Replay ruining its own purpose

LOOK what they’ve done to this game, Ma:

That the NFL replay rule immediately and almost exclusively was used to rule on matters it was never intended to examine — it began in response to a few egre

giously bad calls — the rule persisted and even grew to further microscopically review and change calls that once were not at issue.

Now it’s too late, thus a reversed call such as Sunday’s that not only deprived the Jets of what was once a no-gripes TD but gave the ball to the Pats, is how games are now won and lost.

And despite billions invested in football, TV unilaterally remains determined to destroy it as a sport. CBS yesterday broke into Pats-Jets not just to show the Saints’ Mark Ingram scoring from the 1, but to show his all-about-me 1-yard

TD dance. That’s how to play football, kids!

Unintended satire becomes unavoidable. During a long TV replay delay in Michigan-Indiana, ESPN showed three live shots at once: the officials and each team standing around, waiting, thus we saw nothing in triplicate!

And the ESPN Stupid Stat of the Week goes to ... (open envelope) ... ESPN! During Michigan-Indiana we read: “Indiana Defense, 6.8 Three-And-Outs Forced Per Game, #2 IN FBS.” Good thing, too, or IU wouldn’t have lost, 49-21, to Ohio St., and 45-14 to Penn St.