Editorial: Even Vince McMahon Turned His Head in Shame

[teegre]

NOTICE: This editorial was sent in for publishing earlier this week. However, due to server issues, publishing was delayed.

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Even Vince McMahon Turned His Head in Shame
by Tiger Rowan

Right around half-time of the Steelers-Giants game, my brother walked out of the room… and did not return. My eighteen-month old daughter sought out her uncle, calling down the hallway, "Uncle… where are you?" When she found him, her cheers of "Touchdown!!!" brought a momentary smile to his face. I followed suit, by asking him if he was going to return to watch the game. After a considerable amount of time, he replied, "I just do not know."

Mr. Goodell, you may not know my brother, but he is the most patient, calm, and soft-spoken person in the world. I takes a lot, and I mean a LOT, to get his feathers ruffled; Gandhi is more of a hot head than he is. But, to put it simply, the abomination that he witnessed during the Steelers-Giants game was enough to evoke a reaction from him (albeit, a calm & passive one).

For those of you who missed it, it appeared to many (not just Steelers fans) that the referees were overtly trying to give some sort of advantage to the Giants. Sure, we all feel sorry for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Absolutely, a small part of all of us (even Steelers fans) would have liked to have seen the New York fans have a three-hour break from their misery. And, positively, a win would have been a story-book ending to their week. But, not at the expense of the integrity of the game.

Any fan hates for their team to lose, but losses happen. Sometimes, an opponent simply outplays your team, and we can all accept those types of losses. But, when the referees are making calls that are blatantly one-sided, it calls into question whether any of what we are seeing is truly "real"… or if it is all merely scripted. And, once those types of "questions of doubt" creep into a fan-base's heads, it is very difficult to get those thoughts back out. Just ask David Stern.

Before anyone starts to tell me to stop whining and/or that "every team gets bad calls", I will readily agree: usually the bad calls even out. But, in this game, this was not the case in the least; the calls were obviously being called in New York's favor. Allow me to describe the most glaring of them.

Read more: http://www.steelersfever.com/editorials/1021.html

[austinfrench76]

What is weird is that the Giants are good enough to beat the Steelers fairly. I was texting my buddy back and forth, he's a Giants fan, that they didn't need to do that. That the Giants have a good team and I don't think anyone wants to win that way anyways. It tarnishes teh win and the team. Just call it straight up and stop fining the Steelers. That's just my little side note. Thanks for the post!

[FanSince72]

Count me among those who thought the same thing; that the refs were indeed trying to provide a "feel-good" win for the Giants and the people of New Jersey.

But I also noticed that after halftime, those flagrantly ridiculous calls disappeared and in fact many calls began going against the Giants including a rather innocuous offsides penalty on a 3rd and four late in the game which had Redman being tackled short of the line of gain. This penalty resulted in a first-and-goal and allowed us to score the winning TD shortly afterward.

Whether Goodell said something to the refs at halftime or whether they all had a crisis of conscience I can't say.
But I CAN say that those mysterious calls all but disappeared after halftime and the game was officiated very fairly from that point on.

If any of the the suspicions about letting the Giants win are true to any extent, I can only say "Thank You" to whomever it was who decided that integrity was more important than storybook endings and put a stop to it.

[teegre]

Originally Posted by austinfrench76

What is weird is that the Giants are good enough to beat the Steelers fairly. I was texting my buddy back and forth, he's a Giants fan, that they didn't need to do that. That the Giants have a good team and I don't think anyone wants to win that way anyways. It tarnishes teh win and the team. Just call it straight up and stop fining the Steelers. That's just my little side note. Thanks for the post!

Likewise, one of the dudes I know is a huge NYGiants fan (good dude, as most NYGiants fans are). Anyway, he was saying that he would have been annoyed to have been "given" the game. "A dirty feeling" were his words.

And, I agree.

Being given a game makes it feel like it wasn't even a win at all... especially, because everyone looks at you and thinks, "They actually lost." Sure, in the record books, the NYGiants would have gotten the win, but it would have felt like a loss.

Furthermore, since it was so one-sided in PITT's favor (3 yards per NYG offensive play), it would have been even more obvious... and in turn, made them all feel even "dirtier."

[teegre]

Originally Posted by FanSince72

Count me among those who thought the same thing; that the refs were indeed trying to provide a "feel-good" win for the Giants and the people of New Jersey.

But I also noticed that after halftime, those flagrantly ridiculous calls disappeared and in fact many calls began going against the Giants including a rather innocuous offsides penalty on a 3rd and four late in the game which had Redman being tackled short of the line of gain. This penalty resulted in a first-and-goal and allowed us to score the winning TD shortly afterward.

Whether Goodell said something to the refs at halftime or whether they all had a crisis of conscience I can't say.
But I CAN say that those mysterious calls all but disappeared after halftime and the game was officiated very fairly from that point on.

If any of the the suspicions about letting the Giants win are true to any extent, I can only say "Thank You" to whomever it was who decided that integrity was more important than storybook endings and put a stop to it.

