Should I rewatch Super Bowl XL*?

[BlueTalon]

That Super Bowl was panned for being boring. Apparently that was an approved talking point.

In polls following XL*, 49 of 50 states (as shown on ESPN's map) overwhelmingly voted that the game will be remembered for questionable officiating. I think 2nd place was that it was boring IIRC. It surprises me that the connection between those two things wasn't talked about more. Had the refs let both teams play, it would have been a far more exciting game for everybody.

 

[BlueTalon]

As long as I'm ranting...

There was a lot of talk afterward about the game being fixed. It's easy to brush off such talk as paranoid conspiracy theory or whining by the team and fans that lost. But it was also being hypothesized on Vegas betting chat rooms and message boards. People there were at least as livid as we were about the results of that game -- I think many of them were more livid than us, and that's saying something. They knew that in a fairly played game, there's no way the score ends up being what it was.

Personally, I don't think the game was fixed, but it's sad that the officiating was so bad that the game being fixed was at least plausible. I think the media just hyped the rustbuckets so much in the leadup to the game that it was a foregone conclusion that they were going to win, and the refs were consequently pre-programmed to expect that result (although I still have my suspicions about that ref from Pitsturd who called OPI on DJack). Part of that hype imbalance IMO was on Holmgren, as he told the team to keep a low profile and not say anything.

Pete lets the players be themselves, and coincidentally there was no lack of hype for us this time around.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

............Part of that hype imbalance IMO was on Holmgren, as he told the team to keep a low profile and not say anything.

Pete lets the players be themselves, and coincidentally there was no lack of hype for us this time around.

Agree with this 100% and it's why I was glad for the Sherman rant and subsequent "brewhaha". Kept our team front and center with Peypey the golden boy.

 

[graphicavenger]

One thing I realized is that the entire game hinged on a succession of bad calls at the start of the 4th quarter.

1) phantom hold on Seahawks, that moves it from the 1 yard line and a sure TD with Alexander out to the 30 something
2) No offsides penalty on the same play that would have at least offset said holding
3) No horsecollar called on Pitt for the Alexander tackle that left him three yards short of a first down
4) Ridiculous personal foul called on hasselbeck for tackling below the waist (er, blocking?)

All of this led to a huge TD on the very next series for Pittsburgh. It was crushing. At this point I think everyone in a seattle uniform believed they were not going to be allowed to win the game because of officiating, and there wasn't any fight left.

So sad.

also, WE WON THE SUPERBOWL THIS YEAR BOYS! YEEE HAWWWW!

 

[Mike 4G]

Part of me wonders what would have happened if they won? No Pete? Is Mike still coach? Does Ruskell get let go instead of the Superbowl winning coach? Years of 8-8? Holmgren didn't seem to like to play the young guys and would rather bring in aging veterans to fill spots. So it felt like year to year we could compete, but not to the level we do now. Just my ponderings.

 

[Mike 4G]

I tried watching it BTW, made it through the first drive and turned it off...