Here is a snapshot of my dad (it is good to be retired), AKA “the Rookie”, at the Steelers rally:
According to the authorities, 250,ooo people showed up. Which, according to anti-war protestor math, is about 5 million people.
I call my dad “the Rookie” because for years, my mother, brother, sister, and I suffered a thousand tiny deaths every time the Steelers played, living and dying with every win/loss. My father systematically ignored the Steelers. Then, two years ago, he retired, and he started to follow them, and this year, in the first full year he is a fan and really follows them closely, he gets to see them win the Super Bowl. And it infuriates me.
And for some zen, here is my sister’s dog Irie after her Super Bowl party:
I love that doggie.
chopper
and which is, according to the news, 1000 people.
Mary
::waves to John’s dad::
Nice pic, but do you have video of him holding the Terrible Towel in his teeth while growling and shaking it about?
In fact, do you have video of you with the Terrible Towel in your teeth while growling and shaking it about? Because I would so hit your PayPal button for that.
Cherub
How fitting that the Steelers trademark could double as a yellow flag. lol
BTW, hope your dad had fun and sounds like he has great timing in rooting for the Steelers. My dad never got into sports too much, your very lucky that you can share it with your family. Always makes it better.
Brian
Meanwhile, NFL fans (not Seahawk fans, mind you) across the country are fuming over the shoddy officiating that marred what could have been a great game.
Will the refs be making an appearance at the rally?
jg
250000?! Thats it? I have no respect for any Pittsburgh fan who went to work instead of the parade. Its been 26 years, get the hell downtown.
Uberweiss
This has been the greatest three days of my life. I have been waiting for this moment for as long as I can remember. My late grandfater pounded Steeler football into my head and is has been there from the beginning of my existence. Seeing all of those people downtown was amazing. I nearly cried at one point. Not to say I didn’t cry when I saw the Mr. Rooney holding that beautiful trophey in his hand. The only thing that has bothered me from the beginning of all of this is the crap the poor loser kept saying that “the refs gave the game to the Steelers”. That is a load of crap. It is true and Pittsburgh probably played one of the worst games of the season and they still beat that sorry excuse of a team from that sorry excuse of a city by eleven points. Seattle had a great chance to put the Steelers well behind in the first half but they didn’t have the balls to take the game. The only people you can blame for the Seattle loss where the players wearing the Seattle uniforms on the sidelines. I used to actually like Mike Holmgreen and the Seahawks but after all this, I hate them with a passion. There is no crying in football and right now they are the biggest bitches I have ever seen.
Who Dey?
We Dey?
Congrats Steelers on an incredible season. Thank You.
neil
Using aerial surveillance photography, I can prove that not only was the rally attented by no more than 17 people, but also that the referees cost the Seahawks the game.
The Disenfranchised Voter
That picture of the dog is very cute.
What I want to know is, why does your dad’s terrible towel have hair stuck to the bottom of it?
:P
Marcus Wellby
Try being a lifelong Red Sox fan. It seems since they won the series they give out Sox hats to every incoming college freshman from out of state. Let’s not even get into Jimmy Fallon and his PAINFULY bad imitation accent. Mayor Quimby sounds more authentic than that goober.
zzyzx
uber – well that’s sure a way to convince people who still are suffering from a painful loss.
Ward Cleaver
Awesome! Sunday’s game was great, and Coach Cowher and the Steelers get one for the thumb; for Mr. Rooney, and the city and people of Pittsburgh.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS, WORLD CHAMPIONS!
/kordell who?
Uberweiss
I’m sorry but I am not quite done. I thought I was but I guess not. If anyone can actually PROVE any of the following please let me know and I will bow down at your feet and admit the refs cost the Seahawks a Super Bowl:
1)The seahawks were the better team? Please tell me who the hell they beat to get to the Super Bowl. The Panthers? Please, they beat a team that had absolutly no running backs. When there is no treat of a running game, how hard is it to shut down the passing game that is built around one guy? They played in the worst division in the worst conference in the NFL. My five year old cousin could have got to the Super Bowl under those conditions.
2)The pass interference call against Jackson might have been a little ticky tacky call. But, if you know anything about football you would know that any contact from a wide-receiver or cornerback is considered pass interference under the new rules and the ref was a lot closer to the play than John Madden was.
