European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 09, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 a a a the stars and stripes wednesday january 9,1991commentary erase by John Eisenberg the Baltimore Sun the entire emotional spectrum was covered in a single instant saturday at 1 46 . Est on the Green plastic turf of veterans stadium. The Philadelphia eagles were a portrait of unfettered Joy dancing in jubilant embraces. The Washington redskins were As crestfallen As a Groom left at the altar barely Able to reconcile the sudden reversal of their Fortune. A it was football As opera As dramatic As the denouement of a Madame and then it was gone. In a snap. Rewound and erased. Removed from existence through the magic of modern science in conjunction with the monarchs who run the National football league everyone a players fans millions of viewers a was told to forget what they had seen. The replay official said so. It the redskins had been driving near the end of the first half and a pass was completed to Earnest byner. The eagles Ben Smith made a Hall of Fame play tackling byner causing a Fumble grabbing the Ball and weaving 94 Yards for a touchdown. It was no less than a 10-Point swing possibly decisive. Teammates prayed for byner who has a history of catastrophic a error. A a a a a a. A a a a a. / a a ,. A Only in the nil would that sweep of emotions be wiped out by an unseen essentially disembodied authority High above the Field. It was terrible. Just terrible. Even though the Call was Correct a Byners Arm hit the ground before he lost the Ball ending the play a the sequence summed up just about everything wrong with instant replay a Gizmo we need to lose. It undermines the authority of the officials who beaten Down by constant second guessing Are getting worse every year. It is terrible theater full of Long / s in Fanf vague delays a particularly when As in last weekends playoffs they go crazy and Stop the game every few minutes to Check everything from Ball placement to the Price of hot dogs. Worst of All it just Isnit human. Football Isnit played in slow motion. It is played and officiated by men who run jump and make mistakes and should be decided by men who run jump and make mistakes. No game should be immune from life a imperfections nothing else is. Remove the humanity and you re on the Road to Rob Ball. The game belongs on the Field. The Only anti replay argument not entailed in the byner Fumble was the imperfection. They got the Call right that time. They done to always. Any fan can Point to a half dozen blown Calls that should have been reversed and weren to or Correct Calls that were overruled creating a mistake where there Wasny tone. Why bother with a catch All if it does no to catch All the pro replay lobby will harrumph that Justice was served by the byner Call because it was Correct but the mistakes reappeared in the bengals Oil ers game the next Day. Two identical fumbles were treated differently one not even reviewed the other overturned. With the usual five minute Moe Larry and curly delay. The nil thinks this is i tech but its just a sophomoric intrusive Gadget. For every big Call checked three irrelevant ones go before the one Man judges and jury. Ever notice that the . Constitution is based on a system of checks and balances but instant replays Arentt its pointless. Changing Calls wont change results. The team playing the Best will still win most of the time. The nil approved the system five years ago because it was afraid of the worst Case a super bowl coming Down to a blown Call. Well Only one game has come Down to a replay and they blew the Call. To me its a self conscious development that says the High mighty nil is insecure worried about the trouble that would follow a big mistake. Hey baseball got a blown big Call in the 1985 world series and lived through it. Football is More than popular enough. Sure it would be unfortunate if a mistake decided a super bowl. But the chances Are Small and when you weigh that against ail the delays mistakes arid shortcomings it Isnit nearly Worth the trouble. A a a a the lords of the nil know this. They know they made a mistake they re putting together this new league the world league of american football and it wont have replay Tex Schramm As general manager of the Dallas cowboys got it passed in the nil and had it planned in the Olaf. But Vohen he was fired As head of the Olaf replay was thrown out almost immediately. A. It the nil owners put the idea to a vote every year with 75 percent needed to keep it alive. The vote has often been close As close As 21-7, but it always passes. Vito Stellino the Baltimore suns football wizard draws a comparison with