Replay

Here's what umpire crew chief Gerry Davis told me about the delay on today's replay review on Rays right fielder Matt Joyce's eventual home run ball in the Orioles' 3-1 loss to the Rays: "[Orioles manager] Buck [Showalter] wanted to know whether the ball was, in fact, fair. We got together as a crew to discuss whether the ball was fair or foul, whether any of us had anything differently than [first-base ump Dan Iassogna] had. We did not. So the ruling on the field was that it was a fair ball in play.

The day after Joe Maddon's team was awarded a home run after a replay review showed that Matt Joyce's ball hit the base of Camden Yards' right-field foul pole in the Orioles' 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay, the Rays manager blasted crew chief Gerry Davis, calling the situation “baseball anarchy” and saying that Davis “made stuff up on the field.” Joyce's ball was originally ruled in play, landing him at second base with a double. But after Orioles manager Buck Showalter sprinted out of the dugout to argue the ball was foul, Maddon asked for a replay review, but wanted to ensure that the ball would either be ruled a home run or remain a double.

WASHINGTON -- While world leaders gathered at the barbed wire and crematoriums of Auschwitz 60 years after the liberation of that Nazi death camp, Oscar nominee Don Cheadle gathered with members of Congress in Washington who are trying to stop a genocide that goes on today. In a crowded House hearing room, the star of Hotel Rwanda and members of Congress talked about their recent fact-finding mission to the strife-ridden Darfur region of Sudan. More than 70,000 innocent civilians are believed to have died and more than 1.8 million forced from their homes in a deadly ethnic cleansing campaign by the Janjaweed militia backed by the Sudanese government.

Here's what umpire crew chief Gerry Davis told me about the delay on today's replay review on Rays right fielder Matt Joyce's eventual home run ball in the Orioles' 3-1 loss to the Rays: "[Orioles manager] Buck [Showalter] wanted to know whether the ball was, in fact, fair. We got together as a crew to discuss whether the ball was fair or foul, whether any of us had anything differently than [first-base ump Dan Iassogna] had. We did not. So the ruling on the field was that it was a fair ball in play.

The day after Joe Maddon's team was awarded a home run after a replay review showed that Matt Joyce's ball hit the base of Camden Yards' right-field foul pole in the Orioles' 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay, the Rays manager blasted crew chief Gerry Davis, calling the situation “baseball anarchy” and saying that Davis “made stuff up on the field.” Joyce's ball was originally ruled in play, landing him at second base with a double. But after Orioles manager Buck Showalter sprinted out of the dugout to argue the ball was foul, Maddon asked for a replay review, but wanted to ensure that the ball would either be ruled a home run or remain a double.

Understand this: It is vital to keep all the issues surrounding the replay fiasco in Eugene, Ore., last weekend separate and in proper perspective. To put it so simply that a rabid, death-threat-sending Oklahoma fanatic might even understand: It's a game. Yes, it's a game worth millions of dollars, at least that many emotions and probably someone's job riding on the outcome, but still just a game. A good, credible game in which players and coaches make mistakes and, on balance, officials make a lot fewer mistakes.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just 23 yards away from the winning touchdown with 47 seconds left in the NFC title game in January, coach Tony Dungy was talking on the sidelines with quarterback Shaun King while waiting for the officials to put the ball in play. "I was thinking this is a long TV timeout," Dungy said. What he didn't realize was that the referee, Bill Carollo, was in the process of reversing Bert Emanuel's diving 12-yard catch that put the Bucs in a third-and-11 situation on the St. Louis Rams' 23. Dungy couldn't believe the catch was overturned and the Bucs were marched back to the Rams' 35 in a third-and-23 situation.

Fox will have 26 cameras trained on each game of the World Series. The way things have gone this postseason, that's not good news if you're an umpire. During a teleconference yesterday with Fox's Series announcers, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, the question of instant replay review naturally came up because of this fall's playoff series with phantom tags and strikeouts that weren't. "I don't want to see it because I'm a traditionalist," McCarver said. " ... But you could make the case based on this postseason."

Kordell Stewart was still playing his Slash role when he was given credit for a 5-yard, second-period touchdown catch in the Pittsburgh Steelers' 20-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC title game two years ago.The only problem was that Stewart's foot touched the back line and the touchdown shouldn't have counted. But the officials missed it.Combined with the final play of that game, when the officials correctly ruled -- but easily could have been screened on the play -- that Aaron Bailey didn't catch a Hail Mary pass in the end zone, that game revived the debate over instant-replay review of officiating calls.

