Biased Officials in Super Bowl

[bwburke94]

I watched the game with my family and I was extremely annoyed with the officiating. Here's the things I noticed:

I. On the diving catch by Toomer on the sideline, I think it was during the second quarter, I saw THREE uncalled penalties on the Giants. The most obvious of things too.

1. Offensive PI on Toomer
2. 5yd facemask on Toomer
3. ILLEGAL FORMATION! The Giants had only 3 men within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage, not counting Eli.

II. The key play on the Giants' winning drive, the Tyree reception:

1. In my opinion, Eli Manning was down.
2. The ball hit the ground and Tyree did not have posession of the ball.
3. Holding on two Giant lineman: the center and the right tackle.

III. Plaxico Burress was not on the active roster! Under NFL rules, this results in automatic forfeiture of the game.

[JayC]

Heh... I love that through the past few months everyone was claiming that the officials and the NFL were biased in favor of the Pats, wanting that magical "perfect season." The fact is that in every game there are enough non-calls that if you want to see them as intentional and let your own biases come into play, you can believe that's happening.

Most of these are things that happen all the time; some get called and some don't. I do agree that Toomer could have been called on that pass play, but those are the breaks.

The one I don't get is the claim that Burress wasn't on the active roster... how did that supposedly happen, when he played every game through the playoffs? Anyway, if it's true it's not a judgement call and would easily be proven, so where's the official protest from the Patriots?

For that matter it would have been big news before the game, and we all would have heard about... since the official rosters are released to the press.

[Kinker]

I was rooting for the pats as much as anybody, but the refs were not biased.

[HoustonGM]

I don't know much about football, but my dad was complaining during the game that the Giants were getting shafted on calls.

Like JayC said, every game has missed calls and bad calls. If you look for them, you'll find them. It doesn't mean that the refs are biased. I bet, if I knew football, I could review the game and find a bunch of calls that went in favor of the Patriots.

And I also don't get the Burress thing. That would be an obvious thing, and the Patriots would have protested, and like JayC said, how'd they get through the entire postseason like that?

[Coach Owens]

Don't complain to me about ref bias! Watch Super Bowl XL again, then say the Patriots got cheated!

[RickD]

Bias my foot....sour grapes by the losers is more like it. The Giants were not favored in this game and the miss media were already proclaiming the Pats the team of the Decade on par with the Steelers of the 70's. Secondly who in their right mind thinks the ref are going to interfere with a game intentionally!

[Wassit3]

Bias my foot....sour grapes by the losers is more like it. The Giants were not favored in this game and the miss media were already proclaiming the Pats the team of the Decade on par with the Steelers of the 70's. Secondly who in their right mind thinks the ref are going to interfere with a game intentionally!

yeah this isn't the NBA!

[beerchaser]

After Spygate, the Pats have no grounds for accusing others of cheating. I honestly thought NE would win right up until the end, but the fact is they couldn't make a play when they needed it most.

[BM_MAN]

I watched the game with my family and I was extremely annoyed with the officiating. Here's the things I noticed:

I. On the diving catch by Toomer on the sideline, I think it was during the second quarter, I saw THREE uncalled penalties on the Giants. The most obvious of things too.

1. Offensive PI on Toomer
2. 5yd facemask on Toomer
3. ILLEGAL FORMATION! The Giants had only 3 men within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage, not counting Eli.

II. The key play on the Giants' winning drive, the Tyree reception:

1. In my opinion, Eli Manning was down.
2. The ball hit the ground and Tyree did not have posession of the ball.
3. Holding on two Giant lineman: the center and the right tackle.

III. Plaxico Burress was not on the active roster! Under NFL rules, this results in automatic forfeiture of the game.

The Umpires make Mistake,

Don't Worry I am Collingwood Supporter and we always get the rough side from the Umps

[MeetDaMets]

a shining example of poor sportsmanship.

New England LOST

DEAL with it !

[jtuma2008]

a shining example of poor sportsmanship.

New England LOST

DEAL with it !

How is that poor sportsmanship? If there were missed calls (and there almost always are) then so be it, that's a fact. Poor sportsmanship has nothing to do with pointing out stuff that happened in the game. I'm a Pats fan and god knows if I'd seen those missed calls (aside from the offensive PI from Toomer which I did see), especially the ones that affected the final outcome of the game, I'd be pissed too. Doesn't mean I haven't "dealt with them losing"

As for that Burress thing, I don't get that either. Doesn't make much sense, but w/e

[boomboom]

Superbowl XL

[CatKnight]

Yes. Poor sportsmanship. Whining is about all this amounts to.

I won't deal with the question of missed calls. I didn't see what you're talking about. Frankly, it doesn't matter. As others have said, referees miss calls, and I'm sure if we sat down and went through the season play by play we'd find plenty of calls that went FOR New England. Perhaps calls that would wreck your pretty looking 16-0 season.

In every city I've ever lived in (there are several), it seems like referees have it in for their team: Patriots, Browns where I am now, Red Sox, Indians, it comes out the same. I now take any claim of bad calls from anyone, especially media, with a really big grain of salt.

Have you ever reffed? Have you ever umpired? If not, you're not in a position to discuss bias.

As for the roster: Don't be ridiculous. The Giants aren't that stupid. They know the rules (as opposed to Bellichek). Do you really think they'd risk one of the biggest games in franchise history to try and pull one over on the refs?

Failing that, do you really think the NFL officials (I mean the Commissioner et.al.), who have every interest in having things run smoothly, wouldn't have caught it and stopped them?

Failing THAT, the Patriots didn't notice? The media didn't notice? The papers aren't howling about how the Pats were cheated? (Except maybe in Boston.)

Accept it. Your team lost fair and square. It happens. Life goes on.

[RickD]

Yes. Poor sportsmanship. Whining is about all this amounts to.

I won't deal with the question of missed calls. I didn't see what you're talking about. Frankly, it doesn't matter. As others have said, referees miss calls, and I'm sure if we sat down and went through the season play by play we'd find plenty of calls that went FOR New England. Perhaps calls that would wreck your pretty looking 16-0 season.

In every city I've ever lived in (there are several), it seems like referees have it in for their team: Patriots, Browns where I am now, Red Sox, Indians, it comes out the same. I now take any claim of bad calls from anyone, especially media, with a really big grain of salt.

Have you ever reffed? Have you ever umpired? If not, you're not in a position to discuss bias.

As for the roster: Don't be ridiculous. The Giants aren't that stupid. They know the rules (as opposed to Bellichek). Do you really think they'd risk one of the biggest games in franchise history to try and pull one over on the refs?

Failing that, do you really think the NFL officials (I mean the Commissioner et.al.), who have every interest in having things run smoothly, wouldn't have caught it and stopped them?

Failing THAT, the Patriots didn't notice? The media didn't notice? The papers aren't howling about how the Pats were cheated? (Except maybe in Boston.)

Accept it. Your team lost fair and square. It happens. Life goes on.

Well Said.

[beerchaser]

How is that poor sportsmanship? If there were missed calls (and there almost always are) then so be it, that's a fact. Poor sportsmanship has everything to do with pointing out stuff that happened in the game. I'm a Pats fan and god knows if I'd seen those missed calls (aside from the offensive PI from Toomer which I did see), especially the ones that affected the final outcome of the game, I'd be pissed too. Doesn't mean I haven't "dealt with them losing

Fixed that for ya, don't think you've fully "dealt" with that yet.