As a Raider fan, I have to admit that even the TUCK wasn't as bad as this "attempted jobbing" by the zebras.
I mean, with the tuck you could at least point to SOMETHING in the rulebook that could be inferred...
This was just blatant idiocy and a ref that I feel had an obvious agenda... or the league did. I personally feel league has wanted a Colts vs. Atlanta SB for a few years now because of the marketability of Manning and Vick. From a business perspective- and viewed ONLY as a business- I could see the odd call going certain ways. Manning is an ambassador of the league, and his team was treated in light of that fact today. Hard to argue otherwise.
I felt there was something suspicious yesterday too against the Patriots (funny huh? Me saying that.)
My evidence is weak, but I think its worth an investigation- and some SERIOUS fines for the refs.
three calls stand out in this one.
1. The TACKLING of A.R. El that would have given the Steelers the ball on the 10 after a bomb by Ben.
2. The non call on the offsides. How can they say they never crossed the nuetral zone! They were in the friggin' backfield. You can't "Stop a play" unless there's a penalty or unevaded to the QB. How can you stop play on a defensive jump and not make a call? You cant. But they did.
3. The UNEXCUSEABLE jobbing of Polamalu. Caught the ball, hit the turf, started to get up, fumbled, recovered. Esp since the alleged evidence you "supposedly" need to overturn a call on the field. (Why is it that never seems to factor-in?)
Then there was the Pats game yesterday... ghetto calls abound. If the Pats didn't turn the ball over so much, they should have won. But 14 points were handed to the Broncos when they only should have had 3.
I haven't seen this huge amount of awful officiating in a 48 hour span.
Inexcuseable. Its devaluing the sport and jobs are won and lost (by both players and coaches) on the whim of these zebras. And I think this week there is cause for suspicion of "ref tampering" in two separate games.
Even before the Steelers game, I thought there was something EXTREMELY suspect with the calls in that game. The two blown calls were 14 point swings. In a game like this, its huge. COLLOSSAL
And then after watching the Zebras do EVERYTHING possible to get the Colts back in that game (with the exception of Bettis' rare fumble), its simply suspicious beyond belief. EVERY call went against the Steelers- be it call or non-call.
I hope Cowher and the Rooneys (despite getting the W) as well as Bob Kraft and Bill B. send formal complaints to the league.
I'm not one of these guys who always yells "Its fixed!" but there's MUCH money in the balance of wins and losses. To see two teams so hurt by repeat questionable calls in "big money" season in a certain city in Nevada, its worth a serious investigation of all refs involved.
