Let's pretend it didn't happen

The Super Bowl is the NFL's ultimate display to the world. It's a time to show off professional football to the casual fan and curious non-fans all over the world. So what did these people get: poor quarterback play, poor receiving (even the Super Bowl MVP had several drops), poor coaching by Holmgren, lackluster commercials, terrible halftime show, bad television coverage (Does it cost extra for ABC to show instant replays?), just two outstanding plays (Parker's run and Randle El's TD throw), and abysmal officiating.

When are season tickets for next year available!

There's not much the NFL can do about poor playing and poor coaching, but they can fix the officiating. Some friendly advice:

• Let them play! You usually do this with offensive line play; that's why it was so surprising to see the Seahawks called for holding so often. Watch offensive linemen and you'll see them hold on every play. Smartly, it's usually only called when it's very blatant and it strongly affects the play. The same standard should be used in calling pass interference.
• Too many special teams penalties being called. Fix this. Players did not get stupid all of a sudden. Officials decided to emphasize special team penalties so much that it was impossible to watch a game without seeing a flag on a return. Special team penalties can often be a difference of 20 to 40 yards, so when a penalty is called, it better be blatant enough that the whole stadium could see it. Again, let them play.
• Fire this year's Super Bowl official. This time it's not just me whining about the officials. Last night, it was the main theme on Fox Sports Radio. There are several articles on officiating too. When the officials become the story, it's time for them to go.