Viewers watching the Super Bowl on Sunday noticed something interesting in the second half: Mike Carey was nowhere to be heard from.
Carey has been CBS’ version of Mike Pereira, a former referee brought in during the telecast to help provide more insight when officials review plays. Early in the game, he was brought in to share his analysis following a Carolina challenge on an incompletion.
On the Panthers’ second drive of the game, Cam Newton threw a pass on first down to Jerricho Cotchery that was ruled incomplete. The Panthers challenged. Carey watched a replay and shared his analysis, telling the millions of viewers that he thought the call would be overturned to a catch.
The officials did not see it that way and upheld their call on the field, making it second down and 10 for Carolina.
Later in the first half, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera decided to challenge another call. It was a simple call where Peyton Manning went down and later threw an incompletion. The ruling on the field was incompletion, but it was clear Manning had been down by contact. The officials reversed their decision and credited Carolina for a sack. It would have been the perfect opportunity to bring Carey in for an explanation and help him rebuild his confidence, but CBS did not bring him into the game.
After that, Carey was noticeably absent from the game.
Did someone lock Mike Carey in a bathroom after he screwed up that call in the first quarter?
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) February 8, 2016
Maybe CBS isn't showing replays of penalties because they don't want to bring Mike Carey in. Guy hasn't been once since blowing first call.
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) February 8, 2016
There were other opportunities to bring Carey into the telecast and CBS declined to have him speak.
A week ahead of the Super Bowl, CBS’ chairman defended Carey saying he thinks he gets most of the calls right. In some ways that comment seems like one of those dreaded votes of confidence before someone gets fired. It’s clear CBS lost confidence in Carey and declined to use him for the rest of the game after he got the initial call wrong.
