CFL under fire for blown call....

[David]

If you think your eyes may have deceived you yesterday, they didn't.

If you think you might be a homer for raising too much of a stink, you're not.

If you believe you have every right to *beeotch* about a flawed review system in which no one seems to be held accountable, you do.

The following article, which includes many Tweets from unbiased league stakeholders such as players and reporters, point to a BLOWN CALL on the Bombers last series. Even readers' comments that follow (other than a few myopic Bomber fans) show fan frustration with league incompetence, some suggesting that command centre decision was so egregious that wagering may have taken place. While that's overstating things IMO, I am glad the heat is being turned up on league officiating, which continues to hinder league credibility. As the last comment notes, "players work too hard and there’s too much at stake for mistakes like this to happen."

ARTICLE LINK HERE.


DH

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions and Bombers played an exciting, back and forth, high scoring game with lots of offence and big plays.

Players make mistakes on every play. Those mistakes add up to points scored and points given up, and they determine the outcome of a game. The Lions made lots of mistakes on Saturday, got fooled by two trick plays and turned the ball over three times, including a last minute third-and-one gamble at the Winnipeg five yard line. That's why they lost.

Officials make judgment calls on every play. That's an accepted part of sport. You don't hear baseball players, fans and announcers arguing that a called third strike should have been a ball. With or without video review, there will be questionable calls in all sports. Yet football fans, more than those in any other sport, have a tendency to become consumed with criticizing officials for questionable calls and blaming them when their team loses. They lose focus of what really counts. Don't leave a game in the hands of the officials. Focus on the mistakes that the players made and try to correct those.

[TheLionKing]

Still pissed at the obvious missed call. The good thing coming out of this fiasco is that the Command Centre and officials are squarely on the hot seat. Hope something good comes out of this.

[maxlion]

Human error on the part of officials is just a fact of life and part of the game. It's like if a gust of wind comes up just as you are booting what would have been the winning FG. Damn frustrating when it happens to you though!!

[almo89]

Officials make mistakes and I can accept that. But they had time to review it and clearly see that it was a fumble and they still get it wrong. I don't understand. This just gives more ammo to the bashers to call CFL bush.

[bigtooth]

The Lions and Bombers played an exciting, back and forth, high scoring game with lots of offence and big plays.

Players make mistakes on every play. Those mistakes add up to points scored and points given up, and they determine the outcome of a game. The Lions made lots of mistakes on Saturday, got fooled by two trick plays and turned the ball over three times, including a last minute third-and-one gamble at the Winnipeg five yard line. That's why they lost.

Officials make judgment calls on every play. That's an accepted part of sport. You don't hear baseball players, fans and announcers arguing that a called third strike should have been a ball. With or without video review, there will be questionable calls in all sports. Yet football fans, more than those in any other sport, have a tendency to become consumed with criticizing officials for questionable calls and blaming them when their team loses. They lose focus of what really counts. Don't leave a game in the hands of the officials. Focus on the mistakes that the players made and try to correct those.

Of course the big difference in MLB is that their is no video review of umpire's calls behind the plate. In the CFL this play is automatically reviewed....by eyes in the sky that have all kinds of angles (except apparently the one TSN had) So there is an expectancy and rightfully so, that they will ultimately get it right. There is no need to rely on or give excuses for a "judgement call" in that instance. And that in such a crucial game, and at such a crucial moment in that game, there should be an expectancy they would take their time, gather all information and angles, before announcing their decision.

And so either they were totally lazy and/or incompetent in their roles, or they were corrupted, or they were blind.
I expect the Lions will still make the playoffs, but if they don't the CFL has opened itself up for a huge backlash on this call in this game.

[David]

The Lions and Bombers played an exciting, back and forth, high scoring game with lots of offence and big plays.

Players make mistakes on every play. Those mistakes add up to points scored and points given up, and they determine the outcome of a game. The Lions made lots of mistakes on Saturday, got fooled by two trick plays and turned the ball over three times, including a last minute third-and-one gamble at the Winnipeg five yard line. That's why they lost.

Officials make judgment calls on every play. That's an accepted part of sport. You don't hear baseball players, fans and announcers arguing that a called third strike should have been a ball. With or without video review, there will be questionable calls in all sports. Yet football fans, more than those in any other sport, have a tendency to become consumed with criticizing officials for questionable calls and blaming them when their team loses. They lose focus of what really counts. Don't leave a game in the hands of the officials. Focus on the mistakes that the players made and try to correct those.

