4 Up and 4 Down: Pac-12 Week 8

anthony brown

By: Andrew Haubner

Each week during the NFL season, UnafraidShow.com will take you through the four Pac-12 teams/players that are trending up, as well as the ones that are headed for a crash. Let’s get to it:

Make sure to check out this week’s Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, or just click play on the Spotify link below while you read the article below.

1) The Anthony Brown Revenge Tour

Few things are better in sports than watching an athlete rise to the moment. As “We Want Ty” chants started to gain steam in Autzen Stadium, Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown threw up the double birds. After a third quarter filled with boos from the fans (which, corny behavior guys, c’mon), Brown was sensational. Stats don’t lie here either:


-Game tying drive: 2/2, 26 yds, 1 TD, 2 att, 16 yds. 

-Game winning drive: 2/2, 49 yds, 1 att, 11 yds, 1 TD


Take that for data. You can argue over why the boos were needed to motivate this offense. You can take issue with the inconsistency of the unit’s focus. You can even quibble over the conservative nature of Mario Cristobal’s offensive ethos. But Anthony Brown showed he’s the guy on a 5-1 team. That’s who you roll with the rest of the way. And he earned it on Friday, at least for another week. 

2) Utah’s Bad Moon Rising

Let the legend of #ThiccBoi7 begin. And as PNW Chapter President of the #Thiccos, I feel obligated to put our young adult son on the trending up list. How could you not? His second half against Arizona State was nearly perfect. Rising went 13/15 for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air as Utah upset the Sun Devils on a balmy Saturday night at Rice-Eccles. This is more the Utes team we thought we were getting at the beginning of the year. Rising’s dual threat ability (6 att, 59 yds, 1 TD on the ground) has changed the complexion of what was a one note offense with Charlie Brewer under center. It’s easy to see why Kyle Whittingham went with the Baylor transfer at the start of the year but one can’t help but wonder what the first three games look like if it’s a Thicc Boi Summer. 

3) Chips on the Table 

Boy did Chip Kelly need this one. Had UCLA lost this matchup, the questions of what the last few years had been for. If everything under Chip had been built for this to be the breakout year, what would the conclusion have been if they didn’t, you know, break out? Luckily, Bruins fans can hold off on that question for another week. UCLA is 5-2, hosting College Gameday and have a chance to re-enter the Top 25 this weekend when No. 10 Oregon comes to Pasadena. The two-headed monster of Zach Charbonnet and Brittan Brown is still unbelievably potent. Kelly and his staff did a good job of simplifying things for Dorian Thompson-Robinson as well, utilizing his legs and giving him shovel pass looks to counter some downfield accuracy issues from this year. 3/12 on 3rd down against the Huskies is a concern, but the bigger worry is if a Jerry Azzinarro defense won’t get gashed again when they face a superior offensive line. 

4) Brendon & The Buffs

Colorado scored points? 34 of them?! Might as well paint the Front Range black and gold. Turns out, allowing your quarterback to throw downfield and let your talented receivers make a play actually works. Who knew!? Jokes aside, this was a really good game and a total pick-me-up for Brendon Lewis. Sure, it’s against Arizona. But at this point, the Buffs having a plus day offensively against anyone is vitally important. What’s more, it was required that Lewis do this as Colorado’s run game put up a somewhat alarming 130 rushing yards total. If nothing else, it was an encouraging sign for a young quarterback that’s been grinding to get better. Games like this can assure that he isn’t lost forever, far too soon. 

Heating Up

No team in the country has turned it on quite like Utah. Okay, maybe Washington State. But as you’re about to read that freight train might have just run into an 18 wheeler that was placed in the center of the train tracks by a driver who kept mumbling something about train crossings and safety mandates. Anyway, the Utes look like who we thought they’d be coming into the year. Cam Rising has this offense humming. The defense looks every bit like themselves again and the usually reliably good Whittingham special teams have stabilized. It’s a shame they had to drop those early games otherwise we could be talking about Utah as a team with an opening to run for the conference title. Luckily, the rest of the Pac-12 is just as committed to nonsensical chaos. So the Utes still have a chance. And the way they’ve been playing as of late, it’s hard to bet against them even against a good Oregon State team. 

