Seahawks News Thread
- Thread starter savage
- Start date
so ben roethlisrapist admitted he never got that TD and this guy admitted he blew some huge calls.
but people still want to say that we didnt get screwed.
lol
wonder how much he got paid.... wasnt he the same one who went up and hugged jerome bettis and was smiling and patting him on the back the second the game was over? the only thing the media and everybody else cared about was the bus getting his ring before he retired... wonder how much was paid to get it
but people still want to say that we didnt get screwed.
lol
wonder how much he got paid.... wasnt he the same one who went up and hugged jerome bettis and was smiling and patting him on the back the second the game was over? the only thing the media and everybody else cared about was the bus getting his ring before he retired... wonder how much was paid to get it
Super Bowl XL head official admits to blown calls.
This one from yahoo.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Super-Bowl-XL-head-official-admits-to-blown-call?urn=nfl-260901
There are those in Seattle, and around the country, who will go to their graves believing that the Pittsburgh Steelers' 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL had an odor to it from the start. From Ben Roethlisberger's(notes) one-yard rushing touchdown that was inconclusive even on review, to the phantom holding call that took a potential 98-yard touchdown drive away from Seattle, the calls made by the officiating crew in that February, 2006 game created a tapestry of suspicion that persists to this day. Some believe that the refs were told to call the game tight on the Seahawks and loose on the Steelers, a concept which exacerbated the mistakes Seattle made in the game.
More than four years after the fact, another voice has been added to the choir calling that game a mess of bad decisions. Head official Bill Leavy, in Seattle to go through the annual rules changes production on behalf of the NFL, started his presentation by addressing what he called "the elephant in the living room."
It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game and as an official you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights and I think about it constantly. I'll go to my grave wishing that I'd been better. I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn't good enough. When we make mistakes, you've got to step up and own them. It's something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl, it's difficult.
The only problem with the idea of "stepping up and owning" the mistakes is that until Leavy's admission, the league had tacitly refused to do so. Then-VP of Officiating Mike Pereira went on the NFL Network's Total Access show two weeks after the game (as opposed to the usual one-week lag) and glossed over what was then a national outrage over the officiating in that game. Steelers fans aside, everyone wanted to know -- what the heck happened?
Pereira explained one of the two calls Leavy was talking about -- the fourth-quarter holding call on right tackle Sean Locklear(notes) that pushed the ball from the Pittsburgh 1-yard line to the Pittsburgh 29 -- as follows:
Looking at the position of [Locklear's] feet, and saying that you've got to keep hands inside the frame from this position, with the right end around the shoulder, pulling on the arm, and eventually the defender going down to a knee...you've got the ingredients of a hold there. That's an example of a type of play that you'll get from time to time. It's got the ingredients of a hold -- not the strongest, but in fact, it's got what it takes to be considered a hold. And Bill Leavy, from his position, got that look that you just saw.
It's also important to note that the NFL refined the holding rules at the Owner's Meetings soon after. "One of the things we emphasized in there was seeing the entire foul," committee co-chair Rich McKay said. "If you do not see the entire foul, you cannot call holding. That's specifically applied when players go to the ground. Because what often happens is you see a player, a defensive player on the ground, the offensive player is on the ground and you see a flag, foul it. If you don't see the entire action, you cannot assume that it was holding that caused that player to go to the ground."
The other call Leavy's talking about, a low block call on Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck(notes), is one that Pereira almost admitted to being wrong at the time.
Of course, two things stand out about Leavy's admission -- first, why did it take so long for him to admit that his calls were wrong? The NFL drilled it into everyone's heads that all the "important" calls in that game were close, but correct. With so many of the main characters off to other things, what's the good in admitting it now? Replay technology hasn't changed; the league has the same angles on that game now that it did then. Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren is now running the Cleveland Browns, and team president Tim Ruskell is now working for the Chicago Bears. Pereira has retired from his league position to become the media personification of officiating expertise for several media outlets. Leavy is still an official. Hasselbeck and Locklear are two of a handful of Seahawks players who are still with the team.
Second, just because Leavy admitted to blowing two calls doesn't mean that those were the only errors in the game. Leavy wasn't the one who called the Roethlisberger touchdown; that was head linesman Mark Hittner. Nor was Leavy in charge of the first-quarter offensive pass interference call on Seahawks receiver Darrell Jackson(notes). Do the Seahawks have to wait another five years for the admissions on those calls?
Put simply, the Seahawks didn't play well enough to win Super Bowl XL. They made several crucial mistakes, but it's also correct to say that the Steelers didn't play well enough to win. Officiated correctly, XL probably would have been an ugly war of attrition; a barely-remembered close game that could have gone either way. But because of the calls made, the league's subsequent denial that anything was wrong with those calls, and Leavy's admission of guilt so much later, this game will never go away.
