Can we talk about video replays in sports?

Jesus tap dancing Christ. Either modify it or completely remove it. It is ruining the flow of games at every level. College and pro. Or is it just another reason to go to a fan duel commercial?

I don't know if you can go completely without it, but something has to change.

It's made football refs lazy. They rely on it too much now, and I think that is why you're seeing more inexplicable calls like forward progress issues in the Michigan and Indiana games that never were an issue before.

I was listenting to the radio, on Sirius.  They said that in college, the officials get the game they officiated immediately downloaded into an Ipad after the game.  They review all their calls. They also get graded on every call they did make or, in some cases didn't make.  They are asked to give reasons why they made the  call.  Then, they are graded.   

I don't get the grading system. Why do they get graded if you don't use the grades to either keep these guys working o tell them they flunk out.  

As far as replay goes, I'm a tin foil hat type guy.  I think sometimes their buddies up in the booth don't want to overturn the shit down on the field.  I mean, are you kidding me with the "forward progress" call?   Jesus.   Why have a replay if it's so obvious  but not overturned.  Very frustrating.

I like it. I don't think games and outcomes should be decided on officiating errors if they are correctable. 

The model for all sports though should be a centralized league run review process at league HQ run by paid officials. They need to perfect that model so that the entire review from challenge to ruling on the field takes 90 seconds or less. No running into the dugout to put on headphones. No running to a camera booth and getting under a hood. Give the fucking umps/refs a GD pager or tablet or Galaxy S6 or something. It's 2015. 

And all rulings should be explained clearly, Ed Hochuli style. None of this "the ruling on the field is upheld but not confirmed" bullshit. 

And, replay reviews in college should be done at the NCAA level, not at the conference level so there is one uniform set of rules that are clearly published and communicated. Is it coach initiated? Ref initiated? When is it initiated? Nobody knows.

I love the idea of review, and wish it would move to a more 'common sense' approach to getting calls right. I almost wish they had an extra ref on site that was just watching the game on a hi def tv screen up in a booth from a camera a good camera angle so they could officiate better. If the ref sees a foul on the big screen he buzzes the refs on the field, and they make the call. Maybe a yellow light goes off so you know the guy up in the booth is calling a foul?

That being said, I think the current system is worse than it was before. If the current system can't correct calls like in the NCAA Championship game where the ball clearly went off Justise Winslow, a play they had ample video evidence to get the call right and still failed then what's the point of it?

The other horrible blown call, was UofM vs. S. Carolina in one of the New Years Day Bowls. Michigan did a fake punt, ball was spotted short of the chains, dumb ass ref comes over calls it first down, Steve Spurrier has a hissy fit and reviews it and the call on the field stands.

If the current system can't correct these calls then what good is it? Quit wasting our time.

DWags wrote:I was listenting to the radio, on Sirius.  They said that in college, the officials get the game they officiated immediately downloaded into an Ipad after the game.  They review all their calls. They also get graded on every call they did make or, in some cases didn't make.  They are asked to give reasons why they made the  call.  Then, they are graded.   

I don't get the grading system. Why do they get graded if you don't use the grades to either keep these guys working o tell them they flunk out.  

As far as replay goes, I'm a tin foil hat type guy.  I think sometimes their buddies up in the booth don't want to overturn the shit down on the field.  I mean, are you kidding me with the "forward progress" call?   Jesus.   Why have a replay if it's so obvious  but not overturned.  Very frustrating.

I miss the old days where you'd see a ref blow an obvious cal, everyone would be screaming horse shit for weeks and it was tough shit because we all have to live with it.

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

Oh, Ed. Miss that man.