Wednesday Why’s

Why would the NFL consider new replay rules in light of the final play of the Steelers-Chargers game Sunday?

In a continuing effort to get it right.  Although there has been a push to improve the timing of replays and the delays they cause to the games, the overriding goal is to get it right.  Now Mike Pereira, the NFL’s vice president of officiating, is saying that the referee on the field should be allowed to check the replay booth a second time if necessary to get the call correct. Currently, a second consultation isn’t allowed, and Pereira said a second consultation might have prevented Sunday’s error. The feeling from Pereira and the league is that Sunday’s game exposed a flaw in the system and that flaw should be corrected as soon as possible, without waiting for the offseason meetings of the Competition Committee.  This is something that may be in place for the playoffs, with the adage that if it gets it right, let’s do it.  The “speed of the game” argument thus becomes secondary.

Why such attention on this call, as the game was decided and the outcome was not affected?

Again, the emphasis will be on getting it right.  We will also hear about tiebreakers and points that the Steelers could have had that may end up being important at the end of the season.  Highly unlikely.  I think we all know the real issue involved with the call on Sunday, one that network commentators have snickered about and one that has resonated through the sports books around the country, and one that has been written about here.

Why is Pacman Jones not being reinstated now after his four-game suspension?

The suspension was for a minimum period of four games with an indefinite period beyond that.  Although he has reportedly completed his requirements for alcohol counseling, there does not seem to be a push to have him reinstated from any of the interested parties –  the Cowboys or the union. The Commissioner says he will have a decision on his status in the coming days.  It would appear that everyone knows his name and his image are toxic right now, the true poster boy for the league’s Personal Conduct Policy.  The only one appearing to push for his reinstatement is his personal attorney, and he and Pacman await a decision that has no timetable.

Why are the rulings on the diuretic pill involving several players taking so long?

This is more complicated than it appears.  Evidently, a company called StarCaps sold this product without the banned substance being listed as an ingredient.  That has caused a flurry of inquiry by the league and the players’ representatives.  And according to the lawyer representing three Saints players at a hearing in New York yesterday, David Cornwell (who has also announced his candidacy for the NFLPA Executive Director Position), the NFL’s administrator of the program, Dr. John Lombardo, knew of the presence of this substance — Bumetanide — in the StarCaps product, but did not share this information with the NFL players.  The players thus continued to use the product as a weight-loss supplement that did not have a banned substance listed as an ingredient.

 It does seem odd that Jamar Nesbit of the Saints served a four-game suspension for what was apparently the same product, although he — along with the Falcon’s Grady Jackson, an old friend of mine — is suing StarCaps.  In the event the other players do not receive the same suspension, it will be interesting to see how the league deals with Nesbit.  A decision must come soon for the players to serve their suspensions this season, as there are only six games remaining.