Belichick's Plan for Replay Challenges Once Again Proves the World Would Be a Better Place if He Was a One Man Rules Committee

Scott Taetsch. Getty Images.

We live in an age that, for what is undoubtedly the first time in human history, we're not passing knowledge down from the old to the young. Where even the very young are teaching the very old how to work with the tools that build our civilization. It's no longer the the philosophers imparting their wisdom to their children and grandchildren. Or revered Tribal Elders teaching the new breed how to live off the land that gave them birth. It's elementary school kids connecting grandma's Roku TV to her WiFi so they can watch Dude Perfect videos at Thanksgiving. And it will never go back to the way things have always been for every generation that came before. 

I mention this because we have in our very midst a man who, while the second oldest coach in the game (Pete Carroll has him by seven months), has been learning the ways of football longer than anyone. Since he was a mere youngling in the Jedi Temple at the Naval Academy, breaking down game film under tutelage of Master Steve Belichick. And yet continuously the powers that be in the game ignore his teachings and refuse his wise counsel. 

Consider this latest egregious mistake that almost cost Minnesota the Game of the Year so far at Buffalo:

A non-catch that was ruled a catch and stood only because it was inside the 2:00 warning and therefore not challengable by the Vikings. And since the replay booth didn't buzz down it time, the bogus call became law of the land. 

Belichick was asked about it in his press conference today:

Q: I think you're on the record, right? As saying that you'd like to see that play reviewed. Is that fair to say? Has nothing changed?

BB: Yeah, nothing's changed. I think that provided that the team has a challenge, that they should have the opportunity to challenge really any play. Yeah, I'm on record on that, yeah. 

And gave a more expansive answer on WEEI:

"It could’ve been reviewed by the officials because it was under two minutes,” Belichick said. “Either it wasn’t, or they missed it, however you want to characterize it. But to me, that would be an example of a play that the team should have an opportunity to challenge if they want to and if they have a challenge left. …

“Not having the ability to challenge a play that could impact the outcome of the game – calls like holding and pass interference, things like that – I don’t see why those plays can’t be reviewed.”

Just once I'd like the league to state the logic of this. A team takes good care of their timeouts. Judiciously holding onto them in the final two minutes of the half, the game, or overtime. But then for reasons no one has ever explained, they can't use one to challenge a call that could decide the entire game. And if the officials don't look at it, it can't be looked at by any device known to man. Why? What magic curtain is drawn that makes a bad call at 1:59 different than one at 2:01? No one knows. It simply is thus. Done, and cannot be undone. 

Bear in mind too that the most consequential replay review in the history of the rule only happened because it was just over the 2:00 mark. And Belichick was the beneficiary. The legendary Tuck Rule reversal that everyone outside of New England hates so much was a booth review. It came at the 1:50 of regulation. And the Patriots were out of timeouts. So if it had happened two plays earlier, there was no way for Belichick to get the call that gave birth to his Dynasty. Tough titties. Should've saved a timeout, Bro. No one feels sorry for you. Instead, he caught the mother of all breaks, thanks to a rule that makes no sense and he'd like to change. 

Yet again, here is an example of him showing common sense that somehow eludes the wise Shamans on the Rules Committee. Because when it comes to Belichick, they're fine with changing rules he's able to use to his advantage (physical pass defense, Ineligible Receivers, leaping the long snapper on kick attempts). Those get pushed through committee and rubber stamped in minutes. But the completely sensible proposals he makes get pocket vetoed or spend years getting implemented. 

I mean, how long did it take for them to finally start putting cameras in the pylons, something he'd proposed for years? The league said they couldn't because it would be too expensive. Which inspired weapons grade sarcasm when he suggested, "maybe we can hold a bake sale or something." And he spent another several years lobbying to have the line of scrimmage on extra points moved back so that the biggest automatic in all of sports - and therefore the biggest waste of time in American culture - would be an actual competitive play. (Including that same Vikings-Bills game that went to overtime because Greg Joseph hit the upright.) Then there's his suggestion that they just make overtime into another quarter of tackle football, with the same rules and stop dicking around with all these other changes while ignoring his common sense idea. 

But none deserves more attention and gets less than Belichick's proposal that everything be reviewable. Not that you get an unlimited number of challenges; just that if it happens on the field, it can be reviewed. Which the NFL took under advisement about 10 years ago and filed under T for "Trash" as soon as he offered it. A bunch of years ago there was a review to see if a runner ( forget who) stepped out of bounds. While everyone was looking at where his outside foot was in proximity to the white of the sidelines, the replay clearly showed the defender grabbing the guy's facemask and yanking it. It was beyond blatant. But the officials weren't allowed to consider it, because it's not on the list of things they can look at under the rules. For what purpose? Why does there have to be 30 something pages in the rule book listing all things you can and cannot review, or when you can review them? If the goal is to get the play right, why bother with trivialities? Just let coaches coach, referees referee, and replay officials officiate replays. 

The reason isn't the proposal. It's the proposer. And I repeat that if we had Belichick making these rules all by himself, a committee of one and a benign dictator, the game would be much improved and the world would be better for all humankind.