Who Wins Super Bowl XLIII?

[saint0917]

Who Wins Super Bowl XLIII? STEELERS xthumbsupxxthumbsupxxbowxxbowx

[appmaj]

Why no who cares option?

I am pulling for Bud Light

[saint0917]

Why no who cares option?

I am pulling for Bud Light

Don't like football xconfusedx

[bodoyle]

Who cares. Boring game.

[saint0917]

Who cares. Boring game.

How could it be boring it hasn't started yet. :p

[Gil Dobie]

The Steelers are favored and even the leader of the free world, Barack Obama is picking them. However, I'm pulling for the Minnesota connection, Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals.

[flea]

Lets Go CARDS

[brownbear]

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[Eaglesrus]

The Steelers are favored and even the leader of the free world, Barack Obama is picking them. However, I'm pulling for the Minnesota connection, Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals.

Similarly, I'm pulling for the Cardinals and their Savannah connection, tightend Ben Patrick, but am thinking the the Steelers are going to win it.

[Big Al]

Head says Steelers, heart says Cards.

Went with the Cards for the UNI connections.

[GeauxLions94]

Why no who cares option?

I am pulling for Bud Light

I was willing to give the PETA commercial the benefit of the doubt

[813Jag]

Who cares. Boring game.
you're a bears fan, you should like boring football. xlolxxlolx

[813Jag]

I was willing to give the PETA commercial the benefit of the doubt
I expected more for all the uproar. xlolx

[UMass922]

Head says Steelers, heart says Cards.

Same here, and I'm going with the Cards.

[TheValleyRaider]

Super Sunday, gotta make a pick

It's going to have to be Pittsburgh. They've been winning tough games all year long, they know what they're doing. Cards are a great story, and a good team (yes, I am a believer now), but the Steelers have been one of the best teams in the League all season long

Rooting, as usual, for a good game if nothing else xthumbsupx

[Ivytalk]

Pittsburgh.xpeacex But I won't lose any sleep over the result either way.

[ButlerGSU]

I want the Cards to win but in all honesty, I believe the Steelers have it all but wrapped up.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

The Steelers are d%^& lucky Arizona gets committing penalties and that they got a 100 yard pick-6.

[Pantherpower]

The Steelers are d%^& lucky Arizona gets committing penalties and that they got a 100 yard pick-6.

I'm rooting like crazy for Warner and the Cards, but I wouldn't call what the Steelers are doing lucky. It's just damned good defense and knowing where to be from hours of film study.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

I'm rooting like crazy for Warner and the Cards, but I wouldn't call what the Steelers are doing lucky. It's just damned good defense and knowing where to be from hours of film study.

I don't know about that. It could very well be 21-10 Cards if they had gotten the TD right before the half and had capitalized on the interception. Arizona is beating themselves.

[Pantherpower]

Fair enough. IMO, the Cards must score on the opening drive of the 2nd half or this is going to get away from them. Score on the opening drive, and it's a whole new ballgame (even a FG).

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

As far as I'm concerned this is an upset. Lucky steelers needed AZ to set a superbowl record for most penalty yards and a 100-yard pick-6 to win it.

Arizona>Pitt

[slycat]

Harrison is a POS. What a low blow he threw. He should have been kicked out for that.

Cards played their heart out and did a lot for 100+ penalty yards. Congrats Pitt.

[JayJ79]

that was a frickin incomplete pass, not a fumble.
and they didn't even frickin review it?

total BS.

they call it an incomplete, and it would still take a heck of a play for Arizona to have any chance. But at least it wouldn't be a BS ending like it was.

[ISUMatt]

Anyone besides me think Warner actually threw that ball and didn't fumble it...but as a vet QB, he HAS to get rid of that ball sooner

[ISUMatt]

that was a frickin incomplete pass, not a fumble.
and they didn't even frickin review it?

total BS.

they call it an incomplete, and it would still take a heck of a play for Arizona to have any chance. But at least it wouldn't be a BS ending like it was.

Pittsburgh was going to get a 15 yard penalty too so it woul dhave been 1 shot at 29 yards...not impossible at all

[bluehenbillk]

Congrats to the Steelers, going downfield and scoring, helluva catch by Holmes.

That being said, in a sport and a league that reviews everything, how does that "fumble" with 5 seconds left not even merit a review??? Give me baseball.

