OK. I have calmed down, and it has been about 25 minutes since any tachycardia. Steelers 21-18.
What a rollercoaster ride.
And let’s settle something- that interception call was worse than the tuck rule in the Oakland/NE game a few years ago. This was clearly an interception, and Morelli just flat out made shit up, just like he refused to call offsides earlier when the other officials were arguing for it. I NEVER accuse the refs of cheating, but I have no other way to explain the calls he made. The man is either a complete incompetent or on the take.
The officiating was absolutely horrendous, but it was only after they overturned the Polamolu interception that I began to think the refs were intentionally throwing the game. Between the nonsense no-call on PI with Randle El, the extra time they gave Peyton on 4th and 2 when they brought out the punt team and then went for it without being forced to take a time-out or a delay of game penalty, with the offsides call in which they claimed no one was offsides (and it doesn’t matter if you think Faneca flinched- they didn’t call it, so the only thing they could call is offsides on the Colts. Morelli just decided that ‘nothing’ happened. Imagine that?) , and that inexcusable overturned interception, I really though I was watching a fixed game.
And then, we finally win it, beating b oth the Colts and the officials, and the fat man (and I adore Bus) fumbles. Thank god for the idiot kicker.
I really do want to see how the officials explain away that interception this week. I have a feeling we will be getting some more apologies from the league, and they should investigate Pete Morelli for gambling ties.
At any rate, Season 5 of 24 starts tonight, and Rick Moran has a preview for you.
Joey
If there was cheating going on, they would have called pass interference on that throw to Reggie Wayne. It wasn’t pass interference, but it gave them an oppurtunity to call it, and they didn’t. Therefore, I think that the officiating crew was just stupid.
Pooh
I was expecting a flag there…
Kirby
Unusual calls were made both ways. I think the non-interception call surprised everyone but the officials know the rules better than the fans and the announcers. Either it was an obviously bad call or a relatively little seen good call. It will be interesting to see how it is explained.
skip
But the Steelers CANNOT have won. The Colts were the greatest of all time, just like USC.
Dave Ruddell
Geez, John, are you sure you want to watch 24 tonight? Do you think your heart will be able to take the stress?
As for that offside non-call, I didn’t know that they had ‘do-over’s in the NFL.
srv
I still have more faith in the refs than I do in our intelligence agencies.
Peter ve
Well, since the Patriots lost last night, I’ll root for the Steelers to go the rest of the way.
Stormy70
Ok, I am Tivo-ing Season 5 of 24, but I won’t be able to watch them until Season 4 has its run on A&E. Which means if one was to post about said premiere, that one would give spoiler alerts. I think Season 4 wraps up in Feb., then I will watch the Season 5 episodes in a marathon type situation.
Steelers won, Denver won. Are these the Superbowl teams then.
Gotta go with the Broncos, since the Steelers are anathema to me, here in Cowboy land.
Louise
I will not look at anything about “24.” I will not look at anything about “24.” I will not…
I’ve stayed spoiler-free for this show, even when some of the hours sucked, even when I skipped several hours due to said suckage. It’s absolutely worth it. Chase and The Ax? Tony appearing in the garage last season? Mandy, without warning, at any point? Always better without spoilage.
The Disenfranchised Voter
A really great game at the end.
I have no idea why the Colts went for a pass play when it was 3rd and 2 with 30 some seconds left. They should have done a run play, most likely getting the 1st down and being able to get some more plays in.
That seemed like the more logical thing to do.
It sure was exciting though.
demimondian
Yeah, FDDD and I were both totally stunned by that.
{tinfoil-hat type=”ultraparanoid”} I guess that the gambling interests wanted to create a lot of bets in the last few minutes. The counters in Vegas must have been *seriously* hopping…{/tinfoil-hat}
Pooh
Demi, not even in the top 5 for “greates gambling moments”. I submit Chris Duhon’s miracle cover for Duke in the NCAA semi a few years back as the height of Vegas sports book madness.
Tim F.
gurgle
My wife almost called the paramedics.
