Friday, September 26, 2008

Sportscasters: Prone to Hyperbole! Also, Earth: Round

Having not personally been witness to every catch of every football ever thrown in the history of mankind, I don't feel qualified to call this the greatest catch ever, or even rank it among the best ever as this random local sportscaster seems willing to do. But I will say this: Division II-A Morgan State receiver Edwin Baptiste is my hero.

Like football? You should watch this video. Don't like football? You should also watch this video. I don't know if the receiver mis-ran his route. I don't know if the quarterback overthrew him by a lot or was maybe intending to throw it to another guy farther downfield. All I know is that Edwin Baptiste jumped about 82 feet in the air while falling backward, snagged that bullet with one hand and landed on his frigging head without losing control of the ball. If I was a woman, I would bear his children.



See? That's a nice catch, right there.

Now, if I were a sportcaster, and I had no qualms about declaring things "the best [insert entirely subjective thing here] ever," and I were to pick the best football catch ever...it wouldn't be that one. It would be the physically impossible grab made by Alabama's Tyrone Prothro in 2006. You'll find the video evidence of this catch below, set to the sultry strains of "Right Now" by Van Halen. The video's a bit fuzzy, so you might not be able to figure out exactly what happened at normal speed. Wait for the replay. Watch that replay. Then pick your jaw up off the floor and try to move on with your life.

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