Respectfully, I think you're missing the point. This is not about whether we deserved to win the game or not. Yes, we turned the ball over more than they did, but we also had many more yards offense than Winnipeg. That is irrelevant. The fact is, regardless of whom you're cheering for, the Lions SHOULD HAVE been awarded the ball, first and goal at the 8 yard line, with :35 seconds remaining. That's unequivocal. Would they have won? Who knows? Winnipeg has the worst red-zone D in the league this year, and apparently 14 out of 17 drives starting on the Bomber 8 yard line since 2008 have resulted in TDs. But, we also blew a game in Calgary earlier this year under similar circumstances. Again, that is irrelevant.

This is not an indictment of the on-field officials either. A fumble would have been difficult to assess in real time unless you were in clear view of the play. Only Arakgi seemed convinced. No, this is about a Command Centre that is given high tech electronic equipment, multiple angles, and time to get the call right, and they blew it. End of story.

This can't happen in a professional league.


DH

[SammyGreene]

Caps another frustrating week being a fan of this team and has nothing to do about the talent on the field but rather what is happening off of it.

First it was 2017 season tickets offering nothing more than a price increase. No price breaks on some seats that are mainly empty right now and no child or student discount either. This all being overseen by a club president that resigned back in April but is apparently carrying on for the foreseeable future.

Then yesterday's blown replay call. Instead of talking about the wonderful play of Burnham, Manny, Rainey, Jennings or even being stopped on 3rd down moments earlier, it's about the incompetence at the command centre with Jake Ireland or Glenn Johnson in charge.

Just more fuel for the haters too based on social media although it's amazing how many were watching the game when they do nothing but trash it.

[Blitz]

The Lions and Bombers played an exciting, back and forth, high scoring game with lots of offence and big plays.

Players make mistakes on every play. Those mistakes add up to points scored and points given up, and they determine the outcome of a game. The Lions made lots of mistakes on Saturday, got fooled by two trick plays and turned the ball over three times, including a last minute third-and-one gamble at the Winnipeg five yard line. That's why they lost.

Officials make judgment calls on every play. That's an accepted part of sport. You don't hear baseball players, fans and announcers arguing that a called third strike should have been a ball. With or without video review, there will be questionable calls in all sports. Yet football fans, more than those in any other sport, have a tendency to become consumed with criticizing officials for questionable calls and blaming them when their team loses. They lose focus of what really counts. Don't leave a game in the hands of the officials. Focus on the mistakes that the players made and try to correct those.

Respectfully, I think you're missing the point. This is not about whether we deserved to win the game or not. Yes, we turned the ball over more than they did, but we also had many more yards offense than Winnipeg. That is irrelevant. The fact is, regardless of whom you're cheering for, the Lions SHOULD HAVE been awarded the ball, first and goal at the 8 yard line, with :35 seconds remaining. That's unequivocal. Would they have won? Who knows? Winnipeg has the worst red-zone D in the league this year, and apparently 14 out of 17 drives starting on the Bomber 8 yard line since 2008 have resulted in TDs. But, we also blew a game in Calgary earlier this year under similar circumstances. Again, that is irrelevant.

This is not an indictment of the on-field officials either. A fumble would have been difficult to assess in real time unless you were in clear view of the play. Only Arakgi seemed convinced. No, this is about a Command Centre that is given high tech electronic equipment, multiple angles, and time to get the call right, and they blew it. End of story.

This can't happen in a professional league.


DH

Refs make mistakes, players make mistakes. But the challenge rules or the review of any turnover or touchdown, at the Command Center, means they have a responsibility to get it right, when camera angles enable them to do so. I don't have a problem with the refs making a wrong call that is a close call. The action is fast. The refs get a lot of close plays right that they don't get credit for.

But the CFL is hiding behind there was 'not overwhelming evidence not to over turn the call'. The reason we have instant replay and a Command Center that can look at a play from all camera angles and freeze the action and blow the photos up is to get call right. It was a fumble. It's a fumble or it isn't. TSN showed a lot of angles and it was obvious that the football was loose before Harris hit the ground. That is what the Command Center is there for.

B.C. Fan is right. Our Leos made too many mistakes and that should be the bigger focus. We should have gotten a first down on second and two and third and one. We shouldn't have been in the situation in the first place.

But the reality is that we were in that situation, Two defensive players made a great play stripping the football from Harris, just as Leggett made a great play on his tackle on Rainey. However, our team was not rewarded for their creation of the fumble. It should have been our football. No question about it. It was a fumble. The CFL Command Center has made close calls on fumbles all season, without 'overwhelming evidence' to change the call. They've changed a number of them.

