Called a block below the waist on qb for tackling the guy who intercepted the ball. Literally makes my blood boil. One of the most disgusting games of my lifetime.

When John Madden says it's the worst officiated game he's ever seen, that's saying something!

I was not a fan of either team, but I remember watching that game. In the end, I realized that Pittsburgh should not have won and that the Seahawks had been robbed.

Rest in heaven John Madden. Whether you know it or not, your voice was a huge part of my childhood. Be that watching the Packers games, or playing Madden on N64 and on. ❤

This is why refs need to be fined for bad calls

I remember watching the game, rooting for my Seahawks. My father-in-law, a Steelers fan, looked over at me and said "You guys are getting screwed by the refs"

When this happened I was a kid who didn’t know much about football, but watching it made me sick from the unfairness. Now I know a lot more about the game and it’s way worse than I remembered.

As a Seahawks fan, this game still hurts.

“We can only hope we’ll never see officiating this bad again” 2019 refs: hold my beer

When the ref comes out and says he botched several calls, that lets you know something is fishy.

Hahaha, I knew exactly what game it was. Three of the officials born and raised in Pittsburgh. That was the worst superbowl I have ever seen. Those officials should of been fired on the spot.

I definitely remember that particular Super Bowl and have thought all along that it was definitely unfair. This just solidifies it for me

Holding calls is the biggest weapon a referee can use to manipulate the game.

The Illegal Block call on Hasselbeck was arguably the most idiotic call ever. How do get called for a block.....WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE A TACKLE?!?!?! ANYONE?

When Holmgren, the Head of the Officiating Committee and Coach of Seattle says "I didn't know we were gonna have to play the guys in stripes as well" you know it was a terrible game by the Refs.

This is extremely accurate reporting unlike the officiating of that super bowl. When I saw this post I said it had to be the Pittsburgh Seattle super bowl and it was. Every time Seattle threaten to get back in the game the officials will throw some kind of flag with some ticky tack call or even a BS call. While the Steelers got away with everything.

This Superbowl was a total fix.

NFL officiating is such a joke.

Don't forget, the climate of the entire season was a media love affair send off for Jerome Bettis, his last season. I recall that it seemed as though every show leading up to the game was the media fawning over Bettis. As a Hawks fan, at our first ever SB, I felt a sinking feeling days before the game as the media's focus was only on Pitt and Bettis and were dismissive of Seattle and seemed to be already awarding another SB to the Steelers before the game was ever played. If this game wasn't outright fixed, it was certainly "influenced" in the minds of the refs and the ridiculous calls showed that bias.

This makes me sad for the Seahawks players who worked so hard to this moment.

We'll never see a worst officiated game than Super Bowl 40. 2019 nfc championship game officials Hold my flag.

mike holmgren said i didnt realise we had to play the refs too.

This game makes me LIVID. And mainstream media NEVER acknowledges just how egregious the officiating was.

Absolutely 💯% without a doubt!!! I literally couldn't believe what I was watching at the time. That was pitiful for the NFL.

Super Bowl 40: There will NEVER be an NFL game with such terrible officiating again. Entire 2018 Season: Lol, bet.

“This has gotta be about SB XL” - me as I’m clicking on it

Even as a Steelers fan I agree with you, I was pretty young during this game so I didn’t think to question these calls but seeing it again it’s pretty obvious the refs were favoring Pittsburgh. Why can’t we just play football?

Seahawks fans generally have two games they’re mad about. Super Bowl XL Super Bowl XLIX They’re for different reasons, but for slightly older fans, XL just hurts more. XLIX was just a combo of bad play calling and a hall of fam-level defensive play when the win was on the line. Even though that game was a heartbreaker, fair and square from the eyes of a Seahawks fan.

Look, as a Seahawks fan, I’m not mad at the Steelers for this one, I’m mad at the officiating crew for this one. The Steelers reaped the benefits of bad calls, you can’t fault them for that. Every team has done that.

The call on Seattle QB making a tackle is mind blowing

If I'm trying to determine the absolute worst referee decision in that game I would say it was the non-call on the horse collar tackle.

Don't underestimate the power of a referee to turn over the game to benefit one team & penalize the other. It can make or break the team chances of winning or losing.

Madden was rushed to retire for speaking truth in the commentators' box

"But we can only hope that we'll never see officiating this bad ever again" Let me introduce you to the 2019-2020 NFL season.

This was absolutely the most ridiculously officiated game I’ve EVER seen! The NFL wanted SO badly to hand that trophy to the hone to win boy and nothing was going to change that outcome! Seahawks fans were robbed!

That game made me so frustrated. It was obvious the fix was in and there was nothing the Seahawks could do to win. Hasselbeck and Alexander do not get the respect they deserve to this day because of it.

I'm a Browns Fan living in New Mexico at the time. I was surrounded by Cowboys fans and they were yelling that this game was blatantly fixed.

