The ref who called Mahan for holding..

[Ghost of Frenchy Fuqua]

was longtime umpire Jim Quirk. It's interesting that just a week or so earlier, Quirk was fined an entire game check (about $8,000) for grabbing a player (the Packers' Nick Barnett) around the neck and wrestling him to the ground. It's very rare for the league to impose such a stiff penalty on a referee.

Yet Quirk somehow ends up "being rewarded" with the playoff-game assignment. Amazing. And it's probably his last game because he's retiring after 20-some years.

If he looked familiar, Quirk was part of the crew headed by Tom White, who was easily the worst NFL ref until he retired after the 2005 season. I recall one prime-time telecast where Michaels and Madden talked about White, basically saying he and his crew were known for calling ticky-tack penalties. And Cowher ragged on White every time the ref worked a Steelers game (which was way too often).

Who knows? Maybe Quirk was extracting a little payback the other night...

[Royd92040]

Makes you wonder who paid Quirk's fine?

[mightyguru]

Quirky bastard.

[Ghost of Frenchy Fuqua]

The more I think about it, the NFL letting Quirk work a playoff game is crazy/disturbing/fishy, etc.

So what if he's retiring?

He's obviously a hothead.

And he's ugly as hell, too...

[Todd]

If he looked familiar, Quirk was part of the crew headed by Tom White, who was easily the worst NFL ref until he retired after the 2005 season.

Phil Luckett

[Aries1247]

Jeff Triplette is making quite the run at that title too.

[Ghost of Frenchy Fuqua]

Luckett bad. Triplette bad.

White worse.

[Hines57]

I dont buy into the whole NFL angle. The guy made a shitty call. It happens.

The part I dont like is that he should have never been there (reffing in the playoffs) to begin with.

[Ghost of Frenchy Fuqua]

That's my point.

[BAS]

I dont buy into the whole NFL angle. The guy made a shitty call. It happens.

The part I dont like is that he should have never been there (reffing in the playoffs) to begin with.

If I recall correctly (they mentioned it in one of the pregame shows), the first round of the playoffs was officiated by the top officiating "teams" in the league.

Just wait until the "all-stars" of officiating are put on the field this coming weekend. Rather than being in their more comfortable officiating units - now you're going to get a mix of officials in each game.

You want to talk about missed calls and bad calls... double it for this weekend.

[Irv24]

If I recall correctly (they mentioned it in one of the pregame shows), the first round of the playoffs was officiated by the top officiating "teams" in the league.

Just wait until the "all-stars" of officiating are put on the field this coming weekend. Rather than being in their more comfortable officiating units - now you're going to get a mix of officials in each game.

You want to talk about missed calls and bad calls... double it for this weekend.

As long as they screw the Patriots and Cowboys I will be happy.

[Max Power]

Fucking shamefull that is what it is. On a weekend with only four games, they couldn't send us a crew that could tie it's own shoes? All those NFL refs and on a Playoff Weekend we got CRAP. Utter and complete crap! I will find another media type that will agree with me. Let me look, it won't take long.

[Far51]

screw the pats , I hate them far more than I hate the Cowfags

[Cap'n A]

spontaneously combusted after eating a bag of hot pork rinds washed down with a 5th of peppermint schnapps.

[Mud Dog]

Makes you wonder....Quirk makes a ticky-tack hold call on Mahan - which had absolutely no bearing on the play. Then appears to go blind on the 4th and 2 call when not one but 2 holds were happening that directly resulted in the success of the play.
I am still pissed.

[Super Dave]

In 2000 Jim Quirk saw a Raider Player Spit into a Steelers players face 5 feet in front of him, he saw it, he broke it up, but didn't do a damned thing about it.

[LetMePlay]

Makes you wonder....Quirk makes a ticky-tack hold call on Mahan - which had absolutely no bearing on the play. Then appears to go blind on the 4th and 2 call when not one but 2 holds were happening that directly resulted in the success of the play.
I am still pissed.

The answer to all your questions is: Yes.

[Aries1247]

As long as they screw the Patriots and Cowboys I will be happy.

Bwhahahaha! When have you EVER seen the *Pats get screwed? & THIS year? The 'Pride' of the NFL? Never happen. You play the *Pats, you're playing the entire NFL FO & the media machine along with it.

[Stoney]

This is starting to get really sad.

