NFL: Why I Hate Instant Replay Part II

Setting aside my fears about replay in baseball, and setting aside my bias for the Chicago Bears, Sunday’s night’s games between the Bears and Colts exemplified the flaws of an instant replay system that hurts the excitement of the game. 

There were three challenges in this game and in all three, the calls on the field were upheld.  In each instance a different flaw in the system was exposed. 

In the first quarter the Colts clearly fumbled a punt return.  Bear running back Garret Wolfe clearly fell on the ball, and came out of the pile with the ball.  The ref ran in and signaled that the runner was down by contact.

A few years ago a call like that ends the play.  The runner is down, the play is over, and no fumble even occurs.  In other words the play was not reviewable.  A few seasons ago the rule was changed to allow for a “clear recovery” by the defensive team to justify overturning the play.

On this particular play that rule should have given the Bears the football.  They were not given the football and instant replay failed to improve the accuracy of the officiating. 

This type of play also puts pressure on the refs not to make their intuitive call on the field.  With the current replay rules refs should almost always swallow their whistles and allow plays to continue because the replay can bail out the offensive team if they were in fact down by contact.

Blowing the whistle early, even if it looks like the right call prevents the defense from a fumble return.  Replay alters the way an official calls a play on the field and if a linemen’s knee ends up blocking the camera angle than the wrong call ends up standing. 

Move on to the second quarter when the Bears defense comes up with one of the most exciting plays in football, a safety.  Figuring he has nothing to lose because it’s the first half Tony Dungy throws the red flag and the excitement is sucked out of the game as everyone watches pretty unhelpful replays that confirm what was called on the field. 

This challenge exemplifies my biggest problem with replay:  it kills the excitement and importance of the live action on the field, because every exciting play is immediately subject to review. 

If you are counting at home that is two challenges neither resulting in a change and neither responsible for making the game fairer or better officiated. 

In the second half with the Colts deep in their own territory Marvin Harrison clearly makes a catch, fumbles, and Lance Briggs runs it back for six.  Again Dungy figures, why not?  He throws another challenge flag, the play stands, and once again the excitement is taken out of the game.

Go back to the first quarter.  On a very similar play Reggie Wayne gets demolished by Charles Tillman and appears to fumble the ball.  But before Brain Urlacher can run the ball back for six the play is whistled dead.  Even if the Bears had challenged they wouldn’t get the six, they’d just get the ball.  Again a replay in this situation doesn’t make the game any fairer, or better officiated.

NBC, CBS, Fox, and ESPN all love replay because it gives them more commercial time and gives them more to talk about.  But as last night’s Bears-Colts game proves, often times it doesn’t help officials, sometimes it makes officials alter the way they call the game, and always, always sucks the drama and on field excitement out of football.

I say limit replay to sideline calls, end zone calls, and completions after which the receiver or defensive player is immediately tackled.