Grisha
Either way, I’m just happy as pie that Tom Brady had to cry himself to sleep last night. Not too happy about Denver advancing to the AFC Championship (granted I can’t have it both ways), but hopefully your Steelers will take care of that.
#7
Vanderjagt slammed his helmet to the turf, obviously forgetting how fortunate he was to have had the chance.
“It’s extreme disbelief,” Vanderjagt said. “From the Polamalu interception reversal to Jerome’s fumble, everything seemed to be lined up in our favor. I guess the Lord forgot about the football team.”
Actually, I guess He noticed that a lame-ass three-quarter-long performance coupled with shady reffing equals NO WIN FOR YOU!
The Steelers deserved to win, end of story. That fumble by Bettis was a one-in-one-thousand chance; the play call was sensible. The only chance the Colts had to win was by Steelers flukes and gift calls by that rat bastard Morelli.
Not that I think they had anything to do with that, but I’m saying they had all the help they could get and they STILL couldn’t make the cut. Boo-hoo.
physics geek
John,
Anyone ever see this particular ruling before? I’m actually curious. Tuck rule part deux, as it were. An out-of-the-ass ruling that is completely unheard of before a playoff game that magically appears in the official rulebook by tomorrow morning. “See! There it is!”
Do I sound suspicious? If not, I’ve said this all wrong.
Far North
I ain’t buying that, John. As bad as today’s officiating was, the “tuck” was the worst call I’ve ever seen. For Christ sakes, they said Brady was throwing a pass. The Raiders had to come up with a big play. They did. Then the officials basically said, “you have to come up with two big plays to win the game.” They took the game away from the Raiders that day.
I watched the replay today and there is no way that the interception ruling was worse than the tuck. No way.
Stormy – you might want to pass on this thread.
Grotesqueticle
Never have I been so glad to be wrong about the outcome of a game.
joshua
As far as bad calls go, I’m still interested in the ruling on that punt return fumble in the MNF game and recovered by a Steeler gunner that was ruled fair catch interference.
Geek, Esq.
Steelers-Broncos is going to be a slugfest.
I think a lot of people forgot what Pittsburgh achieved last year.
Look for Jacksonville to win that division next year.
Thomas
I had a friend who had 8 and 8 on one of those scoring grids. She lost 500 when Bettis fumbled.
As far as 24 goes, if they hook the annoying blonde-haired son up with Jack’s daughter, I quit. Other than that, killing off most of everybody was a pretty good plot move.
SeesThroughIt
Activist judge!
Vladi G
Congratulations. Too bad your boys are going down to my Broncos next week. Better bring the oxygen.
Sam Hutcheson
Since no one else will think about the interception over-rule, I will. The rule, as I understand it, is that the player has to 1) possess the ball and 2) “make a football move.” Now, everyone in the conspiracy theory section of the building seems to think Palomalu clearly did that. The official says he didn’t. According to his announcement, the fact that P’s knee was still down when he kicked the ball out means it was an incomplete pass. The question, obviously, is how that can be rationally concluded.
What it looks like to me is that rolling around on the field is not construed as a “football move.” Getting up and running would have been, but he kicked the ball out before his knee came up, so he never made a “football move.” If he gets his knee up before kicking the ball out with the other leg, it’s an INT and recovered fumble. If he’s touched by a Colt while his knee is down it is an INT and down by contact. But if, as Palomalu apparently did, he is never touched but kicks the ball loose prior to getting his plant knee off the turf, it is an incomplete pass.
Jon
What bad call? Don’t you realize that Peyton Manning is the greatest human being of all time and that all things flow to the goodness of Peyton, and that since he is the quarterback of the Colts that they must have every good thing for their own because of the sublime greatness that is PEYTON!?!?!?!?!?111??!?
Seriously. I have been watching this since my Vandy days. Peyton Manning has never – EVER – won a meaningful big game in his life. If he were black, Rush Limbaugh would have died of apoplexy. I defy you to find a more overrated player in ANY sport, and one reason I can’t stand to watch the NFL anymore (except for my beloved Redskins) is because of the way the league continually contrives to shove this slackjawed yokel down our throat as the best thing going at QB.