This one from yahoo.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Super-Bowl-XL-head-official-admits-to-blown-call?urn=nfl-260901
There are those in Seattle, and around the country, who will go to their graves believing that the Pittsburgh Steelers' 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL had an odor to it from the start. From Ben Roethlisberger's(notes) one-yard rushing touchdown that was inconclusive even on review, to the phantom holding call that took a potential 98-yard touchdown drive away from Seattle, the calls made by the officiating crew in that February, 2006 game created a tapestry of suspicion that persists to this day. Some believe that the refs were told to call the game tight on the Seahawks and loose on the Steelers, a concept which exacerbated the mistakes Seattle made in the game.
More than four years after the fact, another voice has been added to the choir calling that game a mess of bad decisions. Head official Bill Leavy, in Seattle to go through the annual rules changes production on behalf of the NFL, started his presentation by addressing what he called "the elephant in the living room."
It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game and as an official you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights and I think about it constantly. I'll go to my grave wishing that I'd been better. I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn't good enough. When we make mistakes, you've got to step up and own them. It's something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl, it's difficult.
The only problem with the idea of "stepping up and owning" the mistakes is that until Leavy's admission, the league had tacitly refused to do so. Then-VP of Officiating Mike Pereira went on the NFL Network's Total Access show two weeks after the game (as opposed to the usual one-week lag) and glossed over what was then a national outrage over the officiating in that game. Steelers fans aside, everyone wanted to know -- what the heck happened?
Pereira explained one of the two calls Leavy was talking about -- the fourth-quarter holding call on right tackle Sean Locklear(notes) that pushed the ball from the Pittsburgh 1-yard line to the Pittsburgh 29 -- as follows:
Looking at the position of [Locklear's] feet, and saying that you've got to keep hands inside the frame from this position, with the right end around the shoulder, pulling on the arm, and eventually the defender going down to a knee...you've got the ingredients of a hold there. That's an example of a type of play that you'll get from time to time. It's got the ingredients of a hold -- not the strongest, but in fact, it's got what it takes to be considered a hold. And Bill Leavy, from his position, got that look that you just saw.
It's also important to note that the NFL refined the holding rules at the Owner's Meetings soon after. "One of the things we emphasized in there was seeing the entire foul," committee co-chair Rich McKay said. "If you do not see the entire foul, you cannot call holding. That's specifically applied when players go to the ground. Because what often happens is you see a player, a defensive player on the ground, the offensive player is on the ground and you see a flag, foul it. If you don't see the entire action, you cannot assume that it was holding that caused that player to go to the ground."
The other call Leavy's talking about, a low block call on Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck(notes), is one that Pereira almost admitted to being wrong at the time.
Of course, two things stand out about Leavy's admission -- first, why did it take so long for him to admit that his calls were wrong? The NFL drilled it into everyone's heads that all the "important" calls in that game were close, but correct. With so many of the main characters off to other things, what's the good in admitting it now? Replay technology hasn't changed; the league has the same angles on that game now that it did then. Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren is now running the Cleveland Browns, and team president Tim Ruskell is now working for the Chicago Bears. Pereira has retired from his league position to become the media personification of officiating expertise for several media outlets. Leavy is still an official. Hasselbeck and Locklear are two of a handful of Seahawks players who are still with the team.
Second, just because Leavy admitted to blowing two calls doesn't mean that those were the only errors in the game. Leavy wasn't the one who called the Roethlisberger touchdown; that was head linesman Mark Hittner. Nor was Leavy in charge of the first-quarter offensive pass interference call on Seahawks receiver Darrell Jackson(notes). Do the Seahawks have to wait another five years for the admissions on those calls?
Put simply, the Seahawks didn't play well enough to win Super Bowl XL. They made several crucial mistakes, but it's also correct to say that the Steelers didn't play well enough to win. Officiated correctly, XL probably would have been an ugly war of attrition; a barely-remembered close game that could have gone either way. But because of the calls made, the league's subsequent denial that anything was wrong with those calls, and Leavy's admission of guilt so much later, this game will never go away.
Seahawks applaud ref's admission.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp10/news/story?id=5447132
The Seattle Seahawks say they appreciate official Bill Leavy admitting he made two bad calls in their Super Bowl loss but are ready to move on. The Steelers, however, aren't ready to hand over their championship rings.
Nine players remain from the team's lone Super Bowl appearance in 2006, including quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. He was whistled for a low block on what appeared to be a legal tackle on an interception return in the fourth quarter of that loss to Pittsburgh.
