Steelers Win

February 5, 2006 7:44 PM

The Steelers were 7-5, then won their final four regular-season games to secure the AFC's last playoff spot. They went to Cincinnati and won a wild-card game. They won at Indianapolis, which had the league's best record. And then they handed Denver its first home loss in the AFC championship game. And now they're the first 6th seed playoff team ever to win the Super Bowl. History made.
posted by allkindsoftime (138 comments total)

The Stones sucked.
posted by mischief at 7:48 PM on February 5, 2006

flagged
posted by spock at 7:48 PM on February 5, 2006

Fuck the Steelers and fuck this post.
posted by ryanhealy at 7:49 PM on February 5, 2006

What about the commercials?
posted by Frank Grimes at 7:49 PM on February 5, 2006

Poorly played game.
posted by rotifer at 7:50 PM on February 5, 2006

The Steelers were the worst team to "win" a Super Bowl since the Buccaneers, and this is a piss-poor excuse for a MeFi thread.

The commercials weren't that good, either.
posted by yhbc at 7:51 PM on February 5, 2006

i really hate games where it is SO obvious that the officials are biased.
posted by spock at 7:53 PM on February 5, 2006

Although I did kind of like the truck mud-flap one, were the silvery chick ends up in the truck with Yosemite Sam.

As is the case with most advertising, however, I have no idea what particular brand of truck the ad was for. Some would say this observation indicates a basic flaw in the entire advertising industry; nonsense, I say - it just means we need more silvery chicks on mud-flaps.
posted by yhbc at 7:54 PM on February 5, 2006

Fuck the steelers, and fuck those fucking bullshit calls from those blind-assed refs. Either the Pittsburg mob had those refs' families tied up in the broom closet, or those fuckers were on the take, because those were some of the biggest bullshit calls I've ever seen.
posted by stenseng at 7:55 PM on February 5, 2006

And cartoon characters. With big mustaches.
posted by yhbc at 7:55 PM on February 5, 2006

Fuck the Steelers. Go Eagles.
posted by Loto at 7:56 PM on February 5, 2006

You had to like the streaking sheep.

Well, if you're from a rural area anyway.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:58 PM on February 5, 2006

is this something I'd have to own a sports to understand?
posted by hototogisu at 7:59 PM on February 5, 2006

Yeah, the streaking sheep was the best of a poor lot of commercials. Now delete this thread please. This isn't Fark.
posted by spock at 8:02 PM on February 5, 2006

PuppyBowl!
posted by ericb at 8:02 PM on February 5, 2006

www.sportsfilter.com
posted by smackfu at 8:03 PM on February 5, 2006

The PuppyBowl is godlike in its intent and purity--I watched a couple hours of that last year without even noticing the time go by.
posted by hototogisu at 8:03 PM on February 5, 2006

Yay. Steelers win. Suck it haters.

(we've had Superbowl threads before. Lighten up.)
posted by jonmc at 8:04 PM on February 5, 2006

yhbc- That was by and large the best commercial. For all you Steelers haters, suck it. Blind refs, bad calls, these are the claims of sore losers.

None-the-less shitty, weak FPP. Obvious newsfilter ... one link?
posted by AllesKlar at 8:04 PM on February 5, 2006

heh. Cheers jonmc
posted by AllesKlar at 8:05 PM on February 5, 2006

Dan Savage's live blog of the game (also here and here) on the (Seattle alternative rag) Stranger's blog was pretty funny -- and matches my level of football ineptitude.

Oh, and I thought the Stones sounded pretty raw but really not bad. At least no guest stars or dancers.
posted by argybarg at 8:06 PM on February 5, 2006

I'd be willing to bet the sum total of my SB winnings that at least 3 of these comments were made from Seeattel area IPs. Learn how to spell your major American cities and get over it.

And the Bud Light commercials early on were hysterical.
posted by allkindsoftime at 8:06 PM on February 5, 2006

What was with the ad for beer? I mean, seriously? You need an ad for the whole category of "beer"? Odd.

Oh yeah, shitty game.
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 8:07 PM on February 5, 2006

Wow, I was waiting for a superbowl thread to come up.
I had no idea the animosity for the Steelers.

I didn't watch (Patriots weren't playing), but I saw two plays on a 2" handheld TV of a coworker. One was a deep pass in the late second quarter, and the other was a bullshit 'touchdown' where the guy pulls the football from his crotch and places it over the line. I had zero interest in the game after that.
posted by Busithoth at 8:09 PM on February 5, 2006

we've had Superbowl threads before. Lighten up.

And they've all gone soo well.
posted by justgary at 8:11 PM on February 5, 2006

Who won the puppy bowl?
posted by homunculus at 8:11 PM on February 5, 2006

History made?
posted by snowjoe at 8:13 PM on February 5, 2006

Nobody cares. This is a waste of MeFi front page space.
posted by nlindstrom at 8:15 PM on February 5, 2006

Who won the puppy bowl?

The viewers.
posted by ericb at 8:15 PM on February 5, 2006

Nobody cares.

