I'm not big into consipracy theories, but there have historically been some games where the officiating was certainly questionable (I remember a Steelers game where they got EVERY call and a lot of folks thought that the NFL wanted the Steelers in the big game...) What would the NFL want more than a Manning v. Favre superbowl? I don't think it will happen, but if a bunch of calls go Indy's way, some people will cry foul.
I actually think the New York Jets would be the smarter choice money wise. We would draw ALOT more viewers opposed to the Colts. Obviously historically Manning vs Favre would be larger, but in these days its all about the $$$. But I don't think they are going to try to screw either team over.
Edge, Jets??? I don't know that a zebra team will favor the team with the largest market share. The other question is whether they will call the penalties as they do in the regular season, or whether they "Let them play." Some years the zebras just don't call penalties once the playoffs start. From 2001 to 1004, a tendency for the zebras to swallow their whistles helped the Patriots somewhat against the Colts. The Colts were a speed team, and still are. The Patriots were a more physical team. With the zebras not throwing flags, the Patriots were able to mug them. For a while there was an emphasis that penalties will be called in the playoffs as they were in the regular season. I think this has been fading this year. I've seen quite a bit of stuff in the last few weeks that hasn't been called. If so, this might give the Jets a bit of an advantage. The Jets are a defensive team, and more physical. If the referees are letting the players play, the sissy speed games the Colts like to play might be blown apart.
Just look to saturday Night, the Colts got call after call but we can't go into a game worrying about that. We have to make our own breaks.
The refs will call penalties in favour of the O on passing plays... that's a given. Lt's hope out of the 20 passes we'll attempt and the 50 they'll attempt we get lucky and the penalties get called on ours...
Obviously gotta be careful about roughing the passer penalties with Peyton out there. A lot depends on the crew that gets assigned the game.
Well, I think the officiating will definitely be in Peyton's corner. He's the face of the NFL and he helps sells it.
Have read a lot about how the refs favor Manning....but the reality is, Manning NEVER gets thrown around like a rag doll. Warner is all beat up, Brady is all beat up....but at 6'6" Manning has been injury free this season. Stay healthy Sanchez & bring home a WIN!!!
I think they want Sanchez-Favre just as bad, so the announcers can fall all over themselves about which one enjoys the game more and how much fun they're both having.
As much as I would love to see the Saints make the SB the idea of beating Burt in the Super Bowl gives me a hard on. I hope the officials are invisible. What I worry about it them blowing calls like the challenge on what was clearly a Floyd fumble. The other thing that does worry me is that Manning is going to get hit and I worry that we may get there late. We can't give this guy anything extra as he will kill us if we do.
I actually thought this would happen in the SD game, how far wrong was I :grin: If we are disciplined without compromising , and give the officials no cause, then they will have a tough time not us. Unless its a BS call about an incomplete pass and not a fumble