Referee Bill Leavy's admission of errors during Super Bowl XL raised many questions. Mike Sando searches for the answers. Blog
The Steelers used the better field position from the penalty on Hasselbeck to score the clinching touchdown in Pittsburgh's 21-10 victory.
"It's a game. It's not a perfect science," Hasselbeck said Saturday, after Leavy again worked at the Seahawks' training camp practice. "There's a lot of human involvement there. I've played some games that I remember because I feel I did a good job and I remember some other games where I have regrets. That goes for any sport, any player. I'm sure coaching is no different. And I'm sure officiating is the same way."
Leavy and his crew have been at Seahawks camp the past several days as part of the NFL's summer tour of officials informing teams of new rules and interpretations.
Leavy told Seattle-area media Friday night that he "kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game." He said he will "go to my grave wishing I'd been better."
Steelers tackle Max Starks offered some advice to Leavy.
"He should go ahead and retire if he feels so bad about it," Starks said Saturday, according to the McKeesport (Pa.) Daily News. "Just do us all a favor and not referee anymore."
Steelers linebacker James Farrior was surprised to hear about Leavy's apology.
"We won a whole other Super Bowl after that, and they are still talking about the first one," he said according to the McKeesport (Pa.) Daily News.
Leavy also spoke to Seahawks players at a team meeting Friday with a similar message.
"I had a word with him and told him I really appreciated it," said defensive tackle Craig Terrill, a backup on that Super Bowl team. "I certainly don't have any hard feelings against him. There were plenty of things we did in that game that kept us from winning. He can't take responsibility for the mistakes we made, but I appreciated it."
“Terrill I certainly don't have any hard feelings against him. There were plenty of things we did in that game that kept us from winning. He can't take responsibility for the mistakes we made, but I appreciated it.” -- Craig Terrill
Terrill said he has respect for Leavy, who became an NFL official in 1995.
"He's a good guy and good referee," Terrill said. "You have to think about his spot. You know if he's apologizing, he feels awful about it.
"Obviously it was something that was on his mind and on his heart. It was awesome of him as a person to come to Seattle and say that to us in an intimate place like a team meeting."
Jordan Babineaux, however, said Leavy waited too long to acknowledge his mistakes.
"To his credit he came out and did admit his faults, but it doesn't make me feel any better," Babineaux said, according to the Seattle Times. "You can't turn back the hands of time.
"I don't even wear my NFC championship ring. I appreciate it and I think we had a memorable season for the franchise, but I don't wear it because in my mind that season didn't end the way it was supposed to."
Cornerback Marcus Trufant said it's time for the Seahawks -- and all of Seattle, for that matter -- to put the game behind them.
"It's tough," Trufant said. "Anytime you're in the Super Bowl, that's the highest of the high. When things go bad, they always tell you not to worry about the refs and stuff like that. Things do happen. Nobody's perfect. It's just one of those things.
"Everybody I think has moved on. I've tried to move on. That's in the past. We're going to keep playing and we're trying to get back. That's the goal."
Leavy never worked another Seahawks game during the final three years of Mike Holmgren's coaching tenure, but was assigned Seattle's matchup last season at San Francisco, after Jim Mora had replaced Holmgren.
Hasselbeck said he spoke with Leavy during that game, but this week's extended camp session has been much better in allowing things to be said and issues to be buried.
"It was probably a good thing that we talked," Hasselbeck said. "Because I think just like Seahawk fans, I myself had to get to the point where I could kind of get past everything. And he's a great guy and actually a really, really good official."
But will the quarterback ever truly get over that game?
"I'm still a little upset about losing my high school state championship game," Hasselbeck said. "There are just some games you're never going to forget. Put it on the list."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp10/news/story?id=5447132
The Seattle Seahawks say they appreciate official Bill Leavy admitting he made two bad calls in their Super Bowl loss but are ready to move on. The Steelers, however, aren't ready to hand over their championship rings.
Nine players remain from the team's lone Super Bowl appearance in 2006, including quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. He was whistled for a low block on what appeared to be a legal tackle on an interception return in the fourth quarter of that loss to Pittsburgh.
Referee Bill Leavy's admission of errors during Super Bowl XL raised many questions. Mike Sando searches for the answers. Blog
The Steelers used the better field position from the penalty on Hasselbeck to score the clinching touchdown in Pittsburgh's 21-10 victory.
"It's a game. It's not a perfect science," Hasselbeck said Saturday, after Leavy again worked at the Seahawks' training camp practice. "There's a lot of human involvement there. I've played some games that I remember because I feel I did a good job and I remember some other games where I have regrets. That goes for any sport, any player. I'm sure coaching is no different. And I'm sure officiating is the same way."
