Reaction to officiating in Super Bowl XL

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The officiating in Super Bowl XL was met with harsh criticism from both the fans and the media soon after the game. Some columnists decried the officiating for costing the Seattle Seahawks the game, while other columnists and the National Football League said the calls were largely correct. Others suggested that the calls wouldn't have made a difference anyway, and that there were also calls that went against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers won the game, 21-10.

1 Initial reaction
2 Calls against the Seahawks
3 Calls against the Steelers
4 References

[edit] Initial reaction

Shortly after the game, Kansas City Star writer Jason Whitlock encapsulated many views when he wrote the day after the game, "Leavy and his crew ruined Super Bowl XL. Am I the only one who would like to hear them defend their incompetence?" ^[1]

Initially, fans reacted negatively as well. A February 7 online ESPN poll found that, with 103,167 votes cast, 61.7% of voters felt that "officiating mistakes affected the outcome of Super Bowl XL."^[2]

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren himself took issue with the officiating at a celebration for his team on February 6 at Qwest Field, saying, "We knew it was going to be tough going against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well."^[3]

Others argued that the calls were largely correct, and that, in any event, the Seahawks did not play well enough to win. Kevin Blackistone, a columnist with the Dallas Morning News, expressed this view on ESPN's Around the Horn: "The litmus test for this is the fact when you talk to the Seattle Seahawks after the game, they didn't talk about the referees. They talked about problems they had of their own making."^[4]

In response to the criticisms leveled at the officials, the NFL, just two days after the game, released a statement defending the officials' performance. "The game was properly officiated, including, as in most NFL games, some tight plays that produced disagreement about the calls made by the officials," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement.^[5]

The game ended a playoffs season that was plagued by complaints about officiating, most notably during the divisional playoff games between the Steelers and Colts, the Broncos and Patriots, and the Bears and Panthers.^[6]

[edit] Calls against the Seahawks

The following is a list of the most oft-criticized calls that went against the Seahawks:

First Quarter, 2:08 left, score tied 0-0: Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threw a 16-yard pass that wide receiver Darrell Jackson caught in the end zone, but the play was called back on an offensive pass interference call against Jackson for pushing off Steelers safety Chris Hope. Seattle had to settle for a Josh Brown field goal. Critics claimed both Jackson and the defensive player were jostling for position and that officials should not have flagged either player. Michael Smith of ESPN wrote that "Jackson extended his arm, yes, but both players were fighting for position, and he didn't create any separation by doing so."^[7] Others argued that the call was correct. Sean Salisbury, also of ESPN, said, "You see the receiver straighten his arm on the contact with the defensive player … that's a penalty."
Second Quarter, 2:00 left, Seahawks lead 3-0: On third down from the Seattle one-yard line, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took the snap, faked a handoff, and dove toward the left side of a pile along the goal-line before being hit by Seahawks linebacker D.D. Lewis. After first raising one hand (as if to indicate that the quarterback was down), head linesman Mark Hittner raised a second arm to signal a touchdown. The play stood after review, to the considerable ire of Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, who berated Leavy on the way to the locker room following the first half. ^[8] The play was hotly debated in the media between those who thought the play should have resulted in a fourth-down-and-inches situation ^[9] and those who thought the ball crossed the goal line^[10]. Roethlisberger appeared on the The Late Show with David Letterman the day after the game and told the host that, immediately after the play, he had told Cowher, "I don’t think I got in," but that the team was "ready to go for it on fourth down anyway."^[11] He later explained that he was referring to his initial impression only, and believes "the ball crossed the plane."^[12]
Fourth Quarter, 12:35 left, Steelers lead 14-10: Hasselbeck completed an 18-yard pass to tight end Jerramy Stevens at the Steelers 1-yard line. The play was nullified by a penalty against Seattle guard Sean Locklear for holding Pittsburgh linebacker Clark Haggans. Critics of the call dubbed it a "phantom hold," ^[13], but others argued that, since NFL rules prohibit the encircling of a defender with hands or arms (i.e., "hooking") and since Locklear did appear briefly to have an arm around Haggans’ neck, the call was correct and not unusual. ^[14]
Fourth Quarter, 10:54 left, Steelers lead 14-10: Three plays after the nullified pass to Stevens, Hasselbeck threw an interception to Pittsburgh cornerback Ike Taylor, who returned the ball 24 yards. A 15-yard personal foul was whistled against Hasselbeck for a "low block," advancing the Steelers to their own 44-yard line. During the American television broadcast, commentator Al Michaels said, "We think this was a bad call," suggesting that Hasselbeck was not blocking another Pittsburgh player but was instead making a low tackle on a ball carrier, which is legal. However, NFL Network announcer Rich Eisen in an column he wrote for nfl.com claims it was the right call by the rules, even if the rule itself may be defective.^[15] Mike Pereira, the Director of Officiating for the NFL, has said that "the call was not correct" and "should not have been made."^[16]
Fourth Quarter, 4:45 left, Steelers lead 21-10: With the Steelers' hoping to convert a first down on third-and-six in order to take more time off the clock, Roethlisberger was forced to call a timeout when Pittsburgh had difficulty getting a play off as the play clock ran down. The Steelers were awarded a timeout, but some contended that the play clock hit zero seconds before Roethlisberger called for a timeout, which would have constituted a delay-of-game and resulted in a five-yard penalty against Pittsburgh.^[17]

[edit] Calls against the Steelers

Although the negative media reaction against the officials was largely due to calls that did not go the Seahawks way, others suggested that there were calls that didn't go the Steelers' way. Gregg Easterbrook of NFL.com wrote:

Four of the six big officiating decisions went against Seattle. Does this mean a pro-Steelers bias, as some in the sports yak world are saying, or perhaps a slap at Mike Holmgren by the officiating guild? ... The two decisions that favored the Hawks were the fourth-quarter replay reversal that gave possession, initially awarded to Pittsburgh, back to Seattle; and the no-call of a block in the back by Seattle during Kelly Herndon's record interception return. Of the four big decisions that favored the Steelers, two seemed correct to me.^[18]