This Is Not News

Interesting side note from Sunday night’s Eagles-Falcons game: The major reason why the Eagles did not challenge a key interception play is that NBC, which broadcast the game, didn’t show any replays that suggested the play was not, in fact, an interception. Coaches don’t have their own camera feeds, so they are dependent on whatever the TV broadcast shows. It wasn’t until after it was too late to challenge the play that the director found a definitive angle, so the TV broadcasters were able to comment on the play not being an interception and wonder why the Eagles didn’t challenge it – without commenting on the fact that they hadn’t found the relevant information at the time. If they had, the outcome of the play, and thus the game, might have been different. The broadcast wasn’t just showing the audience at home what happened in the game – they were affecting the outcome of the game. There’s a metaphor there somewhere.