Inventor of TV instant replay, Tony Verna, dies at 81: Report

The man who invented instant replay for live sports 51 years ago, passed away Sunday at age 81.

Tony Verna — a name not recognizable to most fans but a well-known innovator in his field — is gone but, left behind, arguably, the most important invention in live sports television broadcasting ever.

The noted television director and producer was behind the idea of using instant replay for the first time in the Dec. 7, 1963 Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia. Before the game, Verna developed a method to cue the tape to pinpoint the play he wanted to immediately air again. He said he was looking for a way to fill those boring gaps between plays during a football telecast.

The concept was so new that when Army quarterback Rollie Stichweh scored a touchdown, announcer Lindsey Nelson had to warn viewers: "This is not live! Ladies and gentlemen, Army did not score again!"

Instant replay quickly became a staple of sports broadcasting. And today it's hard to imagine any televised athletic event that doesn't and can't use Verna's simple idea. Whether it's replaying an exciting moment, close finish or reviewing a call from the officials booth, the ubiquitous technical effect has become an important part of the television viewing experience and each game itself.

And, oh yeah, it fills in those boring gaps between plays.

  

And these days, when instant replay is taken for granted, it's only when controversy rears its celluloid head, does his invention make headlines.

Verna went on to produce or direct five Super Bowls, the Olympics, the Kentucky Derby and even "Live Aid."

Thanks again ... and again Tony Verna.

MLB unveils ROC — its state-of-the-art replay center (PHOTOS)

Beginning with the Dodgers-Padres game at Petco Park on Sunday night — the U.S. opener of the 2014 season — players, managers and fans will start hearing a lot more of the ROC — technically known as Major League Baseball's Replay Operations Center.

The 900-square foot high-tech room in the Chelsea Market building in Manhattan's trendy Meatpacking District, is where umpires and technicians will make the decisions that could decide games and championships.

More than $10 million has been spent wiring the 30 big league ballparks with Fiberlink cable that will transmit the images from at least 12 cameras at every site, and MLB says it will take just 400 milliseconds for each image to arrive at the command center.

The ROC is housed in the offices of Major League Baseball Advanced Media in the historic building where the Oreo cookie was invented.

It's been called a technological marvel, outfitted with state-of-the-art video equipment. And it's the nerve center of MLB's expanded replay system. ROC will be manned by eight umpires from the existing pool of on-field arbitrators. Each umpire will have a technical assistant to run disputed plays from angles gleaned by 12 cameras at each ballpark.

Beginning Sunday, every play of every game this season that is subject to review will be analyzed in this room by at least one umpire and one trained technician. Whenever a manager formally challenges a call, or after the sixth inning, if the umpires on the field simply want a second opinion, this is where the ultimate decisions will be made.

Managers will have one challenge per game, and a second if the first is successful. They will not be able to challenge home run calls, the original impetus for the replay that started in 2008. Only game umpires can ask for replays on homers.

So if Don Mattingly disagrees with a ROC ump's call, he'll have to travel 2,760 miles to kick dirt on their khakis.

Girardi calls for instant replay after ump's blunder

It may sound like a case of sour grapes or even an excuse for the New York Yankees loss to a better Detroit Tigers team, but the shouts for expansion of instant replay in MLB just got another loud proponent in Joe Girardi.

The Yankees manager called on baseball to expand its use of replay after two badly officiated calls went against New York in the first two games of the American league Championship Series.  Both calls played important roles in each instance and led to Girardi getting tossed from Sunday's game for arguing umpire Jeff Nelson's blown call at second base.

"In this day and age when we have instant replay available to us, it's got to change," Girardi said after the Yankees lost to the Tigers, 3-0, and fell behind two games to none in the best-of-seven series.  "We play 235 days to get to this point and two calls go against us."

"Yeah, let's have instant replay," he said at the news conference.  "And ... not just home run, fair, foul.  Let's have instant replay."

The call that got Girardi's ire was a tag at second base in the eighth inning of Sunday's game.  The Tigers' Omar Infante overran second base on Austin Jackson's two-out single and Robinson Cano tagged him before he could get back.  Second base umpire Nelson didn't see it that way and called Infante safe — keeping the Tigers alive and allowing them to score to more runs and make it 3-0.

The call compelled Girardi to send Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda — who was splendid up until then — to the showers. Girardi was tossed minutes later after he seethed through a commercial break.

Nelson, who saw the play on replay after the game — admitted he botched the call.

"I had the tag late and the hand going to the bag before the tag on the chest," he said.  "The hand did not get in before the tag.  The call was incorrect."

Cano — who was called out at first on another bad call in Game 1 —  argued Nelson's call to no avail.

"I was safe (Saturday) and I had (Infante) by about five feet," said Cano.  "But no excuses, either way, you have to score some runs."

"I am not saying we win the game if the call is right. And I'm not saying we win the game if the call was right (Saturday) night either," said Girardi.  But in this day and age there is too much at stake, and technology is available.  That is what our country has done, we've evolved technology to make it better."