 

Last night, my wife (Downtown) made it a point to tell everyone at out Superbowl gathering that Iwas a huge Bruce fan and everybody had to be quiet during the show. I don't like drawing attention to my fanboyness and I really get uncomfortable watching performances or even listening to Bruce songs around other people because invariably THEY DON'T GET IT.

 

Bruce is an artist you can enjoy for the flash and the show and/or you can enjoy for the deeper experience. Bruce has been speaking to the American experience for 35 years with songs of betrayal, hope, fear and redemption as WELL as fun mindless rockers.

very well said. I fee; the same way.

after reading SO much negative stuff about his SB performance, I agree, THEY DON"T GET IT.

 

the game ? not a big fan of the refs today. Like many, would love to see that ;ast chance pass end the game.

[mpolak21]

Someone should make that their avatar. Well done, Pig.

 

Done.

 

--Mike

[John Smith]

the game ? not a big fan of the refs today. Like many, would love to see that ;ast chance pass end the game.

 

My view on this was that the refs were better at what they were doing than either team was at what they were doing. I see it as two not so super teams playing inartfully throughout the game. The only call I strongly disagreed with was the late hit on Big Ben. Other than that no problems from my perspective, these two teams just did not execute very well. As to the last fumble/pass and letting the Cards take one more shot down field I could not disagree more. For Warner clearly was losing he ball before his arm started moving forward. Could they have called it differently? Yep, but Steeler

[mountain bed]

Done.

 

--Mike

[augurus]

[Moe_Syzlak]

My view on this was that the refs were better at what they were doing than either team was at what they were doing. I see it as two not so super teams playing inartfully throughout the game. The only call I strongly disagreed with was the late hit on Big Ben. Other than that no problems from my perspective, these two teams just did not execute very well. As to the last fumble/pass and letting the Cards take one more shot down field I could not disagree more. For Warner clearly was losing he ball before his arm started moving forward. Could they have called it differently? Yep, but Steeler’s fans would be pissed today for the refs not following the rules. The first touchdown attempt by big ben that was ruled down could have been called differently too. It’s not the refs position to make the end of the game more exciting or to give one team or the other one more chance or to level the playing field, their job is to call it fairly and they did.

Well I disagree with more than just the late hit on Ben. I think the Steelers player who was wailing on that dude on the ground should have been ejected. I also think that while the final play (I guess technically the second to last play) should have been more carefully reviewed. I would have no problem with them coming back that there was not indisputable video evidence to overturn it, but the ref should have gone under the hood. This is the decisive play of the SB and it was damn close. I don't care if they say it was looked at upstairs, they didn't give it enough of a review. Two days later and I STILL am not sure what the absolute correct call should be, having seen it dozens of times. Finally, Holmes' Lebron celebration should have been an automatic 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty for use of a prop (the football). That field position change might have drastically affected the kickoff and the subsequent field position. And I have no problem with them ignoring such things, but they called that shit against thew Cards, so you gotta be consistent. Anyway, I was rooting for the Steelers, so ultimately it didn't bother me much, but it was a sloppy game by all participants and not near worthy of consideration for the greatest SB ever, IMO.

 

ETA: the Cards have nothing to complain about, however. They had multiple opportunities to win the game despite any officiating transgressions.

[Analogman]

They are having a parade for The Stillers in Picksburgh today.

[aricandover]

They are having a parade for The Stillers in Picksburgh today.

 

http://www.wpxi.com/video/18628737/index.html

 

watching it right now.

[Analogman]

Thanks for the link.

[John Smith]

Well I disagree with more than just the late hit on Ben. I think the Steelers player who was wailing on that dude on the ground should have been ejected. I also think that while the final play (I guess technically the second to last play) should have been more carefully reviewed. I would have no problem with them coming back that there was not indisputable video evidence to overturn it, but the ref should have gone under the hood.

 

I forgot about Harrison, he should have been tossed. The camera's caught the whole thing, but how much did the ref

[Analogman]

The Boulevard of the Allies.

[bobbob1313]

The booth looks at any play in the last 2 minutes to see if it needs to be reviewed.

[IATTBYB]

I

[Moe_Syzlak]

I

[jakobnicholas]

First....the fumble-or-no-fumble almost definitely doesn't change who won the game.

 

But I've seen the replay many times, and it's 100 percent clear that his arm is moving forward. NO doubt.

 

The question is, was the ball fumbled?

 

 

My take:

 

Yes. It looks to be jostled initially. BUT....it never looks to leave Warner's hand and it looks as if Warner is able to re-grip the ball, and grips it enough to move it forward and then releases it....enough so that it resembles a spiral. The ball wasn't fluttering. The ball goes forward 4 yards in the air....it's recovered 5 yards down field.

 

Isn't it possible that Warner fumbled slightly, then re-tained the football, THEN threw it?

 

 

AND...seeing the replay, I notice the original line of scrimmage was around the 43 yard line, meaning the Cardinals (after the 15-yard penalty on Pittsburgh for taking off a helmet), would have had the ball on the 28 yard line. With Larry Fitzgerald to throw to, how scary would that have been for Steeler fans?!

