The Superbowl

[Mirror Image]

I don't watch sports at all, but I was proud that Baltimore beat San Francisco. I always hated the 49ers. I don't know why, but they just always seemed like a pretty arrogant team.

[ibanezmonster]

The last win-or-lose situation for the 49ers with the overthrown pass and the guy right there, just short of catching it... priceless.

[Mirror Image]

The last win-or-lose situation for the 49ers with the overthrown pass and the guy right there, just short of catching it... priceless.

A pass I'm sure they'll think about on the plane ride home.

[springrite]

The last win-or-lose situation for the 49ers with the overthrown pass and the guy right there, just short of catching it... priceless.

Of course, on TV in SF, you will see over and over the Montana to Clark pass 100 times more often than this missed one.

[The Six]

Yes - this nonsense again.  Tell me a TEAM from Korea who play in the 'World' Series of the MLB.  It is not a World Series.  It is an American Series with other Nationals playing in it.  It is a MLB series, not a World series.  The best players from other countries may play in American MLB, but there is no evidence of it being a World Series.  I don't see the Detroit Tigers nipping down to play the Caracas Lions, or the Yankees going over to Japan to take on the Yokohama Bay Stars, or vice versa.  It is not by any stretch of the imagination a "World Series". 

Sorry, you don't know what you're talking about. The evidence that it's a World Series is that it's the highest level of play in the sport. There's a reason the best Latin American leagues play in the winter. It's so their MLB players can come home and continue to play. In virtually every matchup of MLB players vs. Japanese teams, the Japanese teams were crushed. It's not America vs. the World. The best Caracas Lions players are in MLB.

And, of course, there's an MLB team in Canada, too.

[springrite]

Sorry, you don't know what you're talking about. The evidence that it's a World Series is that it's the highest level of play in the sport. There's a reason the best Latin American leagues play in the winter. It's so their MLB players can come home and continue to play. In virtually every matchup of MLB players vs. Japanese teams, the Japanese teams were crushed. It's not America vs. the World. The best Caracas Lions players are in MLB.

And, of course, there's an MLB team in Canada, too.

The best players playing in it, and it being the best leagues does not make it a World Series. In sports where the US does not excel in, no one calls their domestic league competition (which may be the undisputed best in the world) as The World Championship. No one. Not in any sport or non-sport competition.

[DavidRoss]

One of the main reasons I lost interest in the NFL years ago was because all too many games were being decided by poor officiating. The problem has been widely recognized for a long time, yet despite all of the technology available to remedy the problem the NFL has never dealt with it seriously.

During yesterday's game, I was out of my seat on 2nd and goal during the Niner's final drive when the defender came over Crabtree while the ball was in the air and there was no flag. But I could only shake my head in disbelief when there was no flag after Crabtree was blatantly held in the end zone on 4th and goal. The defender had both arms around him and a handful of his jersey, and still Crabtree was able to push off get within 2 feet of a perfectly thrown and very catchable ball.

The right call was pass interference in the end zone. There was nothing remotely questionable about what took place on the field. The penalty would have been first down at the one yard line, and SF would almost certainly have scored, putting them ahead by two after the PAT.

Would that have decided the game? I doubt it, because SF then would have had to prevent a Ravens field goal to win it. With almost 2 minutes left on the clock, Baltimore would probably have been able to get downfield make the FG with no time left on the clock.

That would have been a clean win and no one could say that the Ravens wouldn't have deserved it. But that's not what happened and so this game will be memorable only for the bad officiating that decided the outcome in the W/L column.

Of related interest is this article from the week before about officials unhappy with irregularities in the NFL's Super Bowl official selection process: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--officials-question-nfl-s-process-for-selecting-super-bowl-referee-145832403.html

[mc ukrneal]

Guys, you do realize the name 'World Series' was adopted in 1903?! At the time, there were just 16 teams, covering only a small portion of the country. At this point, I don;t see the name being dropped, but don't read too much into it either.

What I don;t like is this bi-yearly tournament that is intended to be a competition to crown a national team champion. First, not all players take part (lots of 'best' players sit). Second, the timing is all wrong (before the season - as long as it is before the season, I don't see this really working from a US point of view). Related to that, who wants to see a pitcher go three innings and then have to call it a day? Third, US doesn't take it seriously. Fourth (again, in the US), who cares? No cares if you win that (in the US) - it only matters if you win the World Series. I don't have good solutions to some of these issues, but until someone is honest about it, I think it will take a long time to catch on (if it ever does).

[mc ukrneal]

One of the main reasons I lost interest in the NFL years ago was because all too many games were being decided by poor officiating. The problem has been widely recognized for a long time, yet despite all of the technology available to remedy the problem the NFL has never dealt with it seriously.

