MLB to Expand Instant Replay in 2014 (About Damn Time)

The days are numbered for the arrogant umpires.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced today that baseball will greatly expand instant replay starting in the 2014 season. Managers will be allowed to make up to three challenges per game, one for the first six innings and two after the sixth. The best part about it is that the review will not be made by the officiating crew at the stadium but rather by a crew at MLB headquarters in New York City who will render a final decision.

As for what plays will be reviewable, it's a gray area at this point. Atlanta Braves president John Schuerholz, a member of the replay committee, has said that 89% of incorrect calls made in the past will be reviewable but failed to provide a list.

This expanded instant replay still needs to be passed by 75% of the owners during the off season. The MLBPA and the umpires would also need to approve the changes.

Perhaps not the best replay system that can be put in place but it's still a significant upgrade from what they have now (just borderline home runs). While it's unclear what can be challenged, it's going to include numerous things which will make the game fairer and much less controversial.

Again, the system itself is not the best available. College Football appears to use instant replay the best ( and it pains me to admit that) with a replay official able to halt the game for a review at any time need be.

But I do get why baseball went to the challenge system instead. They're afraid that the replay official method will slow the game down too much. The challenge system, in the end, is a compromise.

Over time, I do hope that Baseball will move towards the College Football model regarding instant replay. But for the time being, it's a home run.

USC Stripped of a Title

The NCAA has already come down very hard on USC in recent history because of their recruiting violations, especially with Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo. They have taken away scholarships, bowl appearances, and even wins during their seasons years ago. Most of this was, of course, applicable to college football. But the punishment was not done yet. Today, the BCS stripped USC of their 2004 BCS National Championship. They vacated the results of that game at the Orange Bowl as well as their participation in the following BCS Title game against Texas in which they lost. As a result, there will be no champion for 2004.

I'm honestly fine with punishing a program to bring them down a peg but taking away National Titles seems a little overblown. Don't get me wrong, USC broke the rules and in a way they shouldn't have the title but everyone still knows they won it. It's like everyone knows Pete Rose is a Hall of Fame player but is not in the Hall of Fame. I SAID "LIKE" THAT, IT'S NOT A PERFECT COMPARISON!!! Quite frankly I would actually like more sanctions on USC than they have now. Now I must admit I don't much like USC but with good reason, they cheat.

I still think college football needs to change their rules significantly but if a school breaks a rule that is currently in place, punish their future harshly, not their past. It may mean something to their so called prestige but not much more than that.

P.S. A major difference between this and Pete Rose was that Pete Rose was never thrown out of the Baseball Hall of Fame, he was just declared banned from baseball and ineligible for Hall of Fame entry forever (Not that Cooperstown wouldn't have thrown him out if he was in the Hall of Fame at the time).