Well, after 26 years of trying to "Win One for the Thumb," the Pittsburgh Steelers finally win their 5th Super Bowl ring, tying them with Dallas and San Fran for the most in the NFL. I can't say the game was the most exciting I have ever seen in my life but, boy, was the finish nice. Neither team was awesome...Pittsburgh's offense stuttered...Seattle's offense couldn't finish their drives. The Pittsburgh defense bent...bent alot at times, but never broke and that's really what won the game. The trick play with Randle El throwing to Hines was maybe the greatest call I've seen in a long time. And Bettis finally getting a ring and then retiring on the grandest stage of them all...well, that's storybook stuff there.
But, naturally, the talk after the game is all about the officiating. Everyone is blaming the refs for the Steelers win...ESPN has a poll up asking if the refs determined the outcome of the game...Michael Smith wrote a big long article about the officials being pro-Pittsburgh. Are you kidding me? Give me a break. Let's look at the "disputed" calls. A pass interference call...that was that. Yes, it might have been a ticky-tack foul...but, it was a pushoff in the traditional sense of the word and the official called it. I'm not sure I would have but he did.
Then, there's the Roethlisberger touchdown. To me, it looked like the ball skimmed the goal line. All the ball has to do is slightly cross that white stripe at any point in the play for it to be a touchdown. To me, it looked like it did. I thought Madden and Michaels did a very poor job at explaining that to the audience. The holding call? Hey, he pulled the guy down from behind...that's holding.
I mean, there might be some questionable calls...but, that doesn't determine the outcome of the game. Seattle had a lot of opportunities to make plays to win...they didn't. The officiating did not make Hasselbeck throw the interception. The officiating did not allow Willie Parker to run 75 yards for a touchdown. I'm sick of how quickly people look for conspiracy in the losses now. There has been some bad officiating this year...but I didn't think this was one of those times.
On to other things...WVU is now 8-0 in Big East play...only the 5th team to ever start Big East play 8-0. Now, the real tests begin. They have to travel to #9 Pittsburgh who, even though they lost to a surging #22 Georgetown, is a really good team. It will be a great test of the Mounties on the road. Then they have to travel to that constantly improving Georgetown team. What follows that? At Seton Hall, #1 UConn, At Syracuse, struggling Louisville, Pittsburgh and at Cincinatti. That's a really rough schedule to end the season...if they can go 5-3 out of that, I would be happy. But, 16-0 in the Big East sounds pretty nice too...
Oh, and lastly, I've had the flu...I'm not over it. I guess I need to go see a doctor but I'm trying not to. We'll see what happens...
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