3) Big Ben’s touchdown. All that has to happen is for the very tip of the ball to cross the very edge of that white line and nobody, I mean nobody can prove that didn’t happen. And so what if it didn’t cross. The Steelers were perfect on fourth and goals all year. And if you can’t guarentee that the Steelers would have made it on first and goal how can you guarantee that Seattle would have scored on 1st and goal? (See number 4)
4) The “phantom” holding call. The only person that said that holding didn’t happen was John Madden, who is notorious for being a Steeler hater. He is a bitter old man who has never gotten over the fact that the Steelers wipped his Raiders in the ’70’s. Nobody can actually prove that holding didn’t take place on that play.
5) What about the fumble by Stevens. He caught the ball, had possession, and took two steps. That is a catch, that should have been called a fumble. I don’t hear anybody talking about that.
Were the refs responsible for all the dropped passes? Were the refs responsible for all the missed field goals? Were the refs responsible for the horrible time management? Were the refs responsible for the interception thrown near the end of game when the Seahawks were down by four? Were the refs responsible for the entire defense getting faked out by a gadget play that everybody in America knew was coming? Were the refs responsible for the Steelers converting on 3rd and 28? Were the refs responsible for giving up the longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history?
The answer to all these questions is NO. I have never seen a bunch of grown men whine so damn much. The Seahawks had a lot of opportunites. Enough of them to beat the Steelers and they didn’t. It is as simple as that. The Steelers won the Super Bowl fare and square and all I have to say is get over it. Most of the people who are whining are immature crybabies who probably know absolutly nothing about football. Mike Holmgreen is classless pig you didn’t even have the commen courtesy of shaking Mr. Cowher’s hand after his Steelers beat that poor excuse of a team.
zzyzx
I have. Three weeks ago. After a Steelers WIN.
BTW, the Seahawks were escorted off of the field immediately which is why there was no handshake. It happened in the locker room.
Devon Cole
Uberweiss,
I will bow down at your feet! You summed up exactly what I was thinking and quite well at that. If it wasn’t wonderful enough that we won, I even made $250 in the first quarter because the kicker couldn’t execute. tee hee.
Miracle Max
War protester math? LOL. How about William Westmoreland math, wherein the enemy KIA are triple the population.
Let’s not even go into Bush budget math.
As an East Coast guy I actually rooted for P-burgh, and I wish the game officials now tooling around in their new Escalades the very best.
platosearwax
This is spot on:
platosearwax
Ahhh…where’d my link go. Let’s try again:
Click here
and if that didn’t work here it is in text:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=2322300
4jkb4ia
These are great pictures. It was the Eagles last year, but they imploded so, I forgot them. See you at the Big East tournament with better memory.
Bob In Pacifica
Gee, when the Niners won their first one years ago we had a half million. In Bush math, that’s how much the Iraq war would cost.
Who were Cindy Sheehan and George Galloway rooting for?
rightwingprof
Yup. They sound like Democrats right after an election. “Bush STOLE the election! Voter fraud! Hanging chads!”
jg
I think the Steelers would have won anyway but the Seahawks were still robbed.
Raiders fans
ImJohnGalt
Assuming that this is an open thread.
Tim, I’m assuming that you saw the new news about that moron PR flack for NASA that was a political appointee?
It seems that though he claimed to have graduated journalism from Texas A&M (which qualified him to do PR for a scientific organization how?), it appears that he may not have graduated college at all.
Krista
Seconded…
Hi, John’s dad!
The Disenfranchised Voter
“Fuzzy Math”?
Heh, I forgot all about that term.
ppGaz
Worst officiated game I have ever seen in 50 years of watching football, bar none, period.
And a reminder: I didn’t give a shit who won. Still don’t really, except ….
{sniff} I’m so happy that Jerome Finally Got His Trophy.
Cause let’s face it, that’s what’s important here.
Ezert
Aw Christ, more crying from ppGaz. Seriously, the joke about Jerome wasn’t funny the first time, and ain’t getting funnier or observant after a dozen.
The Hawks lost and it was fair. Please stop being such a sore loser. It really isn’t becoming.
ppGaz
Oh, you’re right! “We won … get over it!” is always more becoming.