the Vietnam War in 1969. He says everyone involved knows its a mistake now but they done to want to admit it. Its too bad. The emphasis should be on improving officials not eroding their authority. The emphasis should be on making rules easier to understand. The whole replay mess a the double standards the faulty lines of communications the insufficient evidence the Kings Power the endless whining about what is and Isnit fair a should get tossed. Lets just make honest Calls and live with them. Lets just play sinks Syracuse a by the associated press. Pittsburgh a Brian Shorter bothered All season by a strength draining viral infection scored 32 Points on monday night and no. 17 Pittsburgh beat basketball 8 Syracuse 93-79, the orangemen a second straight loss after a 13.-0 Start. Shorter who scored Only 17 Points in Pitts first two big East conference games scored 22 Points in the second half including 14 in the first six minutes. The Victory ended Syracuse a three game winning Streak in Pittsburgh and the orangemen a Streak of eight consecutive victories Over top 25 teams. The orangemen 13-2who lost 76-66 to Villanova saturday fell to 1-2 in the big East standings. Pittsburgh is 13-3,2-1, in other top 25 games monday no. 1unlv 95, san Jose state 63 Las vegas a Larry Johnson scored 27 Points As univ wore Down stubborn san Jose state in the second half for the National champions 20th straight Victory. Univ 9-0 Overall 3-0 in the big in los George Ackles left wrestles with san Jose states Terry Cannon for the Ball. West came out Flat and appeared lethargic As the spartans 2-10,0-3 closed to 11 Points behind in the second half before the running rebels pulled away. No. 20 leu 83, Georgia 76 Baton Rouge la. A Shaquille of Neal had 34 Points and 16 rebounds and Louisiana state held on to beat scrappy but cold shooting Georgia. No. 21 South Carolina 67, Louisville 64 Louisville by. A Jojo English hit a jumper in the Lane with 10 seconds left As South Carolina beat the cardinals in Freedom Hall for the first time. No. 23 . St. 80, Long Beach St 63 Las Cruces . A Randy Brown scored 18 Points for new Mexico pad Streak Lead by the associated press new York a Kelly Kisio and David Shaw scored 26 seconds apart in the third period to give the new York rangers a 32 Victory Over the Philadelphia flyers Onnel Roundup monday night. The win increased the rangers Lead nine Points Over the second place Flye in the Patrick division. The Victory Al extended the rangers current Unbe Ati Streak to seven games 5-0-2. Kisio was credited with the tying go when a shot by Brian Mullen went in c his skate at 12 09. Kris Kings shot fro the High left Circle at 12 35 deflected c Shaw m front before skipping past goal Ron Hextall. It was shawls first goal the season. All Star Rick Tocchet scored both the flyers goals. In mondays other game Bruins 5, jets 2 Boston a Cani Neely spoiled i in Peg a third period comeback with 1 25th goal As Boston beat the jets for go lie Reggie Lemelin a first Victory sin nov. 24. A Aba from Page 21 Points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix. Coming off their worst Quarter of the season a a 12-Point fourth period during which they blew a 10-Point Lead saturday in an 88-86 loss at Milwaukee a the suns shot 59 percent to take a 38-23 first Quarter advantage. Minnesota losing for the 10th time in 12 games trailed throughout. Xavier Mcdaniel had 23 Points for the suns. A Mavericks 88, nets 87, of a East Rutherford . Rolando Blackman made a three Point Basket with l8 seconds remaining in overtime As Dallas handed new Jersey its seventh straight loss. Blackman who finished with 15 Points also scored the Basket that sent the game into overtime when he hit a jumper with 24 seconds remaining to tie the score at 79. The Victory its fourth in 12 games broke Dallas three game losing Streak. Sam Bowie led the nets with 27 Points and 14 rebounds and teammate Reggie Theus added 18 Points Alex English had a season High 27 Points for the Mavericks. Magic 111, Kings 83 Orlando Fla. A Jerry Reynolds scored 19 of 57 Points by Orlando reserves As the magic handed Sacramento its 14th loss in 15 Road games this season. Otis Smith added 17 Points for Orlando which won for the fourth time in six games. Juhe Kings led by Wayman tis a _ a. Dales 23 Points have lost eight of the last nine games. Orlando hit 42 of 80 shots for 52.5 p cent after shooting a league Low 29.8 p cent saturday against san Antonio. 1 serves Smith Reynolds and Jeff Muir who had 13 Points combined for 21 b sets on 27 shots. Reynolds came off the Bench to so nine Points in the second Quarter As magic outgunned the Kings 29-16. 1 magic Bench accounted for 23 Points the period. A