Except the 14 gazillion people who watch the game every year. Sounds like some people haven't gotten over high school jock envy.
posted by jonmc at 8:16 PM on February 5, 2006

The Superbowl was today?
posted by arcticwoman at 8:16 PM on February 5, 2006

You guys should be in Pittsburgh right now! Oakland is crazy! Couches are burning, and cars are being flipped. The Cathedral of Learning lawn is covered in people, many who are shooting off fireworks from the crowd.
posted by matkline at 8:21 PM on February 5, 2006

Hey, I watched it. It just wasn't a good game, to the point where neither team deserved to win. Hines Ward is the MVP? Okay, I guess; because he didn't make a bonehead play which could have lost the whole thing, unlike apparently every other Pittsburgh player. On the other hand, clock manage much, Holmgren? Seattle should have won the game going away, and didn't. Therefore, they're losers, and the Steelers get to wave their towels for a whole year.
posted by yhbc at 8:22 PM on February 5, 2006

the other was a bullshit 'touchdown' where the guy pulls the football from his crotch and places it over the line. I had zero interest in the game after that.

You don't watch much football, or your emotions are getting the better of you. I can't imagine any other explanation.
posted by Kwantsar at 8:26 PM on February 5, 2006

Except the 14 gazillion people who watch the game every year. Sounds like some people haven't gotten over high school jock envy.

jonmcbot strikes again.
posted by Space Coyote at 8:27 PM on February 5, 2006

Not only have I had to put up with traffic, my taxes going towards enriching millionaires and road closings (to prevent truck suicide bombers, no less), but now we've got Super Bowl on Metafilter.

Great. Another US-centric newsfilter post about something that few care about and that, ultimately, means nothing.
posted by QIbHom at 8:27 PM on February 5, 2006

Jock envy? Yeah, sounds like some of us never got our fill of calling the art kids "fags" and kicking their asses in the locker room. Fuck sports, fuck this game, and fuck the 14 gazillion people standing behind you jon, you classy defender of the mediocre and boring.
posted by hototogisu at 8:30 PM on February 5, 2006

The Superbowl was today

Faux ignorance is not hip. It's just sad.
posted by DieHipsterDie at 8:32 PM on February 5, 2006

The Superbowl was today? This is the correct quote.
posted by DieHipsterDie at 8:33 PM on February 5, 2006

more bread and less circuses, please.
posted by Space Coyote at 8:34 PM on February 5, 2006

easy, hototogisu. It's a game, a diversion and a fairly harmless one, ultimately. Why's it bother people if some mefites want to waste a few pixels talking about it?

And enjoying the occasional game on TV makes me a homophobic art-hater? Conflate much? As far as I'm concerned, at it's best sports is an art. Switch to decaf, mister. Don't project your issues on me.
posted by jonmc at 8:34 PM on February 5, 2006

Oh, all right.

Muslims can be crazy fuckers, but no more so than fundamentalist Christians. Chances are that most of them just want to practice their religion in peace and be left alone. Is that such a crazy idea, after all?

SUVs are bad for the environment, but tell that to the mom with three kids in school, all of whom play hockey. Give her a better alternative, before you take away what is a freely available consumer choice.

George Bush is a pathetic excuse for a human being, but he is still the President, so if you want to change any of the policies he's pursuing you have to have better, more supportable policies of your own first.

Now - the Steelers may have won the Super Bowl, but they weren't the best team in the NFL during the season, or in the playoffs. Sometimes it just happens that way, though.
posted by yhbc at 8:35 PM on February 5, 2006

And I haven't played an organized sport since little league baseball. So if you're to avenge something you're barking up the wrong tree.
posted by jonmc at 8:36 PM on February 5, 2006

Sounds like some people haven't gotten over high school jock envy.

conflate much? as far as I'm concerned, people complaining on metafilter is an art (and about as useful as this game was). Caf up man--don't spin the jokes, or don't play the game.
posted by hototogisu at 8:37 PM on February 5, 2006

at it's best sports is an art

Sadly, this was a 3 year old scribbling on a napkin.
posted by justgary at 8:37 PM on February 5, 2006

Okay, an aside from the content of the thread


this whole "**** much?" thing is really fucking annoying.



It's got to stop, people.
posted by stenseng at 8:37 PM on February 5, 2006

I have no animosity for the Steelers. But I do have animosity for games that are clearly called in a slanted way. The offensive pass-interference penalty was ticky-tack and the Rothlesberger didn't make it to the goal line for a TD. And that's just two of the crappy calls. Can somebody seriously make a defense of Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck's being called for "blocking below the waist" while making a tackle after his pass interception? Puh-leeese.
posted by spock at 8:38 PM on February 5, 2006

You guys should be in Pittsburgh right now! Oakland is crazy! Couches are burning, and cars are being flipped. The Cathedral of Learning lawn is covered in people, many who are shooting off fireworks from the crowd.


Finally something on a sport I know something about. My mother said that all the snack food was cleared out of the supermarkets earlier today and everybody was getting riled up on the streets.
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:38 PM on February 5, 2006

justgary: thankfully, Mefi is a giant refrigerator.
posted by hototogisu at 8:39 PM on February 5, 2006

Back on subject - I maintain that it was a poorly refereed game, as several of the calls were questionable at best. However, this really wasn't a badly played game at all. Both teams played the shit out of that game, and had incredible defense going.
posted by stenseng at 8:39 PM on February 5, 2006

don't spin the jokes, or don't play the game.

spin? game? I made an observation. when sports get mentioned around here, there's usually some knee-jerk disdain expressed by somebody and that was my guess as to why.
posted by jonmc at 8:39 PM on February 5, 2006

So is this thread a warning against posting the results and leadup to Stanley Cup finals?