 

 

 

 

ALSO, I haven't heard anybody talk about the no-call on the questionable late-hit play. Roethlisberger clearly threw the ball away and out of bounds, but he wasn't out of the pocket. Should have been an intentional grounding penalty. The penalties would have offset, and the Steelers would have re-played the down.

 

 

 

 

This isn't all to sound sour-grapes. I'm a Chiefs fan (yeah, I know....we suck), so could care less. But this is the freakin' Super Bowl! Shouldn't we expect the mose assured outcome? Especially in today's NFL where the margin between teams is SO slim.

[IATTBYB]

This isn't all to sound sour-grapes. I'm a Chiefs fan (yeah, I know....we suck), so could care less. But this is the freakin' Super Bowl! Shouldn't we expect the mose assured outcome? Especially in today's NFL where the margin between teams is SO slim.

Unless of course one of the teams is the Lions.

[tugmoose]

Super Bowl viewers in Tucson get more than a wardrobe malfunction.

They stole that from "Used Cars," when Lenny and Squiggy broke into a football broadcast with a live commercial!

 

 

[Oil Can Boyd]

ALSO, I haven't heard anybody talk about the no-call on the questionable late-hit play. Roethlisberger clearly threw the ball away and out of bounds, but he wasn't out of the pocket. Should have been an intentional grounding penalty. The penalties would have offset, and the Steelers would have re-played the down.

That's what I thought too right when it happened but they showed pretty clearly on the replay that he was out of the pocket. Madden even used the telestrator.

[jakobnicholas]

That's what I thought too right when it happened but they showed pretty clearly on the replay that he was out of the pocket. Madden even used the telestrator.

 

 

The play you're speaking of happened later in the game. Yeah, on that play, they drew the white line on the screen showing he was inside the tackle boxes.

 

But on the late-hit penalty play, Ben looked very clearly to be inside the box. Nothing was said about it during the telecast. Instead, the focus was on the late hit.

[John Smith]

Just checked out the fumble once again. And the call is 100% correct. #56 of the steelers has his hands on both sides of the ball as Warner is cocking his arm to throw. Warners arm had some torque applied to it going backwards and the ball is coming out of his grip as his arm moves forward. I think his arm was moving forward more to avoid being snapped off than anything. Also Warner's reaction to the play was not one of a guy who thought the ref's got the play wrong. EIther way the game is over.

 

Edit: I meant to note that the ball is loose as his arm is moving forward and that the movement of his arm appeared to be as much to safeguard his shoulder as it was to safeguard the ball.

[Tweedling]

......the ball is coming out of his grip as his arm moves forward. .......

[Moe_Syzlak]

Well that's my question. His arm is going forward as the ball is simultaneously jarred loose. BUT the ball is still being pushed forward. I have seen passes completed in the NFL that were pushed forward like this without complete control and it was called a completed pass, not a fumble recovery. Even if absolute control must be maintained according to the rule, I know enough to know that the ball has to be knocked loose BEFORE the arm moves forward, After seeing it many times, it is DAMNED close and, while I would probably vote for loose before the arm comes forward, it was deserving of more than a 15 second,/no hood review. It's the fuckin' SUPER BOWL!

[mpolak21]

Yeah, even though I am a Steelers fan, and I do think it was a fumble at the end, I was stunned it wasn't reviewed. That coupled with the Holmes celebration that wasn't flagged for a fifteen yard penalty certainly leaves a lot of what ifs, but it wasn't quite as bad as the Laker fans storming the court before the end of Game 7 in the 1988 Finals (yes I stole this from Bill Simmons, but it is true).

 

I have heard that the Cardinals player (number 47) that Harrison punched actually took a shot between Harrison's legs, which is why he went off, but that the cameras didn't catch it. If that's true it doesn't justify what he did, but it certainly makes more sense.

 

I think the Best Super Bowl ever talk is a little ridiculous. Even with my favorite team in the game this year, I was still more engaged last year, while it was low scoring every possession was tense and really seemed mean something, same with Super Bowl XXXII between the Broncos and Packers. It was a great game and a fantastic finish, but the one thing that makes last year's game stand out a little more to me is in the last two minutes I really had no idea who was going to win that game and half expected every Eli pass to be intercepted. And this year having followed the Steelers all season, I had very little doubt Roethlisberger was going to drive them for a touchdown and even turned to my dad before the 45 yard Holmes completion and said "he's going to nail Holmes for a big play right here." Still if the officials had called that Holmes penalty and Zona had 20 more yards to work with, who knows.

 

--Mike

[jakobnicholas]

Just checked out the fumble once again. And the call is 100% correct. #56 of the steelers has his hands on both sides of the ball as Warner is cocking his arm to throw. Warners arm had some torque applied to it going backwards and the ball is coming out of his grip as his arm moves forward. I think his arm was moving forward more to avoid being snapped off than anything. Also Warner's reaction to the play was not one of a guy who thought the ref's got the play wrong.

 

 

Ha. I like how you state that it was the correct call "100%". Um....OK.

 

 

For argument's sake, WHAT IF Warner lost his grip (or fumbled) going back, then re-gripped the ball (as the ball didn't go anywhere...it remained right by his hand), and was able to throw it?

 

 

 

Warner has stated after the game that he didn't make a big deal about it because he "knew" it would be reviewed. He just assumed it would be looked at.