I disagree. The principle of review is that you don’t second-guess judgment, you second-guess facts. “That dude was totally holding the other dude” isn’t reviewable because it’s a judgment call, and opening it up for review is just substituting one subjective judgment for another one. “The ball never crossed the line” is a statement of fact, and being able to get the fact right is good.
I also don’t share BillD’s botherment about the scoring review. The current system prevents (assuming replay works) all false positives – i.e., apparent scores that weren’t really scores – and gives coaches a chance to prevent false negatives (apparent non-scores that were really scores). That seems reasonable enough.
The objection BillD (and that flag-throwing coach) seem to REALLY have is that it’s not always clear that the replay officials are doing their job on the scoring plays, and there’s no way to force them to do it. But that’s just a gripe about an official screwing up a job they should be doing, not a gripe about the rule itself.
Then why not review all of them anyway? The point here is that they all potentially can be reviewed, by the officials or at the prompt of a head coach. What’s the difference? If an official puts up his arms or not. That’s it. And there have been cases where an official has put his hands up and then another official has made him put them down, and vice-versa.
The rule begets the problem. The SF/Detroit game ran around 30 minutes longer than any other morning game despite there being no serious injuries or OT in part because of all this nonsense.
And I haven’t even broached how utterly jarring it is when a big TD play happens, a very obvious one, and everyone’s cheering, and then an official blurts out THE PLAY IS UNDER REVIEW! All I hear is HEY EVERYONE, WE’RE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE GAME, NOT THE PLAYERS AND CERTAINLY NOT YOU.
When you compare compulsively reviewing a highly arguable TD catch whether it was ruled a catch or not against the officials running on the field and sucking out the most fun part of a football game even when a blind person can see it’s a TD, there’s no comparison against which is more idiotic.
Is it that you think more plays should be reviewed (whenever the ball is in the vicinity of the end zone), or that you think fewer should be reviewed (scoring plays only reviewed on challenge)?
I can see arguments for both, but using both arguments at once to attack the status quo paints the current system in a worse light than warranted. Yes, it’s less accurate than reviewing all potentially scoring plays; yes, it’s slower than only reviewing challenged plays. But it’s faster than reviewing all potentially scoring plays and more accurate than only reviewing challenged plays, so.
Shadarr
3464
I’ll just point out again that college is able to do it without bringing the game to a grinding halt every time, so there’s no reason the NFL can’t do it the same or better. In the NFL, the referee can spend more time running out to the middle of the field, then to the replay station, then back to the middle of the field, than it takes to actually review the play.
Also, for what it’s worth, I’ve seen several games where the red flag was thrown, the refs came over and told the coach it wasn’t reviewable, and that was that. The delay of game penalty seemed like a bit of a bitch move by the ref.
sluggo
3465
There are times I now fear that the refs, when in doubt, opt to call close plays as scores instead of not-scores, knowing that scoring plays are going to get reviewed.
I like Mike Tanier’s idea from last season - the RefBerry.
I propose a new device: the iRef, or the RefBerry if we don’t want Apple to have a monopoly. Basically, the iRef/RefBerry is a smart phone customized for football officials. No more conferences based on faulty memories of split-second plays. No more trips under the hood to consult the magic dragon. No more challenge sequences like this one, straight from the Gamebook of the Browns-Saints game:
(Shotgun) D.Brees pass short left to M.Colston to CLV 22 for 4 yards (E.Wright). FUMBLES (E.Wright), and recovers at CLV 23. M.Colston to CLV 23 for no gain (E.Wright). After the play, the Saints attempted to rush a field goal attempt, as Cleveland through the CHALLENGE flag, asserting that Colston FUMBLED and the ball was recovered by Cleveland. This challenge was DENIED, as the play was not reviewable. After the third quarter ended, the Saints then challenged the ruling that Colston was down by contact. New Orleans challenged the runner was down by contact ruling, and the play was REVERSED. (Shotgun) D.Brees pass short left to M.Colston to CLV 21 for 5 yards (E.Wright).
The Lions/Eagles trade for Ronnie Brown fell through; apparently Harrison failed his physical, some sort of medical issue.
You know I was afraid my post made it sound that way. I think the booth refs should have the discretion to review any end zone play they choose, or not. So when Megatron out-jumps the poor sap CB trying to cover him and comes down with the ball and just stands there like the badass he is, the ref can throw up his hands and everyone can cheer and we can move on. I want to fucking punch my TV screen when one of the refs run out like they are fucking photobombing the scoring player waving their pasty white arms croaking “Noooo the play must be reviewed how dare you celebrate.”
