Instant Replay...To Use or Not to Use?

Back a few years ago, the NFL voted on and implemented instant replay into all games, where teams could challenge up to two calls a game, with no challenges coming after the two minute warning of each half. These challenges would be used to challenge the ruling on the field, to hopefully overturn the official's call in their team's favor. When the game reaches the two minute warnings of each half, challenges will come from up in the official replay booth, totally up to the discretion of the replay officials. Each game seems to have a play that gives a reason for certain fans to be upset with the outcome of the game...their key to complaining for the following weeks. Well enter the Super Bowl, the "game of games" when it comes to football. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals had battled throughout the game, with the officials making some favorable calls for the Steelers in the first three quarters. Arizona scored a long touchdown with 2:30 remaining in the 4th quarter, giving them the lead 23-20. The Steelers then stormed back down the field, where Santonio Holmes made perhaps the greatest catch in Super Bowl history, giving the Steelers the lead back with just 30 seconds left. It was then that the General Kurt Warner got the ball back with one final chance to lead this Cinderella team to the final part of the ball. This picture below is a play that transpired with just about ten seconds left on Pittsburgh's side of the field.


The result of the play had Kurt Warner fumbling the ball and Pittsburgh recovering with five seconds remaining, enough time to kneel on the ball and capture their sixth Championship. The problem I have is this, the play changed the game completely. If the play had been reviewed and overturned, Arizona would have had the ball on the Pittsburgh 29-yard-line with just about ten seconds remaining. The call in dispute is that his arm may have been moving forward in a legal forward motion and the pass could have been incomplete, but replays show that probably would not have been the case. Regardless of all that, the fact of the matter is is that the replay officials didn't review perhaps one of the biggest plays of the entire game.

What exactly did the NFL want to accomplish by installing this instant replay system if they didn't intend to use it the way it was meant to be utilized. Arizona fans deserve every reason to be upset that the play in question wasn't at least reviewed, to take away any and all controversy. The fact is, the officials dictated the entire Super Bowl, making it lopsided in Pittsburgh's favor. I'm not saying for an overhaul in the instant replay system, but when a play happens that could possibly end a game of this magnitude, maybe it's time to review how things are run.