(Tonight = actually NOT a good night, will.i.am)
These photos were taken just one second apart.
And let’s cut to the chase — the call was correct. Everyone rejoiced when the ACC started allowing viewers to see and hear the conversations and footage from the replay booth. And while I wish the Big Ten had done it in real time — it would have saved a lot of this narrative — we have the actual, bona fide, official replay video and audio.
While the intial reactions of disbelief and conspiracy were certainly understandable, you’d think this evidence would be sufficient. It was for the MAC Commissioner. But not everyone is going to be swayed by such nagging things as evidence.
What is Truth?
We live in a society that values vibes over veritas. One that trusts emotions over evidence. The reactions we witnessed on Saturday night was a microcosm of this worldview.
It’s how well-known Michigan supporter Cardale Jones can watch the official replay and dismiss it because he feels like Western Michigan got robbed. It’s how NBC can insist its clock was perfectly-synced to the game clock — and refuse to recant that position — despite the fact that we can see a live shot of the scoreboard clock in the replay booth footage. It’s how your favorite rival message boards can read the explanation and watch the video and listen to the conversation with the replay booth — but they feel like the game ended because they really wanted it to.
To an extent, I understand it. You see what you want to see. Michigan fans will always see JT was short of the first down marker. Ohio State fans — not to mention Western fans! – will always see triple-zeroes. Thankfully, angry tweets from @BuckNut_HarbaughSux71 don’t decide when the game is over. Facts and data won out over feelings and desires.
My full thoughts are coming on Monday’s podcast so be sure to subscribe. But frankly, I’m not sure what I watched most of Saturday night. There were 3,599 other seconds in that football game and Western Michigan had the ball for most of them.
Maybe it was all a blip? Maybe Western Michigan is actually a surprising-but-legit CFP contender? Maybe we’ve been cursed because we wore maize jerseys? Or maybe this team – particularly its quarterback – isn’t nearly as talented as we’ve been led to believe. We’ll know a lot more this Saturday.
But I fear we might already know.