But if Megatron has to make a diving drag-footed catch and the ref on the field doesn’t think he had both feet in, well then fire up the fucking IR cameras. If the point of augmenting the scoring review was to get it right, then get it right, I guess. I say this as a supporter of the old system. Shit, the Jumbotron sorts a lot of this stuff out anyway. The rest should be up to a coach or team. What the Hell does this new rule fix anyway?
I mean, no matter what we will have the weird Big Brother effect with the booth officials. So let’s make it a bit more discretionary and ffs, no flags on coaches for throwing a challenge flag. I’m sorry but like Shadarr said, they let them pick up their flags in other situations.
In all honesty, I haven’t seen the refs interrupt uncontroversial touchdowns to the point that I’ve even registered it as a problem. It seems like they mostly review them during the commercial break, or whatever, before everyone sets up for the extra point.
That said, your proposal sounds reasonable. And the flag on the flag sounds ticky-tacky, but given that (as you say) they normally let them pick up unworkable flags, I have to suspect that was the coach being a dick to a ref and the ref giving him a big fuck you.
For the TD review just give the review booth the power to make the call. Have the TV break happen right after the TD call and skip the TV break after the extra point. You could go from the extra point to the kickoff without a TV break.
Maybe, if the review booth determines the TD should be reversed, then call in the field ref and have him review it and make the final call.
Automatic reviews of TDs shouldn’t be a problem given all the TV breaks we have after a TD.
olaf
3471
Well what is there to suggest that he can? Carson Palmer in 2005 is worth two #1s, sure. But…even if he does pan out…two first rounders for a guy that was retired? How does that happen? Point Bengals.
Sarkus
3472
It’s too much to be sure, but Palmer is only 31, so its not like he’s some old guy. He probably could play another five or six years at a high level, at least in theory.
The problem is that the guy is a risk because of his elbow and questions about whether his arm ever really recovered from that injury. That’s why I always thought that if Seattle got him, as was rumored they might, that would hopefully not pay too much. The Raiders are not only giving up their 2012 first round pick and either their first or second pick in 2013, they are taking on $12-14m in salary the next few years. The implications are pretty major all the way around. And while I know Raider fans really want to see a return to the playoffs, I personally think they will need more then just a few playoff appearances to make this pay off. If Carson can play at a high level and it elevates the team to a Superbowl contender for a few years then it’s a win for Oakland. If not, then its probably going to look like a bad move.
Lorini
3473
I think the Raiders could have had the same chance at half the cost with Vince Young. Total emo decision by Jackson. But hey, Raider fans are used to that.
Yeah, a brain tumor. Poor guy.
Lorini
3475
He was lucky because they wouldn’t have found it this soon otherwise. They say he should be OK. This week would be classified as a bad week for sure, first you find out you are going to be traded then you find out you have a brain tumor. I hope things turn out well for him.
Shadarr
3476
I obviously don’t know what an NFL physical entails if it’s turning up a brain tumour.
Given the emphasis concussions have gotten recently, they probably do some kind of brain MRI or something.
Yikes. I’m glad he should be all right.
sluggo
3479
Rex vs Norv
Ryan, preparing to face the Chargers Sunday at MetLife Stadium, inadvertently took a shot at Turner in a conference call with the San Diego media.
Ryan, who interviewed for the Chargers’ head coaching position in 2007, was asked how he might have fared if he had been hired instead of Turner.
“Well, I think I would have had a couple of rings,” Ryan said with a laugh. “I’m telling you, those teams were loaded. There’s no question about it. But things happen for a reason.”
Ryan evidently realized his comments could be taken as a slight toward Turner, so he called his counterpart to clarify his remarks, according to a Jets spokesman.
Turner, addressing the situation later Wednesday, fired back at Ryan after confirming that the Jets coach had called.
“I hadn’t seen his quote and I was a little bit surprised by the call, and after I saw the quote I didn’t have the chance to ask him this, but I was wondering if he had those rings with the ones he’s guaranteed the last couple of years,” Turner told reporters in San Diego, taking a blatant shot at Ryan’s endless stream of bold predictions.
I’m so tired of Rex’s schtick. I’m great, my team is great, we’re better than everyone, yawn. Win your division for once and be quiet.
On the other hand, he’s mocking Norv Turner, so that’s good.
