One of the key ingredients for a centralized replay function is the latest in real-time fiber optic technology. The NHL has it.
According to John Kryk of the Toronto Sun, the NFL will soon have it, too.
Per Kryk, the league will have the ability this year in the league office to view the games as they happen, which will allow V.P. of officiating Dean Blandino to better assist the referees as they engage in the formal replay review.
With the technology in place to see things happen as they happen, it could be that the ability of Blandino to guide the referees through the review process in 2014 ultimately becomes Blandino and company actually conducting the replay reviews from New York City.
That’s the way we’d prefer it to be. The process could be much more efficient if the referee were removed from the process and the review happened quickly at the proverbial situation room.