Russell Wilson’s successful lateral Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles has led to much debate among NFL fans. Did the ball go forward, or did it go backward?
Well, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is here to restore some order.
During the fourth quarter of the Seattle Seahawks’ 24-10 win over the Eagles, Wilson, running after the line of scrimmage, lateraled the ball to running back Mike Davis to convert on a 3rd-and-nine. The officials, like most watching, thought the ball moved backward, and allowed the play to stand.
But does math tell a different story?
Ah, yes, the “Galilean Transformation.”
This, of course, is difficult to understand, but it appears that deGrass Tyson is saying it matters not whether the ball moved forward or backward. Since the it actually moved backward in the officials’ “frame of reference,” then they were correct in ruling the lateral legal.
In other words, what this guy says:
Well, there you have it. Lines, numbers and stuff.
Personally, we think deGrasse Tyson should be on-call during every NFL Sunday in case officials need his help. Although, he might be to busy marveling at the physics at work in a NASCAR race.