Or would most people on this board not even know what a Stanely Cup was to bitch on a FPP about it?
posted by PurplePorpoise at 8:40 PM on February 5, 2006

"I have no animosity for the Steelers. But I do have animosity for games that are clearly called in a slanted way. The offensive pass-interference penalty was ticky-tack and the Rothlesberger didn't make it to the goal line for a TD. And that's just two of the crappy calls. Can somebody seriously make a defense of Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck's being called for "blocking below the waist" while making a tackle after his pass interception? Puh-leeese."

What he said.
posted by stenseng at 8:40 PM on February 5, 2006

I, for one, welcome our Steeler overlords.
posted by terrapin at 8:41 PM on February 5, 2006

Doesn't the Stanley cup have something to do with hammers and tape measures?
posted by stenseng at 8:41 PM on February 5, 2006

justgary: thankfully, Mefi is a giant refrigerator.
posted by hototogisu

Heh. Thanks. I was trying to fit the refrigerator into my post, but couldn't quite pull it off.
posted by justgary at 8:41 PM on February 5, 2006

PurplePorpoise: nope, hockey's OK.
posted by hototogisu at 8:41 PM on February 5, 2006

* shoots terrapin, awaits universal adulation of the throng *
posted by yhbc at 8:41 PM on February 5, 2006

The Stones sucked

True that. Double true.

You'd think fucking Motown could come up with something a little better, music-wise. Hell, I'd have setteld for Eminem (with a nice Aretha Franklin cameo duet, even) over that tired, tired shit. Much as I respect the earlier Stones albums, they all look like cadaverous refugees from some Tim Burton film now.

And the game? Well, I've watched worse. The Steelers (suck it haters, indeed) played a decent, if pedestrian game.
posted by Chrischris at 8:42 PM on February 5, 2006

Oh, I agree the call on Rothlesberger's TD was iffy, but I don't look gift horses in the mouth.
posted by jonmc at 8:42 PM on February 5, 2006

I admit, this is a pretty wafer-thin post, but to say that "sports don't matter" and "nobody cares" on a website where there are regularly 50+ comment threads on fucking comic book story arcs is sort of kidding yourself.

And I say this as both a fan of both comic books and Football.
posted by StopMakingSense at 8:43 PM on February 5, 2006

However, this really wasn't a badly played game at all. Both teams played the shit out of that game, and had incredible defense going.

Did you watch the game? Did you see the clock management by seattle at the end of the half and game?

It wasn't a well played game, not at all, and will go down as such.
posted by justgary at 8:45 PM on February 5, 2006

Chrischris, the rich white guys from north of 8 Mile (the ones who took my tax money to build that fucking stadium, pay the police OT, etc.) decided they wanted a rock group older than the Super Bowl itself, despite this being Motown.

Don't blame us. It was the Man. Detroiters had no say about any of this.
posted by QIbHom at 8:47 PM on February 5, 2006

Didn't Marvel do a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders vs. Galactus series in the 70s?

If they didn't, they should have.
posted by yhbc at 8:47 PM on February 5, 2006

Jeremy Stevens just dropped another pass.
posted by gyc at 8:48 PM on February 5, 2006

It wasn't a well played game, not at all, and will go down as such.

You'd think they could get it right after 40 years.
posted by solid-one-love at 8:50 PM on February 5, 2006

Metafilter doesn't like sports. The body, even when used for sex, is soooo 1800. We are creatures of the mind.

To troll, or not to troll. That is the question.
posted by stirfry at 8:50 PM on February 5, 2006

Seriously, Keith Richards had that old man hunchback thing going on that I associate with nursing homes and Shriners. I was scared the weight of his guitar was going to pull him to him to the ground. But then Mick flashed his tummy. Good Lord. Is that more acceptable than Janice's tit? Why? Discuss.
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 8:51 PM on February 5, 2006

I forgot the Super Bowl until it was mostly over. I only watch for the commercials though, as football is a barbaric sport meant to entertain the mindlessly violent segments of society so they do not go kill women and children.








jonmc told me to post this.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 8:51 PM on February 5, 2006

from god's mouth to Mr. Chairs' ears.
posted by hototogisu at 8:54 PM on February 5, 2006

Jeremy Stevens just dropped another pass.

That's no lie. If the refs weren't paid-off, then I'd be looking at his bank account.

Pittsburgh did have the three best plays in the game:
1) The Roth scramble that nearly crossed the line of scrimmage before hitting Ward at the three.
2) The third quarter Willie Parker long run for the TD
3) The Randle El throw for the TD off the double reverse
posted by spock at 8:56 PM on February 5, 2006

Hey, it wasn't a great game but it was the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl isn't so much a game but a public spectacle along the lines of the Academy Awards or a Survivor finale, who cares about the game when you can watch the very pinnacle of American consumerism writ large for millions around the world.

Oh yeah, I thought The Stones were great. Watching Sir Mick prance around like a billionaire ballerina on a day pass from the senior center was more than worth the price of admission.