During yesterday's game, I was out of my seat on 2nd and goal during the Niner's final drive when the defender came over Crabtree while the ball was in the air and there was no flag. But I could only shake my head in disbelief when there was no flag after Crabtree was blatantly held in the end zone on 4th and goal. The defender had both arms around him and a handful of his jersey, and still Crabtree was able to push off get within 2 feet of a perfectly thrown and very catchable ball.

The right call was pass interference in the end zone. There was nothing remotely questionable about what took place on the field. The penalty would have been first down at the one yard line, and SF would almost certainly have scored, putting them ahead by two after the PAT.

Honestly, I didn't watch the game, but I saw the repeats of that play. No pass interference for sure, in my opinion, but possibly holding. Having said that, they were both pushing and shoving at each other the whole route, so again I don't really see this as a missed call myself.

I don;t think the ball was catchable either, but that is not really relevant in my opinion.

[The Six]

Guys, you do realize the name 'World Series' was adopted in 1903?! At the time, there were just 16 teams, covering only a small portion of the country. At this point, I don;t see the name being dropped, but don't read too much into it either.

Exactly. For decades MLB was the only pro league in the world of any merit. It's not about semantics of the term as much as it is the best way to determine the best in the world.

The World Baseball Classic only exists because the sport was dropped from the Olympics.

One of the main reasons I lost interest in the NFL years ago was because all too many games were being decided by poor officiating. The problem has been widely recognized for a long time, yet despite all of the technology available to remedy the problem the NFL has never dealt with it seriously.

There's really no way to fix it. The game moves too fast, and too many calls are judgment calls. The rules of the NFL are so convoluted and complicated it's a wonder any official can ever get a call right; at times it seems like they're making rules up (tuck rule).

It's a common thing for refs to swallow their whistles on big plays at the end. The Niners should have ran the ball, anyway.

[DavidRoss]

Honestly, I didn't watch the game, but I saw the repeats of that play. No pass interference for sure, in my opinion, but possibly holding. Having said that, they were both pushing and shoving at each other the whole route, so again I don't really see this as a missed call myself.

I don;t think the ball was catchable either, but that is not really relevant in my opinion.

Apparently you didn't see replays that clearly showed the offense, but only ones that made it appear questionable. See, for instance:

http://www.youtube.com/v/TinDQSUww5U

And if you believe the "catchability" of the ball is not relevant, then you don't understand the rules. See http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/passinterference

[springrite]

Didn't get to watch it this morning (my time 0730) so I will have to watch the replay, available Wednesday morning or Friday morning, and I mean early early morning.

[Sammy]

I'm a big NFL fan and I was rooting for SF.  However, the Ravens were the best team yesterday in one of the most exciting championship games I've ever seen. 

A few observations:

1.  SF's first offensive series was pathetic and set the tone for the entire first half:  three and out(actually four and out).  The penalty against SF on its first down was inexcusable, and running the ball on third down was nothing more than playing not to lose.

2.  The "lights-out" period of more than a half-hour was a god-send for SF.  Without it, they would have fallen apart.

3.  The crucial part of the game was when SF had four chances to score toward the end.  They simply didn't get it done, and I don't blame the officials.  Crabtree was grabbing as well, and pass was overthrown anyways.  Whether or not the pass was catchable certainly factors into making a decent call.

4.  Flacco deserved MVP.  I've never thought of him as being an elite quarterback, but I sure do now.

5.  The half-time show, as usual, sucked.  I don't know where Beyonce gets her music, but even my wife found it hard to take.

[mc ukrneal]

Apparently you didn't see replays that clearly showed the offense, but only ones that made it appear questionable. See, for instance:

http://www.youtube.com/v/TinDQSUww5U

And if you believe the "catchability" of the ball is not relevant, then you don't understand the rules. See http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/passinterference

Sorry - which one do you think was violated?

Actions that constitute defensive pass interference include but are not limited to:

(a) Contact by a defender who is not playing the ball and such contact restricts the receiver's opportunity to make the catch.

(b) Playing through the back of a receiver in an attempt to make a play on the ball.

(c) Grabbing a receiver's arm(s) in such a manner that restricts his opportunity to catch a pass.

(d) Extending an arm across the body of a receiver thus restricting his ability to catch a pass, regardless of whether the defender is playing the ball.

(e) Cutting off the path of a receiver by making contact with him without playing the ball.

(f) Hooking a receiver in an attempt to get to the ball in such a manner that it causes the receiver's body to turn prior to the ball arriving.

[mahler10th]

Sorry, you don't know what you're talking about. The evidence that it's a World Series is that it's the highest level of play in the sport. There's a reason the best Latin American leagues play in the winter. It's so their MLB players can come home and continue to play. In virtually every matchup of MLB players vs. Japanese teams, the Japanese teams were crushed. It's not America vs. the World. The best Caracas Lions players are in MLB.
And, of course, there's an MLB team in Canada, too.