If Peyton ever actually delivered a big-game win, I am pretty sure I would die from the shock. But I’m not updating my will or anything.
Best of luck to your Steelers down the stretch. I’d love to see the Bus finally get the big one.
Dave Ruddell
What gets me about the call is that if the intended receiver (can’t remember who it was) had of so much as brushed Polamalu after the pick, he would have been down by contact and the call would have been an interception.
As for 24, man I love that show. Just pump the adrenaline up a little bit more.
jg
Only if the Steelers cough up the ball like NE did. Steelers will do the same thing NE did, stop the run and make Plummer try to win it with miracle throws off his back foot. As long as they don’t boot the ball around like the Pats did the’ll win easy.
Look what they did to Manning at home. You think Plummer has a chance?
Pittsburgh/Carolina SuperBowl.
The Captain of the O
That last kick was just so bizarrely botched. In true “My Name Is Earl” fashion, I think the Hand Of God tripped up Vanderjagt in retribution for the interception call.
Mean Gene
I thought the Jets game last year was a lifespan reducer. This was ten times worse. Such a great Steeler effort, and so much frustration at the idiocy of the zebras.
To say that Polamalu “didn’t make a football move” is absurd. He caught the ball, rolled over completely, touched both knees down (and his torso) started to get up, and knocked the ball out himself. No one with a collection of brain cells above 3 digits would say that there was “definitive” evidence to reverse that call.
The non-offsides call was ludicrous. “There is no penalty on the play?”. Then why blow the whistle? And how do you miss the interference call on Randle El? I don’t buy that Wayne got interfered with too, it wasn’t nearly that close.
I’m a big Bettis fan, and when that ball popped out, and Harper was headed intot he clear, I was sick. That his career would end that way seemed an especially cruel blow from the Football Gods. But it’s hard to kick big field goals against the Steelers.
Here’s why the Steelers win next week–the Broncos got tons of breaks from the refs against the Patriots. The laughable call against Asante Samuel, and Champ Bailey’s fumble being ruled out at the 1 instead of through the end zone. The Steelers had the refs apparently conspiring against them against Indy. They used up their luck–we’re due. It’s a resolute Steeler team headed to Denver. I hear Detroit is lovely in February.
Far North
I haven’t heard anyone say it yet but I will. Tony Dungy is the most overrated coach in the NFL. Consider:
Those Tampa Bay teams he had would always choke in the the big games. The year after Dungy was fired, Jon Gruden took what was essentially Dungy’s team and not only made it to the Super Bowl, he won it. Dungy’s Bucs always came up short.
Now, Dungy’s nemesis, the Patriots and cold weather, are out of the picture. Dungy gets a home playoff game and weeks to prepare his team and, what? THUD. Dungy didn’t have his team ready to play today. Inexcusable. If he can’t win this year, well………..
And get a load of his comment after the game. Dungy said, “I thought the hand of the Lord was on this team”.
Just what the hell does that mean? God wanted the Colts to loose.
I thought Dungy needed to show some fire. Instead he was all, “we’ll get through this and be fine”.
So, anyway, if Dungy couldn’t get it done with home field and the Pats out of it…………… I know he’s a nice guy and all but he needs to breath some fire come playoff time. All in all, Dungy is overrated.
Joey
Dungy turned the worst defense in football into one of the better defenses, and the already great offense has improved under him as well. He turned the worst franchise in football into a respectable, legit contender in Tampa Bay. Lots of coaches haven’t won Super Bowls. Sure, he probably should show a little more fire, but I can’t think of another coach that I’d rather have. Not to mention that he’s probably the best person in the NFL.
jg
Manning waving off the puning unit is all I need to see if I own the Colts.
Dungy is the Buck Showalter of football.
Joey
According to Dungy that was a mistake by the punt unit, and that he was telling Peyton to go for it.
