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HOME REPLAY ADVANTAGE:  
That's right, you need to cross out the word "field" in home field advantage and change that to "Home Replay Advantage".  There's no need to review a home field touchdown!     

The Vikings are playing Monday Night Football at the Philadelphia Eagles.  There less than two minutes left before the half.  Daunte Culpepper is standing in the end zone, albeit it, he's completely turned around.  No problem, just wait for the replay to clearly show that the ball passed the plane of the goal line, you know, a side view of the goal line.  Forgetaboutit!  You're in Philly.  There is no replay shown for the Viking coaches in the booth to review.  Remember, the clocks running.  Since there less than two minutes, the Vikings can't challenge.  Since no view is shown, there nothing for the "upstairs-people" to review.  
  
Later in that same game, the game is blown wide open.  Terrel Owens catches a bomb down the right side line.  Again, your in Philly baby.  Forgetaboutit!  Do we see a replay of the catch.  Not until after the Eagles line up, and hike the ball for the next play.  Only then do us poor Viking fans see that T.O. bobbled the ball where if it were challenged, it wouldn't have been a catch, but more importantly, the key play that broke the Vikings back.

Fast forward to Minnesota's most recent contest, Game #2 in Detroit.  Roy Williams catches a TD pass in the back of the end zone.  The announcer mistakenly calls it, "incomplete"!  This is quickly followed by a called touchdown!.  "How'd he catch that?", the announcer wondered.   No video replay is required as its a home field touchdown.  The Lion's quickly amass onto the field for the extra point.  The kick is good.  Now it's too late for a replay challenge.  Just before they break away, they show two views of the play.  The second view is from the end-zone, which shows nothing.  The first view, however, indicated that Henderson got a mitt on the ball, where Roy Williamson may have bobbled the ball, and may have stepped out before he regained control of the ball.  Could it be so ... we'll never know.

Not so long ago, if the ex-Viking Randy Moss had caught a pass, you'd see twelve views of the catch (here's the gnat's-butt-camera angle, which clearly indicates that Randy did not curtsey before ...).  

The point is that the coaches in the booth are waiting and are watching for video replay evidence so that they can make sound judgments on whether to call for a replay challenge.  The problem is, only the home team gets that advantage.  Depending upon where you're playing, away teams are never given the opportunity to view anything.  Too often, the home team somehow doesn't seem to have any video available.  We fans aren't stupid.  We know what's going on and it's just simply not going to stop.

Let me get this right, the league can show us that Michael Strahan ad ad nausium, till we're ready to pull our hair out,  but the NFL cannot take the time to provide at least three views of a "game changing performance", before they allow some kicker to "keek-a-touchdown".  

Rodger Goodel, are you listening.  This is exactly what a commissioner is for.  To level the playing field between the franchises and to somehow regain some semblance of fair play.  

The Viking Ghost Writer
MyVikingBlood.com
September 25, 2007