NO INTEREST IN CHALLENGING
Jones supports video review change
Randy Ambrosie met the challenge.
The CFL commissioner, in the early stages of what will hopefully be a long tenure in office, has quickly established that he is the right person for the job by acting decisively and appropriately to address an issue pertaining to video reviews.
The league announced Wednesday that, effective immediately, coaches will be limited to one video-review challenge per game. Previously, the rules allowed for two challenges, plus a third if the first two were successful.
Credit for the change must also be dispensed to members of the competition committee and the board of governors, along with the nine team presidents and the league’s senior vice-president, football, Glen Johnson.
Everyone concerned realized that something had to be done, immediately. But even before Wednesday, Ambrosie had made it clear that he was amenable to an in-season alteration of the video-review provisions. Then came the announcement, which is reprinted at length due to its sensibility.
“We have a super game,” Ambrosie said in the media release. “Our elite athletes are treating us this year to incredible plays, close contests and even miracle comebacks. Scoring is up, penalties are down, and games are shorter. The last thing we want to have in place is an artificial impediment to our fans’ enjoyment of it all.
“Video review, unfortunately, has become just that. It was put in place to fix egregious and indisputable mistakes that could affect the outcome of a game. It’s not being used that way now. Too many challenges and reviews are interrupting the game.
“Coaches, understandably since they are under pressure to win, have been using it to try to gain an advantage. Fans have been very clear with me that they want a change. We are delivering that change.”
Will that change be sufficient? One can only hope.
The sentiment here is that there is a case for an abolition of the challenges, especially because turnovers and scoring plays are automatically reviewed, anyway.
Nonetheless, the adjustment announced by the league is a progressive step — one that, ideally, will prevent coaches from manipulating/abusing the process and going on frivolous fishing expeditions in desperate search of illegal contact on a receiver who is far away from the play.
Controversy over the challenges had created a massive perception issue for the league. Fans’ enjoyment of the great Canadian game and its stars — Bo Levi Mitchell, Mike Reilly, Solomon Elimimian, Ricky Ray, Darian Durant, Kevin Glenn, Greg Ellingson, Duron Carter,
The last thing we want to have in place is an artificial impediment to our fans’ enjoyment of it all. Video review, unfortunately, has become just that.
et al — was being diminished by ridiculous episodes such as two challenges on the same firstquarter play.
The amended rules still allow for such a scenario, but coaches will need to be far more protective now that they are limited to one precious challenge.
It doesn’t even matter if the challenge is successful. If you use it, you lose it. As a result, a prudent coach will need to ensure that he has a challenge at his disposal in the event of a massively impactful blown call.
If this isn’t THE solution, it is certainly a major step toward a remedy.
With one bold move, a response to fans’ concerns, Ambrosie and associates transformed a nagging negative into a positive.
Twitter quickly exploded Wednesday as commentators of various affiliations took turns applauding the new commissioner.
And why not?
Things are looking rosy under Ambrosie.