As everyone who has read this column knows, I absolutely loathe the Pittsburgh Steelers. I still believe they were unfairly awarded Super Bowl XL thanks to either incompetent or outright biased officiating. But here’s a win the Steelers weren’t unfairly awarded: yesterday’s game at Miami. Miami is now the latest in a line of teams unfairly blaming the officials for losses over which they had one hundred percent control.
Here’s what happened yesterday, if you’re unaware: after initially ruling that Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger had scored a late touchdown on a quarterback draw, referee (and Pittsburgh native) Gene Steratore ruled after a replay review that Roethlisberger had fumbled prior to crossing the goal line. However, Steratore also stated he was unable to determine which team recovered the fumble, and Pittsburgh, by rule, was awarded possession at the half-yard line, allowing the Steelers to kick what proved to be a game-winning field goal with 2:26 left.
Regardless of whether you believe the official blew the call (intentionally or not), that call didn’t cost Miami the game. An inability to overcome a 23-22 deficit with 2:26 left to play did.
Miami wasn’t the only team pinning its problems on the zebras yesterday. After a 28-24 loss at Lambeau Field that dropped the Vikings to a 2-4 record heading into a key contest against New England, Vikings head coach Brad Childress called the game the “worst game of officiating I’ve ever seen.” In particular, Childress singled out a 17-yard touchdown that was taken off the board when the officials ruled the Vikings’ tight end used the ground to help gain possession. Again, that single play isn’t what cost the Vikings the game. I get the feeling that Brett Favre’s three second-half interceptions had something to do with the defeat.
I’ll even concede that my beloved Ravens are not immune to this phenomenon. The officiating for the team’s last few games in Cincinnati has been suspect to say the least, and the Ravens’ Week Two game, a 15-10 defeat, was no exception. Although a number of players on the Ravens pointed their fingers at the officiating crew after the game, the loss can be summed up in a single word: four. That’s how many interceptions Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw, giving him five in the season’s first two games. It’s kind of hard to win when twenty percent of your QB’s completions are to the other team.
Officials, in any sport, make a convenient scapegoat. They directly influence the game, and, in light of the recent NBA scandal involving ex-referee Tim Donaghy, fans certainly have every right to be suspicious following a real head-scratcher. But unless this is Remember the Titans, it is extremely difficult to conclude that the officials unquestionably and willfully altered the outcome of the contest.
It is certainly frustrating to see a clearly blown call go against your team, and even more so when your team ends up losing because of that call. But in the Steelers-Dolphins game, to use one example, there were 129 plays from scrimmage, including 115 offensive plays. It is patently absurd to argue that a missed call on one play out of 129 single-handedly decided the outcome of the game. Officials are human and are bound to make mistakes; but, with a few exceptions, they aren’t the ones who decide the outcome of the game. The players are.
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