Rolovich

1) Nick Rolovich: Down Catastrophic

Forget trending down, Nick Rolovich is trending off the map. Our boy is down catastrophic. A veritable Icarus made flesh. Head coaches are kings in college football. A winning college football coach is a God. Look no further than Ed Orgeron to see what you can get away with when you’re winning versus what all comes out when you’re not. In a lot of ways, Rolo flew too close to the sun. He thought his influence was something greater than what it was and that, when the rubber met the road, that power would allow him to not have to answer to anyone. Only he forgot one thing: he wasn’t winning enough, hadn’t been there long enough and didn’t take any stand that would allow him to mount a proper defense to wield his influence properly. Simply put, you don’t make your bosses lives hell and then go shocked Pikachu face when they don’t stand with you. And it sucks, because Washington State was starting to look really fun. Rolo is a good coach and the players seem to like him. But he didn’t sacrifice for them like they would’ve been willing to do for him. If you can’t lead, then you’re not fit to coach. 

2) Wilcox’s Woes

Justin Wilcox is, by all accounts, vaccinated. There’s no firing him for cause. The buyout is $16 million. So, Golden Bear fans, I’m sorry to say he’s your guy for the duration. It’s pretty insane to think about what his trajectory was just after Cal had gone down to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and beaten Ole Miss in 2019. That team was 4-0 and ranked 15th in the country before dropping four straight games in which they didn’t score more than 17 points a game. They just have not been able to figure out the offense under Wilcox. From Beau Baldwin to Bill Musgrave, something is just not working. And now, with the defense struggling for the second straight year, there are some bigger questions worth asking. A 4 Star QB and 4 Star RB have decommitted this season. Cal had 8 plays inside Oregon’s 10 yard line and couldn’t muster a game tying touchdown on Friday. The Bears are 1-5, looking like one of the worst teams in the conference and, sadly, some uncomfortable discussions may need to happen if this keeps up. 

3) Hurting Huskies

I can understand a 5-1 Oregon team not wanting to change their quarterback mid-season. Why mess up what keeps winning you games, right? I do not, however, understand trying something different when you’re 2-4. Dylan Morris, as of this week, continues to be the guy. Jimmy Lake seems to be continuing the Pac-12’s recent trend of bad coaches being stubborn with their bad choices. But maybe Lake knows a truth that is far more uncomfortable for Washington fans: it wouldn’t matter who you throw back there. They’ll suffer behind an offensive line that is somehow one of the worst units in the country. Morris, Sam Huard, Patrick O’Brien, maybe those guys are just interchangeable faces who would get killed facing any power five pass rush. What’s tough is that Washington is too good to be doing this. They recruit too well (though that could be better too), are in a state flush with power five talent and more elite talent every year and have too much history and money behind them for this to be the result. Jon Donovan is clearly an issue at offensive coordinator but Jimmy Lake is the guy that co-signed on him. Better days may lie ahead in Seattle but it’s looking pretty bleak this year. 

4) Filet-O-Fisch

There’s a scene in Finding Nemo where they flush Nemo down the toilet to get him to the ocean. The young clownfish has to go through plumbing, sewage treatment plants, navigate schools of larger fish, get out of the net of a factory trawler and then almost gets crushed to death before finally reuniting with his father. Jedd Fisch is currently in the sewage treatment plant because as gross and disgusting as this, it will probably get more painful before the Wildcats find salvation. Quarterback Jordan McCloud is out for the year. His backup, Gunner Cruz, is done for the year as well but not after playing a game so bad that I worry about his long term confidence (did we really need the shot of him crying under a towel, Pac-12 Network?). The talent is just not there in Arizona right now. Jedd Fisch has made some coaching missteps, sure. Overall, he’s recruited well. He’s sold his message. He’s trying with the fanbase. But this is a long term build. If Finding Nemo isn’t a good analogy, think Shawshank Redemption. Wildcat fins still have to wade through a river of poop before they feel cool rain and the air of freedom again. 

