When television first arrived in Australia way back in 1956, viewing sport on the " Idiot Box " was a very predictable experience. The decision of the umpire was paramount. When that finger was raised in an Ashes test - the batsman headed back to the pavilion. When the umpire in the high chair at the tennis ruled a ball in or out - that was the end of the matter.
No so today. Every ball bowled at the cricket is carefully re-examined by a slow motion replay and infra-red technology highlights even the slightest impact with bat or pad. A third umpire somewhere watching a screen in the back of the stand - makes the final decision, but not before there is a replay of the bowlers foot action - to decide whether the delivery was legal.
A similar situation exists at the tennis. Technology exists to give the precise spot in which a ball lands and this appears on the screen for all to see. This same technology is threatening to be applied to soccer after a number of absolute howlers - where goals have been disallowed after they have clearly crossed the line.
There is a mixed reaction from the public. Most people favour a fair result, but this constant re-examination does slow the game and even with technology there are still some decisions that leave a doubt in viewers minds. Of course the fallability of umpires is subject to partisan questioning, but in the long run the balance of errors probably is about even.
It seems inevitable that in the years ahead the use of technology to determine sports issues will increase. The man or woman on the field - or in the chair - will become irrelevant because the actual decision will be made by a computer. One of the factors bringing this closer is the issue of sports betting.
Every sport is now available to punters to lodge a bet with the various betting agencies and as a consequence, even minor decisions result in the exchange of big money. It is not only possible to bet on the result of a game, bets can be placed on incidents during the run of play in respect of when and how they might occur. This opens up a wide field of corruption to create winning combinations.
Sport has come a long way from the days when players were " amateurs " who played for glory rather than money. Those selected to play in national teams today are instantly " celebrities " and earn money that compares with Hollywood stars and the top crop of musicians.
When huge pots of money are riding on what are otherwise very minor decisions on the sporting field, the power of decision no longer rests with the human mind. We now live in the age of technology !
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