We didn't lose b/c of the refs, we lost b/c our coaches tried to sit on a one-point lead with 3 minutes left in the game, plain and simple. Blame Tomlin and his staff, blame Ben for not standing up to them and making them throw like he did during our SB run, blame our ST coach and players, ...hell, make like Milli Vanilli and blame it on the rain, but don't blame it on the refs.


Remember how sad Seattle fans looked when they cried about the SB? Well its begininng to look that way here.

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Bwhahahaha! When have you EVER seen the *Pats get screwed? & THIS year? The 'Pride' of the NFL? Never happen. You play the *Pats, you're playing the entire NFL FO & the media machine along with it.

case in point, Vince Wilfork should be suspended for this game for his third incident of the season for intentionally trying to injure another player. Instead he just got a fine, a fine that will be covered by his bonus playoff salary .

[OFTT]

Remember how sad Seattle fans looked when they cried about the SB? Well its begininng to look that way here.

Look here, in this hand I have an ORANGE, and in the other I have an APPLE ... who can tell me which one is different?

You know what, never-fucking-mind ... there's no use in trying ...

Fuck it ... your right Stoney, there is no freaking difference in validity between our problems with the officiating in the Jax game vs the Seafag fan on SBXL ... and the Jag game officiating is beyond reasonable question and had absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the game ... the 2pt loss was 101% completely the result of inept Steeler coaching and player performance exclusively.

There, now I guess I can be considered a real fan, a manly fan, a responsible fan, a completely objective fan, etc etc. ... to hell with reality, thats only for pussy fans.

[SteelSamurai]

Let's see here...

Seattle fans whining about actual holding by their team that actually happened and actually got called.
Steeler fans whining about actual holding by the other team that actually happened and didn't get called.

Yeah, exactly the same. What a bunch of crybabies.

[bigtwnvin]

Second string referees with "issues" counting the days to retirement don't belong in a professional football game no matter who is playing. The teams, fans and the game deserve better. That's not whining thats quality control.

[Stoney]

Lets see: Seattle needed those calls to have a shot at winning the game, we didn't.
The Steelers blew that game, not the refs.

[THE GREAT BURGHBOY]

Lets see: Seattle needed those calls to have a shot at winning the game, we didn't.
The Steelers blew that game, not the refs.

True, but I consider the officiating was like having to race a 100 yard dash with a drag chute. It's a tremendous accomplishment to have almost won that game considering the handicap, it's just a damn shame the playcalling late, and the special teams was like having an additional 25 pound sandbag attached and trying to win that race.

Would making the refs full-time make this better? I doubt it, but I would think if these guys weren't thinking about their day jobs (like the crew seemed to be Saturday night) and focused on calling the game, the quality of officiating would increase.

[OFTT]

Lets see: Seattle needed those calls to have a shot at winning the game, we didn't.
The Steelers blew that game, not the refs.

Jax needed those none-calls to have a shot at winning the game.

Sorry, you'll have to excuse me for not buying that line of bullshit.

[Aries1247]

case in point, Vince Wilfork should be suspended for this game for his third incident of the season for intentionally trying to injure another player. Instead he just got a fine, a fine that will be covered by his bonus playoff salary .

Bingo. Lombardichick gets caught cheating? No suspension, ends up with AP Coach Of The Year. They take away thier 1st rnd draft pick? They get one anyway cause SF played like ass. Fucking amazing.

[BillvinCowbert]

Jax needed those none-calls to have a shot at winning the game.

Sorry, you'll have to excuse me for not buying that line of bull.

Well, tons of non-Steeler fans I've talked to thought it was total BS that Ward wasn't called for a facemask, and instead we got the 1st and goal call. If it goes the other way, we turn it over on downs.

There's always something to bitch about as it relates to officiating.

[Sean]

Rasputin ain't got shit compared to this horse you guys keep beating...

[Stoney]

True, but I consider the officiating was like having to race a 100 yard dash with a drag chute.
Perhaps, but we were leading the race a few feet from the finish-line and we stopped to tie our shoe.

[Penguins Fan]

I thought the officials did a shitty job, but the game and the season are both over and it's time to let it go.

Use the past as a stepping stone for the future, not as a damned crying towel.

Shit on the officials, the Jagoffs, the Cheatriots, the talking heads on ESPN, etc. The Steelers need to improve. Improve enough, then beat the Cheats. Case closed.

I´m looking forward to 2008. 2007 is over.