Morning sports update: Bill Belichick reiterates need for better goal line cameras after Gronkowski call
The Panthers annihilated the Dolphins on Monday Night Football, 45-21, dropping Miami’s record to 4-5. Also, the Red Sox announced news of the passing of Hall of Fame legend Bobby Doerr at the age of 99.
Here are a few other stories from around the sports world:
Bill Belichick used a question about Rob Gronkowski’s reviewed touchdown call to petition for improved goal line camera technology: Belichick offered a lengthy response to a question about challenging plays and the trust he places in players to consult him on when to call for a review:
I’ll take this opportunity to say that I just am all for trying to get these plays right. I think that would have been a good example of where a goal line camera or a pylon camera would have been given a good opportunity. I think we saw in the Kansas City-Oakland game a couple weeks ago the great shot that that camera gave, so again, I think this would be just another example. In the end, it didn’t make any difference in the game last night, but had that been the final play of the game or one of the final plays of the game in a close game, whichever side it was on, just want it to be right. Whether he caught it or didn’t catch it, just make sure that we make the right call. It’s a tough call. The official made the call. It’s a tough call. The official that made the call was standing pretty close to me on the sideline. He was probably 30 yards away. It was a close play. I saw it the same way he did. It was really close, so maybe the league can find a way to finance that project and get a good quality shot of some of those goal line plays, like they had in the Oakland-Kansas City game.
More good than bad from Patriots cornerbacks in win vs. Broncos
: While the Patriots won in Denver by a 41-16 margin, it wasn’t all good news for Patriots cornerbacks. Emmanuel Sanders hauled in five catches for 99 yards against Malcolm Butler, but Stephon Gilmore (playing in his first game in a month) restricted Demaryius Thomas for large stretches of the night.
The final score was testament to the overall effectiveness of New England’s defense, including its cornerbacks. (Boston Herald)
Tom Brady is closing in on a strange record: Retired quarterback Vinny Testaverde, who played for six different NFL teams over 20 years, currently holds the league record for touchdowns thrown to the largest variety of players. In his career, Testaverde threw scores to 70 different receivers.
That record is officially under threat, however, as Tom Brady is closing in. With his touchdown pass to Dwayne Allen, Brady is now up to 68. There are a few candidates who could still catch their first Brady touchdown pass. It’s concievable – if unlikely – that Brady could break the record this season. (ESPN)
What you need to know about Martellus Bennett’s contentious return to New England: The tight end who helped the Patriots win a Super Bowl a season ago is back with the team, but not without some controversy.
Only days after being thought to be headed for season-ending surgery, Bennett was not only back with the Patriots, but making catches against the Broncos on Sunday night. (Boston.com)
Daily highlight: After defeating Italy over a two-leg playoff, Sweden qualified for the World Cup on Monday. Players celebrated with a joyous interruption of a postgame television broadcast:
https://twitter.com/guardian_sport/status/930428155655086085
