Poll: The TRUE Champion of the NFL is: - New England Patriots Forums

JoeSixPat · 02-07-2006, 10:51 AM

The Steelers? After all, no matter how ugly and poorly they played, ulitimately they did score more points than Seattle and legitimately beat good teams to make it to the Super Bowl

The Seahawks? They didn't play like Champions but then again every big play they had in the SB was called back by the refs - on MANY questionable calls.

Or perhaps the Patriots. If neither the Steelers nor the Seahawks deserve to be called "champions" after such poor performances in the SB, shouldn't the reigning Champions retain the title until another team proves themselves worthy of being called "champion"?

Or maybe its none of the above - that 2006 was the "Year without a Lombardi" - no team in the NFL is deserving of being called "Champion" this year.

brdmaverick · 02-07-2006, 11:01 AM

we got pissed off when Steelers, Rams, and Raider fans did not recognize us as the true champion of 2001, so I think it would be hypocritical of us to not recognize the Steelers' tremendous playoff run.

Willie55 · 02-07-2006, 11:03 AM

Funny you should mention this. I was listening to the Herd on ESPN Radio today and the host said he wont acknowledge the Steelers Super Bowl "win", that it doesn't count and that it wont be mentioned on his show.

A caller then called up and said that means the Pats are going for a three-peat next year because they are still the reigning champs.

Willie55 · 02-07-2006, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brdmaverick

we got pissed off when Steelers, Rams, and Raider fans did not recognize us as the true champion of 2001, so I think it would be hypocritical of us to not recognize the Steelers' tremendous playoff run.

This is a nationwide thing. Neutral fans across the country are up in arms. This isn't just bitter fans from the team that got beat. Everybody is calling for reform.

JoeSixPat · 02-07-2006, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brdmaverick

we got pissed off when Steelers, Rams, and Raider fans did not recognize us as the true champion of 2001, so I think it would be hypocritical of us to not recognize the Steelers' tremendous playoff run.

I was with the camp that said the Patriots did not deserve to win against Denver... that bad calls balance themselves out and that Champions rise above that - and that Denver deserved to win if only because the Patriots did not.

NEITHER team, IMO, deserved to win this game. The Steelers did not play like Champions in the Super Bowl and I suspect most of their fans have some inkling of this.

So I simply open it to discussion.

Frankly I love the fact that the current so-called Champions only have the ring by default - and thanks in large part to major errors by the Refs. My preference would be that we call the Steelers "Champions" but have an asterix next to their name, acknowledging that the Seahawks have a legitmate dispute.

Sean Pa Patriot · 02-07-2006, 11:12 AM

I dont know, I know the Stillers won and it will be said that they are the champs, but Coward will be like Brian Billick one and done..

***T-ShirtDynasty*** · 02-07-2006, 11:25 AM

Shame on you FIVE numbnut homers that voted for the Patriots.

Edit: wow.. 8 now.

***mgcolby*** · 02-07-2006, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeSixPat

I was with the camp that said the Patriots did not deserve to win against Denver... that bad calls balance themselves out and that Champions rise above that - and that Denver deserved to win if only because the Patriots did not.

NEITHER team, IMO, deserved to win this game. The Steelers did not play like Champions in the Super Bowl and I suspect most of their fans have some inkling of this.

So I simply open it to discussion.

Frankly I love the fact that the current so-called Champions only have the ring by default - and thanks in large part to major errors by the Refs. My preference would be that we call the Steelers "Champions" but have an asterix next to their name, acknowledging that the Seahawks have a legitmate dispute.

I think the super bowl was the straw that broke the fans back; the entire playoffs were officiated badly. The Steelers were on the worst end of the worst officiating in Indy. The entire Divisional round was a disgrace for the Refs. The patriots bad calls sucked but the two that stung the most immediately followed a turnover by us. Take away the turnover and you take away the bad call.

To say that the Steelers didn't earn this is not right. They had the hardest rode to a title in SB history. Hell there playoffs started with about 4-5 games left in the season. They played bad on Sunday but the Seahawks didn't play a whole lot better. They had the field position for the entire first quarter and couldn't get it done, the kicker missed 2 field goals and they couldn't pick up the first downs inside the 40. There punter couldn't get the ball to land inside the 20 and the one time he does the punt coverage is aloof. Then they let Parker run 75 yards to open the 2nd half, clock mismanagement, punting with 6 minutes left in the game, not being disciplined and staying with the coverage on a trick play that you should have expected at any point late in the game. Not to mention the killing drops by Stevenson. So, it wasn't just the bad calls that beat Seattle.

The offensive PI was bad but at the same time a lot of folks b!tch about the lack of Offensive PI (I know I do), it is the inconsistency that bothers me about that call. If you don't call it all year except for the most egregious then you shouldn't call a simple arm extension in the SB. The Big Ben TD is irrelevant; they would have had 4 and a 1/2 inch. The holding to me was the worst call and the worst non-calls all night, Pittsburgh got away with a lot of holding.

The game is over the Steelers had an amazing run and hopefully next year the Pats don't give the ball up 5 times in a playoff game and win the SB again. Sean sorry about the harsh words the other night. I had more then a few beers in me at the time and for whatever reason what you wrote struck me wrong. I shouldn't have been such a jerk.

texpat · 02-07-2006, 11:47 AM

Super Bowl Champions are always the team that plays the best from Dec. 1 until the Super Bowl. They are not always the best team of the year. This year Indy was the best regular season team, but lost it in December (due to several factors) and never recovered.

NovaScotiaPatsFan · 02-07-2006, 11:50 AM

It's obviously the Seahawks, sure we got screwed on some calls, but there is no guarentee we would have beaten pittsburgh. So I have to go with the team that actually made it to the SB.

As much as I hate to say it, the Stealers got snow jobbed in the Colt game but managed to overcome it. We turned over the ball 5 times all on our own.