MMQB Mail: Explaining the Warner review; defending best game tag

By Peter King
MONDAY MORNING QB - TUESDAY
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/
February 3, 2009

Wow. What a Super Bowl to take in. What an amazing game, and yes, I still say it's the best ever ... but let's examine the quality of the officiating, the quality of the game and then Ben Roethlisberger's performance for the ages:

• The Kurt Warner fumble with five seconds to go actually was reviewed -- and upheld. There is no question that, cosmetically, replay assistant Bob McGrath, sitting upstairs, should have called for a booth review and let Terry McAulay see the play down on the field. But understand the mechanics of the way this process works -- and understand the process was aided by a penalty call on the field.

When the ball was knocked loose from Warner and the Steelers recovered, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called on LaMarr Woodley for excessive celebration. So now, in the replay booth, McGrath had extra time, well over a minute, to use the touch-screen system of examining replays of the play. I don't know how many McGrath saw; he had 16 angles to choose from, and he used the extra time -- not only the time that comes with a change of possession and a re-spotting of the ball and a new play clock commencing, but now a discussion among the officials of the penalty and the spot of the penalty and walking off the penalty.

McGrath had around 90 seconds from the time of the loose ball to examine the replays to see if McAulay needed to examine the call himself -- and McGrath judged, and was later backed by the league, that officials on the field made the correct judgment that Warner fumbled before his arm started going forward. I agree that it was close. Very close. I wish McGrath had given McAulay a look. But I don't believe McGrath made the wrong call.

As far as overall officiating, 20 penalties (18 accepted ones, for 162 yards) is a lot. I thought the Karlos Dansby roughness call on Roethlisberger was patently absurd, and that was a big call in the game. I saw a ticky-tack holding call. But overall, other than those two, I thought the officials called penalties when there were penalties.

• You can't find a better Super Bowl. Ever. I know there have been some really compelling stories, and games, in the first 42. The Jets winning Super Bowl III and making an eternal cry for respect for the American Football League was a great story, but no one would call the game an all-timer, not with Earl Morrall throwing three first-half picks.

Super Bowl XXIII had Joe Montana driving the 49ers 11 plays and 92 yards for the winning touchdown with 34 second left was a classic finish, but again, not a classic game. The Giants' 20-19 stunner of Buffalo in Supe XXV was a keepaway game with great strategic stuff by Bill Parcells and his coordinators, Bill Belichick and Ron Erhardt, but a missed field goal as the signature play isn't how the best Super Bowl game should be remembered.

Super Bowl XXXIV was the best to that point and remains the best finish ever, with Kurt Warner hitting Isaac Bruce for the winning 73-yard touchdown inside two minutes, then Mike Jones tackling Kevin Dyson at the one as time expired. Two years later, Ty Law's huge pick and 47-yard touchdown return, and Tom Brady's drive, and Adam Vinatieri's field goal as time ran out put that game in the top five; and the 32-29 Pats win over Carolina was scintillating, but almost a survival test in the unreal humidity of Houston.

Loved last year's game; who didn't? Spoiling the perfect season was terrific theater, and the way the Giants did it, with two touchdowns and the incredible David Tyree catch in the last 12 minutes makes it very, very hard to beat.

But this game edges it. (Amazing, isn't it, that if you're 10 years old, and just truly getting into football, that you've now seen the two best Super Bowls of all time? ColdHardFootballFacts.com touches on this here.) This game had the best defensive play in Super Bowl history, the 100-yard James Harrison interception return. This game had the best defense of the last five years, being strangely shredded by The Quarterback Who Fell To Earth, Kurt Warner.

This game had Roethlisberger emerging as a no-doubt, unquestioned clutch star; he has the body build of Terry Bradshaw with the play-making escapability of Steve Young. This game had Warner leading the Cards on 87- and 64-yard touchdown drives in the last 10 minutes. This game had the biggest star of the postseason, Larry Fitzgerald, held to one catch for 12 yards in the first 48 minutes ... before he exploded for six catches, 115 yards and two touchdowns IN THE LAST 12 MINUTES OF THE GAME AGAINST THE BEST DEFENSE IN FOOTBALL.

