When you overhear a referee ask, “I lost my whistle, you got an extra?” you know that the game he’s in charge of is getting out of hand. Sunday’s game between the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers was exactly that. The game would mark a new franchise record for yards penalized by the Steelers (163), who were flagged 14 times. The teams combined for 21 penalties for 218 total yards. President and co-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Art Rooney II, said, “It reminds me of the old days,” as he reflected on the physical nature of the game.
When speaking to the NFL Draft Bible following the game, Rooney said, “It’s always special to beat the Raiders, no doubt about it, especially when they take a shot at your quarterback.” The referee had already lost one whistle before Oakland’s Richard Seymour decided to thrust a punch to