Kudos to all who managed to shove race relations, Dubya and SUV's into a thread about a football game. Very cool, you guys are right on top of that outrage thing. Stick it to the man!
posted by cedar at 8:57 PM on February 5, 2006

yinz are a bunch of poor losers, n'at ...

seriously, i didn't watch it ... and looks like i didn't miss anything
posted by pyramid termite at 8:59 PM on February 5, 2006

cedar, you can't discuss anything in Detroit without discussing race relations.

Hell, the NFL doesn't have a really good record there, either. How long did it take to get a black quarterback? A black coach? Owner?
posted by QIbHom at 9:00 PM on February 5, 2006

And that's their 21 points right there.

Otherwise, they had no offense, and precious little defense, except to key on Alexander and force Hasselbeck to make mistakes. Ummm - which he did.

Well, shit. Maybe they do deserve it after all, then!
posted by yhbc at 9:00 PM on February 5, 2006

How long did it take to get a black quarterback? A black coach? Owner?

Well, eventually, P Diddy wahtever will buy a team.
posted by jonmc at 9:04 PM on February 5, 2006

Watching Sir Mick prance around like a billionaire ballerina on a day pass from the senior center was more than worth the price of admission.

Actually, the most enjoyable thing was watching Charlie Watts mail it in--for the last 20 years the guy has made an art of doing just barely enough to keep that shambling mess on track & moving. He just sits back and smiles, hits the skins a few times, and thinks about his massive bank account...

Otherwise, they had no offense, and precious little defense, except to key on Alexander and force Hasselbeck to make mistakes. Ummm - which he did.

Shutting down Alexander was the key to this game. Without a running attack, Hasselback's limitations (he's no Favre, that's for sure...) were very obvious.
posted by Chrischris at 9:06 PM on February 5, 2006

Man, what a bunch of trolls yinz all are. It was a fun game and I had a hell a lot of fun watching it.
posted by octothorpe at 9:14 PM on February 5, 2006

People hate sports because they suck at them.
I bet those Greeks were idiots too for seeing the aesthetic value of sports.
posted by ozomatli at 9:16 PM on February 5, 2006

Disclaimer: I generally have come to hate everything that football has come to stand for. But hell, my city's team was in it, and it's about time I had a reason to sit around and drink all afternoon.

But seriously, if it had been the Cowboys or the Patriots that had those calls made against them, there would be a general strike tomorrow across the country. And this point is Metafilter worthy.

We Tivo'd it and watched the play over and over, there is no fucking way that ball was carried over the line. I don't blame Holmgren for biting that reporter's head off as he went in at half time.

And the offensive pass interference call on another touchdown play was completely bullshit.

People, this Super Bowl was decided by the refs.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:24 PM on February 5, 2006

People, this Super Bowl was decided by the refs.

Did you see the NFL.com headline?

"Meant to be"

Fuck the NFL. This game was a travesty. I feel like a fucking sucker for even watching it.
posted by ryanhealy at 9:28 PM on February 5, 2006

Yes, because it was the referees who threw the ball to Herndon, as well as causing Josh Brown to miss two field goals... it's all clear to me now.
posted by AllesKlar at 9:42 PM on February 5, 2006

The TD call was good. The PI call was good, if overzealous (but really, you push off on a guy right in front of the ref and don't expect a call?!). The refs didn't drop three passes, push two field goals wide, or piss away a full minute of game time at the end of both halves.

The officiating sucked, but it sucked just as much against Pittsburgh when they beat Indy. The bottom line is Seattle didn't bring it.
posted by dirigibleman at 9:52 PM on February 5, 2006

The holding call on Locklear cost the Seahawks 7 points. The 15 yard phanton chop block call on Hasselbeck gave the Steelers much better field position and they ended up scoring a touchdown.

The PI call was *not* a good call in a the fucking Super Bowl. It was a ticky-tack bullshit penalty that *might* get called in a pre-season game but not the god damned Super Bowl.

The Rothlesberger TD was first ruled fourth down by the line judge and then he reversed his own call. If he had stuck with his original call they wouldn't have been able to overturn it on replay (inconclusive) - thus, subtract another 7 points from the Steelers.

The Seahawks didn't play well but it's hard when you're playing against both the Steelers and the officials.
posted by ryanhealy at 9:59 PM on February 5, 2006

And I say this as both a fan of both comic books and Football.

Now I KNOW you're lyin'. BOTH comics and football? You're living in a fantasy world, pal.
posted by davelog at 10:06 PM on February 5, 2006

I am glad this thread was here. It was delightful to discover, for the first time, the Super Bowl happened and I didn't know about it! Hurray!

