Ever since Jim Joyce, a baseball umpire of 20-plus years, blew a routine call at first base and cost Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game in June, fans of baseball have elevated their calls for a better system of instant replay for the sport. The NFL has used modern technology since 1986 and has had the current "coaches' challenge" system in place since 1999. Understandably, then, people ask why 21st-century technology can't be used in baseball as well to ensure the correct calls are made. But does instant replay review even work in the NFL?
In all my years of watching football, I know there have been some flaws in the replay system. Some of these flaws have been addressed. Since 2006, for example, a ball ruled dead can now be reviewed to determine whether it was a fumble. Still, as I sat on my behind all last Sunday, I thought of a few bones to pick with the replay system and the state of officiating in general.
We will start in Miami, where even the casual football fan must have noticed the ridiculous rule that may very well have cost the Dolphins the game. With the clock ticking and the end of regulation nearing, Big Ben Roethlisberger scrambled toward the Miami goal line with the Steelers trailing by two points. As Roethlisberger dove into the end zone, the ball came loose and a pile of large men found itself on top of the ball. The referees called the play a touchdown and dismissed the pile, as it seemingly did not matter who came up with the ball. After his assistants saw the replay, though, Miami coach Tony Sparano threw the red challenge flag in an attempt to seal the win for the Dolphins. After review, the ball was ruled as having been out of Roethlisberger's hand before he crossed the goal line. Thus, had Miami recovered the fumble, the game likely would be finished, resulting in the Dolphins' victory. But the officials explained that although the ball was fumbled, it was not clear via the replay who recovered the ball, so it was given back to Pittsburgh, which hit a game-winning field goal on the next play. The ruling was consistent with NFL regulations, but what happened was the Dolphins were burned because the referees made a mistake. This is the very outcome that instant replay review should prevent. The correct move for the officials would have been to dig the ball out of the pile to see who came up with it in the event of a review, especially with the game on the line. This conversation then would be moot.
Moving to Chicago, we saw one of the sloppiest games I have ever watched. Jay Cutler personally handed the ball to the Redskins five times, four of them picks, one a fumble. It is the fumble I would like you to consider. On the previous play, the Bears brought the ball to the Washington one-yard line and used one of a limited number of coach's challenges, only to have the ruling confirmed that the ball was down before the goal line. On the next play, Cutler stuck the ball out as Albert Haynesworth slapped the pigskin out of his hands. Washington recovered and went on to win the game by a field goal. After taking a closer look at the play, it was clear Cutler had put the ball in the end zone. Had Lovie Smith used a challenge on a second straight play, the Bears likely would have had seven more points. I don't know why Smith did not go for the points. He was probably afraid to use his last challenge in a close game. Whatever the reason, if the officials had made the call correctly in the first place, this too would be a different story.
My last complaint comes from the Sunday night game at Lambeau Field featuring the Packers and the Vikings. This one has less to do with the effectiveness of instant replay and more to do with the fact that I, a 20-year-old college student who has never played organized football in his life, noticed something that refs, coaches and announcers all failed to notice. Late in the second quarter, an Aaron Rodger pass was intercepted by Minnesota's Madieu Williams after it was deflected by another Vikings defender. As NBC showed the replay, I noticed Vikings cornerback Lito Sheppard run out of bounds as he streaked toward the end zone in an effort to keep up with Green Bay receiver Greg Jennings. As Rodger's pass neared Jennings, Sheppard deflected it into Williams' hands for the interception, an illegal touch. For those of you who do not know, if a player steps out of bounds, he is not allowed to be the next player to come in contact with the football. I was astounded that the officials missed this call, and even more surprised that Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth in the broadcast booth did not bring this to fans' attention when I was able to see it from my couch. Additionally, the league has taken accountability for an instant replay review that overturned a Minnesota touchdown. The officiating crew mistakenly nullified a diving touchdown catch by Visanthe Shiancoe when they ruled it incomplete as the ball was pinned against the tight end and the ground as the catch was made. Because the ground did not help Shiancoe control the ball, it should have been ruled a catch. The refs are even wrong when they can watch the play zoomed in, in slow motion.
With much football talk these days focused on dirty hits and dirty pictures of Brett Favre, I think we need to turn our attention to these officiating miscues. They had profound effects on all of the games I watched this weekend, and things must change for football to move in a positive direction that could make games fair. Clearly other leagues should not be looking at the NFL as the paradigm of how to officiate a game. Forget about the "No Fun League;" this is the "No Fair League"
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