Did referees cost Arizona Super Bowl XLIII?

By Brad Wilbricht  |   Thursday, February 05, 2009  |  Comments( 7 )

Arizona Cardinals
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!
Refereeing the Super Bowl is something all officials strive for during their career in the NFL. However, given the response of the Arizona Cardinal faithful and fans across the country, Super Bowl XLIII’s crew may be wishing for a redo.

Head referee Terry McAulay et al got off to an inauspicious start on the first drive of the game after ruling a 1-yard run by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger a touchdown. After a challenge by Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt, however, the play was overturned because the ball never broke the goal line. To the line judge’s credit, it wasn’t a blatant mistake. But in the end, the play was overturned because the ruling on the field was incorrect, and the Steelers settled for a field goal.

The officiating crew continued to benefit from instant replay after what was originally ruled a fumble by Cardinals QB Kurt Warner early in the third quarter. Once again, the play was reviewed, and the call on the field was overturned.

In arguably the most significant play of the game, Steelers linebacker James Harrison intercepted Warner at the goal line and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown to close the first half. During the spectacular runback, a possible illegal block in the back against another Pittsburgh LB, LaMarr Woodley, was overlooked. The Steelers took advantage of the 14-point swing and jumped out to a 17-7 lead at halftime.

Perhaps the most obvious blunder came after one of the biggest plays in Super Bowl history. Roethlisberger found outstretched wideout Santonio Holmes in the corner of the end zone with just 35 seconds left on the clock, giving Pittsburgh a 27-23 lead. An elated Holmes bypassed the NFL’s rule of not using the ball as a prop, and clearly did just that. The officiating crew apparently missed the celebration, which would have given the Steelers an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and forced Pittsburgh to kick off from its own 15-yard line.

As if that wasn’t enough, the decision to forgo a formal review on Warner’s final fumble was a head-scratcher. Whether that happened on the first play of a preseason game or the last play of the Super Bowl, it certainly looked worthy of a review. However, the officiating crew thought otherwise, and the rest is history.

With the outcome now embedded in the record books, one can’t avoid thinking what could have been. What if the Steelers didn’t score on Harrison’s record-setting return? What if Pittsburgh would have kicked off from its 15 at the end? What if Warner had one more opportunity to toss a Hail Mary to all-world receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin? What could have been ...

Unfortunately, we’ll never know.
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (7)

About Brad Wilbricht

Brad Wilbricht covers numerous sporting events including the NFL, NFL Draft and college football. His analysis is simulcast through several media outlets across the country. Additionally, Brad is a regular guest on a variety of talk radio shows and can be frequently heard on the airwaves. To...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report
CommentsComments: 7  |  Sign Up  View all comments
Avatar
No.1
svduran1		04:16 PM
02/05/2009
I use to think it was just the Raiders, but for the last three years it has become apparent one team is always heavily favored by...
No.2
Big East		10:45 PM
02/05/2009
That play at the end of the game was atrocious! I am neither a Cardinals nor a Steelers fan so I had nothing invested in the...
No.3
Brad Wilbricht		12:18 AM
02/09/2009
Well, did you see the last play of the first half in the Pro Bowl? There were less than 10 seconds left and Brees tossed it up...
Team News  |  View All Cardinals Content
Arizona Cardinals are Fallin...
The Arizona Cardinals are doing the wrong thing the right way. Instead...
1 year, 11 months ago   |   Arizona Cardinals are Falling Apart ( 5 )
Fans love Kurt, sore hip and...
Ken Whisenhunt said Friday that Kurt is doing great and hes playing we...
2 years, 6 months ago   |   Fans love Kurt, sore hip and all ( 0 )
Can Cardinals duo coexist at...
An Arizona Cardinals coaching staff in limbo earlier this week has bee...
2 years, 11 months ago   |   Can Cardinals duo coexist at offensive coordinator? ( 4 )
Warner is no Hall of Famer
Longtime readers of this column know I'm not exactly in love with the...
3 years ago   |   Warner is no Hall of Famer ( 11 )
Did referees cost Arizona Su...
Refereeing the Super Bowl is something all officials strive for during...
3 years ago   |   Did referees cost Arizona Super Bowl XLIII? ( 7 )