Hey gang,

So I mentioned in a forum post yesterday about "what games are you watching" that I was getting into some Bengals games from 1988 season on Youtube.  I was born in 1985, so all I really know of the '88 Super Bowl team is they lost to the 49ers.  YT doesn't have the whole season, but there are several games so I'm enjoying watching those in the absence of sports lately.  

So far I've watched games vs Eagles and now Jets.  And I wanted to reach out to the older folks out there (no offense!) and ask...was there some form of replay back then?

In the Eagles game, there was a play where a Bengals player clearly juggled the ball and no way had possession but they ruled it a fumble.  But the play-by-play guy said he would've expected a review there. (at this point I didn't think much of it, I thought...well, I guess any clear bad call would come with a "hey that ain't right!" by the guys in the booth).

Then just now as I watch the Jets game, there was a Bengals TD pass on a fade route, and the commenter says "I'm surprised that's not being reviewed by the replay official".  Then, as they lined up for the XP, play was stopped and the cut-up video (not a full broadcast) skips ahead to the head ref saying "There has been a reversal, the pass was incomplete, player did not get 2 steps down into the end zone".

SAY WHAT???  So I'm not sure when the NFL instituted the replay system like we have now, but I do remember as a kid in the 90s that there was no replay (at least that's what my memory tells me? Maybe I'm wrong?).  Then whenever they started doing the reviews "under the hood" (early 2000s maybe?) it was a shit-show and pretty much still is today despite all the attempts to "fix it" as we get into looking at every miniscule thing. 

I know I could look all this up online, but I really don't want to risk ruining my viewing experience since there is no sports these days.  So anyone out there that remembers how it was back then, please enlighten me!  Was there some form of replay in the 80s that was taken away in the 90s?  Did I somehow not realize that there has always been replay in the NFL?  Was I just a dumbass kid that didn't pay as much attention as I thought I did in the 90s?  What's happening?  Where am I? (actually, I know the answer to that, I'm in my frickin' house with my kids oddly being one of the only things that keeps me sane at this point).