Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged

It's Sunday, and time to cleanse our football sins at the Altar of the Irreverent Church of the Gridiron.

Look at this place!

Packed with Irish fans who skipped Mass last night to watch Notre Dame beat Arizona State. 

The Baptismal font overflows with tears of Iowa State, Penn State and Northwestern fans.

The Hoosiers virginal win, sanctified by the Big Ten Network, will be christened with their tears.

Listen now, as we read from Referees 12:1-2, for the Word of the Ref:

The instant replay process operates under the fundamental assumption that the ruling on the field is correct. The replay official may reverse a ruling if and only if the video evidence convinces him beyond all doubt that the ruling was incorrect. Without such indisputable video evidence, the replay official must allow the ruling to stand.

Thanks be to the Ref!

The fundamental assumption is the infallibility of the Ref.  The call on the field, in real time and without the benefit of slow motion, high definition, and multiple angles, must be better than the eyes of the beholder in the booth.  Does this make sense?




What is indisputable?  Indisputable to whom?

How can a panel of sports announcers and perhaps hundreds of thousands of fans see a replay one way, while the Ref can see it another?  No one is unbiased.  We are all sinners!

The referee on the field must be right.  Yet, he is a sinner like all of us.  Replay is his chance to repent--to turn from sin and make the correct call.

From SBNation:

You be the judge. ESPN's cameras turned up about three different angles, none of which showed with 100 percent certainty that the ball came out, but it appeared most impartial observers agreed there was enough evidence to overturn the ruling. Looks out [sic] to me. It's very close, though.

Judge not refs!  Lest Ye Be Judged!

Amen.