Jon Gruden wants to see instant replay go away

ALAMEDA, CA - JANUARY 09: Oakland Raiders new head coach Jon Gruden speaks during a news conference at Oakland Raiders headquarters on January 9, 2018 in Alameda, California. Jon Gruden has returned to the Oakland Raiders after leaving the team in 2001. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) /

Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden doesn’t want the game to be stopped for instant replay, and frankly, we’re right there with him.

The NFL — and every other major sport — has been using instant replay for quite some time. The NFL has been using it since the 1970s, although there was a brief period in the ’90s where it went the way of the Dodo bird.

Former Monday Night Football analyst and current head coach Jon Gruden would like to see it vanish again, telling reporters on Tuesday morning that’s it does more harm than good, per NFL.com.

"“I’d like to eliminate instant replay, honestly,” Gruden said. “That would be my No. 1 thing. Let the officials call the game. That’s just my opinion. I try not to play that game of ‘wish-list,’ you know what I mean?”"

Gruden has a point. The NFL has gotten far too bogged down with all the stoppages throughout the game, whether it be from a coach’s challenge or an official review. At some juncture, slowing plays down 100 times over is hurting the product instead of helping it, especially if the play is bang-bang to begin with.

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Of course, Gruden might have his own bias when it comes to replay.

Let’s not forget who the head coach was of the Raiders back in their 2001 AFC Divisional playoff game against the New England Patriots, when it appeared that Charles Woodson forced Tom Brady to fumble. Oakland recovered with under two minutes to play, and the game seemed over, until the officials reviewed the proceedings and determined that Brady’s arm was going forward, giving us the infamous Tuck Rule.