Super Bowl Review: Steelers Make History*

Before I begin, I would like to make this clear: I am a St. Louis Rams fan. I refuse to show bias to any team. These are my thoughts on last night's Super Bowl. Whether you like it or not is irrelevant.

With that being said, let's get to the anarchy...I mean, action.

Last night, Ben Roethlisberger proved that he is that good of a quarterback. Last night, Santonio Holmes proved that his first trip to the Super Bowl would be memorable. Last night, the Pittsburgh Steelers stood tall above the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.

Last night, the Steelers got themselves a six-pack*.

But the game was marred by huge amounts of controversy. Thanks to the referees, the Steelers celebration was decimated by nothing more than bad clock management, bad tempers and above all else, bad officiating.

But this isn't the first time that the officials made some mistakes in the playoffs. The officials screwed up when Oakland played New England during the Patriots' first Super Bowl Championship run. The officials got it wrong during several plays in the National Championship Game a few weeks ago.

And they surely got it wrong last night.

Despite all that happened last night, the refs messed up at the end of both halves. Kurt Warner has a legitimate gripe, as do everyone who watched last night's game. In a highly contested Super Bowl, and arguably the best Super Bowl in recent memory, the officials made one of the biggest mistakes in Super Bowl history: the final play of the game.

As Warner dropped back, his arm was hit as he threw a pass towards an open receiver. The refs ruled it a fumble, but the play was never reviewed, like a similar play earlier in the game. After seeing the play several times before the Steelers took the final knee, everyone could obviously see that this was an incomplete pass.

But no challenge meant that history would fall on Pittsburgh's favor. Either way, the refs proved to be the equalizer of last night's game. Forget about the fact that Larry Fitzgerald turned a short pass from Warner into the game changing touchdown for Arizona. Forget that Roethlisberger orchestrated the game winning touchdown drive, culminating with a spectacular grab by Santonio Holmes.

Forget about James Harrison's 100-yard history making interception return for a touchdown that all but sealed the deal for Pittsburgh at the end of the first half. Forget about a terrific halftime show with The E Street Band. Forget about the funny and faulty commercials.

But don't forget that the officials did it again. Don't forget that they are the reason that Pittsburgh survived their trip to Tampa. Don't forget that they screwed Arizona in the end. Don't forget that they made four controversial personal foul calls...in the third quarter alone!

So congratulations are in order for Pittsburgh. They won their record sixth Super Bowl Championship, becoming the lone wolves at the top of the Super Bowl Mountain*.

Congratulations also goes to Arizona, who weren't supposed to be there, but put up a fight that no one can deny. The Cardinals should get the parade when they return to the Desert sometime today. As for the guy who gave the children of Pittsburgh an extra two hours to sleep in: You're a moron.

And to those officials who thought they got it right this time around, I say this: You were 35% effective in last night's game. That means that you were 65% pathetic. No matter how much Mike Tomlin celebrates joining Tony Dungy as the only African Americans to win a Super Bowl, he knows in the back of his mind that what happened last night was a triumph...as well as a travesty.

As for the asterisks next to certain spots in this column, I treat last night's ending like Barry Bonds treated his Hank Aaron record. And if you don't like it, there's only one thing I can say to you: Sorry About Your Damn Luck!