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NHL Investigating FSN Pittsburgh for Video Replay Omission

Jan 12, 2010, 4:00 PM UTC

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â†µThe Philadelphia Daily News has confirmed that the NHL is investigating Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh after an apparent goal in the Penguins-Flyers game last Thursday was ruled ‘no goal’ upon further review. The investigation stems from the fact that the one angle of the replay that clearly shows the puck cross the goal line was not sent by FSN to the league office in Toronto. Video below:â†µ

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â†µClearly on that replay, the puck crossed the line and the Flyers should have been awarded the goal. Per the â†µDaily News blog Frequent Flyers:â†µâ†µâ‡¥FSN Pittsburgh, who had the game’s only video feed, sent all of the camera angles of the replay except the one that clearly showed the puck over the goal line.â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥Comcast SportsNet elected to not use their own video feed during the game, one CSN employee said on Monday. CSN would have been able to send their own replays to the NHL’s War Room in Toronto if they had used their own feed.â†µâ‡¥
â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥“Hockey Operations did not have a definitive replay that showed the puck in the net - and weren’t aware that one existed - until after they made their ruling,” said John Dellapina, another NHL spokesman. “Once the puck dropped, their ruling became permanent.”â†µâ‡¥

â†µâ†µPermanent, and wrong. The call did not impact the outcome of the game, as the Flyers were winning 5-3 at the time and won the game 7-4 anyway. But it seems rather convenient that immediately after the ruling on the ice was final, FSN Pittsburgh had the angle in question queued up right away. The Penguins and Flyers have a pretty heated cross-state rivalry, so it makes you wonder if the broadcasting network was getting in on the action as well. Was this omission or commission? That’s what the league is trying to find out.â†µ

â†µIt's ironic, because the NHL actually has the best replay system of all the major sports. The reviews get sent back to the league office and their state-of-the-art video system with (assuming) gigantic monitors that can catch everything, leaving the referee a Batphone at center ice, waiting to get the ruling directly from those in Toronto. â†µ

â†µâ†µCritics of replay have long said that putting the review in the hands of those at the game, when viewers at home – with their giant TVs and DVRs – are often in a better position to make the right call, makes as little sense as not having replay at all. The NHL has no sideline hood to go under or tiny television monitor at center court. There’s no extra official up in the booth who has to decide if his colleagues were wrong on the field, bringing human nature into the decision. Everything is sent back to the league. â†µ

â†µâ†µWell, clearly not everything. â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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