No tv announcer can possibly see everything that happens on a basketball court.

Which is why instant replay comes in so darn handy.

But you have to believe your eyes when you see the replay. Even if it means admitting that you were wrong. Which Hubie Brown was seemingly incapable of doing on Sunday.

Late in Game 4 of the Jazz-Lakers series on ABC, an offensive foul was called on Utah's Kyle Korver. The action had moved away from the spot of the foul by the time the whistle blew, leaving viewers wondering what happened.

Brown quickly jumped in and stated categorically that it was a good call and that there had definitely been contact between Korver and the player he allegedly fouled. As he as saying that, ABC's crew put on a great replay that did indeed show Korver with the ball, swinging his elbows around.

It also showed that there was no contact whatsoever. But Brown never backed off.

Again, it's OK to be wrong. Just be willing and able to admit you were when presented with the video evidence.

THE NFL HAS SUED COMCAST, charging that the cable giant has engaged in discriminatory and anti-competitive practices.

The NFL is ticked because Comcast put the NFL Network on more expensive programming tiers while putting channels its owns — like Versus and the Golf Channel — on basic tiers.

At least Comcast is putting the NFL Network on its systems. That's something that still has yet to happen with The mtn. in most of Comcast's markets — and it co-owns the channel.

IN THE WAKE of the Boston Herald's retraction and apology to the New England Patriots earlier this week in the continuing "scandal" over the Pats' misuse of TV cameras, owner Robert Kraft made like a politician.

He blamed the media.

The Herald admitted that it was wrong in a Feb. 2 story that alleged the Patriots videotaped a walkthrough by the St. Louis Rams a day before the 2002 Super Bowl, which New England won.

There's no defense for that, and the retraction/apology was the only way to go.

But Kraft's assertion that the erroneous story did irreparable harm to the Patriots' reputation is wrong.

What did irreparable harm to the Pats' reputation was when they got caught illegally videotaping the Jets' defensive signals.

TV IS JUSTLY CRITICIZED for its excesses, so let's give credit where credit is due.

Kudos to NBC for not showing the death-throes of Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles.

IT'S ALMOST TOO EASY, but NBC deserves every ounce of scorn we can muster up for having Billy Bush host an hourlong, pre-race, red-carpet show at the Kentucky Derby that degenerated into little more than an advertisement for the network's shows.

What a joke.

Oh, and, by the way, NBC's telecast of the Preakness Stakes begins Saturday at 2:30 p.m. That's an hour and 45 minutes before the 4:15 p.m. post time.

Zzzzzzzz ...

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com