Please Be Kind And Rewind. For those of us who grew up during the VHS boom in the mid to late 80's we are all familiar with the sticker that was placed on all tapes rented from your corner video store. Though the VHS tape is no longer relevant the ability to pause rewind and review has become a part of the sports viewing experience. Instant replay has become what it is today thanks to the improvements of technology and as we have sports have embraced these changes to improve their product. Instant replay provides an opportunity to correct the errors in judgements of the officials. Though instant replay isn't without it's critics you cannot deny that getting the call correctly trumps all. The fans, teams and officials all want the game decided on the field and for that reason all sports have embraced the technology of today to provide a better product now and in the future.
Last season baseball finally agreed to review HR's but only limited replays to those involving HR's. When agreeing to allow HR replay officials emphatically announced that replay would go no further. Two years or so later the heat to allow more replay is at it's boiling point. The bad regular season with nightly controversy has been followed by a egregious postseason of officiating.
Officials aren't inept at what they do. They have year around training and continuous review of all rules. The game is just played at a better all around level than 20 years ago. Thus making it harder for umpires to get into proper position to make calls or losing focus on the calls in front of them because they realize that this could happen or that could happen. And of course all people make mistakes and umpires are no different. The ability to correct obvious errors is available why not use it? MLB claims that it would slow the pace of the game. I love baseball but the only pace that baseball has compared to other sports is slow and slower. MLB is the league that plays a max 19 game postseason over a 30 day period when the season is played 6 games a week. MLB waited 7 days to start the World Series but are worried about the pace being effected by replay. MLB has also voiced the time involved with the replay. Would it be any longer than the Manager coming out and raising hell kicking dirt and throwing the bases Pinellia style?
Baseball doesn't know how to handle the replay process but thankfully for baseball they have fans like me who have nothing better to do with their time than to cure your problems. Here is my proposal for instant replay. All calls are eligible for review other than ball strike and check swing calls. A official will be in the replay booth and will review each play that official will inform the Home Plate umpire of the proper ruling(No need for umpires to review the plays when an official is already looking at the play). No plays will be reviewed if a Manager storms the field in protest thus no time will be wasted arguing. And finally all plays that are overturned involving a hit(No HR or Ground Rule Double) will result in the batter getting first base and all other runners advancing one base.
This proposal could be tweaked of course but all and all I feel pretty good about it. The time involved would be less than a manager tiraid and the umpire congressional hearing on the mound consumes. Although the one base awarded wouldn't nullify the blown call it would provide a uniform policy and be an upgrade over the wrong call. I love the game of baseball but it's time to evolve a little. Just because the game constantly references the glory of it's past and the rules for the most part haven't changed since the 40's doesn't mean we shouldn't embrace the technology of today. As the voice of the fans "Be Kind and Rewind."
* Once again the NCAA shafted the student athlete. Dez Bryant the All American WR from Oklahoma State was suspended for a year. For lying about doing nothing wrong. Bryant was questioned about his relationship with Deion Sanders. Bryant who wasn't clear on the validity of the situation didn't exactly tell the whole story. Bryant was like any 20 year old when they think their future may be in jeopardy. After investigating the incident Bryant had done no wrong the NCAA decided to punish Bryant with the years suspension anyway. Bryant will miss his junior season and just in case he wants to bypass the NFL draft and a likely Top 15 selection to get his degree don't bother the suspension would encompass the first 5 games or so of next year. Way to think it through NCAA.
* USC's Pac 10 dominance is likely over at least for this season. Carrol and the boys were toasted for over 600 yards of offense and the game could have been alot uglier had Oregon kept their feet on the gas during the 4th quarter. The biggest winner of this matchup though is likely Boise State. With a win over Oregon in week 1 the Broncos need Oregon to run the table to gain a BCS bid should a TCU squad go unbeaten. Currently TCU is higher than Boise State should the Horned Frogs run the table Boise will need a at large bid. Handing Oregon their lone loss of the season would be a mighty bargaining chip.
* For those of you Notre Dame haters out their I urge you to watch the Irish for the sole purpose of seeing Golden Tate play. After the injury to Michael Floyd, Tate has emerged as one of the best playmakers in the country. He is a highlight reel waiting to happen and at 5'10'' he has incredible ups and catches everything. Here's another from the highlight reel.
* Come on Urban set an example. Your star LB Three Stooges a opponent while he is laying in a pile of Gators and you hand him a 1/2 game suspension against SEC bottom dweller Vanderbilt.
Though this doesn't have the same hype of the LeGarreette Blount is it any less of a cheapshot? One gets a 1/2 and one was indefinitely suspended.
* The weekly Derek Anderson stat line. 6-17 2INT and a Fumble to go with it. Currently Anderson is 34 in QB rating among the 32NFL quaterbacks who start and one backup. In the Fantasy world Anderson has posted 6 points on the season in 6 games. Way to stick with your QB Mangini.
* Favre returns to Green Bay. I have always been a Favre fan but I grew tired of the yearly coming back or retiring decision during his final three years with the Packers and so did Green Bay. Green Bay cut ties with Favre, Favre became bitter and so it has come to this. Favre stuck it to his former employees twice this season and looked really good doing so. Rodgers played well in both games and other than holding onto the ball a little to long at times looks like the franchise QB the Packers had hoped for when they drafted Rodgers. This is the perfect example of a Win Win for both squads.
* For those of you who took a look at the Just Joshin Blogisode last week I let it be known that I envisioned the Phillies in 5. For those of you who have paid attention to the World Series it isn't going to happen. I felt as though the Phillies would be patient at the plate work up the pitch counts get into the Yankees bullpen and wreck havoc on the basepaths whenever presented with the opportunity. None of the aforementioned things have taken place. The Yankees pitchers have come right at the Phillies and limited the walks all the starters have pitched into the 6th inning and the Phillies have been timid on the bases. On several occasions when Rollins or Victorino have been on the Phillies have elected not to get them into scoring positions by attempting to steal instead relying solely on the struggling Howard and Utley to get them in. Given the Phillies lack of SP and a shaky bullpen the fact that they are down 3-1 isn't shocking but both Martinez and Blanto have pitched well enough to win their games and the bullpen overall minus Lidge's struggles last night has been pretty good. In the end it has been the lack of Phillies offense that has caused them to be staring at elimination.
1 comment:
Excellent column.
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