[ISUMatt]

I think NBC has ordered that it not be talked about since it was such a critical call and none of the panel has even brought it up

[bluehenbillk]

I found it shocking I'm not hearing anyone talk about the call on TV. Shame to have a bitter taste in your mouth after a good game.

[JayJ79]

Pittsburgh was going to get a 15 yard penalty too so it woul dhave been 1 shot at 29 yards...not impossible at all

Not sure if that penalty would have stood up if the call had been overturned.
But it's a moot point, since the NFL decided to disregard it's procedures by not reviewing the play.

[Big Al]

Sure looked like an incomplete pass to me.

Oh well. Cards played a helluva game and I hope they take this into next year and make another run for the 2010 Super Bowl.

[JayJ79]

Oh well. Cards played a helluva game and I hope they take this into next year and make another run for the 2010 Super Bowl.

I'd really like to see that too.
How many of the players are up for free-agency and whatnot now?

I know Warner is. Not sure if he'll re-sign, or retire.
And I'm betting that Arizona will lose their offensive coordinator, as he is a likely candidate for a head coaching job.
But what about their other players?

[siuham]

I was surprised it wasn't reviewed, but uh, it was a fumble.

He got hit while his hand was all the way back, he hadn't even started to move it, the ball was out. It went forward because after it came out he hit it forward. Wasn't even close to the first one, though I thought the first one was debatable. I didn't get a good chance to really watch it (drunk goggles) but it looked like he got hit, ball was going out, and arm went forward. I don't understand that damn rule though.

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/2673/00000jnc7.jpg

Arm all the way back still, ball clearly out.

On a separate note, I can't believe Arians didn't lose this for the Steelers. Some awful play calling in the 2nd half before the last drive.

[BDKJMU]

Costas is such a dumb ass. He must think Tomlin is in his 4th season with the Steelers, not his 2nd. He asked Tomlin, 36, what it was like taking over the team at 32. xeekx. Tomlin was 34 when he got hired by the Steelers. You'd think if you were going to be interviewing the winning coach with 10s of millions still watching on TV you'd get some basic facts straight.

[siuham]

Costas is such a dumb ass. He must think Tomlin is in his 4th season with the Steelers, not his 2nd. He asked Tomlin, 36, what it was like taking over the team at 32. xeekx. Tomlin was 34 when he got hired by the Steelers. You'd think if you were going to be interviewing the winning coach with 10s of millions still watching on TV you'd get some basic facts straight.

Ehhhhh, I'll give him a pass on that. He was pissing me off during pre-game though. Then again, the 2 hours before the game I kept the volume on near-silence to hopefully keep myself from going nuts.

[Thunderstruck84]

I guess it depends or your interpretation of the rule. I thought in both situations Warner lost full control of the ball while his arm was back or on the way back but he still had partial control of it with his arm going forward.

http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/protectionofpasser

By interpretation, a pass begins when the passer -- with possession of ball -- starts to bring his hand forward. If ball strikes ground after this action has begun, play is ruled an incomplete pass. If passer loses control of ball prior to his bringing his hand forward, play is ruled a fumble.

When a passer is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional movement forward of his arm starts a forward pass. If a defensive player contacts the passer or the ball after forward movement begins, and the ball leaves the passer’s hand, a forward pass is ruled, regardless of where the ball strikes the ground or a player.

If you go by the exact letter of the rule it is a fumble because he started losing control before his arm went forward but I'm still not sure that it should be considered a fumble because Warner had enough control of the ball to still throw it foward.

[93henfan]

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/2673/00000jnc7.jpg

Arm all the way back still, ball clearly out.

Ball clearly out? I don't see it. xconfusedx It looks like he's palming the ball to me.

Anyway, it's a moot point now. CONGRATS STEELERS on being the most successful team of the Superbowl era!

[ISUMatt]

Fumble or not a fumble, the on-field official should have been given the opportunity to take another look

[gmoney55]

I was shocked there wasn't at least a review, though I thought it was a fumble. I am even more suprised today to read Peter King and see this called the "best Super Bowl ever". Did we watch the same game? Spectacular final 10 minutes, but it was one of the most poorly played games with all of the penalties before that.

[93henfan]

I saw on ESPN this morning that the booth official confirmed that he would have ruled "fumble" if asked.

[JayJ79]

I saw on ESPN this morning that the booth official confirmed that he would have ruled "fumble" if asked.