Leavy and his crew have been at Seahawks camp the past several days as part of the NFL's summer tour of officials informing teams of new rules and interpretations.
Leavy told Seattle-area media Friday night that he "kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game." He said he will "go to my grave wishing I'd been better."
Steelers tackle Max Starks offered some advice to Leavy.
"He should go ahead and retire if he feels so bad about it," Starks said Saturday, according to the McKeesport (Pa.) Daily News. "Just do us all a favor and not referee anymore."
Steelers linebacker James Farrior was surprised to hear about Leavy's apology.
"We won a whole other Super Bowl after that, and they are still talking about the first one," he said according to the McKeesport (Pa.) Daily News.
Leavy also spoke to Seahawks players at a team meeting Friday with a similar message.
"I had a word with him and told him I really appreciated it," said defensive tackle Craig Terrill, a backup on that Super Bowl team. "I certainly don't have any hard feelings against him. There were plenty of things we did in that game that kept us from winning. He can't take responsibility for the mistakes we made, but I appreciated it."
“Terrill I certainly don't have any hard feelings against him. There were plenty of things we did in that game that kept us from winning. He can't take responsibility for the mistakes we made, but I appreciated it.” -- Craig Terrill
Terrill said he has respect for Leavy, who became an NFL official in 1995.
"He's a good guy and good referee," Terrill said. "You have to think about his spot. You know if he's apologizing, he feels awful about it.
"Obviously it was something that was on his mind and on his heart. It was awesome of him as a person to come to Seattle and say that to us in an intimate place like a team meeting."
Jordan Babineaux, however, said Leavy waited too long to acknowledge his mistakes.
"To his credit he came out and did admit his faults, but it doesn't make me feel any better," Babineaux said, according to the Seattle Times. "You can't turn back the hands of time.
"I don't even wear my NFC championship ring. I appreciate it and I think we had a memorable season for the franchise, but I don't wear it because in my mind that season didn't end the way it was supposed to."
Cornerback Marcus Trufant said it's time for the Seahawks -- and all of Seattle, for that matter -- to put the game behind them.
"It's tough," Trufant said. "Anytime you're in the Super Bowl, that's the highest of the high. When things go bad, they always tell you not to worry about the refs and stuff like that. Things do happen. Nobody's perfect. It's just one of those things.
"Everybody I think has moved on. I've tried to move on. That's in the past. We're going to keep playing and we're trying to get back. That's the goal."
Leavy never worked another Seahawks game during the final three years of Mike Holmgren's coaching tenure, but was assigned Seattle's matchup last season at San Francisco, after Jim Mora had replaced Holmgren.
Hasselbeck said he spoke with Leavy during that game, but this week's extended camp session has been much better in allowing things to be said and issues to be buried.
"It was probably a good thing that we talked," Hasselbeck said. "Because I think just like Seahawk fans, I myself had to get to the point where I could kind of get past everything. And he's a great guy and actually a really, really good official."
But will the quarterback ever truly get over that game?
"I'm still a little upset about losing my high school state championship game," Hasselbeck said. "There are just some games you're never going to forget. Put it on the list."
Hey refs, get it right, even long after the fact
How magnanimous.
Via one heartsick grunt, the NFL announced sideways, nearly half a decade afterward that, yes, the Seahawks were hosed in Super Bowl Ex-Hell.
Referee Bill Leavy's unexpected, unprompted confessional Friday to the media at a routine Seahawks practice in Renton seemed to catch all by surprise, given that the NFL owns up publicly to errors only slightly more often than the Pope.
And it wasn't really the NFL who owned up.
It was Leavy unburdening himself. Apparently suffering from years of guilt and lost sleep, Leavy decided to seek forgiveness from whatever football gods care about the Seahawks (I'm thinking it's a single god, part-timer, doesn't work weekends).
Leavy called the episode "the elephant in the room," which in itself was surprising because most local fans and media think of it only when they see the elephant's bones bleaching in the sun, and the NFL always considered it a mouse, if not merely an amoeba.
"It was a tough thing for me," he said. "I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game and as an official, you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights. I think about it constantly. I'll go to my grave wishing that I'd been better. I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn't good enough.
"When we make mistakes, you've got to step up and own them. It's something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately, when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl, it's difficult."
Just when it's reasonable to believe there is little shame left in sports (we're writing about you here, LeBron), Leavy followed the lead of baseball umpire Jim Joyce, who admitted that he blew a call at first base that robbed Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga of a perfect game in early June.
Joyce's whiff was regarded as one of the worst blown calls in the game's history, just as the Seahawks-Steelers game in Detroit is regarded nationally as the worst officiated Super Bowl in history.
Difference was, Joyce admitted it right after the game when he saw the replay. He even sought out Galarraga in the clubhouse and apologized.
