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THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER THING
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Robin Brownlee
Apr 18, 2016, 14:38 EDTUpdated:
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When the NHL introduced a coach’s challenge for offside plays this season, I was all for it. No matter what the sport, I’ve long been a get-it-right guy, especially when multiple angles on replays allow officials, be they on the ice, in the press box or outside the rink altogether, to eliminate human error.
I’ve re-thought that. If you prefer, I’m doing a flip-flop, at least as it pertains to the offside review. Having watched it at work during this regular season – there were a total of 99 offside reviews, resulting in 37 goals being called back – plus playoffs, I’ve got more than one problem with it. It’s becoming obvious other people do as well.
While it’s true that the offside challenge, as it stands, only takes away goals from a league starving for them and is tweaking rules and equipment to try to generate more offence – officials can’t take back a play resulting in a goal that was blown offside but wasn’t – that’s not my biggest beef. It’s an issue, but I don’t want goals that aren’t goals for the sake of entertainment value.
It’s the cherry-picking nature of the “eliminate human error” argument at play with the coach’s challenge on offside and, with very rare exception, the lack of any real direct connection to the puck ending up in the net that doesn’t work for me. Has it worked for you?

HUMAN ERROR

We’ve had goals called back because a player was offside by two inches or because his skate was onside in terms of the position of the player but wasn’t in contact with the ice – on old rule. We’re talking calls made in the blink of an eye in real time. It’s remarkable, frankly, how often the zebras get it right – notwithstanding the Matt Duchene goal in 2013 that started this mess.
At the same time, that frame-by-frame standard, by way of challenge and replay, isn’t applied to other “measure” calls. What’s the exact distance a player can be from the gate when a teammate takes his place on a line change? Does every player dumping the puck down the ice gain the centre line before doing so? I think not. I know not. Those aren’t even necessarily bang-bang plays. Do we want to challenge and replay all of those? Not me.
When a referee calls a hook or a hold or a slash that replays show actually isn’t one, or is at the very least marginal, do we want challenges, reviews and reversals as a matter of course on those? Shoot me in the head now. Yes, there are blown calls, and there always will be when humans are involved in the process. Accepting that and deciding what plays should be subject to challenge and review is the trick, which brings me to the other issue I have with the offside challenge.

DIRECT CONNECTION?

Why should a goal that’s scored four, five or six seconds – sometimes longer than that – be called back because a replay shows somebody was offside by a toe or their skate wasn’t in contact with the ice? In many cases – I’d argue most, but I haven’t reviewed every one of the 99 plays reviewed – there is no direct connection when that much time has elapsed.
Maybe a winger loses his man on the rush or off a subsequent cycle. Maybe a D-man loses his guy in front or has a shot bounce off his stick into the net. Maybe the goaltender loses his angle or flat-out whiffs on what should have been a relatively routine save. A toe over the blueline matters when the puck goes into the net seven steamboats later?
Reviews, replays and challenges have a place. I want to know if the puck actually crosses the goal line. I want to know if a goaltender is interfered with in a way that prevents him from making a save attempt. I don’t have a problem if somebody upstairs calls down and says a goal that was scored on a breakaway pass shouldn’t count because the play was three feet offside and everybody somehow missed it. Fine.
This is not that.

JUST A THOUGHT

Having grown up in a one-parent household, I’ve got a lot of empathy for families who struggle economically to attain and participate in what more well-to-do folks enjoy, even at the best of times, let alone times like this when so many face challenges. 
I was always grateful for the support my mom and my brother and I got from family and friends when times were difficult for us, as they often were, so I want to make mention of two initiatives, including one spearheaded by Jason Gregor that hits close to home – Gregor’s Grads.
You can read about it here. Of all the many charitable undertakings Gregor participates in around the city, this is my favourite because if you’ve ever walked in these shoes, you know it can make a difference and change lives.
The other is more specific and pertains to a wonderful single mom named Gabriella, whose sons Camilo and Leo attend the same school as my son Sam. Gabriella’s story is here. Aside from the GoFundMe page, I’m gathering items between now and April 24 for a silent auction May 1 at the Lessard Community Hall with all proceeds going to the family.
If you anything you’d like to contribute to the auction, you can let me know or you can contact Adriana Cruces at acruces@shaw.ca. Thanks. 
Listen to Robin Brownlee Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the Jason Gregor Show on TSN 1260.

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