Breaking News: Pittsburgh Steelers Remain Super Bowl XL Champs

Earlier this week, NFL referee Bill Leavy, who worked Super Bowl XL between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks, stated that he “kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game.” Based on Leavy’s announcement, I’m sure that the NFL is now going to declare the Seahawks the actual winner of Super Bowl XL. Start planning the victory parade through the Pike Place Fish Market!

Not so fast though. Mike Pereira was the NFL's Vice President of Officiating from 2004-09 and disagrees with Leavy’s assertion. According to Pereira, yes, Leavy made an incorrect call when he flagged Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck for a low block. But the hold should have been called. So I guess that the Vince Lombardi trophy isn’t moving from Pittsburgh after all. Besides, did that 15-yard penalty for a low block really cost Seattle the title in a game where the Seahawks lost by 11?



I think the bigger issue here is why after nearly four and a half years is this still a topic of conversation. The referees didn’t cost Seattle the Super Bowl; the Seahawks cost Seattle the Super Bowl. The Seahawks were unable to stop the Steelers from making three big plays, converted only 5 of 17 third downs (while Pittsburgh was 8 of 15), dropped several passes, missed two field goals, and couldn’t pin the Steelers inside the 10 yard line in the punting game. Sure, it’s easy for former Seattle coach Mike Holmgren to want to deflect any criticism from himself. Blame the refs and don’t notice that my team and I (meaning Holmgren) did a terrible job managing the clock.

While I’m happy that Leavy feels like a weight is off of his shoulders, I think it’s time for everyone to move on and enjoy the upcoming football season, while the Steelers and all of its fans should continue to celebrate their fifth of six Super Bowl championships.

This post was originally posted on BlogCritics.

In addition, Christmas Ape at D.C. Steeler Nation and Bob Smizik of the Post-Gazette have more about Leavy's apology and Super Bowl XL.

Steelers Seahawks Recap

On February 5, 2006, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 in Super Bowl 40 (sorry, I don’t feel like using Roman Numerals today). There was great celebration throughout the land! Well, except from Seahawk fans, the one Washington football fan that watched the game at my house and thought Seattle winning would make the Washington team look better for losing to them in the playoffs (I’m not friends with him anymore) and especially Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren. According to Holmgren, the Steelers did not defeat the Seahawks, the referees defeated the Seahawks. I wrote much more about this in the days following the Super Bowl here and here.

What really bothered me at the time and still does a little now is that Holmgren’s complaining somewhat muted my joy and elation at the Steelers’ Super Bowl victory. Instead of stories and news about the success of the Steelers, much of the post-Super Bowl coverage focused on the officiating and Holmgren.

On October 7, 2007, the 3-1 Steelers met the 3-1 Seahawks at Heinz Field in a regular season game. There have been a lot of stories this week leading up to this game about revenge or at the very least that the Seahawks would use that Super Bowl loss as motivation. In a conference call with Pittsburgh reporters, Holmgren said that people on the street talk about the Super Bowl, and now he says that it’s time to move on. However, the loss still haunts some fans as displayed in this The Olympian article (I’ll get back to this momentarily).

So what happened today? The Steelers, playing without Pro Bowlers Casey Hampton, Troy Polamalu, Hines Ward as well as Bryant McFadden and Santonio Holmes, overcame the loss of these players and six penalties for 64 yards and crushed Seattle 21-0. Pittsburgh dominated both sides of ball as the Steelers out-gained Seattle 342-144 and had over 40 minutes in time of possession. What Holmgren did not or could not say after the Super Bowl loss is that great teams win even when facing adversity. Maybe there were some questionable calls that went against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, but there were also some calls that went against the Steelers today (were those really holding penalties on Wilson and Miller during the Steelers' third quarter drive?).

So to Mike Huston, president of the Snohomish County branch of the Sea Hawkers Booster Club, who desparantly wanted the Steelers to lose and said, “Steeler Nation and their stupid yellow towels…I’d like to see the Seahawks slap them down,” maybe next time! And never call the Terrible Towels stupid. And what kind of name is the Sea Hawkers Booster Club?