Bills Owner Terry Pegula believes the NFL "has to fix its replay system" after a "disputed reversal" of a Kelvin Benjamin touchdown in Sunday's game against the Patriots, according to Nick Veronica of the BUFFALO NEWS. Benjamin "appeared to have his feet down and control of the ball for a touchdown in the second quarter, but the NFL overturned the call on a replay review." The reversal was "widely criticized, including by the league's two former top replay officials, Mike Pereira and Dean Blandino." During an appearance on WGR-AM, Pegula said, "They obviously weren't looking at the same television the rest of the country was looking at, were they." He added, "Replay was developed by this league to correct obvious mistakes. And if you gotta look at a play 30 times from five different angles and keep looking at it and looking at it and looking at it, you go with the call on the field." Pegula: "I don't know what's going on, but we have to fix it. And I'm not saying that as the owner of the Bills, I'm saying that as a football fan. We can't have stuff like this happening in our league." Pegula later went on to say that it "wouldn't be his last talk about NFL replay procedures" (BUFFALO NEWS, 12/27). In New York, Matthew Fairburn wrote Pegula "isn't worried about the league catching wind of this public criticism." He actually "hopes it does so he can tell them how he feels." Pegula "doesn't often voice his disagreement with the league in public, but it's clear this issue struck a chord with him" (NYUP.com, 12/26). Meanwhile, Bills coach Sean McDermott yesterday said that he "agreed with Pegula's comments and has aired his frustrations to the NFL." McDermott: "I have spoken to the league on it, and I remain at a loss." McDermott did not specify who he talked to, only saying he spoke to "the necessary people" (BUFFALO NEWS, 12/27).
SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE? In Jacksonville, Gene Frenette writes what was "intended to make the game better -- by making sure absolute wrong calls are reversed -- has made things worse in some instances" because the NFL officials at the replay headquarters are "taking its veto power too far." The "bigger issue" is that game officials and the replay center are "becoming too much of a storyline" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 12/27). In DC, Cindy Boren writes, "Another week and another officiating controversy has arisen over the NFL's use of replay" (WASHINGTON POST, 12/27). NBCSN's Mike Florio said, "Somebody needs to have the courage to stand up, break ranks and say, ‘We have to fix it.’ They have to fix it before the postseason. ... The longer it takes, the worse it's going to be for the NFL. If there’s some big controversy like this in the Super Bowl, that’s the last thing the NFL needs" ("PFT," NBCSN, 12/27). In Boston, Steve Buckley writes under the header, "Time Is Right To Get Rid Of Replays In All Sports." Buckley: "If we accept the reality that pro athletes are flawed human beings, why not have flawed game officials alongside them?" It is one thing to "say 'we have the technology,' but something else all together to be prisoners of that technology." That is what is "happening in professional sports in general and in the NFL in particular" (BOSTON HERALD, 12/27).