Cooling Off

I hesitate to put the Beavers here but historically they’ve had a lot of trouble with Utah under Jonathan Smith. And if quarterback Chance Nolan hasn’t made noticeable improvements during the bye week, this may be a bad night at Reser Stadium. The Beavers remain the top rushing attack in the conference and have plenty of weapons on that side of the ball. But defensively, Oregon State has been exposed a couple of times now. It doesn’t help that their premier edge rushers are unavailable for one reason or another. If Cam Rising continues to play the way he’s played the last two weeks, it’s going to be a long night in Corvallis. Chance Nolan will have to keep pace and with Utah being one of the few teams that can effectively stack the box and have the athletes on the back end to compete with the Beavers receivers and tight ends, it’s going to be a challenge. A couple weeks ago, Oregon State had running the table potential. Now the pendulum has swung to them maybe being the 7-5 team we figured they’d be at the start of the year. Not that that’s a bad thing. But they’ll just look back on that Washington State and Purdue game and really want those back. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer Officially Drops And It’s Spectacular

Spider-Man: No Way Home / Marvel

After leaking on Sunday night, Marvel officially released the first trailer for the highly-anticipated Spider-Man: No Way Home, which arrives in theaters this December.

Inject all of this footage into my veins. After Marvel announced its schedule for Phase 4, Spider-Man: No Way Home was at the top of my list in terms of films I wanted to see. It’s time to find out what the multiverse is all about.

After the events of Far From Home, where Mysterio revealed Spider-Man’s identity, Peter Parker’s life has been flipped upside down. The trailer highlights Peter’s new life and how his secret has made life a lot harder for his family and friends. Peter wants people to forget that he’s Spider-Man, and he’ll do anything to make that happen.

Enter Doctor Strange. Before Doctor Strange can fully tackle the Multiverse of Madness in 2022, he’s going to open a multiverse in Queens. Peter seeks the help of our favorite medical practitioner to cast a spell in which the world will forget that Peter is Spider-Man. Despite better judgment, Strange casts the spell, and of course, it went haywire. The spell tampered with space and time. In other words, the multiverse is about to unleash hell and screw up the timeline. Thanks a lot, Sylvie.

The next two pictures are why I would pay $100 to watch Spider-Man right now.

Norman Osborn, also known as The Green Goblin, and Otto Octavius, also known as Doctor Octopus, are in the MCU. Somebody pinch me. The two best villains in the history of superhero movies (yes, I said it) will team up with Max Dillon, also known as Electro, to do what they do best, which is to make Spider-Man’s life a living hell. With the additions of the Green Goblin and Doc Oc, the multiverse is off and running.

But it won’t stop there because we all know what’s coming. This moment will probably be the second biggest moment in the MCU behind Thanos’s snap.

The three versions of Spider-Man will come together.

They’ve been denying it for months, but this is inevitable. Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland are going to team up in No Way Home. It’s going to happen, and when it does, the Internet will break. Another trailer should highlight this impending meetup, and I’m predicting it to happen on Monday Night Football. Without a Star Wars to showcase, revealing three Spider-Men during halftime of *insert game here* will set viewing records for a trailer.

I’m way too excited for a Monday night. I can’t wait for the next trailer.

Daredevil?

https://twitter.com/TheFirstOkiro/status/1429987567429210119?s=20

Are you excited about No Way Home? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

Pac-12 Apostles Podcast: An Interview with Chip Kelly, Recruiting Trends, And Baseline Expectations for Every Team

On this week’s episode of the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden get deep into the weeds on the recruiting of some of the Pac-12’s schools, especially University of Arizona (trending up!) and University of Washington (trending down!). Washington governor Jay Inslee has said that all state employees must be fully vaccinated by mid-October- what will Wazzu Head Coach Nick Rolovich do? George interviews UCLA Head Coach Chip Kelly, and the guys go through every Pac-12 Team and set baseline expectations for the season.