I miss listening to John Madden instead of Chris Collinsworth

I saw a Mike Holmgren interview years later where he said he had mentioned to the head referee (Leavy), after an early questionable call in that game, that maybe the game was too big for him (and his crew). After that Holmgren said, it was all uphill for the Seahawks. All calls went against them after that.

I remember the horrible officiating in Super Bowl 40. I bet on that Seahawks in that game and I was pissed off!

Ahhh the 2000's Seahawks.....the old feelings of bitterness this game brings back almost makes me nostalgic. How different the team is now

I remember this very well, thinking as a fan, this game is fixed.

I remember watching this game and being furious by the end of it. So many terrible calls.

The absolute worse call I've ever seen or even heard of was calling the QB for a block below the waist when he was actually tackling the ball carrier.

If you clicked on this as a hawks fan knowing it would be sb 40 hit that like button!

Not gonna lie...as a 'Hawks fan this STILL pisses me off.

As I rabid Seahawks fan I was livid at the lead-up to the game, with the Steelers getting so much of the pre-game press hype, you really had to look hard to even know who the Steelers opponent was. There was literally nothing being said about the Seahawks. Here's something I've never heard anyway else mention but I knew something was very fishy when all during the first half of the game, when coming back from commercials, the network displayed beautiful black & white photographs of the most famous players. The only problem? Every single photograph was of a Pittsburg Steeler. I couldn't believe it, I was pulling my hair out, screaming foul! Then after half time when they were about to start the second half they again showed another beautiful Black & White photo and AGAIN it was of a Steeler. Finally, after the next commercial break they finally showed a photo of Matt Hasselbeck. Five photos of Steelers to one of a Seahawk. Now, even with all this, I don't believe the game was "fixed." I just believe there was so much hype for the Steelers the Refs were swayed by the pro-Steeler fever and made every possible call to make Pittsburg, and Jerome Bettis, and Dave Cower's dream come true. And, during the infamous goal line stand, where the line judge called Big Ben's QB sneak a TD, the line judge didn't call it a TD until he ran in to see where the ball was, and of course Ben had moved the ball forward. Also, the great Jerome Bettis was stuffed by the Seahawks defense on 1st and 2nd down during that series, so Bettis, for all the hype, didn't to squat to help his team win that game. But that ridiculous holding call on Sean Locklear and the illegal block called against Hasselbeck near the end of the game when Hasselbeck was tackling the Steeler running with the ball, it's just mind boggling. Were the refs paid off to fix the game, I don't think so, they just called it like a bunch of sissies. If they had called it for the Hawks they wouldn't have gotten out of that stadium alive. To this day I am still furious about the bad calls in that game and I remember the headline, top of the fold in The Seattle Times four years later from the lead Umpire, "We really blew that one!" What more needs to be said, the Seahawks won that game.

When they called a 15 yard penalty on their QB (Hasselback) for a low block when he is trying to tackle the the guy who intercepted his pass, I knew it was fixed. Roethlisberger actually throw a low block after a hand off on an end around play by the Steelers soon after that in the video. No call.

I ain't even a seahawks fan and knew this was going to be the superbowl

Who was Commissioner during this? Vince McMahon????

Madden has hated the Steelers since the immaculate reception.

Wow! Never knew this. Thank you for the reporting.

Every Seahawk fan clicked and knew it was this game!

The call on the Seahawks QB while he was making a tackle let’s me know everything I needed to about if this game was fixed...

I have always tried to explain to people that professional sports, and now even NCAA, are a business. If you think about it from a business standpoint, you can always pick who will win the championship game by which team winning will make their leagues the most money. Usually when a great is retiring, the other team doesn't stand a chance.

First time here. I will be back. This was like a really awesome minidoc. I like your style of reporting. Instasub!

As soon as I got the notification, I thought, "this had better be Steelers vs Seahawks."

Before clicking this , I was already thinking Hawks vs Steelers SB

Good job man. Loved it.

Based on this video. Every super bowl ever was fixed. Calls go both ways...good and bad.

I thought I was the only one who wasn't a Seahawks fan that said this was a huge fixed Super Bowl

I looked at the title and automatically knew it was super bowl 40

Heard a rumor that Holmgren invited the entire officiating crew to his house years later to rewatch the game

That offensive PI was reminiscent of the call against George kittle vs the Chiefs. In fact, this whole story seems like deja vu of that game

As a 12 year old boy this broke my heart. I also lost $20

I knew this was the Seahawks vs Steelers SB before I even clicked on this..

I know a lot of people don’t want to hear this, but the NFL went to court, and legally said themselves the NFL is not a sport. It is in fact an entertainment business. On par legally with the WWE. The difference of registering as a sport opposed to an entertainment business legally is you have the right to force outcomes or dictate winners prematurely. NCAA football is classified as a legal sport while the NFL is legally classified as an entertainment business? Why would that be? The NFL reserves the right to govern themselves as an independent entity. They are required to have rules set in place that promote fair play and honest competition. However them governing themselves means they are in charge of their own checks and balances. So if the fair play and honest competition aren’t being met no one can do anything about it except the NFL themselves. (That’s like if a judge was the judge of their own case) This also protects the league from gambling or bets because you are essentially betting the undertaker will beat stone cold Steve Austin next time you bet on the jets pats game lol these aren’t conspiracies these are legal documents. A lot of peoples thoughts on this are mainly denial as they don’t want to believe they are being manipulated. However a jets fan took them to court and found out the hard way Santa clause isn’t real. The judge found even though there was evidence of consumer fraud due to spygate it is believed that people would still attend Patriots game if they knew it was scripted. The ticket only provides you access to a show case dismissed.

