Being an umpire, ref, etc, is way harder than it looks. The problem is, with betting so prevalent, how do you assuage someone that a mistake was merely "the human element" many (but never me) used to say gave a sport "character"... as opposed to intentional?
First off, we need to allow challenges to judgment calls... with the caveat that the only person who can overturn a call is the person who made it. I guarantee you that guys on the field who make and defend their bad calls do so to maintain their integrity on the field. Behind the scenes they admit they screwed up. It sucks when you know you screwed up. That's why such a rule change I predict would be welcome by officials.
Eventually, AI will allow the "eye in the sky" to officiate pro sports. In other words, every camera angle will be covered and stitched together. AI will know exactly for football, for example, what a legal catch or an illegal hold is. Challenges will be to humans.
- Jeff |