Breakdown (2 hours, 23 minutes)

You can listen to Pac-12 Apostles on iTunes or Spotify, or by clicking play on the iHeartRadio widget below:

Some of Chip Kelly’s quotes from his interview with George Wrighster:

On Going From Under Armour to Jordan Brand:

“I think it’s the best sports footwear and apparel company out there… You can just see the silhouette of the Jordan brand and you know what you’re getting into. I know our players love it…”

On Recruiting Through the Pandemic:

“Our class that we signed in December of 2020, some of them enrolled early, but 11 of them showed up here on June 21st, and it was really the first time for most of those guys that we had ever seen them face to face because for the last 18 months everything had been done online… It was different. Usually you want to see kids in person, you want to see them practice, maybe play another sport… but all those things were out the window.

The whole camp circuit was off in the year of 2020 and we weren’t allowed to go to camps and see any kids either. It was all about off of film, a lot of schools played, but there are some high schools, New Mexico, Hawaii, they didn’t play football, so you don’t have any tape from a kid after his sophomore year, so you have to project him. In the NCAA, we gave everybody the year back, but in high school, they didn’t give them the year back… That was just part of the process you had to deal with.”

On Teams Offering Non-Committable Scholarships:

“Our word is our bond. So if we offer you, it’s committable. I don’t understand ‘we’re going to offer you but it’s not a committable offer.’ Then my answer would be, ‘then it’s not an offer.’

We’re not making reservations for dinner, you’re dealing with young men’s lives. I don’t think it’s fair to offer a young man, and then tell him it’s not a committable one, because I don’t know what message you’re sending them- ‘You can trust me, but not in everything I say,’ so our word is our bond.

The other thing for us is we have a great school here academically and not everybody can get in, so we wouldn’t offer a kid if we didn’t have a transcript in hand that we could show to our admissions office to see if… if this young man is an admit-able athlete… In most cases we need at least 5 or 6 semesters of high school work for our admissions office to be able to tell us if the kid’s an admit-able student athlete. In the rush of some people offering 8th graders and freshmen, my response all the time is ‘the kid doesn’t even have a transcript, how do you know if he’s an admit-able student?’

We want to make sure we get the right kids and the right fit here. Kids that are about books, and kids that are about ball… they understand that if they get an offer from us, it’s a committable offer, and it’s not a reservation for dinner, it’s actually a scholarship one.”

On How UCLA Evaluates Talent:

“We’re not governed by someone else’s opinion… we don’t offer a kid because of his ranking. Those guys work really hard at it, but I don’t know if recruiting rankings have all the information, the academics and the character background things that maybe schools have… I don’t think that’s any different than the NFL Draft… you always see a guy in the Draft that everybody thought is a sure first round pick and he drops to the sixth or the seventh, well it may have been medical, or it may have been a character issue that the public is unaware of...

There’s more to the evaluation and offer than ‘he has a really good highlight tape, there’s a lot more to it than that when you’re projecting who’s going to be a power five guy.”

On UCLA’s Chance to Win the Pac-12 South

“We don’t talk about that. It goes back to our mindset of ‘if we are talking about that, then we got too far ahead of ourselves.’ This team has to be good enough to have a really good Monday, and not get caught up in it, and it’s hard, it’s a lot easier said than done because of a lot of talk, and we do have a lot of players back, and a lot of depth, and a lot of returning experience. But I think if you get caught up in that, then you lose sight of what you need to do, and what you need to do is come to work every single day… it would be kind of disingenuous of me to answer questions like that and talk about predictions and things like that because that’s not something that governs how we work…”

Have a take you’d like us to read and address on the show? Email us at immad@unafraidshow.com and we’ll read your take on a future podcast.