But you know, ever since I was voted Worst Dressed at the Cotillion, being “becoming” is about as important to me as a bucket of warm spit. To coin a phrase.
The game sucked. The Steelers won the worst officiated game in history, in which all the bad calls went their way.
And I’ll keep saying it until I’m banned from the goddamned site. Because it’s true.
Bob In Pacifica
I hear the crowd in Ohio was even bigger, according to local tallies.
ppGaz
Holy shit. You guys really have no class at all, do you?
I must say, I’m amazed. You’d think a town that had five Super Bowl championships would have some class.
But …. you’d be wrong in this case, I guess.
John Cole
PPGAZ- You clearly have no idea what you are talking about, otherwise you would not be making remarks about ‘Who Dey.’
\Besides, you are only saying anything because you can think you can get a rise out of me. Don’t doctors have medicine for your anti-social behavior?
For the rest of you, the Tuesday Morning Quarterback has the best take:
Why is it the best take? Because he agrees with me.
ppGaz
Yeah. In the last few days, anyone who disagrees with you is stupid. Doesn’t know what they are talking about. Idiots. They should go fuck themselves.
Anyone who questions your great football wisdom … how dare they? The nerve! Losers!
Classy. Especially the picture of Jerome with “his” trophy. Which he FINALLY got. Classy. Officiating? Oschmishiating! Classy.
I don’t know, or care what a “Who dey” is. What’s next from you guys — gloating over your high school basketball teams? How about pictures of you and your classy Steeler fan friends flipping a bird to the rest of the world? That would be classy.
Ezert
John, if he knew what he was talking about he wouldn’t even be saying “worst officiated game in history.” I mean really, how dumb is that? It’s even more stupid when you consider the game the Steelers just played three weeks ago.
But then again, just spouting off without any facts, knowledge of history, or familiarity with the rules sure seems his style.
Make that, “Butt Jerome got his trophy [sniff}” comment one more time, cause I think someone may be missing out on the subtle point you’re making.
Ezert
[url]http://www.insidefootball.com/int/askofficial.html[/url]
Ezert
Sorry, don’t know how to link here.
Ezert
ppGaz
Oh yeah, like I’m the only person on earth who thinks so.
Like the sports websites weren’t all over the story on Monday.
Like the crew that covered the game didn’t point out the problems … idiots like Madden, who knows nothing about the game.
News flash: IT’S OKAY TO DISAGREE WITH YOU, and plenty do.
You guys are an embarassment to sports.
ppGaz
Whaddya gonna do now, scour the intertrons and find all the people who agree with you and link to them?
Would a war of links be what you seek now?
My experts against your experts?
God forbid anyone challenge the rectitude of praise for Jerome with His Trophy (which he FINALLY got!)
Pooh
ppG, down boy…
Pooh
Duke-Carolina in 5! Who’s with me, Go Devils!
Ezert
or like an official.
Go ahead and read it genius. Or you can just keep crying and bitching, while simultaneously lecturing others about class.
Go figure.
http://www.insidefootball.com/int/askofficial.html
Ezert
zzyzx
My point is not that the game was fixed, but rather that in a game where all of the officiating breaks went against one team, it’s not surprising that for a day or two, they’re going to rant about that.
Things are calming down today around town. I still heard some grumbling at neighboring tables at a bar a few minutes ago, but now the attitude is more along the lines of, “Well it was a great run. Maybe we can do it again next year!”
If the trick play and the long td run were called back due to extremely borderline calls and the Hawks had won the game, I would expect some frustration here too.
John Cole
ZZYZX- I think if you go through my threads, I have really no beef with angry Seattle fans. I can understand their pain.
My problem is with all the loudmouth ‘fans of the game’ or ‘neutral fans’ who are running around talking trash (in many cases with no foundation in truth) about this being the ‘worst officiated game’ and the like. They are the ones pissing me off.
ppGaz
My point is not that the game was fixed. In fact, it was broken.
Nor am I a Seahawks fan. A point I made quite clear even before the game was played.
Nor did I lose money on the game. In fact, I won money on the game.
Nor did I care who won or lost, I really didn’t and don’t.
My point is, I want to see how far these Steeler fans will go with the “how dare you criticize our momentous victory” bullshit. I am not sure that we have yet plumbed the depths of it.