Even living in Europe I was always aware of the game in advance. While I saw talk here about the coming commercials (best part of Super Bowl, near as I can tell), I didn't know it was yesterday. No one mentioned it in my emails.
posted by Goofyy at 10:54 PM on February 5, 2006

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5310192
posted by ryanhealy at 11:04 PM on February 5, 2006

The officiating was atrocious, and I was rooting for the Steelers.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:21 PM on February 5, 2006

But seriously, the Macgyver commercial was the best. That guy can do anything.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 11:51 PM on February 5, 2006

O B E Y
S T E E L E R B A B Y
posted by rxreed at 12:04 AM on February 6, 2006

I used the first quarter to head out and buy some art supplies that I needed, since I thought it wouldn't be too busy. Sure enough, the roads were okay, but Michael's was filled with all these moms and their kids buying crafty stuff, and this one little girl yelling that her "birthday was to be FAIRIES DAMMIT*"

I didn't think the Stones were too bad, it wasn't like it was a huge stupid spectacle or anything, just a fairly straightforward performance. We couldn't decided if the top of Mick's belly shirt contained lots of tiny lights or sparkly bits though.

Also, the Dan Savage blog is great: We’re going to lose now. No, wait! We’re going to win! Touchdown! No, wait. We didn’t get a touchdown. We got… a yellow come towel thrown at us. Oh, too bad. We are going to lose.



*She didn't actually say dammit, but you could tell by her tone that if she was allowed to swear she totally would have.
posted by kosher_jenny at 12:20 AM on February 6, 2006

Comics and Football. Since 1954.

Oh, did you mean American Football>?
posted by magpie68 at 1:22 AM on February 6, 2006

The first half was boring as all hell. Glad that there was at least some scoring in the second half! I thought that Ben's TD was a close call, at least in replay (looked to me like the nose of the ball made it to the line before he got hit, but that's just me), but the ref didn't seem to call it for sure until AFTER he had pulled the ball from his crotch and put it over the line. The push-off penalty was pretty weak too, but those are the breaks. The NFL playoffs are where bad calls EXCEL. Anybody remember the "tuck rule"? Yeah. Most of the sports writers I read are always going on about the bad calls in the playoffs.
posted by antifuse at 1:23 AM on February 6, 2006

What's this "football" you speak of?
posted by HuronBob at 2:09 AM on February 6, 2006

That's what we call bad post
posted by zouhair at 2:53 AM on February 6, 2006

The holding call on Locklear cost the Seahawks 7 points. The 15 yard phanton chop block call on Hasselbeck gave the Steelers much better field position and they ended up scoring a touchdown.

I thought it was an obvious hold even when I saw it live. The guy was a split second away from sacking Hasselbeck and would have had it not been for the hold. The call against Hasslebeck was BS, but made no difference. Hines could have run 30 more yards on that TD and not been touched.

The PI call was *not* a good call in a the fucking Super Bowl. It was a ticky-tack bullshit penalty that *might* get called in a pre-season game but not the god damned Super Bowl.

So rules shouldn't apply in the "fucking" Super Bowl? DJack had his arm fully extended. Had he not done so the defender could have made a play on the ball. That's PI.

The Rothlesberger TD was first ruled fourth down by the line judge and then he reversed his own call. If he had stuck with his original call they wouldn't have been able to overturn it on replay (inconclusive) - thus, subtract another 7 points from the Steelers.

OK. If it's not a TD, it's 4th and Goal from the 1cm line. Would you bet on the Seahawks stopping Bettis there?

The Seahawks didn't play well but it's hard when you're playing against both the Steelers and the officials.
posted by ryanhealy at 9:59 PM PST on February 5 [!]

The best team one, ryanhealy. Don't be a bitch.
posted by b_thinky at 4:01 AM on February 6, 2006

Won
posted by b_thinky at 4:01 AM on February 6, 2006

This is a waste of MeFi front page space

This is one of the funniest things I have read in a while.

That was the best superbowl since last years.
posted by srboisvert at 4:29 AM on February 6, 2006

I turned on the TV at halftime only to see Mick and the boys performing "Satisfaction." Ugh. The crowd sounded like they enjoyed it, at least.

A co-worker wondered aloud if Jerome Bettis will start waffling next summer on the retirement noises he was making last night. I hope not; it's better when athletes go out on top instead of hanging around past their prime.
posted by alumshubby at 4:35 AM on February 6, 2006

One link?

Can we charge for FPP's?
One link is 100 dollars. Two links is 50 dollars and so on.
Oh, the links have to useful. You could have linked to each teams' home page, perhaps a 1/2 dozen of the news outlets, a story about her son't triump over {insert disease} to become a pro football player. Something...

One link? I say we start charging.

Flagged.
posted by fluffycreature at 4:41 AM on February 6, 2006

Kudos to all who managed to shove race relations, Dubya and SUV's into a thread about a football game.

It's what Hunter would have wanted.
posted by Blip at 4:43 AM on February 6, 2006

Another US-centric newsfilter post about something that few care about and that, ultimately, means nothing.

I'll expect to see you in the next George Bush Is The Anti-Christ post that some brave Mefi crusader decides to post, then?

I'm with jonmc. Chill the hell out, people. This is one of those posts that you just know is going to happen. Like when Terry Shaivo died. C'mon. Admit it. How many of you had posts queued up and ready to go, and were pissed you weren't the fastest person on the trigger?

The Rothlesberger TD was first ruled fourth down by the line judge and then he reversed his own call. If he had stuck with his original call they wouldn't have been able to overturn it on replay (inconclusive) - thus, subtract another 7 points from the Steelers.

