FanPost

HD Replay

So I was killing some time on my lunch hour over at Deadspin when I came across a link to the following article:

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/10/lack-of-high-definition-tvs-gives-clarity-to-sec-replay-gaffes/

Reading through this article left me at a complete loss. How in the world can the omgSEC conference not be using high definition TV's for their in booth replay reviews. I understand old people don't understand HD, but come on. This is beyond rediculous and bordering on criminal. There really is no excuse for it, and the director of officials should be fired for not seeing any benefit to HD. He is clearly incompetent.

The more I thought about it though, I'm wondering if the Big Ten is in the same fucked up situation. It might better explain the blown call (and it was) in the Indiana game. Everyone watching at home or in the bar with an HDTV could clearly see the field turf pellets kicked up during the toe drag and the receiver definitely had possesion. There is no way the call on the field should have been overturned. On the other hand, If the booth referee was forced to watch it in standard def, I can see those details being missed. I'm sure there are other examples this year across the conference but this is the most glaring that I can recall that makes me question the effectiveness of replay in the Big Ten.

OPS or Hawkeye State, is there anyone you have contact with in the Big Ten that can confirm whether the Big Ten uses HD for reviews whenever possible for conference games? Is it used for all out of conference and Big Ten bowl games? As a college football fan, I am geniunely interested and a little concerned. There is no way that me half awake and hungover on my living room couch should be better equiped to judge a game changing call than the referee in the booth.

-ajs


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