Following game four of the Royals-Blue Jays National League Championship Game last Tuesday, NBC SportsWorld columnist Joe Posnanski said the unthinkable: Instant replay was hurting the game of baseball.
Posnanski called out Major League Baseball’s replay review process after Kansas City’s Alex Rios stole second base, but the umpire’s safe call was reviewed and overturned. Two thousand frames per second revealed Rios lost contact with the bag for a tenth of second while he was sliding and Ryan Goins was applying the tag.
Kansas City went on to drown Toronto 14-2, so the play’s impact wasn’t huge. Slow motion replay review, however, may have decided the fate of the Oregon Ducks’ Thursday night game against Arizona State. It ended up killing the Sun Devils’ season.
At first, it appeared instant replay claimed Oregon as its latest victim. Ahead 34-31 in the fourth quarter, safety Reggie Daniels picked off quarterback Mike Bercovici in the end zone to negate Arizona State’s scoring threat. Upon further review, however, the ball apparently jostled in Daniels’ arms as he hit the ground, and the officials confirmed the evidence was clear and convincing enough to overturn the ruling on the field of an interception.
Sun Devils fans rejoiced, but Ducks fans felt cheated. Was the video evidence truly “indisputable,” as the rules necessitate? Oregon Associate Director of Athletic Communications Todd Miles didn’t think so.

There is no way you can tell the ball hit the ground.
— Todd Miles (@MilesUO) October 30, 2015

Instead of turning the ball over, Arizona State completed the drive with a game-tying field goal. It took a 41-34 lead with a touchdown on its next drive. The football gods heard the Ducks’ cry of injustice and delivered a prompt karmic response. The Sun Devils were driving with five minutes to play and a seven-point lead. They had a 1st-and-10 at the Oregon 48-yard line when the ball was snapped with an Oregon linebacker drawn offside. Bercovici tossed up a prayer to the 19-yard line, where cornerback Tyree Robinson plucked it from the air for an interception. Everyone in the stadium — except the referees — saw the penalty, but no flag was thrown.
Although fans saw the Oregon linebacker’s foot crossing the line of scrimmage from their high-definition televisions at home, the officials cannot review penalties or “non-calls,” so the turnover stood. Oregon, on its ensuing drive, tied the game with a touchdown and 0:12 remaining on the game clock.
Two full overtime periods later, wide receiver Bralon Addison caught a 20-yard touchdown pass to give Oregon a 61-55 lead, but the toes on his left foot appeared to be out of bounds when he came down with the reception. After a lengthy replay review, the officials ruled the call on the field stood; thus, the evidence was “disputable,” albeit pretty hard to dispute.

THIS OVERTIME THOUGH. @statepresssport pic.twitter.com/v7G1TcRqPQ
— Jojo Huckeba (@Jojo_Huck) October 30, 2015

Bercovici threw a pick on the Sun Devils’ rebuttal drive, sealing the win for Oregon. Pac-12 title hopes remain in the realm of possibility for the Ducks (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12). Arizona State (4-4, 2-3 Pac-12) will be playing the rest of its season for fun. The fact that Addison’s touchdown stood and Daniels’ interception was overturned is mind-boggling. Before instant replay graced the sports world, calls made in the heat of the moment were essentially final. Replay review was supposed to alleviate controversy over officiating mistakes. In some instances it has; in others, it has blurred the lines further. Just ask NFL wide receivers Calvin Johnson and Dez Bryant about what constitutes a “catch.” Posnanski envisions a Major League Baseball in which replay review is allowed, but the replay official must review the play in game-speed — in other words, without the use of slow motion. He acknowledged his stance is unpopular, as the vast majority of fans argue “getting the call right” is of the utmost importance. As we learned last night, though, even with high-speed cameras and dozens of replay angles, referees don’t always get the calls right.
Follow Kenny Jacoby on Twitter @KennyJacoby