Interview with David Shaw, Big XII Meeting, Preseason Media Polls, Bru McCoy/Oregon DBs Arrested

The Pac-12 Apostles Podcast is back, but how much longer will the Pac-12 be the Pac-12? George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden discuss whether or not it’s wise to bring on any Big 12 teams. George interviews Stanford head coach David Shaw, and asks him some questions that he thought Shaw might not be prepared to answer- but as usual, Shaw has thoughtful opinions, rebuttals, and defenses for any and all of George’s inquiries. Last, George and Ralph discuss the Pac-12 preseason media poll and all-conference honors.

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Outer Banks Season 2 Preview And Predictions: Back In The Gold Game

Outer Banks Netflix

As John B and Sarah Cameron relax on a beach in the teaser trailer, the Pogue leader looks at his girlfriend and says, “Back in the G-game, baby.” I’m ready to go hunting for some gold in Outer Banks Season 2.

https://twitter.com/obxnetflix/status/1402627087505186816?s=20

I’ve spoken about my obsession with Outer Banks ad nauseam. For a “too long, didn’t read” version, I started watching Outer Banks on a Friday night in April 2020, right in the middle of the lockdown. I started on a Friday night and completed the 10-episode first season by Saturday night. The world wasn’t doing too well in April 2020, so the show provided the perfect escape from reality.

The young adult drama was an instant hit as it quickly climbed to the number 1 spot on Netflix’s Top 10. One year later, the show is back for Season 2, which premieres on July 30.

https://youtu.be/1M6VbhwGfO0

In Season 1, John B and his fellow Pogues, JJ, Kiara, and Pope, join forces with Sarah Cameron to investigate the disappearance of John B’s father. During their investigation, they learn about the treasure of the Royal Merchant, which is rumored to be worth $400 million in gold, and how it tied to John B’s missing father. The Pogues eventually find the gold, but it’s later stolen by Ward Cameron.

In the season finale, John B and Sarah attempt to flee from the authorities during a storm via boat after John B was wrongly accused of killing Sheriff Peterkin. The boat capsizes in the storm, and the two young lovers are believed to be dead. However, John B and Sarah survive and are saved by a cargo ship. The ship is headed towards the Bahamas, where Ward Cameron stashed the stolen gold.

From the trailer above, Season 2 ups the ante with more drama, romance, and explosions. John B and Sarah make it to the Bahamas, but they’re considered fugitives with a $50,000 reward to anyone who turns them in. While the duo tries to find the gold in the Bahamas, JJ, Pope, and Kiara are trying to move on with their lives in the OBX. However, they soon learn that their best friends survived the storm. A Pogue reunion was rumored to happen at some point, but it’s now been confirmed.

Now, the Pogues will look to take back the gold that they found. However, Ward is not the only one trying to claim the gold. A new villain named Limbrey (Elizabeth Mitchell) is interested in the treasure, and it seems that she has a bone to pick with Ward, who may have doublecrossed her in the process.

In true Outer Banks fashion, things will get complicated, people will get hurt, and someone will die. I wouldn’t want it any other way! Below are a few of my predictions for Season 2.

Predictions

  • There’s either a second treasure or more gold from the Royal Merchant. Right now, Ward has under half a billion worth in gold. In the trailer, the Pogues are exploring the island and find a key that leads to another room. Perhaps this room holds another treasure or even more gold.
  • Topper joins the Pogues. One of the Kooks has to help the Pogues at some point. It’s not going to be Rafe so Topper is the likely choice because of his previous relationship with Sarah.
  • John B’s mother arrives at the end of Season 2. With the show’s popularity, Season 3 is inevitable so setting up storylines at the end of Season 2 makes sense logistically. We know about John B’s father, but his mother is still a mystery. Nothing would shake things up more than her arrival.

Grab your favorite bandana, tie it around your neck, and play some “Left Hand Free.” See you later, Pogues.

What are your predictions for Outer Banks Season 2? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, @unafraidshow.

Ranking The Five Best Scenes From The Fast And Furious Franchise

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in The Fast and the Furious _ Universal

Do you live your life a quarter-mile at a time? Well, do you? Ever since Dominic Toretto taught me how to live in The Fast and Furious franchise, my life has changed for the better.