It's almost as if the refs had been told to make a few calls go NYG's way, but the refs effed up, by making those calls way too obvious.

Instead, Goodell should have told the refs specifically what to call... such as: a false start (or holding) on the first play of every Steelers possession. Starting a drive 1st & 15 (or 1st & 20) makes for a long day... and far less obvious than ANY of the calls that the refs actually made.

Ergo, at half-time, I am sure that Goodell screamed, "You guys are maming it so OBVIOUS!!! No more penalties on PITT... none. You idiots... why did I re-instate you!?!"

All joking aside, you said the key word: integrity.

Bad calls are bad call... but, if Goodell actually told the refs to make those calls... wow!!!... that would ruin the NFL for me.

[FanSince72]

Originally Posted by teegre

It's almost as if the refs had been told to make a few calls go NYG's way, but the refs effed up, by making those calls way too obvious.

Instead, Goodell should have told the refs specifically what to call... such as: a false start (or holding) on the first play of every Steelers possession. Starting a drive 1st & 15 (or 1st & 20) makes for a long day... and far less obvious than ANY of the calls that the refs actually made.

Ergo, at half-time, I am sure that Goodell screamed, "You guys are maming it so OBVIOUS!!! No more penalties on PITT... none. You idiots... why did I re-instate you!?!"

All joking aside, you said the key word: integrity.

Bad calls are bad call... but, if Goodell actually told the refs to make those calls... wow!!!... that would ruin the NFL for me.

I'm a big believer in Integrity.

I always tell people that they can take my house, my money, my freedom and even my life, but they can't take my integrity unless I give it to them -- and it's not for sale or trade.

The way I look at it is that if you give up your integrity, you pretty much give up any reason for drawing breath on this planet.

[Edman]

I'm surprised nobody has commented on THIS farce...

http://www.nfl.com/videos/pittsburgh...wn-1-yd-run-TD

This was right after Clark's asinine "Blow to the Head" Call on Cruz. Even the Giants announcers weren't sure he got in.

Goodell and his fuckbrain Zebra crew put a real damper on what was a really great game between two class organizations. I hold nothing against the Giants, though. It wasn't their fault.

[IowaSteeler927]

Originally Posted by teegre

NOTICE: This editorial was sent in for publishing earlier this week. However, due to server issues, publishing was delayed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even Vince McMahon Turned His Head in Shame
by Tiger Rowan

Right around half-time of the Steelers-Giants game, my brother walked out of the room… and did not return. My eighteen-month old daughter sought out her uncle, calling down the hallway, "Uncle… where are you?" When she found him, her cheers of "Touchdown!!!" brought a momentary smile to his face. I followed suit, by asking him if he was going to return to watch the game. After a considerable amount of time, he replied, "I just do not know."

Mr. Goodell, you may not know my brother, but he is the most patient, calm, and soft-spoken person in the world. I takes a lot, and I mean a LOT, to get his feathers ruffled; Gandhi is more of a hot head than he is. But, to put it simply, the abomination that he witnessed during the Steelers-Giants game was enough to evoke a reaction from him (albeit, a calm & passive one).

For those of you who missed it, it appeared to many (not just Steelers fans) that the referees were overtly trying to give some sort of advantage to the Giants. Sure, we all feel sorry for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Absolutely, a small part of all of us (even Steelers fans) would have liked to have seen the New York fans have a three-hour break from their misery. And, positively, a win would have been a story-book ending to their week. But, not at the expense of the integrity of the game.

Any fan hates for their team to lose, but losses happen. Sometimes, an opponent simply outplays your team, and we can all accept those types of losses. But, when the referees are making calls that are blatantly one-sided, it calls into question whether any of what we are seeing is truly "real"… or if it is all merely scripted. And, once those types of "questions of doubt" creep into a fan-base's heads, it is very difficult to get those thoughts back out. Just ask David Stern.

Before anyone starts to tell me to stop whining and/or that "every team gets bad calls", I will readily agree: usually the bad calls even out. But, in this game, this was not the case in the least; the calls were obviously being called in New York's favor. Allow me to describe the most glaring of them.

Read more: http://www.steelersfever.com/editorials/1021.html

Yeah I definitely yelled and threw my hat across the room after that 41yd phantom pass interference call where Lewis was textbook in playing the ball and batting it away. After that Personal Foul Hit to the Head call I had steam blowing out of my ears. That was absolutely pathetic and Victor Cruz should be fined for the acting job he did to help get that call.

[beer72]

Whats really sad is the news media hasn't said anything about!

[stb_steeler]

Originally Posted by IowaSteeler927

Yeah I definitely yelled and threw my hat across the room after that 41yd phantom pass interference call where Lewis was textbook in playing the ball and batting it away. After that Personal Foul Hit to the Head call I had steam blowing out of my ears. That was absolutely pathetic and Victor Cruz should be fined for the acting job he did to help get that call.

Do we think Sanders was faking his injury? You know mocking Cruz on his so called injury?