#videoreplay

Good day all and welcome back to my sporting opinion. today as there is talk of using video umpiring in the upcoming spring training for MLB, we talk about the problem with instant replay or the video review system in professional sports.

how bad is this you ask. well that’s a great question it is bad enough to cost teams wins during the regular season and wins in the playoffs and even trips to the Super Bowl. 

Without getting into the big long details of video replay in sports, we can look at this issue just as a simple sports fan. first to the CFL a league that some football fans look at and laugh well with what they have done since brining in the coaches challenge it understandably starts to look like a joke league. First each team was given 2 challenges and basically if they got it right then they got to keep there challenges. which after a little time the CFL found out that they might not be making all the right calls at all the right times and as each season wore on it was glaring clear that the refs were not always at the level they should be. 

Now as a side note with having been a ref my self in a few different sports. i understand that it is at times very difficult to make the right call however if i missed a call and had the ability to review it and get it right. i would have take  that shot in a heartbeat.The CFL however instead of using this new found delema to work with the teams and players to make sure the right calls are being made they reacted in the exact opposite way.

the first step was to change the coaches challenge to 1 per half and even when that showed them getting calls wrong they went one step further and changed the rules (IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON) to 1 challenge right wrong or we just don’t care you only get 1. 

so with the events of above clearly showing that CFL is a league stuck on being who’s right not what’s right and unfortunately this is deciding games in the regular season and playoffs, they are probably the biggest example of a league that needs to look at why they have video replay.

Now on a much smaller Scale the NBA and NHL have had a few games in the last calendar year that shows they are also dealing with this issue. the most public of these came in the following examples. In No particular order. 

1. The SJ sharks were playing the STL blues in the playoffs last year and in OT of game 3 a undetected Hand pass lead to the winning Goal for the sharks. Now the Blues were furious and lobbied for a review, however because none of the refs saw it live it was not allowed to be reviewed. this only brings up the following question we have amazing video replay technology why are we not taking the very small amount of time to use it to review and get the call right.

2. To the NBA and the regular season game between the  HOU rockets and the SAN spurs. which once again all it would have taken was a short review and the right call would be made and may have changed the outcome of the game. this one was simple James Harden went in for a dunk the ball goes though the basket and back up again. at this point a simple sorry i didn't see it lets take a quick review would have worked great but no, for some reason scoring a basket in this circumstance equals no review and no challenge aloud, once again deciding the outcome of a game.

3. Back to the NHL where during this years regular season a clock management issue lead to a controversial end as the CLB Blue jackets were playing the CHI Blackhawks. In OT a penalty was called and the whistle blown, however the clock ran for another second and a half, and what difference does a second make. well in professional sports a Second can seem pretty long as lots can happen when the game moves that fast. so its understandable that an officiating team can miss things. in this situation once again a simple review and adjustment could have averted everything that was about to happen. they did not change the clock back because it’s not a challengeable play, so play goes on and at the buzzer the Blue jackets score to win the game. however after review the puck did not completely cross the line before time ran out. Now if that second and a half was added back like it should have been then this goal would count and the jackets would have won instead of lost and would not have gotten their goaltender injured in the shootout as an added downside. as a side note in this one well done John Tortorella for calling out the league on this one, and shame on you NHL for fining him for calling you out when he is clearly right, just admit you were wrong and look for a solution get your pride out of the way.

4 the last example is probably the most publicized as it cost the NO Saints a trip to the Super Bowl.lets just say it, No explanation necessary. it was pass interference and the refs missed it, well review it, get it right and move on. nope sorry no one saw it and it’s not reviewable. WHY is this not reviewable, the reason. at the time rules were in place for Video replay to be about who is right not what is right. (Good Job NFL for changing the rule in the offseason)

these are only a few examples of the issue with the current state of video replay in pro sports. When video replay first came in, we constantly heard it was so that right calls could be made. 

The technology has come so far we have cameras everywhere and can almost look at the individual water molecules that form the ice, So why can’t we just let Video replay be about getting the call right every time. why should the coach have to challenge. Every league should have a video replay official and can review things even before a review is needed so that when there is any question or concern it is a quick and easy here is the video fottage and this is what the call is, games are 2-3 hours anyway why does it matter that a review would take an extra minute.

So to all pro sports leagues please use video replay as it was intended to get the call right, take the extra second, swallow your pride, as showing that you can admit that you were wrong and changing the call during the situation is more enduring and easier to forgive then releasing a press statement 2 days later saying sorry we were wrong.