CFL replay receives instant scrutiny
Questionable calls mar a pair of regular-season opening games
TORONTO — It didn’t take long for instant replay to again become a hot-button topic in the Canadian Football League.
In the league’s opening two regular-season games, questionable calls following review took centre stage in two closely-contested encounters. On Thursday night, the Montreal Alouettes nipped the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 17-16, before the Calgary Stampeders and Ottawa Redblacks battled to a 31-31 overtime tie in a Grey Cup rematch the following night.
Saskatchewan tied its game 7-7 on Kevin Glenn’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Bakari Grant. Grant lost possession of the ball on the play, with television replays showing he’d fumbled before scoring.
As per league rules, the CFL’s command centre reviewed the play, but surprisingly upheld the call.
Montreal secured the narrow victory after Saskatchewan kicker Tyler Crapigna missed a 45-yard field goal on the game’s final play.
On Friday night, Calgary got the benefit of two replay calls.
The Stampeders tied the score 11-11 when Bo Levi Mitchell hit Kamar Jorden on a nine-yard TD strike.
Jorden lost the ball on the play, with Ottawa’s Khalil Bass recovering it and returning it for an apparent Ottawa touchdown.
The on-field officials originally ruled Jorden had scored, a decision that was supported by the command centre.
Jorden was again the centre of attention in the fourth when fumbled before being downed on a completion. Ottawa challenged, but again the call was upheld.
Four plays later Jerome Messam’s three-yard TD run made it 28-28.
Ottawa linebacker Taylor Reed took to social media to voice his displeasure. “Please @CFL what we gotta do to fix this. I just need clarity!” Reed tweeted.
Glen Johnson, CFL senior vice-president of football operations, didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment Monday.
Last season, the CFL admitted its officials made two mistakes on a key play in Edmonton’s 24-21 East Division semifinal win over Hamilton. With the game tied 21-21, Ticats quarterback Zach Collaros completed a pass before being hit by Eskimos defensive end Odell Willis.
A holding penalty against Hamilton tackle Brandon Revenberg negated the 17-yard gain but the Ticats challenged Willis’s hit, looking for a roughing-the-passer call.
Upon review, the challenge was denied, but Johnson said later not only should Revenberg not have been flagged but replay official Jeff Harbin should’ve upheld the Ticats’ challenge.
NOTES: It was a triumphant start to the 2017 season for the Toronto Argonauts. Ricky Ray threw for a career-best 506 yards and a TD in leading the squad to a 32-15 home win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Marc Trestman’s Argos headcoaching debut. … But the contest drew just 13,583 spectators at BMO Field. Last year, almost 25,000 fans watched Hamilton dismantle Toronto 42-20 in the Argos’ firstever contest at the refurbished venue. … Ray said at least most of the fans present Sunday were vocal. “I mean, there was energy there at the end of the game making it tough on Hamilton,” Ray said. “We’re just trying to come out and win each game, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”