The Command Center should have called it so. I totally agree.

[Blitz]

That the CFL has moved so quickly to explain the call is unusual. The league generally reviews all controversial decisions the Monday following a weekend of games but the storm surrounding this call has prompted them to respond in a more timely fashion.

The CFL has issued an explanation for the replay review at the end of the Bombers win over the B.C. Lions on Saturday.
With 35 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the Bombers protecting a 37-35 lead, Winnipeg running back Andrew Harris was stripped by B.C. defenders Adam Bighill and Jason Arakgi.

The ruling on the field was that Harris was down by contact but the play was automatically reviewed by the command centre. The ruling: no fumble.

“The replay official ruled there was no indisputable visual evidence to change the call made on the field,” said Paulo Senra, director of communications. “It could not be determined from the angles provided if the player had completely lost possession of the ball before the player’s backside had touched the ground.”

That the CFL has moved so quickly to explain the call is unusual. The league generally reviews all controversial decisions the Monday following a weekend of games but the storm surrounding this call has prompted them to respond in a more timely fashion.

Drew Edwards writes for the Hamilon Spectator

[Blitz]

This is the way I believe Jake Ireland played out the call in the Command Center.

1. He knew the play was a fumble but it was a close call.

2. Our Leos had a chance to win the game on third and 1.

3. It was a home game for the Bombers and an important one. The reaction to overturning the call would have been more negative from the home Bomber fans than those out here watching the game on television.

4. Our Leos were in second place. A loss would have likely have put the Bombers out of the race for 2nd place.

5. Jake decided that the Bombers deserved to win the game and not have a last second 'strip' play, with the Bombers running out the clock have them potentially lose it.

Therefore, use the excuse that there was not overwhelming evidence to change the call.

[B.C.FAN]

This is not an indictment of the on-field officials either. A fumble would have been difficult to assess in real time unless you were in clear view of the play. Only Arakgi seemed convinced. No, this is about a Command Centre that is given high tech electronic equipment, multiple angles, and time to get the call right, and they blew it. End of story.

We'll have to agree to disagree. Judgment calls are part of the game. Even with the use of replay, people will have different interpretations of what is a fumble or an incomplete pass or whether a receiver's foot came down in bounds or out of bounds. The command centre doesn't necessarily see the same replays that fans at home see and they don't necessarily see it in the same resolution. Nothing is as black and white as some armchair critics and TV commentators suggest.

The bigger issue is that football fans, both NFL or CFL, seem to become overly focused on officiating rather than on players and coaches after a close game. In any sport, some officiating calls will go your way and some will not. That's part of sport.

[DanoT]

This is the way I believe Jake Ireland played out the call in the Command Center.

1. He knew the play was a fumble but it was a close call.

2. Our Leos had a chance to win the game on third and 1.

3. It was a home game for the Bombers and an important one. The reaction to overturning the call would have been more negative from the home Bomber fans than those out here watching the game on television.

4. Our Leos were in second place. A loss would have likely have put the Bombers out of the race for 2nd place.

5. Jake decided that the Bombers deserved to win the game and not have a last second 'strip' play, with the Bombers running out the clock have them potentially lose it.

Therefore, use the excuse that there was not overwhelming evidence to change the call.

I think you are right Blitz and I think that most would agree that the Command Centre, if run properly, should not go past step 1.

[Hambone]

That the CFL has moved so quickly to explain the call is unusual. The league generally reviews all controversial decisions the Monday following a weekend of games but the storm surrounding this call has prompted them to respond in a more timely fashion.

Drew Edwards writes for the Hamilon Spectator

Might be unusual but the Thanksgiving weekend provides an unusual gap between games. Normally they do these things on a Monday following a weekend where there are games Thursday (before Labour Day), Friday, Saturday and occasionally Sunday. This weekend there were games Friday, Saturday then 2 on Monday. That would've pushed the usual Monday review out to Tuesday. With nearly 48 hours between the incident and the Monday games I think they felt it necessary to issue a statement as soon as possible as opposed to keeping silent for 72 hours or more.

[cromartie]

This is the way I believe Jake Ireland played out the call in the Command Center.

1. If his guide dog barks once, the Bombers keep the ball.

2. If his guide dog barks twice, the Lions get the ball.

Unfortunately, Ireland's hearing aid battery died between barks so....

There you go, Blitz, I updated that post to more accurately reflect how the Command Center works for you.