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Mark Madden's Hot Take: What good is replay review when it abandons common sense? | TribLIVE.com
Mark Madden, Columnist

Mark Madden's Hot Take: What good is replay review when it abandons common sense?

Mark Madden
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AP
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) lays on the ground after being sacked for a safety by Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young (0) (not pictured) during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif.
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AP
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts after being sacked for a safety by Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young (not shown) during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif.

The use of replay review in sports is invariably a hot topic.

It gets the calls right. Usually.

It slows down the game. Always.

In the end, for me, replay review doesn’t quite connect.

In the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s NFL game, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold got blatantly flung to the turf by his face mask. The result was a safety and a 30-20 lead for the Los Angeles Rams.

Obvious foul. But no flag. The referees somehow missed it.

That non-call isn’t reviewable as per NFL rules.

So, the non-call stood. The safety killed what little chance the Vikings had to catch up.

Why can’t the replay booth tell the refs they missed a flagrant penalty, then make the right decision? Fifteen yards, first down.

Replay review is so busy with protocol and procedure that it abandons common sense.

What’s the point of replay review if some crucial calls still don’t get made correctly?

P.S. — MLB should use the automated strike zone. To have that at your disposal and not use it is insane.

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Categories: Mark Madden Columns | NFL | Sports
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