Sometimes, a picture is worth zero words

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Like this one, for example:

That one was copped from Will Leitch's blog (where I think he was being tongue-in-cheek about it), and then picked up by Sports by Brooks, where they see it as some kind of evidence that Santonio Holmes never had two feet down in the end zone.

And here's a picture, that, if you use your imagination, makes a similar point. It was taken by James Borchuck of the St. Petersburg Times, and was spotted at the FanBoy Blog at azcentral.com. It's a lovely picture, but, depending on the point you want to make, is also worth zero words.

Why are they worth zero words? Because the following picture exists, too. It was taken by Stephen M. Dowell of the Orlando Sentinel, and was also picked up from the aforementioned FanBoy blog.

And this is why NFL officials don't use still photography in the replay booth.

It's time to let this go. Pretty please.

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1. Posted by gaborik10m Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:05 pm EDT
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From the 3rd picture its still clear his foot isnt down, you can see the tip of his shoe...
ARIZONA! CHAMPIONS!
2. Posted by Mazarin Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:24 pm EDT
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I agree w/ Gaborick. Now the question is: What's the bigger screwjob: The SB Reffing or the Obama Stimulus Package?
3. Posted by shawn Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:03 pm EDT
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That is wright the 3 photos all show that the cardinals won they are the super bowl champions
4. Posted by ouh8trepublicans2 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:47 pm EDT
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gaborik10m will you ever let this go? Would it make you feel better if I told you that the Cardinals are XLIII Champs? Problem is, it still doesn't change anything. I understand though, that it may make you feel better.
5. Posted by Don Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:48 pm EDT
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Give it a break... Are all Super Bowl losers big whining baby sore losers???????? The Steelers won. Get over it.
6. Posted by STEELERS ARE THE BEST Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:13 pm EDT
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Get over it gaborik10m. it's over & done. the original call on the field was a touchdown & the review at the time did not produce conclusive evidence to overturn the call. it is a touchdown, & pittsburgh is the champ. period.
7. Posted by seabass Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:08 pm EDT
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I don't get you first three, the third shot clearly shows both feet down. Give it up already. You may get back again in another 50 years. Maybe by then you will have true fans that would even go to the big game. What a weak showing, pathetic.
8. Posted by FozzieBear Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:59 pm EDT
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MJD, while your overall point is well taken, that third picture seems to confirm the first two. Honestly, while I couldn't care less who won the game, I'm actually more convinced than ever that he didn't get two feet down. And I initially thought it was a catch.
And the guy who posted that the third picture shows anything "clearly" needs to ask for a dictionary next christmas.
9. Posted by Mat M Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:10 pm EDT
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Fumble!
10. Posted by Mat M Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:10 pm EDT
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Fumble!
11. Posted by BLSS13 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:09 pm EDT
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What I don't get is why they are showing the pics at the end of the catch where his foot left the ground. Why not show pics from throughout the course of the catch? And the third pic looks as if he is down, or its inconclusive evidence. Why can't the losing team of a championship quit whining and crying all the time? If you team was better they would have had more points at the end of the game.
12. Posted by Buck Joose Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:47 pm EDT
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Nothing is gonna change! Get over it, move on, and get ready for the next season's "refs vs replay" decisions!! Go Steelers!!
13. Posted by David D Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:45 pm EDT
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these are pictures that show the feet coming up after they were on the grass..... lets see a frame by frame.... nice shot to get the talk going..... STEELERS RULE......
14. Posted by joebitots Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT
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You can clearly see the bottom foot that supposedly wasn't, down kick up dirt. Also that was 2nd down so even if it wasn't a touchdown, the Steelers have another shot at the first down and a chance to kick the field goal that would send the game into overtime.
Please don't be like Seahawk fans
15. Posted by David B Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:47 pm EDT
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I'd also like to see some pictures of the TD that Big Ben ran in and was robbed of. Twitter id DPBKMB
16. Posted by Scott E Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:34 pm EDT
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Love is blind and so must be football fandom. Posts 1-3 prove it.
17. Posted by james-ontiveros@... Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:27 pm EDT
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You talk about denial.......6!!!....Here we go Steelers Here We Go!!!!
18. Posted by daddymag Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:34 pm EDT
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Funny thing is, in all three pictures I can't see the ball.
19. Posted by David B Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:47 pm EDT
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I think Dave Letterman had one on his show that seemed to show both feet in, too. I'd like to see that one if anyone has it. Thanks Twitter ID DPBKMB
20. Posted by current inhabitant Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:31 pm EDT
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WAAAAAA-W-W-W-WAAAAAAA ....W-W-W-W-W-AAAAAAAAA!
Once again, the entire story re-written much more concisely.
End of story. Get over it cry babies!
Sheeesh. If the Steeler fans had complained as much the ONE time we lost the SB, would it have changed it to a win? Yeah, the Steelers lost one super bowl...we got over it, and came back to win two!
The cry babies need to get over it, and get their teams to come back and TRY to win!
in-freekin-credible!
21. Posted by fozzymuppets Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:02 pm EDT
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wow. tards. at 30 frames per seconds, there would be 5 to 10 more images taken while holmes is falling to the ground. unless he's made of stone, his feet will fall to the turf in the remaining frames. you can't compare a still photo to a video. and the fact that there is a disagreement over the third photo is case in point that there would not have been enough evidence to overturn the call on the field. every year the superbowl winner "cheats" and the loser was "robbed"...guess if you hope enough for something it'll come true, right?
22. Posted by Jason Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:01 pm EDT
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What about the non-fumble call? His arm was not moving forward.
Unless you only whine in one direction.
23. Posted by REALiTY Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:14 pm EDT
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If you azriona cardinols can get a few more personnel from Pittsburgh, like Wisenhunt, Grimm, Fitzgerald, Hayes, or Brown, maybe you might win next years championship. Pittsburgh is also home to a few other football names, like Unitas, Ditka, Dorsett, Montana, Marino, Harris, Clements, Namath, and of course Cope! How many codrinals are from arid zona, anyway? Wasn't George Plimpton from Penix? BTW the Phoenix New Times is a crap newspaper and now your mayor and that Dead Parrot can wipe their tears on the Terrible Towel.
24. Posted by jason m Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:29 pm EDT
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Anyone who doubted this one in the first place is an idiot. Bad calls happen all the time, that's football. If you don't like it stop watching. The roughing the passer against the Cards was a bad call. The roughing the holder might be a bad call. Ben not getting in on the first drive was a bad call. The hold-for-a-safety was a bad call. That Warner's first fumble was called incomplete was a bad call. Bad calls happen. Champions overcome them. And they did. Arizona almost did it, too, but almost isn't good enough. Fans whining on and on are just miserable people. Who needs them?
Here We Go Steelers! Here We Go!
25. Posted by invertedmind Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:59 pm EDT
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Evidence: There is a clump of mud on the toe spike that extends all the way to the tip of the shoe, which can be clearly seen in the first two photos. in the third, only half the clump is visible, the other have clearly obscured by the grass, meaning the foot was down.
Oh, and in case it hasn't been hammered away enough, a still photo proves nothing because it could have been captured in the moments before or after the event in question. This is a perfect example of it. If you watch the replay, his right foot falls straight down, but then suddenly the foot quits moving downward and the heel kicks out to the right. Why? Because the foot was on the ground and couldn't GO any further down. Simple physics dictated that, once the ground impeded the movement of his foot, the energy from his foot falling had to go somewhere, so the momentum was redirected by both the ground and his hip joint into an outward swing of the heel. And after watching this thing over and over again in high definition, there is no way any conclusion can be drawn OTHER than he had both feet down.
Give it a rest already.