When will they play the last .05 seconds?

[JDSal45]

The booth reviewed it and deemed it wasn't worthy of a ref review. Considering it ended the game, they should have at least gone through the motions and reviewed it. But I thought it was a fumble. At the very least, I didn't think there was enough visual evidence to overturn the call on the field.

Well, ah, that's the problem. It WAS worthy of a full review. I thought it was incomplete. Warner, though his arm restricted, never had the ball come loose from his hand prior to a forward motion (albeit not a full motion). That is incomplete no matter how you twist it.

Combined with a penalty on the Steelers (and even though its post-possession, the Steelers still would have incurred it....you bare the risks of reversal when you commit a post-possession penalty) Arizona would have had a throw from inside the 30. With Larry Fitz on your team, you at least have a shot at that.

Horrible non-review. Disgrace to the NFL. Bigger disgrace the networks aren't making a bigger deal of it.

J D Sal

 

[Hardboiled]

It is really weird how fast the refs, NBC, and the announcers tried to end the game as fast as they could...

Also, Holmes used the football as a prop to celebrate, that was a penalty witnessed by hundreds of millions of people... no penalty??

I saw that and wondered how that would affect the kickoff. Of course, it didn't as nothing was called.

Weird indeed.

 

[RoughingthePasser]

That was a fumble. The ball was stripped and Warner motioned a quick toss. It was a bad acting job. There was a similar incident earlier in the game.

Defense wins.

 

[JDSal45]

No way, that was incomplete. He never loses it out of his hand until after the arm goes forward. Yes, his arm was restricted. But he is still holding the ball. And there is forward motion even if not a full motion. That is textbook incomplete.

As far as I am concerned the game still isn't over.

J D Sal

 

[AFPatsFan12]

Was flipping around and saw on BSPN's bottom line that Mike Periera basically said the same thing Al Michaels did at the end of the game, which was "they confirmed upstairs that Warner fumbled."

It was simply asinine not to go through the full, formal review process for that play. It's the last play of the Super Bowl, for God's sake, and you don't give your lead official on the field a chance to look at the play with you? What is wrong with taking an extra 2 minutes to get the biggest call of the season, and the biggest call in Cardinal history, completely right?

I do think the right call was made (it looked like an empty hand to me, not a classic one, but possession of the ball was lost before the arm came forward, and the forward motion seemed to bat the ball forward), but you really don't want to take a closer look at that? How do you get every pertinent angle in the 45 seconds between the end of the play and Michaels saying that a fumble was confirmed?

Hell, even if the replay booth thinks a review is needless, so what? "Waste" those 2 minutes, so there is no doubt whatsoever in the minds of fans watching this one. I was perfectly ok with the call, but the lack of review is baffling. Simply baffling.

Cards fans can't use that as an excuse, as (a) their team still has to complete a 30 yard play with 5 seconds left on the clock to win and (b) their team played miserably for 3 quarters, but that last play is perplexing.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

Was flipping around and saw on BSPN's bottom line that Mike Periera basically said the same thing Al Michaels did at the end of the game, which was "they confirmed upstairs that Warner fumbled."

It was simply asinine not to go through the full, formal review process for that play. It's the last play of the Super Bowl, for God's sake, and you don't give your lead official on the field a chance to look at the play with you? What is wrong with taking an extra 2 minutes to get the biggest call of the season, and the biggest call in Cardinal history, completely right?

I do think the right call was made (it looked like an empty hand to me, not a classic one, but possession of the ball was lost before the arm came forward, and the forward motion seemed to bat the ball forward), but you really don't want to take a closer look at that? How do you get every pertinent angle in the 45 seconds between the end of the play and Michaels saying that a fumble was confirmed?

Hell, even if the replay booth thinks a review is needless, so what? "Waste" those 2 minutes, so there is no doubt whatsoever in the minds of fans watching this one. I was perfectly ok with the call, but the lack of review is baffling. Simply baffling.

Cards fans can't use that as an excuse, as (a) their team still has to complete a 30 yard play with 5 seconds left on the clock to win and (b) their team played miserably for 3 quarters, but that last play is perplexing.

If I'm the Cards FO and Whisenhunt, I would look immediately to fix parts of the OL and secondary come tomorrow morning. Yes-this is a very good team, and Whisenhunt has changed the morale and culture of this team for years to come, but if they keep this team the way it is, then their '09 opponents will use this Super Bowl game tape as a blueprint to exploit them.

Plus the NFCW will be alot tougher next year-if the Niners strong finish under Mike Singletary was any indicator, he's definitely put his rubber stamp on this team, and they'll be playoff competitors next year. The Seahawks were injury-plagued this year, and likely will be healthy in '09. And the Rams have Steve Spagnuola as HC, so they will have at least some improvement.

Oh-and the Cards need to look for a decent QB and RB, as Warner/James will likely be gone. Boldin will likely be traded too, as he was unhappy with his current contract.

 

[Belichick_The_Great]

I'm amazed that anyone could see that play as a fumble. It was crystal clear on the replay that there was forward motion of the ball while Warner still had control. An obvious incomplete pass - and no review! I was stunned that they didn't even bother to look at it. And if the booth did look at it (and so far I've only heard Michaels suggest that they "must have" looked) then they completely screwed up - even if they thought it was a fumble it was way too close to ignore. And nothing from the media (so far) to boot. The whole thing just doesn't add up....

 

[the Patriot]

Warner held on to the ball for too long. He's to blame.

 

[dhamz]

I thought it was the type of play that whatever gets called on the field has to stand.

That said, how does it not even get reviewed? A call that close on the play that ends the Super Bowl?