The NFL competition committee has approved a proposal to reinstate instant replay for 1997, ESPN Radio reported yesterday.The committee reportedly will present the replay proposal to NFL owners March 9-13 in Palm Desert, Calif.The proposal, which needs the approval of 23 of 30 owners, includes four types of reviewable plays: all scoring plays, sideline plays in or out of bounds, number of players on the field and fumbles or interceptions. Judgment calls on possible pass interference would not be subject to review.

In the end, the umpires got the call right. But it sure took long enough. And a rough five-game homestand for the Orioles got even rougher in the sixth inning Sunday when Tampa Bay's Matt Joyce hit a soaring fly ball down the right field line in the Rays' eventual 3-1 win. That's when all the fun started. Actually, it was only fun if your idea of a good time is a long game delay while both managers and all four umpires yak endlessly about whether Joyce's shot was a foul ball, a double or a homer.

CBS Sports made a good call Sunday in not showing a halftime replay of a gruesome injury to Louisville guard Kevin Ware. The injury took place in the first half of Louisville's Elite Eight matchup with Duke. But the network did show it in slow-motion replay while Ware lay on the court attended to by trainers and medical personnel. To its credit, the network had one of the game announcers warn viewers before they showed it. I saw the play live, and I did not notice Ware's fall.

In the next few days, the NFL will announce any disciplinary action relating to last weekend's first playoff round, which means that there will likely be another big wire transfer headed from Baltimore to the league's central office in New York. If so, this week's contribution to the NFL charities will come from veteran safety Bernard Pollard, who was flagged during Sunday's victory over the Indianapolis Colts for a nasty hit on receiver Reggie Wayne. Pollard said Tuesday that he hasn't heard anything from the league yet, but he isn't worried about the fine.

NEW YORK - It wasn't as crucial as the missed call that defined both the 1996 American League Championship Series and the uneven relationship between the mighty New York Yankees and the Orioles. It certainly wasn't as clear cut. Nevertheless, a 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees in Friday's Game 5 of the AL Division Series that ended the Orioles' wild ride of a season included another controversial call in right field at Yankee Stadium (though it is a new building). With two outs in the top of the sixth inning and the Orioles trailing the Yankees and their ace CC Sabathia 1-0, Nate McLouth hit a towering fly ball down the right field line.

The Orioles' 5-4 win over the Yankees Saturday night had its share of controversy until the final out. While the story of the night was the loss of right fielder Nick Markakis for the rest of the regular season -- at least six weeks -- with a broken left thumb, the Orioles bullpen made the game exciting to the end. Leading 5-3, closer Jim Johnson allowed three singles to open the inning, with Derek Jeter's bunt single loading the bases....

Major League Lacrosse announced Wednesday that it will implement instant replay on scoring plays for the 2013 season. Specifically, replay will be used to determine only whether the ball had completely crossed the plane of the goal; whether a goal scored should be counted as a one- or two-point goal; or whether the last player in possession of the ball prior to the shot on goal had stepped in the crease before the ball crossed the plane of the...

The nicest surprise in the NFL season so far is the absence of instant replay going virtually unnoticed. There have been no disputes since the New York Jets-Atlanta Falcons season opener on NBC, when two major calls appeared to be in error.At halftime of that game, Joe Namath called for bringing back the replay rule and forecast a season chock full of controversy without it. But a funny thing happened. Not a single obvious bad call has occurred at crunch time in three weeks of play.Ed Goren, CBS coordinating producer for the NFL, says he has observed mistakes on several sideline calls during the 17 games on his network.

With conference play heating up, and April - a month that's all about improvement - on the doorstep, I solicited questions on Twitter (@QKessenich) to see what's on people's minds.   National College Lacrosse League @NCLLax: If QK can change just one rule for 2013, what would he add or delete from the NCAA rulebook? QK: The No. 1 rule change on everybody's mind is the shot clock. Shot-clock advocates are growing, but change is a touchy subject. The rules committee works in a two-year cycle, and this offseason offers it the opportunity to enact reform.

Once you got past the pre-game show and the outrageous attempt by CBS Sports to use the telecast to try to rehabilitate the reputation of Detroit Lions stomper Ndamukong Suh, TV coverage of the Baltimore Ravens 20-13 victory over the Houston Texans wasn't too bad at all Sunday.  More in a minute on the maddening decision by CBS to bring Suh into the studio. But first the game - a happier topic. Just as some players and teams do, the CBS Sports crew covering the Ravens clearly raised its game to a new level for the playoffs.