The Fast Saga holds a special place in my heart. It’s in my top 5 for favorite franchises of all time. I’d argue that The Fast Saga executes its proven formula better than any other franchise.

What does that formula involve? Well, fast cars are a good start. The action sequences always provide edge-of-your-seat thrills where you have to pick your jaw up on the floor after it is finished. Most of the stunts are over the top and unrealistic, but no one ever said these films had to reflect real life. It’s escapism at its finest.

What else makes these movies so successful? The lessons of loyalty, friendship, and family are sprinkled in throughout every film. Whenever Dom gives a toast, I pretend I’m also holding a corona because as we know, you can have any brew you want as long as it’s Corona. One-liners are also a huge part of the dialogue. Dom, Roman Pearce, and Luke Hobbs usually duke it out for best line reading if all three are in the same movie.

At the heart of these films was the real-life friendship between Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. They were brothers on and off the set. Because of their chemistry, it’s as if they weren’t acting onscreen whenever they were together. You could believe their friendship was genuine, which is why it’s so hard to watch older movies knowing Walker died in 2013.

On a lighter note, F9 finally hits theaters after a 15-month delay. In honor of F9, here are my five favorite scenes from The Fast and Furious franchise.

5. VINCE! – The Fast and the Furious

VINCE! If you’ve watched this scene, then I bet you screamed “Vince” the same way Diesel did when trying to rescue his friend off a truck. No stunt is too big or great for The Fast Saga, but this stunt still holds up in 2021. Jumping back and forth between cars while an angry trucker tries to shoot your head off still gets me out of my seat. If Vince wasn’t dying, Dom would have thrown Brian into a moving truck. Thankfully, he didn’t so more movies could be made.

4. The Tank Sequence – Fast & Furious 6

Come on a journey with me, please. In this scene from Fast & Furious 6, Letty is throw off a tank into mid-air between two elevated roads where she would fall to her death 999,999/100,000 times. But not this time. Dom crashed his car into the guard rail, jumped out of his car, flew (yes, flew) in mid-air, caught Letty, and crashed into a car windshield across the gap. Dom didn’t even have a cut! Dom is superhuman.

3. Hobbs vs. Toretto – Fast Five

Ali v. Frazier. Tyson vs. Holyfield. Luke Hobbs vs. Dominic Toretto. My god was this a heavyweight fight for the ages. Fast Five is the best film in The Saga. Fast Five opened a world of possibilities for this franchise. Street racing and wrenches were traded in for bank heists and machine guns. Straight up, Fast Five is one of the best action movies of the last 10 years. The Rock joining The Fast family was like Kevin Durant going to the Warriors. It was a cheat code. Up until this point, Dom never had a worthy foe. He was always bigger and stronger than his opponents. In this movie, Dom finally faced someone who was just as strong and used just as much body butter on the biceps. I need these two to fight in real life. Oh wait, they kind of did?

2. You Never Had Me – The Fast and the Furious

In the comments of this video, YouTube user Engineering Explained wrote, “So many perfect lines in such a short amount of time. Those writers are blessed.” I couldn’t agree more, Mr. Explained. Diesel and Walker look like kids in this scene. This was the moment that started a brotherly bond that could not be broken. It’s the perfect encapsulation of two characters. Walker, the cocky and charismatic Brian, is mesmerized by Diesel, the confident and loyal Dom. Please write this on my tombstone – “You almost had me? You never had me. You never had your car.”

1. Final Ride – Furious 7

I’ve spoken about the ending of Furious 7 many times, but it never gets old. I just watched it minutes ago and now there are goosebumps on my arm. Furious 7 had an impossible task when Walker died halfway through shooting. I’ve always said that Diesel is the backbone of The Fast Saga, but Walker is the heart. Without Walker, a giant piece of the franchise is missing. Somehow, someway, Furious 7 nailed the ending. Giving Walker the hero’s ending that he deserved instead of killing his character onscreen was such a smart decision. It’s not only the best scene of The Fast Saga but one of my favorite scenes of the last 10 years.

