My College Essay On The Horrid Officiating Of Superbowl XL

Now I know this topic has been talked over as many times as it can, but in my English class, this became a viable topic for our first rough draft of a major essay.

I was originally going to do it on expanding the content allowed in rated R movies (idea inspired after watching Tarintino's terrific Inglourious Basterd's). As ideas were tossed around in class this one clicked in my head, and many of the students wanted to see one done on the topic, so I went ahead and did it.

I already did not have any homework, so this would be a breeze, having to do very little research, here is my first draft of "The Ultimate Superbowl Fustercluck". 

This is not an attempt to piss one side off or the other, this is just a formal paper that the students in my class enjoyed so I thought I would share it on Bleacher Report.

Make sure to read the disclaimer! 

The Ultimate Superbowl Fustercluck

(Disclaimer, Steelers fans may not like the harsh reality and truth behind what is being divulged in this article, if you are one of these delusional characters who claim to have not had help from the officiating crew in the 2005 Superbowl en route to the biggest fustercluck in Superbowl history, please either discontinue reading now, or keep an open mind while you read through the points of contention discussed in this paper. Both the Seahawk’s calls, and Steelers calls will be examined in this essay.)

The Seattle Seahawk’s were at an all time high in 2005, a league best 13-3 record, an 11 game win streak, six Pro Bowl starters on offense alone, and owner of the NFL’s MVP in record setting touchdown machine (28 total) RB Shaun Alexander.

Having just beaten the Washington Redskins 21-10 in the Divisional playoff round (without the aforementioned MVP RB I might add), they were on their way to the NFC Championship game for the first time in 21 years.

In attendance, I got to watch my team throttle the Carolina Panthers 34-17, en route to our first Superbowl berth, our time had finally come. The memories of that game still give me Goosebumps, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Maybe I would not have been so thrilled if I knew what was about to go down two weeks later.

I knew our matchup with the AFC representative, the Pittsburgh Steelers, would be tough, they had a great defense, and we had the leagues best offense, a great matchup indeed.

“I didn’t think we would have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well”

-Mike Holmgren, Seahawk’s rally, February 5th, 2005

The above statement could not have been said any better by anyone who watched the biggest robbery in Superbowl history. He surprisingly did not end up drawing a fine for the obvious “shot” at the referees, headlined by Bill Leavy.

Going into the game, we were definitely looking like the underdogs, we were not favored (minus 7 spread), 3/5 of the broadcasting crew picked the Steelers (good for you Chris Berman and Chris Carter). Because the game was in Detroit, Michigan, a five hour drive from Pittsburgh, it was obviously littered with far more black and yellow, then green and blue.

I always like being the underdogs, so this was of no concern, still, Seahawk’s fans had absolutely no clue what was about to smack them in the face.

First Quarter, 2:03 left: 

We moved the ball at will on this so called “Steel Curtain, Iron Curtain”, whatever you prefer, with our high-powered offense and drove to the redzone (inside the opponents 20 yard line). Pro Bowl QB Matt Hasselbeck flung a 16 pass to WR Darrell Jackson in the endzone for a TD, which would have put us up 7-0 going into the second quarter

This is the first point of contention.

He was guarded by Steelers S Chris Hope, both of whom were going for the ball. League rules state that if both players are jostling for position, both have an equal right to the ball. Jackson was flagged for Pass Interference pushing off of Hope, WITHOUT gaining any significant separation.

You are allowed to initiate contact like Jackson did if both are going for the ball at the same time and are not attempting to create significant separation in doing so.

Lets say Hope was looking away not going for the ball, and Jackson had shoved him out of the way, created separation, en route to the TD catch, then that would be grounds for a P/I call. This play was not that case, contact is allowed when going for the ball by both parties with the exception of pulling someone’s hands down, face masking, tackling, etc.

We settle for a Field Goal and take a 3-0 lead, the team is clearly dejected, but still has the lead, but the drive would have to be considered a failure, although there is not much the Seahawks could do about that.

Second Quarter: 2:00 left, second point of contention.

On a third down and one at the Seattle one-yard line Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger was tackled short of the endzone, and then extends his hand across the white plane of the endzone when he was already down, head linesman Mark Hittner, a Pittsburgh native, called it a TD.

Despite being challenged by Seahawk’s coach Mike Holmgren, the play stood. Ben stated on the David Letterman show that he did not think he got in, and that the team was ready to go for it anyways.

