It’s not referees’ fault

How typical and predictable for fans of losing teams to blame the officiating. Far be it for Seattle fans to cast any blame on Josh Brown for missing two field goals, Matt Hasselbeck for throwing an interception on a critical drive, Jerramy Stevens dropping three passes, and for the Seattle defense to allow two long scoring plays against them by an inept Pittsburgh offense.

The fleet-footed Seattle defense also allowed Ben Roethlisberger to lumber down the field for first downs, thereby sustaining Pittsburgh’s possession of the ball. Are we to believe that all of the above mentioned are a result of bad officiating?

I will be the first to admit that the officiating was highly suspect and the penalty call against Hasselbeck on the tackle was one of the worst I have seen, but hardly critical as it did not involve a change of possession from one team to another. Seattle, despite the officiating, was still in charge of its own destiny.

As the song goes, Seattle was “Knocking on Heaven’s Door,” but that’s as close as it got. Seattle could have, and probably should have, won the game and has to look no farther than in the mirror for why it lost. It’s just easier and more comfortable to blame the referees.

Larry Smith

Cheney