Steelers' Fans Critical Of Officiating After Game
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Steelers' fans certainly had a lot to cheer about Sunday after a rout of the Oakland Raiders at Heinz Field that featured plenty of touchdowns and a new kicker.
While the fans were happy about the win, some said they were concerned about a few of the calls made on the field.
Fans came into the game focusing on the new kicker as many thought watching him was going to be the highlight. But it turns out that Jeff Reed's replacement, Shaun Suisham, didn't end up getting much attention.
Fans seemed more interested in talking about quarterback Ben Roethlisberger taking a smack from Raiders' defensive end, Richard Seymour, in the first quarter of the game.
"There were some words exchanged, but for him to hit him in the face like that was totally uncalled for," said Aris Rodgers, a Steelers' fan from Florida. "It's a professional sport and that's not the way guys should be playing."
Seymour was kicked out of the game, and many fans are waiting to see what fines he could be facing.
After that, fans got louder as it seemed that call after call was being made against the Steelers. It forced some fans to question whether the Steelers were being judged to harshly on the field.
"I felt sorry for the Steelers because I thought officials tried to take it away from them," said Kyle Smith, a fan from Texas.
"I think they're coming down really hard on us this year and I'm mad that they keep fining our boy," said Renee Mercer, a fan from California. "Enough is enough."
At the end of the day, a win is a win and Steelers' fans were happy. However, there was a roughness about today's game that has people talking about not just the old Pittsburgh-Oakland rivalry, but where the future of football is heading.
"You watch a football game to watch the hits," said Bill Hamm, a fan from Penn Hills. "You don't want to watch them tickle each other. It's to watch those 'ooh' hits.
As for the new kicker, fans say they won't really be able to form any opinions until he has the chance to kick a field goal, but they'll take all the extra points he's willing to give.