This game had Roethlisberger taking the Steelers 78 yards (88, actually, because of a holding call on the first play of the drive) in two minutes to win it in incredibly clutch fashion ... and it had one of the top five catches in Super Bowl history -- because of its greatness, and because of its time and place -- by Santonio Holmes to win it. Best Super Bowl ever? It's an easy argument.

• The MVP call was a tough one. As one of the MVP voters, I changed three times in the last 10 minutes. I went from Harrison when the Steelers were up 20-7 to Fitzgerald when it was 23-20, Arizona, with more than a few thoughts about Warner. Then, as Pittsburgh went downfield for the winning score, I had dueling thoughts of Roethlisberger and Holmes in my head. It's probably crazy, but I would have picked Roethlisberger had Holmes made a simple catch in the end zone.

I still have second thoughts about the pick, because it easily could have gone either way. But I thought Holmes catch was so spectacular, and the moment so huge, that I went with him. That shouldn't lessen the impact of Big Ben's day. Completing 70 percent in any Super Bowl is magnificent, but completing two of his throws after circus-type escape acts from the Cardinal D, and then driving his team 88 yards in the 58th, 59th and 60th minutes on the biggest drive of his life ... huge. Just huge.

Now onto your e-mail:

• OH, A LOT OF THESE E-MAILS WERE WRITTEN MONDAY. From Scott Parsell of Indianapolis: "After watching the replay system cast a dark shadow over another big, entertaining NFL game, I must shout out loud --THE NFL REPLAY SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN. After the game, VP of Officiating Mike Pereira stated that the booth official was able to determine that it was absolutely, positively a fumble and therefore, it did not warrant a second look by Terry McAulay. And here's why I am calling bullcrap on Pereira. The final play was very similar to the earlier Warner lost fumble, which was challenged by Arizona and ultimately reversed. And this is my MAIN argument: Anyone with two eyes could clearly see after just one slow-motion replay that Holmes caught the ball, tapped both feet inbounds & maintained control of the ball all the way to the ground. That was clearly a good catch and a TD. BUT THE BOOTH OFFICIAL STILL CALLED DOWN FOR A REPLAY REVIEW OF THAT PLAY!!! I'm sick and tired of watching the flawed replay system have such an enormous negative influence on NFL games."

Nice use of the ALL CAPS there, Scott. I disagree. I think replay gets more right than wrong, and fans would be screaming about having it if it were not in place. But your theories are echoed by many.

• I BLEW THIS ONE. SORRY. From James of Baton Rouge, La.: "Great effort by the Steelers, but how on Earth can you justify saying that a Cardinals player should have been ejected when James Harrison threw multiple punches on a play that he was flagged 15 yards on. Were you watching the same game as the rest of us or does he get a pass because he played a great game otherwise?"

My mistake. Writing at 4 a.m., I just simply forgot to rip Harrison, who deserved it, for the idiotic double-shove. My fault. You have it down to a T.

• KURT FOR THE HALL? From Hari Kannan of Nashville: "Thanks for your column every week Peter. I'm wondering how the outcome of this game will affect Kurt Warner's Hall of Fame credentials in your eyes. Before the game, several writers implied that if he won the Super Bowl, it would make him a serious contender for the Hall. Well, except for some incredible Pittsburgh offensive plays and the inability of the Cardinals defense to stop Santonio Holmes on the last drive, Kurt Warner did everything he could do. He threw for over 300 yards, and took his team down the field to score a touchdown when it counted. Although the Cardinals weren't able to stop the Steelers in the end, it seems Warner did everything he could to win the game. Will the defensive side of the game prevent him from receiving the serious consideration he would get if the Cardinals had stopped the Steelers on that last drive?"

