Fairness is stupid. I am so sick of the official replay reviews in professional and college sports. It has ruined these sports. It takes away the momentum, which can change the result of the game. We really need to get back to a time before replays. It was a much better time, even with all of its faults.
I just watched the Northern Iowa University versus Texas A&M game. I know that was a little while ago, but I recorded all of the games on my DVR, so I could have all of the games in the background while I work.
Now, I haven’t been reading the sports pages, but NIU was freaking robbed. By the refs no less. The refs spent minutes to figure out if 0.1 second needed to be added or taken off of the clock!! During those minutes, the teams, who had no timeouts left, were able to plan the next play, and this happened after every bucket! (well, maybe not every, but pretty damn close.) It was only because of the refs that Texas A&M (yes, the Big 12 traitors) were able to sneak out a win. I dare you to tell me that the refs didn’t change the momentum of the game that NIU was sure to win. If you can, I would like to hear your argument.
My whole annoyance with the replay started with the 2015 World Series, before that point I had no clue that the MLB had started to use replays. And not only replays, but they have a umpire sitting in some small office far away, New York or something, that actually looks at the play. So, not only do you have to sit waiting for umps to rethink their call, but you have to wait for the freaking delay in sending data half way across the continent. Now that is stupid.
Now the NCAA is doing replays, but more like the NFL, but they still nit pick over the stupidest things. There was one where it was nearly impossible to tell if a ball had left a guy’s hand in time, but they still make a call based on a screen with crappy resolution. And don’t get me started on the NIU debacle again.
Now I hear that MLS has or wants to go to the official review process! I hope to God that FIFA does not allow it, or revokes their permission if they’ve given it. Every so often I catch the Premier League, and it is a breath of fresh air. They actually play the game, and take whatever the ref says. No bitching no moaning. If it was a wrong call, everyone gets to complain about it at the pub. It’s the perfect system.
I think MLS wants to have referee reviews so they can have commercials during the game. Maybe they’ll tell the refs to ensure 3 or more reviews per half. If you doubt me, why else would you need it? Fairness?
Soccer is slow and fast paced, and perfect that way. Anyways, how are you going to deal with the constantly ticking game clock?
Before the reviews started, you knew there were good and bad refs, good and bad calls, but that was part of the game. These bad calls allowed for the loser to blame the ref for a loss, even if they would have lost anyways. We need to have all sports go back to being sports, not messages about fairness.
In all sports there are fouls that are not caught, and there are some non-fouls that are called fouls. You don’t see reviews of these calls. If it cannot all be reviewed, then nothing should be reviewed. Next thing you know a computer will analyze, in real time, every play and player of the game and ensure everything is fair. What’s the point of referees if we don’t trust them to think for themselves?
I wish I could never watch US sports ever again, because the joy has been sucked from the game, like a thirsty vampire sucking the life out of his victim. Too bad I like sports. Go Kansas State!
Photo from The Library of Congress Flickr account.