Ok, back to the fun part. The replay looked like the tippy-tip of the ball made it over the white line (but I will admit I was watching the ball in the replays, and not his knees.) That's all that need to happen. It ain't quite as satisfying as shooting through a gap and walking in, but it counts just the same. And since they won by eleven, even if they didn't make it on the next play, taking away seven wouldn't have changed anything.
posted by Cyrano at 5:02 AM on February 6, 2006

I thought it was an entertaining game, despite what the MeFi black beret brigade has to say.

The fact that this was Super Bowl 40 made me feel older than a Rolling Stone though.

(A young Otis prepares for Super Bowl X)
posted by Otis at 5:30 AM on February 6, 2006

OK. If it's not a TD, it's 4th and Goal from the 1cm line. Would you bet on the Seahawks stopping Bettis there?

Would you have bet on Bettis to fumble on the 1 yard line in the Indy game? That's the thing about sports: YA NEVER KNOW.

/ enjoyed the game, fine with the post, some lousy calls but Seattle didn't play well enough to win
posted by you just lost the game at 5:49 AM on February 6, 2006

alumshubby: A co-worker wondered aloud if Jerome Bettis will start waffling next summer on the retirement noises he was making last night. I hope not; it's better when athletes go out on top instead of hanging around past their prime.

Considering he didn't start a single game this year (and played in only 12), and only rushed for 368 yards total, I'd say the argument that he's going out "on top" is already a bit stretched. I think it's a pretty safe bet that he's gone for good. He got his ring, Big Ben kept his promise, great human interest story and now he can go off and be a millionaire land developer in Motor City. :)
posted by antifuse at 6:07 AM on February 6, 2006

Regardless of whatever it is that makes you hate the Super Bowl, or hate football, or hate sports, the Super Bowl has become one of the major social events on America's calendar. Yesterday was the greatest time I have had with friends in years. Everyone made or bought food for it, fans brought their favorite football gear. We all ate and laughed and drank together, and all past transgressions were forgotten for a moment, even as over a foot of snow fell outside.

The point is that the Super Bowl is much more than a football game, whether you choose to acknowledge that or not. It is more of a holiday to many Americans than probably half of the actual national holidays during the year.

On another note, sports, football most definitely included, are the exemplification of physical art. In football, men who have worked their whole lives trying to attain perfection in their art struggle against each other in a carefully choreographed game. While the people that run the NFL and broadcast the games don't intend it this way, and the majority of people who are fans don't see it, it is a form of art. A perfectly orchestrated play to my eyes is like a perfect song to my ears.

Whatever your problems are with football, you're missing the broader picture that there is something here to be discussed, if you can look past your prejudices.
posted by zhivota at 6:12 AM on February 6, 2006

You don't watch much football, or your emotions are getting the better of you. I can't imagine any other explanation.
posted by Kwantsar at 11:26 PM EST on February 5 [!]

Well, yeah. I only watch football games where the Patriots are in the Superbowl, so I guess I don't watch a lot. I still don't understand why the hell it's called football.
posted by Busithoth at 7:15 AM on February 6, 2006

I like defensive football, so I liked the first quarter. I didn't have much emotional investment in the game since Philly wasn't in it but I love Cower as a coach and I like Bettis a lot so I am happy to see them get a championship; I just wish it was done a little better.

I think the sloppy "all-star" officiating affected the game. The NFL needs full time refs.

Overall, I think the SB showed that the NFC has a lot of problems when their number one seed can't compete with the AFC's sixth seed. And despite the bad officiating, Pitt did more to try to win the game than Seattle.

And, I'm getting really sick of all the post hate, and not just in this thread. What is it about flagging the post and/or bringing it up in MetaTalk that is so difficult to understand?
posted by effwerd at 7:32 AM on February 6, 2006

Busithoth: I still don't understand why the hell it's called football.

Wikipedia has an excellent entry as to the theorized origins of the word. :)
posted by antifuse at 7:44 AM on February 6, 2006

but they weren't the best team in the NFL during the season, or in the playoffs

Their record wasn't that good during the season (Roethlisberger was out for several games), but they beat the #3, #1, and #2 seeds in the AFC on the road, then beat the #1 seed in the NFC in the Super Bowl. They didn't play especially well in the Super Bowl, but they dominated the Broncos and the Colts in the playoffs. And they've essentially been playing playoff games for two months; they were 7-5 after 12 games and had to win every game to get to the playoffs, and they did.

there is no fucking way that ball was carried over the line

The ball doesn't have to go over the line; all it has to do is go over the edge of the line that's closest to the field, and it did. From the NFL's Digest of Rules:

The goal line is actually in the end zone. A player with the ball in his possession scores a touchdown when the ball is on, above, or over the goal line.

posted by kirkaracha at 7:55 AM on February 6, 2006

Overall, I think the SB showed that the NFC has a lot of problems when their number one seed can't compete with the AFC's sixth seed.

Pitt beat the AFC's number one seed as well, but your point is still spot on: the NFC has sucked for a while now. I would predict that Washington will be the team to bring the NFC back its dignity, but that might be 2-3 years away.
posted by wabashbdw at 8:17 AM on February 6, 2006

Oh, the links have to useful. You could have linked to each teams' home page, perhaps a 1/2 dozen of the news outlets

Who cares? It's a general Super Bowl discussion thread. It was never going to be more than that, no matter what the links.
posted by smackfu at 8:19 AM on February 6, 2006

My favorite play was the Randle El TD pass to Ward. Of course, I am a bit biased since I'm an IU alum and have been an ARE fan for quite some time. (I am hoping to see him in a Bear uniform next season! ; )) The guy is a winner and now he has a championship.