Rarely has major league baseball been ahead of anything when it comes to reform. It wasn't that long ago that MLB agreed to display the American flag with 50 stars, grudgingly accepting the admission of Alaska and Hawaii to the union (just kidding, Bud Selig; you who stole the Pilots should know, of all people, that Seattle was always a part of Alaska).
But Joyce's full, immediate acceptance of responsibility was so refreshing and endearing that he became a pop-culture hero and one of the best sports stories of 2010. A nation dope-slapped by prevaricators, dissemblers and BS artists from the Gulf to Congress/White House to Wall Street greeted Joyce's gesture with herald trumpets and rose petals.
Are we desperate for public displays of sincere integrity, or what?
As far as Leavy, most Seahawks fans are grateful for any shred of candor, however belated, so they can at least forward the stories to all those Steelers fans who were delighted to call them whiners in the wake of Seattle's 21-10 defeat.
But Leavy's confessional was about only two plays in the fourth quarter: a dubious holding call against tackle Sean Locklear that took the Seahawks from a first down at the 1-yard line to the 29; and the absolutely absurd call of a low block on quarterback Matt Hasselbeck when he was attempting a tackle on an interception return. At least the NFL at the time allowed that the latter foul call was a dumber idea than sheet-metal underwear.
Leavy's sole-proprietor notion doesn't account for another official's phantom call on a touchdown run by Ben Roethlisberger, nor a bogus offensive pass-interference call against Darrell Jackson.
Perhaps other officials are waiting to own up to those errors, on their own time. If America waits long enough, maybe we'll also learn what happened to D.B. Cooper, Amelia Earhart and the lead character in the movie "Inception."
But before the oceans evaporate, maybe the NFL, as well as the rest of big-time sports, could use the examples of Leavy and Joyce to take a look at the notion of earnest, swift accountability.
I realize that holding game officials to public account runs a risk of embarrassment, discomfort and even danger. But it doesn't have to look like what North Korea did with its dismal showing in the World Cup: Forcing the team to stand in an auditorium for six hours of public heckling.
While leagues in the past have owned up to occasional officiating errors, it feels ad hoc, never seeming to have an institutional plan to reconcile the disparity known to virtually all concerned via TV replay. It sends the message that the leagues don't care about honesty and accuracy. Since history has established that there's very little money in honesty and accuracy, maybe that's the case.
Nevertheless, as the Joyce episode demonstrated, most fans are accepting of an acknowledgment of human error. It's the lying about it that makes everyone street-rat crazy.
Simply set up an accountability system in which sports review controversial major plays/developments, and disclose publicly the result without any retroactive changes to outcomes. (Please, no excuses about costs.)
The Seahawks made enough football mistakes in the Super Bowl to suggest that reversals on one, or all, bad calls wouldn't have made the difference in the outcome. But to do as Leavy said and step up to own the mistakes helps keep the wound from bleeding for years.
Right now, as far as sports resolutions, we're a little better than North Korea. Is it that difficult to be a lot better?
http://www.seattlepi.com/thiel/424746_thiel09.html
How magnanimous.
Via one heartsick grunt, the NFL announced sideways, nearly half a decade afterward that, yes, the Seahawks were hosed in Super Bowl Ex-Hell.
Referee Bill Leavy's unexpected, unprompted confessional Friday to the media at a routine Seahawks practice in Renton seemed to catch all by surprise, given that the NFL owns up publicly to errors only slightly more often than the Pope.
And it wasn't really the NFL who owned up.
It was Leavy unburdening himself. Apparently suffering from years of guilt and lost sleep, Leavy decided to seek forgiveness from whatever football gods care about the Seahawks (I'm thinking it's a single god, part-timer, doesn't work weekends).
Leavy called the episode "the elephant in the room," which in itself was surprising because most local fans and media think of it only when they see the elephant's bones bleaching in the sun, and the NFL always considered it a mouse, if not merely an amoeba.
"It was a tough thing for me," he said. "I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game and as an official, you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights. I think about it constantly. I'll go to my grave wishing that I'd been better. I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn't good enough.
"When we make mistakes, you've got to step up and own them. It's something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately, when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl, it's difficult."
Just when it's reasonable to believe there is little shame left in sports (we're writing about you here, LeBron), Leavy followed the lead of baseball umpire Jim Joyce, who admitted that he blew a call at first base that robbed Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga of a perfect game in early June.
Joyce's whiff was regarded as one of the worst blown calls in the game's history, just as the Seahawks-Steelers game in Detroit is regarded nationally as the worst officiated Super Bowl in history.
Difference was, Joyce admitted it right after the game when he saw the replay. He even sought out Galarraga in the clubhouse and apologized.