The official line here is apparently that the blog owner is a Steeler fan, and all are expected to bow down. Apparently. I can’t think of any other rational explanation. Cole and I have had much louder and more heated arguments than this. I’m not Paddy O’Shea, heaping the vitriol on the guy at every opportunity.
So what’s the deal?
The Disenfranchised Voter
Heh.
I think it was the worst officiated game I ever saw. I also made it clear that I didn’t see the Steelers-Colts game you are refering to. However, that doesn’t mean I’m dumb or that I’m stupid. It’s a matter of opinion.
Ezert
ppGaz, not going to address what the official had to say?
And zz, you can’t say all the breaks went for one team. The Stephens fumble and the block in the back on the Int. went the other way.
Ezert
If you say “I saw” as opposed to “in history” no that’s not dumb. But what is ppGaz saying?
John Cole
DEV- I would also add there were 7 calls/non-calls, and 3 went the Hawks way, if you consider the Stephens fumble that didn’t get called.
ppGaz
1. I agree with him.
2. I agree with what he said, but not the outcome. If repeated replays are not conclusive, then there is no way that a man on the field could make that call conclusively either. In that case, he should not have called the TD, and the “reply not conclusive” rule is dysfunctional. TDs that are so mysterious that good-angle reply won’t settle it are not touchdowns. Especially in a Super Bowl. Spot the ball on the one inch line and line up.
3. The ref got the team wrong. It was against Seattle, not Pittsburgh, and it was a bullshit, ticky-tacky call. The defender was out of the play. The receiver could have laid down on the ground and the defender still could not have caught that pass. The receiver did not achieve position for the catch by pushing off. No way the reply showed that. And a lot of football players agreed with me, on national television, at the time. That is to say, impartial players, not Seahawks. The very best you can say about this call is that it was arguable. If refs really think that was a good call, then they need to be retrained. Or the rule changed. The whole point of OPI is that the receiver INTERFERES with the defender’s play at the ball. The defender had no play at the ball. Not unless you give him six foot long arms.
4. I don’t agree but I don’t think that this call made that big a difference.
The pylon play is not even mentioned. A phantom holding call on Seattle, not mentioned.
All in all, this defense is weak and you should be ashamed for even brining it in here.
ppGaz
*replay not conclusive *
ppGaz
arrgghh
*replay showed that *
ppGaz
You could ascertain that by simply reading my posts.
I have said several times: Worst officiated game I have ever seen in 50 years of watching football.
True when I said it, and still true.
Ezert
Jesus Christ, so because it’s not conclusive Seattle should ge the call? You’re very rational.
About the pylon, I’ve noticed eveything I read or asaw about the officiating mentioned nothing of it. Now, if I had your mindset I’d say ESPN and Fox Sports are in on the grand conspiracy to give Bettis the tropy {sniff}. Probl;em is, it was the right call, and it’s not even up for dispute. However, the link does address that, so I now question your reading skills too.
All in all, this defense is weak and you should be ashamed for even brining it in here.
John Cole
And anyone who claims this is the worst officiated game ever clearly has never watched a Notre Dame game, or an Oklahoma or Nebraska game when they were good, or the worst officiated games ever, when Miami was good in the 90’s and got EVERY CALL in EVERY GAME they ever played.
Were there two bad calls in this game? Yes. Were there some calls that could have gone both ways? Maybe. Were there some calls that aren;t usually called but are, by rule, correct? Sure.
But worst officated game ever? Sheer silliness, especially considering the Broncos/Pats PI call and the Colts/Steelers game which had three MAJOR blown calls are recent history.
ppGaz
You tell me how a guy on the field with no better view than the far goal line camera, and with no reply machine in his head, sees that touchdown. He didn’t. He called, at best, an arguable touchdown, and the argument would be weak.
The call should never have been made. And the replay rule doesn’t work here. If a guy makes a shitty call and the best angle on earth, viewed 50 times, doesn’t prove he was right, then what the f__k did he call? Why didn’t he signal the TD when the “ball” broke the plane? Because he had to think about it. Because he didn’t really see it. I don’t blame the replay official for being unable by rule to overturn the lousy call, I blame the guy who made the call on the field. He didn’t see any frigging touchdown. He saw a maybe touchdown at best.