What is your favorite scene from The Fast Saga? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us, @danny_giro.

Larry Scott NYT, CFP Adding Teams, Alston vs. NCAA, Transfers, Sun Devils COVID Recruiting

After a summer hiatus, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden get together to discuss the Pac-12’s hottest topics, including Larry Scott’s New York Times interview, as well as his far-too-late advocacy for a guaranteed spot in the College Football Playoff. George and Ralph also discuss what the Alston vs. NCAA ruling might mean for the future of Pac-12 athletes trying to cash in on their Name, Image and Likeness. Finally, the guys talk about some of the more recent transfer news, before touching on the NCAA investigation into Arizona State’s recruiting efforts during the COVID-19-induced dead period.

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NBA Instant Replay Continues To Hurt, Not Help, The Game

NBA refs looking over a replays / Flickr

NBA Instant Replay revolves around the idea of accuracy. No one wants games decided by a missed call so replay is all about getting it right. But what happens when the quest for precision becomes a problem?

Tuesday night’s game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns was the poster boy for the case against instant replay.

The Clippers and Suns were in an exciting battle all night. Role players like Cameron Payne and Ivica Zubac were playing like seasoned vets. No team could get an edge as they traded baskets throughout the fourth quarter.

Then, the last 90 seconds became a new game in itself.

90 seconds of the game took 33 REAL MINUTES. Not 3 minutes, not 13 minutes, but 33 minutes. That makes me want to puke. You could have started and finished the basketball episode of The Office with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter and not miss much from the real basketball game.

Something has to change.

Nothing personifies what’s wrong with replay more than the Devin Booker-Patrick Beverley situation. With just under 14 seconds left, Devin Booker drove to the right-wing. Patrick Beverley moved his feet, swatted at the ball, and knocked it out of bounds. The refs ruled Suns ball.

Not so fast my friend.

Beverley spun his index finger in the air like he was calling for a daiquiri break in Wedding Crashers. In the last two minutes of an NBA game, the spinning finger motion has more power over the officials than any coach or player. If you swing your finger in the air on an out-of-bounds play, nine times out of ten, the officials will huddle up and go to the table for review.

This situation was no different. The refs huddled up and went to the table for the review. After viewing super slow-mo replays for a few minutes, the refs decided to overturn the call on the floor and award the ball to the Clippers.

Awful.

Throughout basketball’s illustrious history, we know that the Booker-Beverley play should have resulted in Suns ball. If this game was in a local park, then it would be Suns ball. If that play that happened with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter, then it would be Suns ball. However, because of super slow-mo, the ball probably went off Booker’s fingertips at the last nanosecond so the refs changed the call to Clippers ball.

If Booker reached for the ball before it went out of bounds, then I have no problem with awarding the ball to the Clippers. But that’s not what happened. The ball was knocked out of his hands in one motion. That’s Suns ball, and you can’t convince me otherwise.

Even worse, replays take way too long. Five reviews in 30 minutes are unacceptable for a product that’s struggling with its ratings. I have friends who always complain about the end of games, saying the “last two minutes take two hours.” I love the NBA and will always watch the game, but the casual fan has a point in terms of length. Why should casual fans watch a game that spends more time at the scorer’s table than on the court at the end of games?

If replays are long, tedious, and inaccurate, why use them?

To fix replay, the NBA should steal a page from tennis. In my opinion, tennis has the best use of replay. It’s quick and accurate and gives players a definitive answer as to whether the ball is in or out.

The NBA should adopt the same principles. The league can still keep replay in the last two minutes of the game, but put a time limit of 30 seconds on each replay. If the refs can’t make a decision within 30 seconds, then it’s not a clear and obvious reversal so stick with the call on the floor. With a 30-second review, the coaches and players won’t receive a free three-minute timeout. The flow of the game will be preserved. Most importantly, the fans won’t get restless.

I’m all for getting the call right, but it’s time to adjust replay in the NBA.

Do you agree or disagree? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.