Yet it took 6 years before the NFL would vote replay in as an officiating tool. The argument to institute replay as an officiating tool went into overdrive as this play cast a pall over most of the time leading up to Super Bowl XIV and beyond. With the Steelers up 17-10 and the Oilers driving late in the 3rd quarter, Dan Pastorini lofted a pass for Mike Renfro when… However in the ’79 AFC Championship Game they were embroiled in a dogfight. Pittsburgh beat them in the 1978 AFC Championship 34-5. We had a new rivalry make it to the national level between the perennial champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Oilers. The talk hadn’t died down two years later when another play altered the course of NFL history. Grumbling from the Raider organization was met with sentiment by NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg repeating clearly the refs blew the call. The buzz after the game centered on the cruel twist of fate dealt the Raiders on the blown call when Tatum hit Lytle. They went on to dethrone the Raiders 20-17 and move on to Super Bowl XII. The defending Super Bowl champion Raiders were down 7-3 and in need of a defensive play as Denver sat poised at the Raider 2 yard line…and then:ĭenver seized the momentum on the very next play as you saw taking a 14-3 lead. The first occurred at the goal line in the 2nd quarter of the 1977 AFC Championship Game. Yet it took two huge blown calls in playoff competition that brought the issue to the rule makers. Even the networks began to chime in showing replay after replay where the big eye in the sky told a different tale than what officials called on the field. The talk of replay being used as an officiating tool really began during the 15 minute delay after The Immaculate Reception and the official ruling of a touchdown in the 1972 playoffs. Fans everywhere were becoming Monday Morning quarterbacks discussing blown calls the day after with their favorite teams. However those camera angles and instant replay could not be used to aid an official. The game had sped up but middle aged referees had not and there were spots on the football field they couldn’t get to where a well placed camera could capture the moment. Televising the game became more sophisticated as additional and more creative camera angles brought the viewer a more immersed experience. With the advent of astroturf and the full fruition of the American Football League’s drafting speed at every position became commonplace. To understand the depth of the question we have to return to the growth from its genesis.īack in the 1970s the NFL really sped up from the 3 yard and a cloud of dust days of the 1960’s as the game evolved into a speed game. Its the catch that has been scrutinized to the point where we have to ask the question: When it comes to judging a catch in the NFL has instant replay outlasted it’s usefulness? Oh sure you’ll see a replay concerning a kick returner stepping out of bounds, or if a runner’s knee/elbow touches the ground before a fumble, or even to check the ball spot before bringing out the chains for a 1st down. Does the NFL need all of this to figure out instant replay?
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