So let’s talk officiating.
It’s been horrible this game. Really, really horrible. And not the sort of “Well they’e missing calls everywhere” horrible, but “Super Bowl XL” horrible.
It started with some healthy spots for the Steelers, and then there was Jermaine Cunningham getting called offsides in a sort of weak-but-accurate way. Then Rob Gronkowski got called for a pass interference that seemed like it wasn’t (thanks for all the replays, NBC), the Steelers almost managed to get into field goal range thanks to uncalled hold after hold, Julian Edelman was hit on a fair catch with no flag forthcoming, and the ensuing drive had a questionably early hit on an incompletion to Welker.
By the time that Brandon Meriweather was called for pass interference on a deep pass when he was clearly watching the ball as Pittsburgh’s receiver ran directly into him…Well, let’s just say a trend had already been established.
Which brings me to that age-old NBA basketball addage: “ball don’t lie”. With an easy chip shot to bring the Steelers three ill-gotten points, Jeff Reed shanked one low and wide.