Mike Pereira: Refs come through with tough non-call

[Pickle20]

You want bad officiating in the Super Bowl, go watch the Steelers/Seahawks Super Bowl.

This had nothing on that.

[Ravens2006]

Want to see some blatant defensive holding? Check the Ravens' quick snap on 3rd and goal from the 49ers one... the one where Flacco rolled right and eventually got hit late, well out of bounds (that also didn't get called). Pitta tried to get a quick release and was obviously going to turn out to the right. One 49er blocks his route, which you could justify might have been clean contact and within 5 yards. But another 49er (I think Willis, don't recall though) literally wraps his arms around him. That's holding too... whether it's within 5 yards or not. It was the same kind of bear hug that the Ravens blockers were doing in the endzone on the late safety... arms wrapped around him, holding on. A lot more egregious than Smith grabbing Crabtree's jersey for a fraction of a second, while Crabtree is also pushing off on Smith (technically).

But since it didn't happen in the final minute or two, nobody cares. And it Simms and Nantz had chosen to call attention to the late hit on Flacco (which they basically ignored) that could have been a story too.