Tampa, Florida					Monday, September 06, 2010

Super Bowl XL the Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly
Monday, February 6, 2006
TAMPA—Emerging as self-evident from the announced 21-10 Pittsburgh Super Bowl XL win over frazzled Seattle Sunday at Detroit were several truths: A. The NFL truly has to take a look at its officiating, once of such high standard, but in this showcase game was flawed, flawed, flawed; B. It was pretty lousy game, saved only by a few standout plays, most generated, and thus the win, by the Steelers, leaving this Super Bowl headed for the list of the worst; C. On a clear day Tony Dungy’s team when it was peaking and he could give all attention to his sassy Colts team, Indianapolis likely could have beaten either. D. The nutty, senseless, unintelligible half time looked like a snakepit in Calcutta, sounded worse than a pack of wolves in Alaska and, can you imagine, had to be censored with a five second delay to blank the profane lyrics Mick Jagger purposely sought to holler at this intended great American occasion. Did I mention steelman Bill Cower flat outcoached Seattle’s thoughtful Mike Holmgren, or that modest and rich as Seattle owner Bill Allen is (Microsoft), this is an absolutely wonderful victory for the Rooney Family of Pittsburgh, now headed by President Dan Rooney, who has always, always been a friend of Tampa. Did I mention that it snowed hard pre-game and during the game, as it did the last time the Super Bowl went to Detroit when the winner was the San Francisco 49ers with Freddie Solomon as a receiver and the Ed DeBartolo family as the Niner owners. The DeBartolos won five Super Bowl Trophies, too (like Pittsbugh), all in Tampa now with former owner Eddie DeBartolo. HeE saw this Steeler win at the Iavarone Restaurant here at a party he co-hosted. Those five Lombardi trophies on a row, are a sight. You could tell the game was different when selectors had a time picking a Most	Valuable Winner awardee, selling for wideout Hines Ward of Georgia who made two terrific catches, and outpolling both quarterbacks, and Jerome “The Bus” Bettis who is a Detroit native, a big but gentle man who gained only 43 yards. But it was a perfect moment to seize and he did. He retired with the biggest piece of silver a professional football player can claim. And did I tell you the Steelers not only won the game but disassembled the Seattle 12th Man theme. The stadium was awash in yellow and black, Steeler colors. The 12th Man Sunday wore them, and, perhaps they helped. Did I tell you a young athlete from Tampa (Tampa Catholic and the University of Florida) may well have had a hand, two, really, had one of those officials in the stripped shirts not whistled him for a so-called push off of a Steeler in the end zone. Seattle would have done ahead, very early in the game, 7-0, and earned the jumpstart they so needed. None with whom I spoke, saw the extended right arm of Jackson as a pushoff as a foul. The call, denounced by all who saw a video replay. A bit later in the first quarter, a phantom holding call wiped off a Seattle touchdown. Nobody I know, saw the rule break, either. The opportunistic Steelers ran with it for their fifth Super Bowl win. Officials have been found in error frequently this year. My son, an executive in television, says he think the officials are cowered by all the replays, all the camera angles, and are becoming reluctant to call anything, or too quickly. That causes the suggestion that officials begin looking for a use of all these cameras, to help, not hinter. The competitions committee meets in March. That’s their job. Of course, I don’t want their jobs. Do you? Just want to boo them, or cheer them. ##
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