Millions of viewers watched the replay, and saw no touchdown. The only way you can say there was a touchdown is you have to have the ref say, trust me, I saw it. Sorry, no soap. I don’t buy it, and in this game, with this much at stake, that ain’t good enough. This wasn’t a Pee Wee game. It isn’t shuffleboard. It’s a violent game played by big people. If it it doesn’t look like a duck and walk like a duck, then don’t call it a goddamned duck.
This much I know for certain: If that play was a Hawl touchdown and it cost the Steelers the game, you guys would be shrieking like little girls.
ppGaz
Ya lost me there. The Fox crew (a) called the OPI tacky, (b) said the Ben TD was imaginary, IIRC, but could not be overturned by rule, (c) blew the pylon play, and (d) called the Hawk holding flag “unfortunate” because even though it may have looked like a hold if the ref only saw the end of the play, it wasn’t a hold as clearly shown on replay.
I didn’t see Fox rooting for either team, but they definitely dinged the refs. I am leaving out the disgusting Bettis-drooling-over-trophy commercials, which to this day I have no understanding of whatever.
Ezert
Holy shit are you really this obtuse? If the replay doesn’t show him short how the hell could the ref make that call? Why the hell would the logic not work both ways? This of course has been John’s point all along. You keep insisting it was a bad call. I don’t feel it was, but I could be wrong. But you, no it was bad. For some reason because it was a tough call, it should have gone Seattle’s way. That makes no sense.
And others did see it.
This much I know for certain: If that play was a Hawl touchdown and it cost the Steelers the game, you guys would be shrieking like little girls.
ppGaz
Good lord. One, I didn’t say that. I said worst I’ve seen. Two, comparing the Super Bowl to the run of the mill college game on any given Saturday? That proves my point, not yours. The Miami games? Hmm. Unlike you, I didn’t see every game they ever played. That wouldn’t be over-the-top hyperbole, would it?
ppGaz
It isn’t about the player, it’s about the ball.
The replay doesn’t show where the ball is for the same reason that the ref on the goal line couldn’t have seen the play: The ball is obscured from that view.
Which is why he can’t make the call. He called where he THOUGHT the ball was, not where he saw it.
Ezert
Really? No understanding of? Wow.
As has been pointed out to you numerous times I can find many more other than the sports talking heads to defend the calls, like my above ref. I also have some of the sports talking heads.
The pylon catch is not among the discussed plays because it is not controversial. It was not a catch, kicking the pylon does not establish a player as in bounds. Touching it on the way out gets a TD, but you can’t get possesion by touching it. The pylon play is not controversial.
Pooh
If you’re the Seahawks, you should feel about the same as the (MY!) Pats did after the Denver game – the refs sucked, but you played so bad you can’t really complain about it.
ppGaz
Three and probably four bad calls cost them a minimum of 14 points. Yes, I am arguing that it cost them a legitimate chance to win the game. I am further arguing that the steady drumbeat of crappy-looking calls is a disgrace to the game and a threat to the interity of football. Today’s replay technology, and the coverage of the game by camera so good and so omprehensive, that the terribleness of the application of the rules — via the refs — is getting to look worse all the time. Something needs to be done. JUST LIKE JOHN SAID AFTER PIT-IND.
But, what the hell does he know?
Ezert
You still come with this logic. First off, you don’t know what he saw. Secondly, you want the same assumption you accuse the ref of making. “I don’t know where the ball was, so I’ll put it here.”
Ezert
Because you insist they were all the wrong calls. Everyone but you at least concedes questionable. But you insist they were flat-out wrong, and should have just gone Seattle’s way. Any other way on all the calls is unacceptable.
Still forgetting the block in the back and the Int.
ppGaz
.
But you don’t have all of them.
So what? My point was, so what? Your talking heads against my talking heads? What do you think that proves?
Let me tell you: It proves that maybe John doesn’t need to be strutting around and telling anyone who disagrees with his view of the game that they are idiots and losers.
JUST A FUCKING SUGGESTION.
ppGaz
Yes, I do, and so do you. He saw the same thing the replay camera saw. Same view.
The difference? He couldn’t see it over and over in slow motion, so as to prove that he was an idiot to have made that call …. but the stupid rule won’t let us overturn it.
The system is broken. That’s the point.