Rarely has major league baseball been ahead of anything when it comes to reform. It wasn't that long ago that MLB agreed to display the American flag with 50 stars, grudgingly accepting the admission of Alaska and Hawaii to the union (just kidding, Bud Selig; you who stole the Pilots should know, of all people, that Seattle was always a part of Alaska).
But Joyce's full, immediate acceptance of responsibility was so refreshing and endearing that he became a pop-culture hero and one of the best sports stories of 2010. A nation dope-slapped by prevaricators, dissemblers and BS artists from the Gulf to Congress/White House to Wall Street greeted Joyce's gesture with herald trumpets and rose petals.
Are we desperate for public displays of sincere integrity, or what?
As far as Leavy, most Seahawks fans are grateful for any shred of candor, however belated, so they can at least forward the stories to all those Steelers fans who were delighted to call them whiners in the wake of Seattle's 21-10 defeat.
But Leavy's confessional was about only two plays in the fourth quarter: a dubious holding call against tackle Sean Locklear that took the Seahawks from a first down at the 1-yard line to the 29; and the absolutely absurd call of a low block on quarterback Matt Hasselbeck when he was attempting a tackle on an interception return. At least the NFL at the time allowed that the latter foul call was a dumber idea than sheet-metal underwear.
Leavy's sole-proprietor notion doesn't account for another official's phantom call on a touchdown run by Ben Roethlisberger, nor a bogus offensive pass-interference call against Darrell Jackson.
Perhaps other officials are waiting to own up to those errors, on their own time. If America waits long enough, maybe we'll also learn what happened to D.B. Cooper, Amelia Earhart and the lead character in the movie "Inception."
But before the oceans evaporate, maybe the NFL, as well as the rest of big-time sports, could use the examples of Leavy and Joyce to take a look at the notion of earnest, swift accountability.
I realize that holding game officials to public account runs a risk of embarrassment, discomfort and even danger. But it doesn't have to look like what North Korea did with its dismal showing in the World Cup: Forcing the team to stand in an auditorium for six hours of public heckling.
While leagues in the past have owned up to occasional officiating errors, it feels ad hoc, never seeming to have an institutional plan to reconcile the disparity known to virtually all concerned via TV replay. It sends the message that the leagues don't care about honesty and accuracy. Since history has established that there's very little money in honesty and accuracy, maybe that's the case.
Nevertheless, as the Joyce episode demonstrated, most fans are accepting of an acknowledgment of human error. It's the lying about it that makes everyone street-rat crazy.
Simply set up an accountability system in which sports review controversial major plays/developments, and disclose publicly the result without any retroactive changes to outcomes. (Please, no excuses about costs.)
The Seahawks made enough football mistakes in the Super Bowl to suggest that reversals on one, or all, bad calls wouldn't have made the difference in the outcome. But to do as Leavy said and step up to own the mistakes helps keep the wound from bleeding for years.
Right now, as far as sports resolutions, we're a little better than North Korea. Is it that difficult to be a lot better?
http://www.seattlepi.com/thiel/424746_thiel09.html
I expect all of the players that were on that team to get a free Corvette, except for Hutch lol
No, but really, his apology don't mean shyt to me. I might have gave a shyt if he did it directly after the game, like Joyce did. But almost a half decade later?
Steelers fans, you heard it from the horses mouth, all I have to say is...told ya so.
No, but really, his apology don't mean shyt to me. I might have gave a shyt if he did it directly after the game, like Joyce did. But almost a half decade later?
Steelers fans, you heard it from the horses mouth, all I have to say is...told ya so.
Seahawks sign Adrian Peterson!
The Seattle Seahawks signed running back Adrian Peterson on Friday. But as he has heard every time he does anything in recent years, the accompanying line is ... no, not THAT Adrian Peterson.
This Adrian Peterson is a 31-year-old running back who spent the last eight years with the Chicago Bears as a backup before becoming a free agent this offseason, as opposed to the Minnesota Vikings All-Pro running back of the same name.
The newest Seahawk was on the field Friday afternoon wearing No. 42.
Wide receiver Matt Simon, signed just two days ago, was released to create a roster opening.
Peterson rushed just seven times for 51 yards for the Bears last year. In his career, he's played 106 games with 1,283 yards rushing and eight touchdowns on 311 carries.
His best season was in 2007 when he rushed for 510 yards and also caught 51 passes for 420 yards.
Peterson joins a running back competition that already includes Justin Forsett, Julius Jones, Leon Washington, Quinton Ganther and Louis Rankin.
UPDATE (4:25 p.m.): Coach Pete Carroll said after practice that Peterson was brought in because the team is concerned about running back depth in Saturday's game, largely because Rankin has been sidelined with a sore hamstring.
