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From: dcm@busch.UUCP (Craig Miller)
Newsgroups: net.sport,net.sport.hockey
Subject: officials watching replays?
Message-ID: <359@busch.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Dec-84 09:42:17 EST
Article-I.D.: busch.359
Posted: Wed Dec 26 09:42:17 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Dec-84 03:38:54 EST
Organization: Anheuser-Busch Companies - St. Louis Missouri
Lines: 37

[]
(This discussion probably has taken place before here on the net.  If so,
sorry, but I missed it.)

Basically, the question is:  should sports officials be allowed to watch
the replays in order to make the most `fair' (or right) decisions?

This weekend, I saw the St. Louis Blues play the Buffalo Sabres (I think
the game was on Sat, Dec 22, but I can't be sure), and saw two times where
the replays could have helped the officials.  Both times the dispute was
whether or not the puck was in the net.  The first time, the ensuing
ruckus (for lack of a better word) *completely* turned the game around.
The second time wasn't as bad, even though to me it was more disputable,
but the damage had already been done on the first (anyone who saw the
game and disagrees with my feelings on the calls, please reply by mail
to me - let's keep that stuff off of the net).

In my opinion, if the ref could have watched the replays, he could have
made the right calls.  Instead, the calls were made on judgement (after only
seeing the plays once), and, as was shown in the replay on the first call,
the wrong call was made (at least on the first one - the replay showed
the puck *clearly* in the net).  Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying the
officials blew it or anything - the play was just too hard to call, due
to the speed of the puck, etc...  I imagine most anyone would have called
it the same way in the same circumstances.

Any discussion at all?  My feeling (obviously) is that the replays should
be used if at all possible.  Of course, this brings lots of other problems.
Delay of the game, when to use it, etc...  But I feel these things could be
worked out, and the number of games decided on the officials' judgement
could be cut down immensely.
-- 
Craig Miller
..!ihnp4!we53!busch!dcm
The Anheuser Busch Companies; St. Louis, Mo.

"Unix(tm): it's not just a job, it's fun."