Let’s say you are a big sports fan. If you could be granted any wish, what would you wish for? How many would wish to be a part of their most beloved sports team? For some young men, they hold on to their dreams by walking on to their favorite football team. Perhaps they weren’t highly recruited, but just being able to practice with the team, to contribute in any way possible, to be able to dress out and / or be on the sidelines on college football Saturdays…an experience they’ll always take with them.
But for the vast majority of us sports fans, we have to experience the game from the stands, or on the couch watching at home. We “contribute” by voicing our "expert" opinions to friends and family members, and on social media. We’re not there for the practices, meetings, film sessions, or in the trainer’s room. We know only a tiny bit of what actually goes on. Yet we are quick to tweet or comment because with the benefit of hindsight, surely our “expert” opinion is what the coaches and players should have done. Hardly ever do we realize just how lamebrained we sound.
But man, if we were on the sidelines, we’d be right up there watching and urging on our more talented teammates. What I’m trying to say is that all us bozos on social media expressing rage at a walkon redshirt sophomore from Albany who quite accidentally suffered a most unfortunate brush with a referee – who was himself straying out of the white buffer and onto the green of the UGA sideline. Something that very well could have happened to any one of us, had we been so fortunate to have been in Parker Jones’ place.
You know, the “there by the grace of God go I”.
Several new angles showing the ref running into Jones. Parker was across the line, but the ref was at some point in the green (below).
But since the rule states that it's a penalty if there's contact, the call was hard to argue. But hard to blame Jones, as his error wasn't egregious.
One more thing: Jones was also outside the player box, which extends only down to the 35 yard line (the line to the right of the referee above). Not many of the experts at home caught that, did they?
Article: Parker Jones becomes social media scapegoat in Georgia's Sugar Bowl loss - Yahoo Sports
After the Sugar Bowl so many of those "knowledgeable" fans are finally starting to realize that just maybe Carson Beck wasn't the root of all the Dawgs problems. Maybe it had a little to do with the rest of the offense, with injuries, with the talent a step below the numerous matriculations to the NFL. Maybe Bobo isn't quite the playcaller that Dan Lanning or Todd Monkin was - but I wouldn't call him the root of the problem either.
Heck the Dawgs won the SEC Championship after facing the toughest schedule in the country. Went into the playoffs as the second ranked team in the country, but without their veteran starting QB. Then had to play the 5th ranked team with an inexperienced QB. Maybe it wasn't such a bad season after all.
Quite similarly, many of those self-proclaimed experts spent much of this past Braves season first ragging on Charlie Morton’s struggles, and then on Max Fried’s lack for postseason dominance. Both pitchers experienced the frustrations and struggles firsthand, and worked long hours to return to form. But the social media experts were ready to show them the door – good riddance, the Braves will be better off without them.
And the experts got their wish. The Yankees open the bank for Fried, and Baltimore signs Morton for more millions. And what is the reaction of the experts? Panic. How could the Braves let them walk? How can “we” compete without them? Really. Should the Braves have spent to keep them? No way. Much wiser to use the money on younger arms. No credit for trading a backup shortstop for the 2024 Cy Young winner – whose salary was paid for the Red Sox.
Maybe us social media experts need to take a step back every once in a while. You think?
Interestingly, the most recent Adam Grant tweet I happened to save addresses this very topic.
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