In Michael Hiestand's column today in USA Today he talks about the network coverage of the games yesterday. He points one flaw in the coverage referencing the replay system.

He says after the heave-ho Berrian TD that Fox was showing reaction shots on the field rather than several replays. He says the assistant coaches rely on the replays to decide whether or not to challenge.

Is this really how it works? There is a group of coaches watching network television and depending on the replays and angles they show they have to base a decision of whether to throw the red hanky?

This seems to place really big role on the networks.

Does anyone have some inside info?

Typically at Soldier Field, they don't replay controversial plays.

Bottom line, it was a TD.

it was certainly a catch. the only question would have been if he was down by contact...in which case it would have been first and goal bears from the 1...and with the saints only having 1 challenge left at that point, i doubt sean peyton would have used it.

_________________

Who cares, I wanted to see the Bears celebrate the azzkicking they where putting on the Saints.

I am pretty sure they don't count on the jumbo-tron when deciding to challenge a play or not.

Saints Player "hey look its the sausage race."
Saints Coach"WTF, I was counting on seeing a replay on that TD catch!"
Saints Waterboy " I got an idea, why don't you use those printouts you get to see formations and plays."
Saints Coach " Shut up boy!, I got 50 bucks on the italian sausage!"

At every home stadium that I know of, they replay controversial plays that went against the home team on the Jumbotron; if it was controversial and benefitted the home team, they don't show it. That's why the Berrian play wouldn't have been shown out there.

bw, as far as putting that much emphasis on the networks, coaches can't complain about it. Part of the rule does not allow for coaches to do that, it just developed as a loophole to improve coaches' success rate - as a broadcast was on upstairs, assistants could tell the coach whether or not to challenge the play. The teams are just using what is available to them, and they are lucky they get that.

_________________
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. ~ Benjamin Franklin