Big Ten gets poor man's version of instant replay

MOUNT PLEASANT -- It is not news to anybody who follows Big Ten football that the conference has been playing around with instant replay for almost five years now. Or that a review of certain plays will become official for conference games during the 2004 season.

What you might not know is that the instant replay system that the Big Ten will use is nothing like the system that has been in use in the National Football League for years.

In the NFL, a coach throws out a red flag to stop play and request a review from an official up in the press box. While the referee goes to the sideline to view the play from umpteen different angles, he is in contact with the review official, who makes the final determination.

What's going to happen in the Big Ten this fall is that a lone official, the technical advisor, will be the only person in the stadium who can halt play and instigate a review, and then only if he sees indisputable video evidence that something was amiss.

http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/grpress/football/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/108627401749740.xml

of instant replay after a bad call cost Penn State a game a couple of years ago. If he'd only get better athletes, he won't have to worry about being in a position where a blown call will make a difference.

There was one sentenced a few months ago for assault. I miss the good old days