JWeidner
MAN! 2 hour premier of 24…it was a great start for the season. Should be a fun ride. I always like speculating about what will happen in future episodes, but since I’m not going to provide any spoilers, I won’t even go there. Best just to say that it was a great season premier for a show that always needs to top itself…
platosearwax
I really think the Colts are doomed until they get rid of Manning and Dungy. Neither one performs well in the big games. Seems like every time I see a Dungy team in the playoffs they seem rusty and flat and there is no fire.
Having said that, my wife was worried for me. The Steelers are my second favorite team (thanks to my brother, who painted his house black and gold and has the logo tattooed on his shoulder) and being in Norway I had to watch the Patriots-Broncos game first on the DVD recorder (it was on at 2:00 am the night before) before I could watch the Steelers so I was still up at 2am to see the end. I really thought I was going to have a heart attack when Bettis fumbled.
And that was an interception. As I saw the replay it looks like his knee is off the ground when the ball comes out anyway, not to mention rolling around on the ground seems to be a football move.
Thanks for letting me waste your bandwidth. I have very few people over here to talk football with.
skip
Just imagine. After the postmortems today, no more Manning/Brady fillibuster on ESPN. It is like the sky clearing after a six-month drizzle.
Louise
The “24” premiere was amazing. And just to top off the day, Pitt beat Louisville. How is John even conscious today?
Stormy70
This thread actually knocked me unconcious, it was so football-y. My hubby let me know that we are not quite down to the superbowl teams, yet. I found this out when I asked what he wanted me to fix for his special day. for a successful marriage, one needs two TVs.
Tim F.
Sad but true, I had to check three papers this morning to reassure myself that the win wasn’t overturned by refs. It’s like some sort of armchair PTSD.
Sam Hutcheson
I thought the Jets game last year was a lifespan reducer. This was ten times worse. Such a great Steeler effort, and so much frustration at the idiocy of the zebras.
Here’s a little hint: if you find some sort of referee incompetency/malevolence conspiring against you in 1 out of every three games (or more), you’re probably not approaching the issue with a rational mind.
s/
Sam Hutcheson
By the way, that Rick Moran rant was one of the most idiotic things I’ve read in quite a while.
The Other Steve
I watched “24” faithfully in Season 1 right up until the third time Kim got kidnapped and I started yelling “Just how fucking stupid are you people?” Since then I have watched each premier and given up shortly thereafter on the season. We’ll see about this one.
I read Rick Moran’s rant, and I watched last nights premier. Moran is pretty far off the mark.
It appears to me that Jack is the whistleblower trying to protect us from an inept corrupt Republican govt. Meanwhile the Republicans are spending more effort trying to get Jack than worry about the real threats. It’s actually quite funny.
Sam Hutcheson
Last night was the first minutes I’ve ever watched of 24. 120 minutes later, I honestly don’t see the big deal.
p.lukasiak
all I can say about last night’s 24 is
with her “crazy-but-not-really-First-Lady” character, “24” would hold no interest whatsoever—we’ve already seen this same basic set-up over and over again, and “Martha” looks like she might actually make 24 fun to watch.
What I’d really like to see this season is Jack Bauer screw up really badly — torture innocent people, and prevent the “day” from being saved by CTU “bureaucrats because he was doing his “I’m above the law” thing and screws something up badly. I want to see Jack Bauer fail, and keep failing, all season long — becoming increasingly desperate and erratic until he really becomes the problem….
Now, THAT would make the season really interesting
jg
Burn!
zach
this is for Viadi G and his post
your MOM feels dumb for that comment… almost as bad as Morelli’s mom… the STEELERS could play half as good as they did verse the colts and still abuse the broncos… NO question
R. Maslyk
Hey, did you’all not see the ‘UN’Saftey Safety? He was clearly in the end zone folks…2 points plus the Colts have to kick to the Steelers, changes the ‘MO”mentum Plus (Antione “runs it back”)…Later Bye
R. Maslyk
Sorry Antwaan…when was that play…’middle’4thQuarter? Oh, well, let’s just hope the ‘Broncos’ don’t have the Refs in ‘their’ pockets…at least for Jerome’s sake!!!