The biggest problem with the holding call was that the defender was offsides.

Before knowing who you were going to say I knew which SB it was.

The league didn’t think the hawks had any rock star draw at that time

super-good presenter, commentary, and video; thanks!

7:36 exact same contact as Hasselback except it's on a blocker and a Big ben makes the contact...

7:07 What i found strange about the "block below the waste" was that is was called on the team that didn't have the ball. Why would a defender try to block? But wait it gets better at 7:36! Look at ben Roethlisberger making a block the same way that Hasselbeck made the "TACKLE below the waste"

Personal rule of thumb - if gambling is involved, it's rigged.

A game often includes a blown call here or there. But because of all the accumulated blown/close calls going only one way, for me means it wasn't really a game. That is why the official is haunted - they took the contest out of the game. Whether it was intentional or through incompetence, the end result was the same. I recall that empty feeling afterward. I just felt like I did not really see a real game. But on the plus side, at least Bettis got his ring - and BTW, I'm a Hawks fan.

I saw this game and have not watched a live superbowl since...I stopped being an NFL fan, and I was never a fan of neither of these teams....My own experience as as an amateur game official helped me to assess that the game was compromised on that day, and it is still compromised to this day....

Matt Hasselback: We’re gon get the ball and we’re gon score

Yeah, I'm not even a Seahawks fan, watched this and knew it for BS.

Your right about this game. Bucs/Chiefs SB was also subject to grossly fixed officiating.

This game was undoubtedly fixed. Zero doubt about it.

Man, I don't like either of these teams but Seattle was totally robbed that SB.

Everytime the Seahawks gained momentum, a blatant flag was suspiciously called on this game.

"I'll go to my grave wishing I'd been better." -- MIke Leavy, ref. Nope, he's going to his grave a lot richer for helping to fix that game.

When was the last time one team benefited so much from referee controversy? How about every single Kansas City Chiefs playoff game with Patrick Mahomes?

As a niners fan this stuff makes me mad because the same thing happens to my kings against the lakers in the western conference finals

It's like watching the WWE, clearly they know who's supposed to win before the game starts

Most blatant attempt to fix a Superbowl was Ravens vs 49er's. Turning the lights off to ice the Ravens which worked. Stating that the lights would take almost an hour to fully heat up. While these days they'll flicker the lights after a score at some stadiums with no down time. They count on most having the memory of an idiot. And they're correct.

Seahawks fan here and I don't know which was worse, the bad refs of 2006 or The Blunder of 2015. And I better just end it here or I'll start crying.....

Still pissed about this game. From that point I cannot trust the NFL

As a Seahawks fan, I can tell you that we will never get over this one. It's one thing to lose straight up like we did against the Pats, but to get screwed by the refs to the point where they ADMIT IT, WTF?!

Easy to fix - learn from the NRL Turn it to “conference of origin “ You can only be picked by the conference you were drafted . That puts pride into your conference . Eg - drafted by the dolphins - you can only ever be picked by the AFC in the pro bowl for career. Current team is irrelevant . The interest / passion and crowds will return . The old AFC / NFC dominance will bring interest back . Including the players Aus Pro Rugby league were struggling with the rep games - no one cared . Until “State of origin “ was implemented (you are picked for the state you first played senior league ). Now - state of origin is massive Watch a state of origin game nsw v qld rugby league - full on brutal football - no pads / helmets - non stop - brutal hits .

SADLY this is not the Only Game which was FIXED, The more we look the more we Find Kansas City vs San Francisco, Raiders vs Buccaneers, This Last One is the Only which some players talk about openly.

Refs: Block below the waist. Qb: dude I was tackling him besides why would I block him when he is the ball carrier? Refs: Go Steelers.

I remember a perfectly executed pass play that they got Locklear on for holding. It was a 40 yr TD bomb toward the beginning of the game. When they called it back after showing the replay of him NOT HOLDING I knew the fix was in....

I had totally forgotten about the missed horse collar call. Ahh, the memories. What trash officiating.

This video is my all time favorite my dad and I are die hard Seahawks fans and been talking about this for years ROBBED

i remember watching this SB , and ever the Steelers fan were like " dang, we're getting all the calls. "

"We'll never see refereeing as bad as in Super Bowl 40 again." -Everybody before the 2012 referee lockout

To this frickin day, that Broncos Steelers AFC game made no sense, it was disappointing as heck but now watching this, no wonder!

Yesterday was the SAME THING! Ref mania striked again in SB 56!