This is the first Super Bowl I can remember where I didn't have strong feelings one way or the other about either team.
posted by SisterHavana at 8:24 AM on February 6, 2006

The goal line is actually in the end zone. A player with the ball in his possession scores a touchdown when the ball is on, above, or over the goal line.

That's what I meant to say. The replay did not clearly show any part of the ball touching the line. I realize that in the absence of convincing replay evidence, the call on the field stands, but, as many people who were there watching the game pointed out, there was disagreement among the refs on the field.

And the PI call was bullshit. Yes, there was contact, but it was minimal, the defender was moving away from the receiver anyway.

The Seahawks losing doesn't really bother me that much, it's just disappointing that the officiating seemed to be a big factor in the outcome, rather than who played convincingly better football.

Yesterday was the greatest time I have had with friends in years.

Totally.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:00 AM on February 6, 2006

The replay did not clearly show any part of the ball touching the line.

Umm, not sure if you mean this literally, but when *I* watched the replay it sure looked to me like the nose of the ball crossed the plane of the line before he got hit and pushed back past the goal line. Yeah, when he hits the ground the ball is well behind the goal line, but that doesn't really matter as long as even one atom of the ball crosses over the front part of the line in the air.
posted by antifuse at 9:17 AM on February 6, 2006

Why all the hate on sports? I don't get it...

I like to think I am an intellectual and a modern human being at heart. I'm a code monkey, I read everything, I have widely varied tastes in music and food, and I love the NFL. I've been a die-hard Detroit Lions fan since the 80's.

Anyone that only sees the big sweaty men beating each other up has completely missed a huge chunk of what makes the sport great. If you dig past the violent veneer (although that's part of the charm) and get down to the 'X's and 'O's you can appreciate the brilliance of the coaching staff and the beauty of a well-crafted game plan.

Why can't I read Kant and then flip on the NFL? Why do people think the two must be mutually exclusive?

Now, as to a comment on the game itself: If you don't think the refs were helping the Steelers, you either had money on the game, or you are in Pittsburgh. The worst officiating I can recall in a Superbowl, and the worst year for the refs period.

The NFL needs to hire full-time professional refs.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 9:26 AM on February 6, 2006

Oh, the links have to useful. You could have linked to each teams' home page, perhaps a 1/2 dozen of the news outlets, a story about her son't triump over {insert disease} to become a pro football player. Something...

It's no wonder you chose to include 'fluffy' in your name. There is nothing wrong with single links in the absolute, and padding a post with lots of bad links does nothing to improve it.
posted by If I Had An Anus at 9:55 AM on February 6, 2006

yhbc: Still wait? ;)
posted by terrapin at 10:04 AM on February 6, 2006

I thought it was an entertaining game

Can I have some of your drugs?

I thought it was an obvious hold even when I saw it live.

Can I have some of your drugs?
posted by justgary at 10:18 AM on February 6, 2006

If you don't think a perfectly orchestrated double-reverse pass for a 43-yard touchdown is entertaining, perhaps this isn't the sport for you.
posted by Otis at 10:41 AM on February 6, 2006

"Yeah, when he hits the ground the ball is well behind the goal line, but that doesn't really matter as long as even one atom of the ball crosses over the front part of the line in the air.
posted by antifuse at 12:17 PM EST on February 6 [!]

this was explained to me today, and now I understand. I thought it was all about when it touched, so I couldn't see how people were thinking maybe it was over the line. It boggled my mind.

I'd still like to know how the refs can tell what yard the ball is on when there's a pile of guys on top of it.
posted by Busithoth at 10:51 AM on February 6, 2006

It wasn't a double reverse, it was just a reverse. Roethlisberger handed off to Parker, who ran to the left and handed off to Randle El running left-to-right in the backfield, which reversed the direction of the play.

Randle El would've had to have hand it off to another receiver, who would've had to have run right-to-left in the backfield (thus reversing the direction of the play again), for it to be a double reverse.

Most of the time the announcers says it's a reverse, it's really an end-around.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:30 AM on February 6, 2006

I'd still like to know how the refs can tell what yard the ball is on when there's a pile of guys on top of it.

They can't tell, which is why every football fan has plenty of opportunities to bitch about bad spots the next day.

Regarding the SuperBowl yesterday, however, am I the only one who immediately assumed Randle El broke his back when he took a mean hit in the second quarter? I'm still cringing over that one.
posted by wabashbdw at 11:41 AM on February 6, 2006

I the only one who immediately assumed Randle El broke his back when he took a mean hit in the second quarter?

Nope. I was pretty sure he was dead.
posted by Cyrano at 11:50 AM on February 6, 2006

I'd still like to know how the refs can tell what yard the ball is on when there's a pile of guys on top of it.

