San Diego/Denver

[Gmoore]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shu...urn=nfl,108018

[jimpiano]

I thought instant replay was instituted to correct obvious mistakes.

Here we have the most obvious blown call in recent memory and despite all the technology and experience in the replay booth the system is impotent.

If that call stood despite being so obviously wrong what is the point of reviewing ANY call?

[OverAndBack]

Well, there is that. But that has little to do with Ed Hochuli in particular and more to do with the rules of the competition in general. And "correct obvious mistakes" should actually read "correct most obvious mistakes, but not all of them" (and for reasons I'm not completely clear on, either).

Things happen and the rulesmakers react to them. Replay is seen as having this overarching God-like ability to write every wrong, when the unfortunate truth is, it probably can't and a big part of that is because of the way the rules are written. Like anything else, it'll get addressed in the offseason.

No consolation for the Chargers, I grant you.

[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by jimpiano

I thought instant replay was instituted to correct obvious mistakes.

Here we have the most obvious blown call in recent memory and despite all the technology and experience in the replay booth the system is impotent.

If that call stood despite being so obviously wrong what is the point of reviewing ANY call?

It's just the evolution of replay. I'm surprised they went with allowing a runner ruled down by contact to result in a turnover if replay determines it was a fumble. But even in that case it has to be obvious the other team would have recovered the ball if the runner hadn't been ruled down. They probably didn't include the incomplete pass/fumble situation because it hadn't happened that way very often. They can review it on the offseason and add it as a reviewable play like the down by contact. The same principals can be applied.

I am in favor of the concept of using instant replay to help officials get calls right. You can't always be in the right place at the right time or get the right view of every play and there are many times I wish I could look at replay in our games. My issue with instant replay is it forces the rules to become much more black and white and absolute. A good example from football was the 12 men on the field in last year's Super Bowl. If the player gets within a yard or so from the sideline, you usually let it go but he techncially violated the rule and it was overturned.

Another good analogy will be if baseball extends its replay to other types of plays. The foot swipe on a force at second or the tag of a runner when the ball obviously beats him could then be overturned. Baseball is saying they will not expand instant replay beyond where they are, but you know it is eventually coming.

[Ed Hickland]

Originally Posted by jimpiano

I thought instant replay was instituted to correct obvious mistakes.

Here we have the most obvious blown call in recent memory and despite all the technology and experience in the replay booth the system is impotent.

If that call stood despite being so obviously wrong what is the point of reviewing ANY call?

Go figure. According to the records the ruling on the field was a fumble and a San Diego recovery challenged by replay.

After replay it was ruled an incomplete pass. The system worked albeit not for San Diego.

[jimpiano]

Originally Posted by Ed Hickland

Go figure. According to the records the ruling on the field was a fumble and a San Diego recovery challenged by replay.

After replay it was ruled an incomplete pass. The system worked albeit not for San Diego.

Better review the records.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by jimpiano

I thought instant replay was instituted to correct obvious mistakes.

Here we have the most obvious blown call in recent memory and despite all the technology and experience in the replay booth the system is impotent.

If that call stood despite being so obviously wrong what is the point of reviewing ANY call?

I'm not even a football ref, and I can even see how stupid this statement is.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

And I'm not just some fan, I've refereed football and basketball in addition to all the baseball I've umpired. I've never made a call that horrible in my life in any sport,

Wow!

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

What the defense did or didn't do earlier in the game all came down to a great play by the defense being overturned by a BAD CALL.

"Great play?" They didn't perform a "great play" here, they merely should have benefited from a misplay by Cutler. They didn't force the fumble, the ball just slipped.
Obviously, if this call had been made right, they would have won. If they'd covered the receiver, they would have won. If their receiver had kept his toes in bounds on the ensuing drive before going OOB, they could have won as well, on a 48 yard FG.
As with most missed calls, there was time to recover; although admittedly not as much time.