Or so they say.... after the fact.
Any other review on a play, and they take 5 minutes to review it.
But no, not on a call that could quite possibly change the outcome of the superbowl....

[ASUG8]

Just saw this thread - I'm gonna go out on a limb and pick the Steelers.xnodx

[Thunderstruck84]

This game was very reminiscient Super Bowl XIV between the Rams and Steelers when the Rams finished the regular season 9-7 and were facing the mighty Steelers who finished 12-4 (sound familiar?) and were going for their 4th Super Bowl win in 6 years. The Rams hung with the Steelers for 3 quarters before being put away in the 4th. Anyway, I wasn't alive when they played that game but an NFL Films dude laid this incredibly cheesy line regarding the Rams during a special on the game that I watched; "The Rams earned a dignity in defeat that few teams achieve in victory." As cheesy as it is, I think that's what Arizona accomplished yesterday.

[brownbear]

This game was very reminiscient Super Bowl XIV between the Rams and Steelers when the Rams finished the regular season 9-7 and were facing the mighty Steelers who finished 12-4 (sound familiar?) and were going for their 4th Super Bowl win in 6 years. The Rams hung with the Steelers for 3 quarters before being put away in the 4th. Anyway, I wasn't alive when they played that game but an NFL Films dude laid this incredibly cheesy line regarding the Rams during a special on the game that I watched; "The Rams earned a dignity in defeat that few teams achieve in victory." As cheesy as it is, I think that's what Arizona accomplished yesterday.

Very true. Arizona is now one of the elite teams of the NFL. I see Arizona becoming a powerhouse over the next several years.

[gmoney55]

Very true. Arizona is now one of the elite teams of the NFL. I see Arizona becoming a powerhouse over the next several years.

I'm not going that far with them....they were 9-7 in a horrible division, and now they only have 37 players under contract going into next year. And their QB is 37 years old. There's been a lot of one-year wonders to make the Super Bowl and that's more likely than them being elite.

[Reign of Terrier]

I'm not going that far with them....they were 9-7 in a horrible division, and now they only have 37 players under contract going into next year. And their QB is 37 years old. There's been a lot of one-year wonders to make the Super Bowl and that's more likely than them being elite.

If they play like they did in the playoffs and get some of those players back they should be pretty successful in the division they are in. San Francisco is a couple years away and Seattle and St. Louis can only get better so we'll have to see.

[TheValleyRaider]

If they play like they did in the playoffs and get some of those players back they should be pretty successful in the division they are in. San Francisco is a couple years away and Seattle and St. Louis can only get better so we'll have to see.

SanFran and Seattle aren't that far behind Arizona in that division. Seattle had a bad year with injuries, and if the 49ers had beaten Arizona in that Monday Nighter in midseason, they would have won the West xeekx

The Cards are good, and will likely be decent next year, but as the seasons go on, you wonder if the organization has the gumption to build on their success. I would trust Whisenhunt as a coach, but I'm not sure I trust Bidwell as the owner to do what is necessary to not only keep the team together, but use resources to continually build the organization itself xtwocentsx

[Reign of Terrier]

SanFran and Seattle aren't that far behind Arizona in that division. Seattle had a bad year with injuries, and if the 49ers had beaten Arizona in that Monday Nighter in midseason, they would have won the West xeekx

The Cards are good, and will likely be decent next year, but as the seasons go on, you wonder if the organization has the gumption to build on their success. I would trust Whisenhunt as a coach, but I'm not sure I trust Bidwell as the owner to do what is necessary to not only keep the team together, but use resources to continually build the organization itself xtwocentsx

I think Arizona would have still won the west with a better conference record but let's face it--the team that played in the playoffs was way better than the team that played in the regular season

[UMass922]

And their QB is 37 years old.

That's the thing. All it might take for the Cards to return to mediocrity is Warner retiring and Leinart becoming the QB again. That plus losing Boldin (which is a possibility) could make that offense ordinary again very quickly.

That said, they've definitely found their coach for the long haul; it looks like Whisenhunt has brought a much tougher mindset to Arizona. A slide backward is probably less likely with him at the helm than it might be with a lesser coach.

[93henfan]

So long as Leinart can progress, that AZ offense is stout. The defense needs some beefing up and they'll be good for awhile. Having a ridiculous talent like Larry Fitz on offense makes up for a lot of shortcomings.