Televised Instant Replay

Controversial calls have been around every sport, just about every week you can tune into Sportscenter and get the latest controversy. Our technology has made instant replay possible and it is gradually getting better. Pro sports are very big in our lives and each games outcome decides the fate of each team. While it can and probably will slow down a game, the players play the game to win and sometimes officiating can mess with said outcome. Referees are human and are very capable of making mistakes or even favoring one team over another. Critics have called for the abolishment of instant replay, mainly because they had a few calls not go their way, and while it's understandable to be upset, the system is right much more than it is wrong. People are prone to mistakes and when put into a position of power like referees are, they have too much ability to change a game, instant replay will evolve with the game and hopefully promote fairness between two teams.

For the millions of dollars and hours of television watching that goes into sports, we should be able to get the calls right. The thought of getting rid of instant replay in the NFL is almost the thinking of a madman. I hate to harp on referees, but they are human too and in the split second they have to make a call, can easily mess up. Look at the recent Patriots vs. Ravens game on Monday night. On 4th and 1, the Ravens stopped Tom Brady on a quarterback sneak, however the down was replayed because the Baltimore defensive coordinator called a timeout just as they snapped the ball. The problem is that only the head coach can call a timeout from the sideline and the ref did not notice, and what should have been a Patriots turnover, kept the drive alive and led to a Pats victory. I'm sure this made some gamblers hearts beat faster.

A lot of people have expressed their opinion that it slows down a game to much or makes the game to long. Alas, statistics have shown that even with replays it generally adds only about three minutes to the game. If it slows down the beginning of the game, the second half usually is much faster. It can also be beneficial to the team challenging a ruling on the field. If Team A is moving down the field with ease and has all the momentum and they complete a controversial pass, Team B can challenge the catch and basically stop the game for the review, this lets the defense recoup and get its act together. If you are Team A, you'd probably be upset at this tactic but what goes around comes around and you'll have your chance to gain that advantage.

At the same time, when you take out the human element of making a call, there is less to debate later, and now this that has been the same for so long now changes so fast. However, it's not just football that uses instant replay. Hockey has one of the most successful replay systems and has benefited the most from this feature, for all they use it for is to see whether or not the puck crosses the goal line. Due to the fast action near the goal line, it can be very difficult calling a goal without it. Baseball might be the next sport jumping on the technology bandwagon. Although it might be a while, Umpires have literally fractions of a second to make a call. If there was one or two more "umps" in a booth watching on a television, the correct call could be made 100% of the time, while still maintaining the pace of the game. As players get stronger, faster, and quicker, the runs, passes and catches will be more spectacular than ever. The ability for a referee to reinforce or change his decision will be crucial and with these HD cameras, it is certainly a possibility.

To add even more scrutiny to the refs, a few months ago an NBA ref was caught betting on games he was reffing! It may not have everything to do with replay, but it shows they are not infallible and if one guy is doing it, odds are he isn't alone. A few flags here and there may not seem like a lot but it can change a game and sometimes one game is all you need for the playoffs.

Some coaches think the grass is greener on the other side of this replay. Head coach of the Ravens had a few calls against him a few years back and was a strong advocate of getting rid of the replay. However, what if his running back fumbled just before his knee hit the ground? Without replay you could never know just when he fumbled. You could raise the stakes and say he fumbled at the 1 yard line, or get even crazier and say it was the 1 yard line with 10 seconds left for the win in the Superbowl.

The bottom line is that the NFL and other national sports leagues are a business, and they will typically do what it takes to keep that customer. Usually that will mean making the game more competitive. Replay offers us the ability to do something reality can't. That's to go back and make sure we made the right decision. The best way to do so is take some power from the refs, making instant replay more important. Those complaining of games being to long are simply not advocates of replay. The game goes on with the correct call and as the game changes, so will replay, adding to the advantage of both teams. Who knows, maybe someday replay will be able to make a correct call itself, allowing for complete unbiased officiating.