Carroll indicated Peterson, who practiced today without having even seen a playbook yet, would get some action in the preseason opener. Though the coach wasn't giving any clues on how much the starters will play Saturday, my guess is Washington won't play much -- if at all -- as he returns from last year's broken leg.
The team won't want to overuse Forsett or Jones in the preseason opener either, thus Peterson's arrival.
Peterson said he was still living in Chicago just being patient and waiting for a call.
"It's still early," he said.
The Seattle Seahawks signed running back Adrian Peterson on Friday. But as he has heard every time he does anything in recent years, the accompanying line is ... no, not THAT Adrian Peterson.
This Adrian Peterson is a 31-year-old running back who spent the last eight years with the Chicago Bears as a backup before becoming a free agent this offseason, as opposed to the Minnesota Vikings All-Pro running back of the same name.
The newest Seahawk was on the field Friday afternoon wearing No. 42.
Wide receiver Matt Simon, signed just two days ago, was released to create a roster opening.
Peterson rushed just seven times for 51 yards for the Bears last year. In his career, he's played 106 games with 1,283 yards rushing and eight touchdowns on 311 carries.
His best season was in 2007 when he rushed for 510 yards and also caught 51 passes for 420 yards.
Peterson joins a running back competition that already includes Justin Forsett, Julius Jones, Leon Washington, Quinton Ganther and Louis Rankin.
UPDATE (4:25 p.m.): Coach Pete Carroll said after practice that Peterson was brought in because the team is concerned about running back depth in Saturday's game, largely because Rankin has been sidelined with a sore hamstring.
Carroll indicated Peterson, who practiced today without having even seen a playbook yet, would get some action in the preseason opener. Though the coach wasn't giving any clues on how much the starters will play Saturday, my guess is Washington won't play much -- if at all -- as he returns from last year's broken leg.
The team won't want to overuse Forsett or Jones in the preseason opener either, thus Peterson's arrival.
Peterson said he was still living in Chicago just being patient and waiting for a call.
"It's still early," he said.
A quick recap of the Seahawks’ 20-18 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Qwest Field on Saturday night:
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Charlie Whitehurst. So that’s why the Seahawks’ made the offseason trade to acquire the little-used quarterback from the San Diego Chargers.
After taking over for starter Matt Hasselbeck in the second quarter, Whitehurst rallied the offense by completing 14 of 22 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns. He checked to the pass that resulted in a 51-yard touchdown play to wide receiver Mike Williams. He later passed to rookie tight end Anthony McCoy for a 4-yard TD.
“Give John the credit,” coach Pete Carroll said of general manager John Schneider, who orchestrated the deal that brought Whitehurst to the Seahawks. “John saw this thing from way back – really, when he saw Charlie as a junior workout out of Clemson with a senior (before) the draft.
“He caught his eye then, and he was right about him. He’s a really good football player and Charlie is really going to help us.”
PLAYS OF THE GAME
Offense: The 51-yard pass play from Whitehurst to Williams. It gave the Seahawks their first lead, 10-7, and one that would hold up.
Seeing that the Titans were blitzing, and leaving Williams in single coverage, Whitehurst checked to a quick throw to Williams, who caught the pass and spun around cornerback Ryan Mouton to turn the short pass into a long scoring play.
“It’s one thing to sit in a meeting room and know what the audible needs to be,” Hasselbeck said. “It’s another thing to get the other 10 guys to do it. I thought he showed definite command of the situation.
“It was just a perfectly executed play.”
Defense: The Titans had one last chance to drive to a game-winning field goal, until rookie safety Kam Chancellor intercepted a Rusty Smith pass with 25 seconds to play.
“I think they threw the ball right to him, to tell you the truth,” Carroll said. “We were pretty fortunate on that one. Sometimes you have to get a little lucky. It was still a big play for Kam.”
Offered Chancellor, “I mean everybody wants that big play and it just came to me and it felt good.”
Special teams: Facing a third-and-3 situation from their own 35, and in punt formation, the Titans converted as punter Brett Kern passed to Ahmard Hall for 16 yards.
INJURY REPORT
As Carroll put it, “We got out pretty clean as far as the injury situation.”
Titans coach Jeff Fisher couldn’t say that. Running back Stafon Johnson dislocated an ankle.
“It was just so sorry to see Stafon get hurt,” Carroll said. “This was a guy that had to undergo so much physical pressure and mental pressure – the stuff he went through and to have a serious injury again right now.
“I’m just felt so sick for him. … We’ll be pulling for him to get well right away.”
