The NFL Admits TV Viewers Get Better Replays Than Replay Officials

Jane Gershovich. Getty Images.

Thursday night, in an otherwise unmemorable game that was rarely close and never really in doubt, we were treated to  few reminders. First, that at almost 80 years of age, Al Michaels can still play-by-play circles around Bob Costas:

And while Al will happily cash Jeff Bezos' checks, he's not going to pretend he watches his shitty content:

"It says right here" is classic Michaels. The sort of passive/aggressiveness you can get away with when your legend has been made for decades and you've long since run out of fucks to give. I suggest anytime you're forced to read some inane quote about love at a wedding, adding a little "It says right here" will absolve you from any blame if the marriage ends disaster. Word to the wise.

But the football-related lesson we were reminded of yet again is that, for a trillion dollar mega-corporation, the NFL still finds ways to be run like an amateurish, mom and pop operation. That point was driven home on this muffed punt that was obviously contacted by Seattle's return guy:

Pro Football Talk - On the play in question, Seattle punt returner Dee Williams muffed a punt and San Francisco’s Jalen Graham recovered it. That was clear from the replay that was shown during the Prime Video broadcast. But the officials on the field ruled that Williams never touched the ball, and the replay officials let the call stand.

So why did the call stand when replay clearly showed Williams touched the ball? NFL Vice President of Replay Training and Development Mark Butterworth explained after the game that the replay office only saw the conclusive angle at the same time the audience saw it, when referee Craig Wrolstad was announcing that the play would stand.

“Once we had the San Francisco challenge, we were looking to see if the returner did indeed touch the ball,” Butterworth told pool reporter Brady Henderson. “We went through all available angles, and we get the raw feed from the truck. And there was not clear and obvious video evidence that the returner touched the ball. After looking at all available angles, we made the determination that we were going to stand on the call because there was not clear and obvious video evidence. Once Craig made his announcement and they came back from TV, the network had an enhanced shot that they did not send at all until after they played his announcement.” 

The fact this blown call didn't decide the game is beside the point. What matters is that the NFL can't get better views of critical, close, controversial calls than you or I can get from our sofas. 

The first replay review was in 1986. And here we are, 38 years later, still relying on networks and trucks and raw feeds. Nearly four decades of advancements in visual technology. When every 6-year-old has a device in their pocket that can record video. At a time where every cubic inch of our lives is captured digitally, from security cams to doorbell cams and police body cams. We can't get a clear and decisive view of something happening in the middle of an 80,000 seat oval under bright lights unless we luck out and Amazon Prime's production staff captures it and gets it to the replay officials on time. All this despite the fact the league has finally embraced gambling and Fantasy. So every play means millions of consumers' dollars are riding on the outcome. 

I'm reluctant to make the following point only because I'll get accused of making everything about the Patriots. Which is an unfair and scurrilous accusation and anyone making it should be ashamed of themselves. But Bill Belichick has been on this idea of the NFL using it's own cameras for years now. For instance, he's argued for cameras inside the pylons on the goal line, since so many game outcomes are decided there. And when the league replied that it's too expensive, he responded with weapons-grade sarcasm. "Maybe we could hold a Bake Sale or something," he said. And he was right. Now we occasionally get pylon cameras, but not for every game. It's still not mandatory.

Instead, we're still at the mercy of broadcast crews. Relying on them to get it right. And hoping we can trust that the guy or woman in the truck in charge of getting the enhanced replay to the official in a timely manner just happens to be impartial. And not, say, a Seahawks fan or someone who bet the under and doesn't want to the 49ers to have the ball 1st & goal. It's a preposterously antiquated system, still functioning like it's the mid-80s. America and Al Michaels deserve better.