My point of contention on this play is the Seahawk’s had been 7/9 on stopping goal line conversions during the regular season, and with that percentage, could have potentially stopped a play, and gone into the half with a 3-3 tie.

Third Quarter: Call against the Steelers.

Seattle Cornerback Kelly Herndon picks off a pass for a Superbowl record 75-yard return all the way to the Steelers 20 yard line. On the play there is controversy as to whether a block in the back penalty should have been issued. The ball would have been placed 15 yards at the spot of the foul, around midfield. For the sake of my comparison later in this essay, lets say this cancels out the Hasselbeck cut block penalty.

Fourth Quarter: 12:35 left, third point of contention.

Matt Hasselbeck completes a pass to TE Jerramy Stevens to the Steelers one-yard line. A yellow hankie is immediately thrown for a holding call on Seahawks RT Sean Locklear.

Now FYI for anyone reading this who does not know football, holding happens on every play, it is just a matter of when they call it or when they blatantly see it.

Going back and watching the game film, this is an awfully grey matter call. He has his hands up in the shoulder pads of the defender, knocking him if balance, and honestly, the call could have gone either way.

Except for the fact that Steelers LB Clark Haggans IS offsides at the beginning of the play, stopping the game at the exact moment the ball is snapped, his foot is over, barely, but over the line of scrimmage, the proper offsides call would have given the Seahawk’s the ball at the one yard line, or would have nullified the play, and moved them forwards five yards, in great position to take the lead.

It was because of Haggans early jump that likely forced Locklear to hold him in the first place

Regardless, the play is called back, and a ten-yard penalty is added on. Three plays later, Hasselbeck throws an interception, (after what should have been a TD, and a 17-14 Seattle lead).

This next part is what I call a triple whammy (the nullified TD, an INT, AND…), you would have to be sorely addicted to hardcore drug to not see this horrible call).

Fourth Quarter: 12:35 left, fourth point of contention.

On the play of the intercepted pass, Hasselbeck chases down the ball carrier, Ike Taylor, and does what I call a “chop tackle”, which pretty much means he rolled over and let the ball carrier trip over him. This is not an illegal action and is quite common by undersized players, and QB’s.

Another yellow hankie gets pulled out, I’m going out of my mind at this point.

“Illegal block in the back, defense, No. 8 (Hasselbeck) 15 yard penalty, automatic first down”

Even the announcers are speechless, now, this call does not seem like it would have serious repercussions, it was just a terrible call.

What people don’t seem to think about when this call is discussed is the play that comes after it. At the Steelers 44 yard line, instead of around their own 29-yard line, the Steelers run a gadget play (QB pitches to WR, WR becomes QB and throws it), exploiting our practice squad safety Etric Pruitt, who had never played an NFL game before being thrust in on the games biggest stage.

They burn us for a TD, I give them props, a good play exploiting our obvious weakness at that point.

Do you really think the Steelers would have run this gadget play had they not gotten the dreadful chop blocking call? No, they would not have, it would be too much of a risk so deep in your territory, but nonetheless, they take a 21-10 lead, and the game is pretty much over at that point.

Let’s ignore the Hasselbeck call, and focus on the two calls that nullified the TD’s. If those calls had been done correctly, it would have tacked on an additional 11 points, and potentially taken away 7 Steelers points, making the game at minimum a 21-21 tie.

Changes

There are several changes that should have been made due to the officiating of this game. The Hasselbeck block in the back call should have  resulted in a re-written rule to ensure that it does not happen again.

Because as per a loophole in the rulebook, stating that regardless a chop block below the waist is considered illegal on a play in the open field, regardless of the intention (i.e. tackling). it still should not have been allowed to happen on the games biggest stage.

Another obvious change that needs to be made is that no officiating member of the game can be a native, or reside in the cities of the two teams playing, The headlinesman, Mark Hittner, is a Pittsburgh native, and ironically was involved in one of the controversial calls, (Roethlisberger goal line play).

A third change should be more reviewable plays, in a nutshell, teams are given two “challenges” to attempt to overturn bad calls. What my proposed change is would allow more “booth reviews” which are initiated by the referee group, to allow for controversial calls such as the one in this game to be reviewed to their fullest extent.

What is done, is done, it will never be changed, and we have accepted that. All Seahawks fans seek is that Steelers fans can actually admit they were given some help at crucial points in the game by referees, the title in theirs, and we can give them that.

We can only ponder what could have been, and even today, having your one shot at glory stripped from you, still twinges a little, like it should.