07 February 2006

Quit Whining Seahawk Fans!

I am fed up with Seahawk fans whining about a couple of plays in Super Bowl XL. (Btw, I am NOT a Seahawk fan, but sadly I am living in Wshington) Luckily, I recorded the Super Bowl and am able to illustrate the two plays for eveyone.
The first play is the offensive pass interference call against Daryll Jackson. It was a good (but too rare) call. Recievers get away with pushing off too often and I for one (of only a few in Washington) agree with the call. Take a look. Here is a quote from Tuesday Morning Quarterback (TMQB), a column on NFL.com:
On the offensive pass interference nullifying Seattle's first touchdown, Darrell Jackson pushed off with the ball in the air and gained advantage by doing so. Had the physics of the play been exactly the same, except Jackson a defender, television announcers would have been screaming, "Interference!" It's true, as some said, that Michael Irvin often got away with push-offs -- but he shouldn't have.
The other play is the Ben Roethlisberger TD run. The ball broke the plane as he dove through the air; he pulled the ball back as he hit the ground. From the highlights, it can be seen he is carrying the ball in his right hand. I marked up a jpeg to illustrate the ball and plane.
Again, TMQB agrees with my conclusion:
And when Roethlisberger dove for Pittsburgh's first touchdown, at game speed I thought, "He didn't make it." But replays showed the tip of the ball above the goal line, and Rule 3, Section 38 reads, "A touchdown is the situation is which any part of the ball, legally in possession of a player inbounds, in on, above, or behind an opponent's goal line."
Not only does TMQB agree with my conclusions, but he offers a no-call penalty that went to support the Seahawks:
...the no-call of a block in the back by Seattle during Kelly Herndon's record interception return.
The above image shows Big Ben getting blocked in the back, so the two contreversial TD plays are proven to be good calls and the interception return (and thus great field position) that led to Seattle's lone TD should not have been.

Take that you whining Seahawk fans! (Now I duck, cover, and hide until this post is forgotten lol)

Actually, both teams played a good game. I really enjoined watching this Super Bowl... almost as much as the Carolina/New England Super Bowl.

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