ZornLargentPatera
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I can't believe I am going to say this, but I agree with Ben Rothlisburger (and this Pittsburgh sports writer):
There is always something going on somewhere in the fray that looks at least a little bit like holding, on probably every single play. This is an example of why it's so easy for the officials to manipulate the outcomes of games, and intentionally with malice aforethought put their thumb on the scales for one team over another.
If they need to slow down one team or take away one team's big play or play favorites or what have you, just keep your eyes peeling and pick out that one thing that at least looks a little bit like holding. From the officials point of view, ideally they will see something egregious to call, but if not, any little ticky-tack thing will do in a pinch.
Rothlisburger himself should actually be very well familiar with this fact from Super Bowl XL when Sean Locklear was called for a game-changing fake phantom "holding call" that John Madden and Al Michaels openly called B.S. on on national t.v.
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports...at-ruined-the-super-bowl/stories/202302150032
Roethlisberger listed the main one: “I’m really mad at that call because I think things like that happen every play.”
Bingo. Things like that happen every play.
To choose that moment, in that game, to make such a ticky-tack call, well, I’m with Ben. And hate is too light a word.
What happened at the end was the equivalent of an umpire calling pitches on the low outside corner balls for 8 2/3 innings, then suddenly calling it a strike to end Game 7 of the World Series.
There is always something going on somewhere in the fray that looks at least a little bit like holding, on probably every single play. This is an example of why it's so easy for the officials to manipulate the outcomes of games, and intentionally with malice aforethought put their thumb on the scales for one team over another.
If they need to slow down one team or take away one team's big play or play favorites or what have you, just keep your eyes peeling and pick out that one thing that at least looks a little bit like holding. From the officials point of view, ideally they will see something egregious to call, but if not, any little ticky-tack thing will do in a pinch.
Rothlisburger himself should actually be very well familiar with this fact from Super Bowl XL when Sean Locklear was called for a game-changing fake phantom "holding call" that John Madden and Al Michaels openly called B.S. on on national t.v.
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports...at-ruined-the-super-bowl/stories/202302150032
Roethlisberger listed the main one: “I’m really mad at that call because I think things like that happen every play.”
Bingo. Things like that happen every play.
To choose that moment, in that game, to make such a ticky-tack call, well, I’m with Ben. And hate is too light a word.
What happened at the end was the equivalent of an umpire calling pitches on the low outside corner balls for 8 2/3 innings, then suddenly calling it a strike to end Game 7 of the World Series.