 

[tanked_as_usual]

it was a fumble...........end of story

 

[stevedogc]

There was a replay from the sidelines from behind Warner which was very close up. Warner gets hit by the lineman, his hand starts to go forward and the ball has not moved an inch and Warner stills has a grip, all fingers, on the ball. It was an incomplete pass. Add to that the 30 yards in penalties to the Steelers that should have been called on that last drive makes me very worried about the state of the NFL. Now I dont agree with the notion that the refs are paid of, or make calls to favor 1 team, but these non or bad calls (15 yard on Holmes for using the ball as a prop, lack of review on last play) is even more proof of the incompetence of the NFL referees. The NFL needs to take a long look at these guys and seriously think about making the referees job a full time thing with more accountability for their mistakes.

 

[mcgraw_wv]

the entire GOAL of the NFL, and the Media is to maintain and protect the credibility of the NFL.

You will not hear anything that may take away from that.

Even bringing out Mike Peria and expecting him to say something about a bad call is delusional, his job is to protect the credibility.


There is only a few seconds during each play where the NFL is golden, during the play. Then after the play, the refs interject, the Media tows the line, and after the game everyone is there si ensure there is no question.

It is the only way to preserve the profits.

 

[Tunescribe]

No way, that was incomplete. He never loses it out of his hand until after the arm goes forward. Yes, his arm was restricted. But he is still holding the ball. And there is forward motion even if not a full motion. That is textbook incomplete.

As far as I am concerned the game still isn't over.

J D Sal

Here's what I saw in super slow-mo: Warner lost his grip on the ball when he was hit -- you could definitely see it coming out of his hand. As his arm continued forward, part of his hand pushed the ball forward so it "looked" like a forward pass. I originally thought it was an incomplete pass, but I think there's just as good a reason to call it a fumble. I'd like to hear Perreira's evaluation, but I'm OK with it not being reviewed.

 

[PAPatsjunkie]

Here's what I saw in super slow-mo: Warner lost his grip on the ball when he was hit -- you could definitely see it coming out of his hand. As his arm continued forward, part of his hand pushed the ball forward so it "looked" like a forward pass. I originally thought it was an incomplete pass, but I think there's just as good a reason to call it a fumble. I'd like to hear Perreira's evaluation, but I'm OK with it not being reviewed.

When there's this much discussion and analysis of the play, there's no way you can be OK with it NOT being reviewed.

 

[ivanvamp]

Here's what I saw in super slow-mo: Warner lost his grip on the ball when he was hit -- you could definitely see it coming out of his hand. As his arm continued forward, part of his hand pushed the ball forward so it "looked" like a forward pass. I originally thought it was an incomplete pass, but I think there's just as good a reason to call it a fumble. I'd like to hear Perreira's evaluation, but I'm OK with it not being reviewed.

I'm not ok with it not being reviewed. Not in the least. It was an enormous moment in the game. I am, however, ok with it being ruled a fumble. It was very close. They took their sweet time with every other review in the game (Roethlisberger's TD run, Harrison's pick six, and Holmes' late TD)...this was huge. To not properly review it is a terrible shame.

 

[maverick4]

The fact that the NFL, the announcers, and the networks pushed this under the rug so fast in a concerted effort, calls into question the integrity of the game itself. It hints that the networks may have had influence over the game, in their haste to get to a special episode of 'The Office', or that the refs were biased for the Steelers to win

 

[AFPatsFan12]

I thought it was the type of play that whatever gets called on the field has to stand.

That said, how does it not even get reviewed? A call that close on the play that ends the Super Bowl?

They reviewed, and overturned, the exact same type of play earlier in the game. Warner threw an incomplete pass that was initially called a fumble. Replay overturned it.

Had it happened the opposite way (i.e. Ruled an incomplete pass, should have been a fumble, i.e. the Hochuli gaff), the play is dead where the ball hits the ground, and as such, is not reviewable.

 

[supafly]

they are two busy calling the steelers the team of the decade

I hear ya. There really is no comparison and true un-biased sports fans must realize this. The steelers actually even had a couple losing records this decade, didn't they? I swear I remember them going 5-11 / 6-10 a couple times, I dunno.

When you take into the fact that the Pats won 3 in 4 yrs, went to AFC champ. 5 outta last 8, beat them 2x on their home field, had the NFL's only 16-0 season, the most wins this decade, AND not 1 but 2 streaks of 21+ regular season wins---come on!!! (AND...all this while continuing to lose KEY front office guys and OC's / DC's etc etc etc)

Not only all of this but Pittsburgh's big 'run' this yr consisted of 8-8 SD, a team they play 2x every yr in their division (balt.), and 9-7 arizona---so they played a #4 seed, a #6 seed, and another #4 seed. Wow! Now, I know they beat NE, and I know their defense rocked, but they are NOT the team of the decade. Although we'll all hafta suffer a long off-season hearing this ...CRAP, so we'd better get used to it

 

[dhamz]

They reviewed, and overturned, the exact same type of play earlier in the game. Warner threw an incomplete pass that was initially called a fumble. Replay overturned it.

Had it happened the opposite way (i.e. Ruled an incomplete pass, should have been a fumble, i.e. the Hochuli gaff), the play is dead where the ball hits the ground, and as such, is not reviewable.

I thought that the first one was much more clearly an incomplete pass and replay correclty overturned it.

This one, the replay really didn't look like it was "indisputable eveidence" either way. That is just my opinion though and I'm stunned they didn't even look at it.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I don't know what you guys were looking at. On the reply the ball was clearly jarred loose when Warner's arm was still ****ed back. He moved his arm forward but clearly didn't have control of the ball at that point.