Warner has the most interesting and unique career of anyone I'll ever consider for the Hall. He's had five terrific, Hall-caliber seasons, and a five-year donut hole in the middle in which he did nothing, in essence, to merit consideration. He's played a full season three times. I'll say two things: I have been tremendously swayed by what he's done in this postseason (and the fact that in three Super Bowls, he's thrown for more yards than any player ever, including Joe Montana in four of them and John Elway in five), and his play in three Super Bowls is awfully persuasive. Let's give his career time to breathe, but this last month has helped him greatly in my eyes.

• SEE ABOVE. From Aaron Grace of Fort Collins, Colo.: "Peter, I cannot believe you, along with every other sportswriter, are calling this the greatest game ever. Seriously? Better than the Giants-Bills best game ever? Or the Rams-Titans best game ever? Or the Rams-Pats best game ever? We don't remember saying this every few years?

"While there was back-and-forth, drama and fireworks, the first quarter was totally one-sided. The Harrison play, while incredible, pretty much took away most of the suspense for a good while. The third quarter didn't produce much. Only the fourth quarter might have been the greatest fourth quarter ever.... unless you count the greatest fourth quarter between the Titans-Rams (same storyline.... Titans were TOTALLY out of it and came back) or the Rams-Pats (Pats came storming back, Brady led them down the field for Vinatieri). How can this claim of 'best SB ever' stand the test of time? I can't buy it. Thanks a lot."

See what you think after reading my argument above, Aaron. And please write after you read it. I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks.

• "THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS STUNK." DO THEY HAVE TELEVISIONS IN ISRAEL? From Benji Lovitt of Jerusalem: "Best Super Bowl ever? Get a grip, Peter. The first three quarters stunk and the officiating was atrocious. How soon you forget last year's game, which is by far the best SB game ever. This game was exciting at the end, but no comparison to last year's epic."

We'll have to agree to disagree, Benji. I thought the first three quarters were engaging and, at times, stunning, as in the Harrison return.

• I DON'T THINK THERE WAS OPPOSITION, JUST A LONG LINE. From B. Bruno of Metuchen, N.J.: "What was the opposition to Shannon Sharpe for the Hall of Fame? I can't argue with the six guys who got in, but Sharpe should have been a first ballot lock. You can't tell me that there isn't a bias against the Broncos. There are only two Broncos in the Hall and there are nine Chiefs. You tell me which franchise has the better history of the two and why the one with the lesser history has far more players in the Hall. I am convinced, for example, that Randy Gradishar would have been in had he worn the uniform of an East Coast team."

Don't look for biases where there are none. This class wasn't a New York-L.A.-Chicago class. It has men from Buffalo (two), Minnesota, Kansas City, Pittsburgh/Oakland/Baltimore (Rod Woodson) and Dallas picked. There is no Denver bias from a soul in that room, at least from anything I've ever heard on or off the record.

• GOOD CALL. From Paul of Dallas: "Peter, with regards to the public school system in Pittsburgh delaying opening for 2 hours... Don't you find something a little bit wrong with this. I know it is a big day for the city and for all fans, but our children and the education system in this country is a very important thing and this really sends a wrong message."

Agree. One hundred percent.

• INTERESTING FOOTNOTE. From Chester of Allentown, Pa.: "How do Merril Hoge and Mark Schlereth not ask the waiter who to thank for paying their tab? They should have paid everyone else's tab for having to put up with their nonsensical drivel on ESPN."

Come on. Those are two great guys, and very good at their jobs. Funny footnote: I got a call from Schlereth yesterday. Said the waiter wouldn't tell them who paid the bill, and they walked out wondering, "Who knew it was our birthdays?" Schlereth and Hoge go to dinner every Super Bowl week to celebrated their birthdays; Schlereth's was last Sunday, and Hoge's last Monday. They were mystified, and Schlereth's jaw dropped when the mystery was solved Monday morning. He told me he'd buy me dinner the next time I was in Denver, and I told him, hey, this thing turned out great for everyone -- they got a free meal at a great restaurant, the Brasco party got a free meal, and we all saw a great football game. Who didn't win in this deal?