Ezert
You’re the one who keeps bringing up the ESPN pundits. I’m just saying they’re not all in agreement.
ppGaz
I have never typed the letters ESPN in any post to any thread on this subject.
You must be thinking of somebody else.
Ezert
You still insist that questionable calls must go the other way. And this arguement proves that. Because replay didn’t prove it TD, it must be given the other way. Sure, replay doesn’t prove short either, but because of whatever logic is working in your brain, it should go the other way.
Ezert
You talked about Fox Sports and ABC, not ESPN.
I love it when people play dumb.
I hope play.
ppGaz
I didn’t say they were in agreement. I said that those of us who don’t agree that Jerome Gets His Trophy is the main story here are not idiots and losers because we won’t kiss the Steeler fans’ asses.
I don’t happen to give a flying you know what about Jerome and his trophy, but I do care about the integrity of the game, which I think is in sad shape … not unlike what our host said about 3 weeks ago regarding another game.
But of course, the important thing is ……
{ wait for it }
Jerome got his trophy.
ppGaz
You’re wrong, and I’m dumb?
John isn’t paying you enough, sir.
Ezert
Wow, of course this has never been the issue. So now you’ve just created your own logic, but hey, wouldn’t be the first time during this debate.
Yeah, this never gets old.
You’re a master of the straw man arguement. Seriously, you put people like O’Reilly and Hannity to shame.
Ezert
There’s something I can agree with.
ppGaz
You mean, it’s never been your issue.
Which may be true, but I have no interest in what your issue is.
ppGaz
I wouldn’t know, I don’t watch them. Are they Steeler fans too?
ppGaz
Heh.
We’ll see.
zzyzx
John – I know you have and I appreciate it. I was referring to people like Uberweiss. Being a bad loser is lame, but I definitely don’t understand being a bad winner.
This obviously isn’t a one time thing. If I’m in charge of the NFL I do the following steps:
(1) Hire full time refs.
(2) Have NFL Europe also hire full time refs and use them as a training ground.
(3) Simplify the rule book and publish the damn thing. No one – perhaps not even the refs – knows what is a completed pass anymore. We saw that with the Colts game fiasco. We’re seeing that in that no one knows if one foot in, one leg hits pylon is a catch or not [1]. What’s the point of that.
[1] I’ve seen a lot of posts that say that logically it shouldn’t be the rule, but since when do logic and the NFL rulebook coincide?
ppGaz
BTW, are you a donkey, or an elephant?
zzyzx
Oh one more thing about why the holding call was so rough. I watched that play one more time tonight out of curiousity before deleting it from the TiVo. The ABC crew blew it.
Presumably the flag was thrown well before the catch, but the “Flag” graphic didn’t appear and Michaels didn’t notice it. As a result, it’s broadcast like there’s no penalty, the play happens, and then the flag comes into play. That gives the illusion that it was thrown very very late, even though it probably wasn’t.
The Disenfranchised Voter
Now this is just flat out ridiculous:
I mean come on, no mistakes were made? Are you kidding me?! For crying out loud, at least admit the officials got it wrong on the Hasselbeck blocking call. Just about everyone agrees that was a bad call.
ImJohnGalt
Pooh, are you an alum? I’m thinking you must be, I don’t know anyone who likes Duke who isn’t. My wife got her JD (and her undergrad) at Duke. You?
Bob In Pacifica
Making steel? Didn’t that used to be an American industry?
Nutcase
Mr. Bettis appears to have made Mr. Gaz his bitch.
Cue music
“Can’t… get you… outta my mind… oh, yeah…”
rightwingprof
Whiner.
Seahawks rule
holly cowl a hole board of morons. Ya stealers won fair and square!!!!! What if the refs would of called back parkers run, and the reverse. What would you morons be saying. Admit it the Stealers were pathetic in the superbowl. The worst team to ever have a supebowl given to them. They were pathetic, they showed it, had help, and still barely won…….pathetic ladies. Suck it up, quit living your life in a cup, cause their is a whole world out there that knows the truth. Believe me,,,their is life outside of crapburgh. And remember,,,,22.6,,,,rothlisdorkers QB rating…….niiiice. Thanks your lucky stars the refs helped you or you’d all would have hung yourselfs cause the score would of been 40-7 seattle.