Officals Outshadow Great Play on Field in Superbowl XLIII

Super Bowl XL was thought to be the worst officiated game in Super Bowl history—that is until Sunday's Super Bowl XLIII between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals.

The officiating in this game sadly overshadowed the amazing play of both teams.

Let's look a little in dept into some of the questionable calls, starting with the personal foul for grabbing the facemask on Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie of the Arizona Cardinals.

Sure, Cromartie grabbed Holmes' facemask—but Holmes grabbed Cromarie's, as well. Usually when a receiver grabs a facemask, it is usually considered a stiff arm, but not in this case because Holmes grabbed and twisted, which should have been just off-setting penalties.

Next, we move onto the roughing the passer call on Karlos Dansby of the Cardinals.

The officials said that Dansby knocked Roethlisberger in the back of the head, which clearly he did not. On that same play it was pretty clear the Roethlisberger intentionally grounded the ball, but the officials claimed that he was out of the pocket.

Had referee Terry McAulay not thrown a flag on the Steelers for offensive holding in their own end zone, the game would have been even more tainted.

The next play, or I guess it wasn't so much a play as an act, was when Santonio Holmes mimicked the powder routine Lebron James' does before every game.

Just after Holmes scored the touchdown to give the Steelers a 27-24 lead with just about 30 second remaining, he used the ball as a powder bottle—as does James when he pours it onto his hands—and then he threw the ball into the air.

NFL rules prevent a player from  using the ball as a prop during any celebration, so Holmes should have been hit with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. This would have meant that Jeff Reed would have kicked off from his own 15 yard-line. The Cardinals probably would have ended up with the ball on their own 40-yard line.

Lastly, I want to look at the Arizona Cardinals' final play of the game.

It was first and 10 for the Cardinals at the Steelers 44- yard-line, when Steelers linebacker LaMarr Wooley sacked Kurt Warner with just five seconds left in the game. The officials said that Warners arm was not going forward when he fumbled the ball.

The play was never reviewed by the replay booth, but it should have been.There was an instant were Warner's arm was going forward.

Though there were only five seconds left and Arizona would have had time for just one hail mary-type play, they should have been giving the opportunity. Sure, those plays rarely work. But sometimes they do.

I know I am not the only one disgraced by the officiating, but its over and its done with, so congratulation Steelers on your sixth world title.