Did the Kansas City Chiefs actually stop Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen short of a first down in the fourth quarter of an AFC Championship Game? For ESPN’s Tony Reali, the greater issue seems to be not so much if the right call was made but the method used to make it. Following the game, Reali, the longtime host of ESPN’s Around the Horn, took to social media to ask his X followers to vote on whether the correct ruling was made on the controversial play, but he emphasized another point as well.
“In my 24 years on television I have said the words MICROCHIP IN THE BALL a hundred times,” Reali posted. “I do not understand how the greatest league in the world still has a guess method. Eye balling, from 30 yds away, trying to squint through a mass of humanity and walk in a straightish line to where it was, even when the other guy from the other sideline is somewhere else. Technology exists, technology works, tech would be fun!”
In my 24 years on television I have said the words MICROCHIP IN THE BALL a hundred times. I do not understand how the greatest league in the world still has a guess method. Eye balling, from 30 yds away, trying to squint through a mass of humanity and walk in a straightish line… https://t.co/39tNEAEfCW
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) January 27, 2025
In a later post, Reali added, “In Tennis, the Hawkeye is fun. The oooooooohs and ahhhhhhs are amazing drama. I WATCH ENTIRE HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS of close Hawkeyes for fun! NFL could have this.” He acknowledged that he isn’t the first to raise this issue, mirroring criticisms made by Baltimore Ravens announcer Gerry Sandusky during preseason over the NFL’s continued use of the chain gang despite advancements in technology.
In Tennis, the Hawkeye is fun. The oooooooohs and ahhhhhhs are amazing drama. I WATCH ENTIRE HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS of close Hawkeyes for fun! NFL could have this https://t.co/EgPbOe5nrQ
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) January 27, 2025
While there are notable differences between football and tennis—such as the fact that a tennis shot is definitive in that it’s either in or out—football’s complexities, like whether the ball crossed the line to gain before the runner was down, present additional layers. The play in question exemplified this as the two side judges spotted the ball from noticeably different positions, with one clearly ahead of the line to gain while the other was short.
CBS Sports crew disagree as critical fourth down official review favors Chiefs https://t.co/Lb6seazWBB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 27, 2025
It is indeed challenging to accurately determine where a runner was down or where his forward progress was stopped from several yards away. When both teams are concentrated in one small area of the field, officials might struggle to see the ball due to obstructed views from larger players. Tennis has successfully implemented technology to enhance the accuracy of officiating, and similar advancements in the NFL, while perhaps not as robust, could also prove beneficial.