Honestly.  It is the most arrogant, nonsensical thing to call the MLB series the "World Series."  The argument for it is so poor.  So what if the best Baseball in the World is played in Americas MLB?  So what if other leagues play in different seasons so their top players can play in the American MLB?  It is such a preposterous idea!  It is an AMERICAN league, nothing to do with the rest of the World.  Generally, 'World' in sport means the countries of planet Earth - for example, in soccer, teams from different countries of THE WORLD play for THE WORLD CUP.  That is because they are teams made up from different countries of THE WORLD.

It's not America vs. the World.

Thats my argument exactly.  If it WAS America vs. the World, you then WOULD most certainly have a World series in your hands...But no, it's one part of America v another part of America.  New York v Detroit.  Chicago v Denver.  This kind of thing.  Nowhere in your MLB do you find the USA v JAPAN or SPAIN v EGYPT or whatever.  It is not a World series.  It is nonsensical to call it a World series.  There are no WORLD CHALLENGES involved.  For sure it is the home of Baseball and America would no doubt win against any country of the World, and for sheer spectacle and playing at the highest level, MLB in America cannot be beaten.  It simply cannot be beaten (at this time).  If you invite countries of the World to come and play your select best players, Team USA or whatever, THEN by all the Gods you WOULD have a WORLD SERIES.  But as it is, it is an American series with multi-nationals playing in it.

I'm fed up with this.  I have better things to argue about.   

[mc ukrneal]

You did not quote the relevant section on if  pass catachability:

Actions that do not constitute pass interference include but are not limited to:

(a) Incidental contact by a defender’s hands, arms, or body when both players are competing for the ball, or neither player is looking for the ball. If there is any question whether contact is incidental, the ruling shall be no interference.

(b) Inadvertent tangling of feet when both players are playing the ball or neither player is playing the ball.

(c) Contact that would normally be considered pass interference, but the pass is clearly uncatchable by the involved players.

Oh, well that just strenghtens my case I think. But I must say, I don't like the rule. I mean, you can say that about any pass that wasn't touched and it is hard to contradict with any surety. And hard to call with any consistency. That would tick me off too.

[The Six]

The argument for it is so poor.  So what if the best Baseball in the World is played in Americas MLB? 

You're dismissing this rather easily.

It is an AMERICAN league, nothing to do with the rest of the World.

Yes, it has so little to do with the rest of the world, all the best players leave their homelands to go play there! 

for example, in soccer, teams from different countries of THE WORLD play for THE WORLD CUP.

THOSE ARE TEAMS COMPOSED OF PLAYERS EXCLUSIVELY FROM THOSE COUNTRIES. MLB HAS PLAYERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. (since you like using CAPS)

You're so caught up in MLB being in the US (and Canada, which you may or may not have noticed by now). The US is simply a location. New York vs. Chicago is not a team of New Yorkers vs. Chicagoans. I think you just want to ride this "American arrogance" canard, so you look for something to be offended about.

[Szykneij]

THOSE ARE TEAMS COMPOSED OF PLAYERS EXCLUSIVELY FROM THOSE COUNTRIES. MLB HAS PLAYERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. (since you like using CAPS)

You're so caught up in MLB being in the US (and Canada, which you may or may not have noticed by now). The US is simply a location. New York vs. Chicago is not a team of New Yorkers vs. Chicagoans. I think you just want to ride this "American arrogance" canard, so you look for something to be offended about.

Yes, good point. I just checked the roster of the Boston Red Sox for this upcoming season, and of the 34 players listed, 12 (more than 1/3) are from countries other than the U.S.: Dominican Republic (4). Venezuela (2), Japan (2), Cuba, Mexico, Canada and the Netherlands.

No one on the roster is originally from anywhere near Boston, with the possible exception of a player from the neighboring state of Connecticut.

I think the miserable result of the Daisuke Matsuzaka signing goes to show how superior MLB is to baseball in Japan.

[Sammy]

Honestly.  It is the most arrogant, nonsensical thing to call the MLB series the "World Series."  The argument for it is so poor.  So what if the best Baseball in the World is played in Americas MLB?  So what if other leagues play in different seasons so their top players can play in the American MLB?  It is such a preposterous idea!  It is an AMERICAN league, nothing to do with the rest of the World.  Generally, 'World' in sport means the countries of planet Earth - for example, in soccer, teams from different countries of THE WORLD play for THE WORLD CUP.  That is because they are teams made up from different countries of THE WORLD.

You're so disrespectful, bitching about the World Series when the Superbowl is the appropriate topic of the day.    

[mahler10th]

Ach!     I will return to this thread later in the year when the American Football starts up again.