Oh, you’re enjoying those Corn Flakes. That’s too bad because Mike Pereira’s here to piss in them. The officiating guru says he would have ejected Jadeveon Clowney for his ‘hit heard round the world.’
A reminder for those of you who haven’t seen it a zillion times.
According to Pereira, Clowney led with the crown of his helmet which, under new rules, would have led to an automatic ejection. That legitimately makes me sad because the Clowney GIF is perhaps the greatest sports moment of our lifetime. A “where were you” when you saw it type of thing. Our generation’s version of the Immaculate Reception or Flutie’s Hail Mary.
To think that would have resulted in an ejection ruins everything. It ruins that small part of our fandom—the one that makes us jump up in excitement after a breathtaking play. Clowney’s combination of raw power, speed and athleticism are unmatched in today’s college game. He’s hard to officiate, no doubt. But let’s not turn this new rule into a witch-hunt for our great athletes. Let’s not turn this into a flagapolooza after every hit.
Football is a violent game with violent results. We need to accept that.