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CBS officiating expert Mike Carey goes silent in Super Bowl 50

By The Sports Xchange
Former NFL official and current CBS officiating expert Mike Carey. UPI/Robert Cornforth
1 of 2 | Former NFL official and current CBS officiating expert Mike Carey. UPI/Robert Cornforth | License Photo

After giving his opinion once on the CBS Super Bowl game show Sunday, the network's officiating expert, Mike Carey, apparently hit the showers.

There were reports recently that CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus was concerned about constant negative comments about Carey's input and unfavorable comparisons to FOX officiating expert Mike Pereira.

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The one and only play Carey was asked to discuss was a pass that was called incomplete -- from Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton to receiver Jerricho Cotchery. Carolina coach Ron Rivera challenged.

During the replay on TV, Carey said he thought the call would be reversed.

However, referee Clete Blakeman upheld the ruling on the field, meaning the officials thought the replay did not offer indisputable visual evidence to overturn.

The CBS announcing crew, including Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, did not seem to agree with the call being upheld, but did not dwell on it or mention it prominently later in the show.

Most curious, however, was that CBS did not call on Carey's expertise for the rest of the game, despite numerous instances that might have called for interpretation by an officiating expert.

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