Seven injured players were not in uniform for the Seahawks: linebackers Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill and Joe Pawelek, offensive linemen Chester Pitts and Mike Gibson, defensive lineman Lawrence Jackson and cornerback Josh Pinkard.
YOU DON’T SAY
“It’s nice to go out there and play well. But again, it’s the first preseason game. You’ve got three more preseason games. We’ve got a long season. We’d like to go out and play well every time. It’s nice it was the first one, but it doesn’t mean all that much.”
http://blog.seahawks.com/2010/08/15/saturday-night-in-hawkville/
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Charlie Whitehurst. So that’s why the Seahawks’ made the offseason trade to acquire the little-used quarterback from the San Diego Chargers.
After taking over for starter Matt Hasselbeck in the second quarter, Whitehurst rallied the offense by completing 14 of 22 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns. He checked to the pass that resulted in a 51-yard touchdown play to wide receiver Mike Williams. He later passed to rookie tight end Anthony McCoy for a 4-yard TD.
“Give John the credit,” coach Pete Carroll said of general manager John Schneider, who orchestrated the deal that brought Whitehurst to the Seahawks. “John saw this thing from way back – really, when he saw Charlie as a junior workout out of Clemson with a senior (before) the draft.
“He caught his eye then, and he was right about him. He’s a really good football player and Charlie is really going to help us.”
PLAYS OF THE GAME
Offense: The 51-yard pass play from Whitehurst to Williams. It gave the Seahawks their first lead, 10-7, and one that would hold up.
Seeing that the Titans were blitzing, and leaving Williams in single coverage, Whitehurst checked to a quick throw to Williams, who caught the pass and spun around cornerback Ryan Mouton to turn the short pass into a long scoring play.
“It’s one thing to sit in a meeting room and know what the audible needs to be,” Hasselbeck said. “It’s another thing to get the other 10 guys to do it. I thought he showed definite command of the situation.
“It was just a perfectly executed play.”
Defense: The Titans had one last chance to drive to a game-winning field goal, until rookie safety Kam Chancellor intercepted a Rusty Smith pass with 25 seconds to play.
“I think they threw the ball right to him, to tell you the truth,” Carroll said. “We were pretty fortunate on that one. Sometimes you have to get a little lucky. It was still a big play for Kam.”
Offered Chancellor, “I mean everybody wants that big play and it just came to me and it felt good.”
Special teams: Facing a third-and-3 situation from their own 35, and in punt formation, the Titans converted as punter Brett Kern passed to Ahmard Hall for 16 yards.
INJURY REPORT
As Carroll put it, “We got out pretty clean as far as the injury situation.”
Titans coach Jeff Fisher couldn’t say that. Running back Stafon Johnson dislocated an ankle.
“It was just so sorry to see Stafon get hurt,” Carroll said. “This was a guy that had to undergo so much physical pressure and mental pressure – the stuff he went through and to have a serious injury again right now.
“I’m just felt so sick for him. … We’ll be pulling for him to get well right away.”
Seven injured players were not in uniform for the Seahawks: linebackers Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill and Joe Pawelek, offensive linemen Chester Pitts and Mike Gibson, defensive lineman Lawrence Jackson and cornerback Josh Pinkard.
YOU DON’T SAY
“It’s nice to go out there and play well. But again, it’s the first preseason game. You’ve got three more preseason games. We’ve got a long season. We’d like to go out and play well every time. It’s nice it was the first one, but it doesn’t mean all that much.”
http://blog.seahawks.com/2010/08/15/saturday-night-in-hawkville/
RENTON, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks have released former Chicago Bears running back Adrian Peterson days after signing him.
Peterson signed with Seattle on Thursday. His release clears roster room for newly acquired defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer.
His boomerang stay continues a pattern of roster turnover that new coach Pete Carroll has had since he arrived in January.
Seattle also released linebacker Alvin Bowen and signed kicker Clint Stitser to the 80-man training camp roster.
Stitser was out of football in 2008 and '09. The former Fresno State kicker was most recently with the New York Jets. He is in camp to help reduce the workload of Olindo Mare. The Seahawks' franchise-designated player for 2010 has been kicking with a sore calf this month.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_fbn_seahawks_moves.html
Peterson signed with Seattle on Thursday. His release clears roster room for newly acquired defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer.
His boomerang stay continues a pattern of roster turnover that new coach Pete Carroll has had since he arrived in January.
Seattle also released linebacker Alvin Bowen and signed kicker Clint Stitser to the 80-man training camp roster.
Stitser was out of football in 2008 and '09. The former Fresno State kicker was most recently with the New York Jets. He is in camp to help reduce the workload of Olindo Mare. The Seahawks' franchise-designated player for 2010 has been kicking with a sore calf this month.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_fbn_seahawks_moves.html
