I don't think I need to say anything about the officiating, but in most cases, guys get penalized for using the ball as a prop.

I'm just saying.

What? The Steelers getting a call (or non-call) going their way? Never........

I loved that celebration.  It wasn't demeaning or over the top like a lot of them.

game was full of bullsh*t calls..

First off Justin Hartwig better watch his back, he cost me 2 block polls.   Secondly, the officiating was terrible for both sides.  BTW  I hope everyone saw Polamalu flying by tackles and doing virtually nothing.  MOP...Most Overrated Player EVER!!!!

Glad I'm not the only one who was really bothered by the officiating tonight.  *touch* oops, throw a holding flag.  Either way.
Just saying ... it was a good game nonetheless.

I've heard a lot of stuff, especially on this board, on the calls the Steelers seem to get, and I never actually saw them. But tonight I finally saw what so many people were complaining about...

Two bad calls that forced Arizona to use challenges...
The first drive of the game when Ben ran it and it was orginally called a touchdown, but after further review his knee clearly hit the ground. I can't really fault the officials for getting it wrong...
Remember the incomplete pass that they called a "fumble"? That was a joke. I think we are all clear on what "forward motion" is, and that was a complete forward motion then the ball hit someone's back, bounced twice, and was ruled a fumble. Overturned after a challenge and the refs realized how dumb they were.

I forget when it happened, but there was a non-"intentional grounding" call against Ben when he took one or two steps after recieving the pass out of the shotgun and fired the ball way out of bounds, a good ten or 15 yards from any player. Sorry NBC, but some BS red line you draw up representing the pocket doesn't mean it wasn't intentional grounding.

Then three personal foul calls on one drive...
The facemask call was warranted, can't really argue that one
"Roughing the passer"? Really? I guess that'd be alright if it was possible to jump over Ben or turn invisible or something
Personal foul for "running over the holder"? WHAT? I mean I could've made a more creative call up.

Then, the WORST display of officiating I have ever personally witnessed in a Super Bowl game...with the Cards down by five, Warner gets hit as he is throwing, but his arm pushes the ball forward...similar to the play that made the Cards use a challenge when it was clearly an incomplete pass, and the Steelers "recover". There was only five or six seconds left in the game so if the play was to be reviewed, it would be a booth review. There was none. When it should have EASILY been called an incomplete pass and given the Cards a slim chance, but a chance nonetheless, to win the game and the SUPER BOWL!

I'm sure there were more calls or missed calls, but these alone is enough to at least question the integrity of the refs and/or the NFL.

Oh, and for the record, before the game I was rooting for the Steelers because I dislike Kurt Warner. By the end of the game I was pulling for the Cards.

Who could have ever guessed that Santonio Holmes would be MVP??

That last play screams Tuck Rule to me, and if that's the case, that's a fumble.  I don't care what the rule says, when you drop the ball right in front of you, its a fumble.'

Warner's arm was in a forward motion when the ball was pushed forward. Since Kurt's hand was directly what propelled the ball forward, that has to be a passing motion and ruled an incomplete pass. Think of it like a deflected pass.

Either way, the fact that a very close play like at the very end of the game in an absolutely key game-changing situation that wasn't even reviewed is just terrible.

you i believe

As someone not really caring who won, I found that last play and non-call brutal. How in the f*** do you not review that? That's pretty much the entire NFL season there, and no review. Someone needs an ass kicking for that.

The tuck rule is EXACTLY what I was thinking.  Now, I think it was more clearly an incomplete pass than even that... but I agree the tuck rule is rather bogus... especially before it was put in the book (it's still absurd to me).  I was going to say I need to take a closer look at tonight, but it looks like some crack people have already got that dialed up here.
But you're spot on by pointing out it was similar to the tuck.

I wish I could give you a +10 for reading my mind!

And I was also not pulling for either team... just enjoyed an exciting game.  But the officials were a dud.

And if Brady's "pass" can be incomplete, how in the world can't this?  Brady's pass went backwards!!!
Upon further review, if I were a Raiders fan, I'd be mad about that still too.

But anyways, nothing can be done about it now... it wasn't even close to the only bad call... best to just enjoy the game that was.

I give you the roughing the passer was a bad call. Running into the holder didn't change anything. The head of officials said the play was reviewed and it was a fumble.

Ben Roethlisberger should have been MVP. That ball was ridiculously well thrown.  He also kept numerous plays alive all night and had a rushing TD.  (my mistake--i stand corrected)

The catch was infinitely better than the throw. And he didn't have a rushing TD, either. Try again.

oh yeah. it was overturned.  forgot that.

How did Big Ben even find him amongst 3 guys?  The pass sets up the catch, not vice-versa.  Holmes should've caught the earlier perfectly thrown pass.

Some people think Big Ben was just trying to throw that ball away (just like Montana was trying to the "The Catch" away), but Holmes made the miraculous catch.  Roethlisberger deserves credit for putting the ball where he couldn't get picked off, but not much more than that.

That was a heluva catch Toni...

The Steelers have as many, or more,calls against them as any other team.Remember the meeting with NFL officials earlier this year! Half you guys just want to have a post .It must give you a cheap thrill.I like Kurt Warner as much as any football fan,but on the second fumble call,his arm is going forward,but he does not have "control of the ball",which he has to have to be an incomplete pass.Also, you guys act like Big Ben's throw was lucky.Were you watching the same game??? You know,theone on the planet Earth???He threw two,( 2 ) perfect passes in a row.Holmes had the first one go right through his hands.If you think any other quarterback would even say he could do that, you are in a fantasy world!Last, but not least,the Steelers took the ballabout 90 yards to score the game winning TD.Arizona looked poor at best against that drive.The best team won the game,as it should be,regardless of all the " what if's"