I’ve Seen Enough, Give Us Replay
Jeff Sims
Saturday April 26, 2008
It is not often that I decide to rant to the masses, but I have seen enough this season with bad calls, especially late in games, that are aiding in the outcome of games. With the competition committee looking to improve the game each year (I will be positive and say they have done a great job the past couple of years), it is time that they do the one thing that will improve this game more than anything else, give us some form of instant replay! Please.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have hit my peak with watching games being decided by an incorrect call or a whistle and yellow laundry.
I will first have to start with the Orlando against Chicago match-up two weeks ago. Here we are in the middle of overtime and the Predators are going for a two-point conversion to either win or lose the game. Orlando fullback Marlon Moye-Moore takes a direct snap and ends up having to reverse direction. Only Rush linebacker stood in between Moye-Moore and the winning score. The conversion is ruled successful and the Predators win the game.
Now I am not going to go too much of a rant, but give me a break! Looking at a replay, Moore was forced out by Alfonso before he reached the goal-line. While Moye-Moore assures that he would not let a “small linebacker” stop him from reaching his goal, replay I think shows the obvious, he was out before he made it in to score.
That gave the Rush their second loss, a loss they should not have that could have been prevented.
I was watching a couple of other games this past Saturday and was appalled at what I saw.
I was first watching a great game between Los Angeles and Cleveland that was going back and forth like an outstanding and energy filled Arena Football League game should. Then late in the fourth quarter with a few minutes remaining, Los Angeles is driving and their quarterback, Tim Hicks, drops back to pass. He is surrounded but clearly short arms an attempted pass. It is ruled a fumble and the Gladiators recover and go on to score again and put the game out of reach.
Even listening to the announcers on this game, it was obvious what had happened. Now if that play is reviewed, they keep the ball and Los Angeles at least has an attempt to tie and stay in the game. With the call, the game was blown for the Avengers.
I then flipped channels to watch the end of the game between Kansas City and Colorado and here we go again.
Colorado scores with approximately 16 seconds left in the game that puts them down by only two points. It is obvious the onside kick is coming and should be covered appropriately. Crush WR Ben Nelson kicks the ball and it squibs, hits a Brigade player, and is then recovered by the Crush.
Great play; right?
Wrong. There was a flag thrown for the Crush being offsides on the kick. The recovery would have given Colorado the ball back with a few seconds left to advance the ball a little bit and gave a chance to Nelson (or anyone for that matter) to attempt a game-winning field goal.
Now I am not saying that Nelson or any other fill in kicker would really have a shot at making a kick like that. Most regular kickers in this league are 50/50 on something like that. But the fact of the matter is that if the correct call were made, the Crush may have had a shot at a win and keeping Kansas City winless.
How difficult can it be in this league to review a play?
There are cameras in every arena at every game. Yes, I am aware that not every arena has multiple camera angles and each game can be different. That is okay. The fact of the matter is that there is a camera and it should be used to the advantage of the league and its teams.
Games that are on ESPN can have more of an advantage with there being multiple camera angles and views. So be it. You are presenting your product to the masses and trying to grow the popularity of this game. There will be difficulty in that area if the fans know that the outcomes are not always correct.
If you want to antiquate the game, just bring back leather helmets and pretend that technology does not even exist.
It should not be that difficult to set up a monitor in one of the corners and use it only when a play and a call can make that much difference to a game. There are many interpretations to what makes a difference, but it can be done.
It is not as if an official has to walk all that far to that monitor. The field is rather small and the game would not be extended by much for a couple of reviews. Give the games the three hour time window as it deserves anyway. Any extra time can actually be used for pre-game activity or post game interviews. Give the fans a more in-depth look at the game instead of coming on just as the ball is kicked off to start the game and cutting off as soon as the final horn sounds.
It is just a matter of getting it right and not affecting the outcome of a game for a team that should have won. Who knows, that game could be one that affects a team’s playoff positioning or whether that same team makes the playoffs at all.
A head coach should not have to go into a locker room and tell his players to not complain about a call and to move on and win their next game when that game that was just played should have been won with a right call.
It does not have to be a difficult process either. Just let the head official see the play just once. JUST ONCE! Anything to let them see the error they made and have a chance to correct it.
As a fan of this great game, this is all that I ask for.
Changing the player substitution rules and the jack linebacker box rule are wonderful things that have made a difference to the game itself, no doubt.
But if you are really going to present this game as legitimate and grow it as you would any other business, you have to be sure that the right decisions are made for that growth to be achieved.
So please AFL, do all of us fans a favor and do the right thing.
Jeff has been writing for ArenaFan.com since 2004. Originally from New York, Jeff has been living in the Chicago area for the past ten years and is an avid football fanatic. He holds a BA in communications from Hofstra University in New York and a sports management certificate from Loyola University in Chicago.