That's the job of the Head Linesman (and the Line Judge if he's got a better view). That's pretty much all he's doing after the play has started. And by the time it's a pile of guys, forward progress is usually over by then. The Roethlisbeger TD was tough because his arm was completely covering the ball when it allegedly crossed the plane. Given the position of the ball before it was covered up, I also think it crossed the plane but there's no way to be sure. If the HL had been more convincing in calling the spot, I'd be happier with the call. I don't think ball spotting is that big of a contention. Everyone knows it's kinda loose. If it's really critical, there's always a replay challenge.

the NFC has sucked for a while now.

The worst part about this is that Seattle was an AFC West team before the divisional realignment. Poor NFC.

am I the only one who immediately assumed Randle El broke his back when he took a mean hit in the second quarter?

I thought that too but when they came back from commercial and started talking about Ben and there wasn't a cart on the field, I figured it couldn't be that bad. One of the most important things for receivers and ST returners is to be as relaxed as possible as they hurl their bodies down field.
posted by effwerd at 12:47 PM on February 6, 2006

Yeah I was amazed ARE was back in. I was sure he burst a kidney or something when he was writhing around and grabbing at his back. That was a vicious hit.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 1:04 PM on February 6, 2006

Nobody cares.

Except the 14 gazillion people who watch the game every year. Sounds like some people haven't gotten over high school jock envy.

Well, nobody cares that "history was made," cuz I just made history by eating my booger. No jock envy here. Hell, I *was* a jock in high school.

There's only been a sixth seed for what, 15 years? It was going to happen sometime, especially when one conference was clearly superior, as was the case this year.

Shutting down Alexander was the key to this game. Without a running attack, Hasselback's limitations (he's no Favre, that's for sure...) were very obvious.

Heh, except they *didn't* shut him down. 95 yards, 4.8 yds/carry, and would have easily had 20-30 more if Holmgren had managed a better game. Steelers got very lucky, first with the sketchy TD call (which obviously could have gone either way), and then with two big plays. That's football. Hines Ward had a very good game, but the rest of the Steelers kinda sucked.
posted by mrgrimm at 1:20 PM on February 6, 2006

As far as I'm concerned, at it's best sports is an art.

I'll agree with you there, and I wouldn't even quality it with "at it's best." It's always an art, as much as dance or any other performance art. It's simply improvisational performance art, and often darn entertaining.
posted by mrgrimm at 1:30 PM on February 6, 2006

The NFL needs to hire full-time professional refs.

All I know is, the officiating was never this bad when Clinton was president.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:40 PM on February 6, 2006

One link? I say we start charging.

You forget, of course, that the posting form is designed for one link. I like one-link posts (usually). "Supporting" links are generally foofaraw and pure distraction.
posted by mrgrimm at 2:08 PM on February 6, 2006

It's nice that you USians had something to pass the time while we Europeans got on with a real sport.
posted by ascullion at 2:17 PM on February 6, 2006

Seattle was robbed!!!

Stupid referees.
posted by bigbigdog at 2:25 PM on February 6, 2006

Before I started watching the game, I was convinced that the Steelers were going to win, hands down. After the first half, I wasn't so sure - in fact, I was halfway convinced that Seattle would pull it off and that the Steelers were lucky to go into halftime with any lead at all. That being said, I'm just happy that I got to see Bill Cowher crying for joy yesterday. Go Stillers!
posted by ooga_booga at 3:31 PM on February 6, 2006

ascullion: I'll grant you rugby's "a real sport," even though I personally find it dull as dirt -- would you be so kind as to extend fans of American football the same courtesy?

In any case, I suspect you and I'd agree that both are just ways to piss away the days, weeks, and months until WC. Wir sehen uns in Deutschland biznitch!!1! w00t!!1!!
posted by donpedro at 3:49 PM on February 6, 2006

I'm a huge Steelers fan, so I'm happy Jerome got his ring and Cowher was able to hand that trophy to Mr. Rooney.

That said, had I been the linesman, I sure wouldn't have called Ben's play a touchdown - which would have avoided any controversy there. However, looking at the replay I am about 95% sure the ball did cross the plane of the goal line.

Pushing off the defender is pass interference after 5 yards, that's the rule. It doesn't matter which way he's going or whether he's got a play on the ball. It's true that what DJack did isn't usually called, but sometimes it is. My take on why the official didn't immediately call it is that he didn't see the ball was coming that way until it was caught in the end zone. Had the ball not come to DJack, that never would have been called interference, even though technically it could have been.

I didn't see the Locklear hold or the Hasselbeck chop block (beer sends me down the hall too many times a game) so can't weigh in there.

I thought Seattle's defense was awesome, and that the game should have been closer, but the Steelers had all the "gamebreaker" plays, and that makes the difference. Randle El, what an incredible pass and play!

I'd be happier if the refs had done a cleaner job, but I'm still happy to see them win it again, finally.
posted by zoogleplex at 4:12 PM on February 6, 2006

The best team won, ryan.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 8:56 PM on February 6, 2006

donpedro : Was just jesting, don't take it so serious. Whatever you're into was fine by me.

But no, I couldn't give a toss about das World Cup. But that's only because my boys didn't qualify (damn the Swiss). Even if they had, it'd be a poor second to the rugby..
posted by ascullion at 5:46 AM on February 7, 2006

Nah, I didn't take it as nasty. Was teasing, myself. Cheers.
posted by donpedro at 7:02 AM on February 7, 2006