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Matt Is Over XL. Are You?

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I finally dispelled the demon of Super Bowl XL this spring while writing my book. I did it the old fashioned way: by re-watching the game and challenging my own assumptions about what happened. And I think Matt Hasselbeck’s quote regarding Bill Leavy perfectly reflects my opinion:

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It’s a game. It’s not a perfect science.

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Leavy himself has recently admitted error, but it wasn’t error that left me so angry. It was the feeling that the fix was in. And in retrospect, that is not at all what happened. The officials missed some calls because human officials are capable of error, just as Jerramy Stevens is capable of dropping a pass, Matt Hasselbeck is capable of throwing an interception and Chris Gray is capable of committing a holding penalty.

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And, ultimately, we will never know for sure what the game’s outcome would have been in a perfectly officiated game. Seahawks fans would do themselves a service by letting go of anger and remembering one of the greatest moments in team history. Seattle didn’t win, and they didn’t lose all on their own, but they fought with every ounce of their collective will. I’m ready to reclaim what felt like a stolen moment of glory, are you?