Oof! Yeah... Don't Want to be "That Guy"

Watching the Holiday Bowl tonight on ESPN between Arizona State and Texas.  I'm not really for or against either team, I just want to watch some College Football before the long dearth begins in January.

I just watched an amazing turn of events that will plague a young guy for some time to come.  Knowing Texas Fans, despite this really being only a game for "Pride" this year, no first or second place being on the line and all... if Texas goes on to blow their 21 point lead at the time of the incident and loses this game... well ol' Chris (What's His Last Name) will be infamous in University of Texas lore. 

In the first half, Texas was on top of AZ State 21 to squat!  But State was pressing into the "Red Zone" and looking like they might get 7.  When on a third down and 11 The Sun Devil's QB faded back into a rapidly desintigrating pocket!  Being pursued and grabbed by a Texas Defence the QB tried to throw the ball away.  Unfortunately for him the resulting pass was not forward but turned out to be a latteral and in reality a fumble!  LIVE BALL on the ground!!!

The escaping pigskin was rapidly headed toward the Texas Sideline, which would have resulted in Arizona State retaining the football albeit with a resulting 4th down and very long.  This is where things took a turn for the sublime.  An individual standing on the Texas Sideline, looking like he thought the bounding ball was the result of an incomplete pass, and thus "Dead" went to pick the dadblame thing up!  It is claimed that he touched it... but I ain't too sure, personally I think he might have retracted his hands prior to contacting yon wayward ball.  Anyway the ball somehow stayed in the field of play and was recovered by the Longhorns.  First and Ten headed the other way!!!   Or "Not so fast..." according to the official Zebra herd.

After reviewing the play a number of times the lead zebra stated that the ball was indeed interfered with by the Texas Sideline.  Dead Ball, and possession stays w/ the Sun Devils, with an additional "Half the Distance" to the goal line awarded.

Well... OK...

Except, ESPN continued to keep the cameras focused on the poor guy who went to pick the ball up... Good 'ol Chris!  Yeah Chris just got his 15 minutes of fame, as undesired as it may be.  You can tell the dude feels terrible, his innocent efforts did indeed change an outcome of a play... The outcome of the game??? Cannot be determined, it will be what it will be.  But Arizona State did get 7 in the turn of events.

Chris is young, and what is worse so are his friends, and many Texas Football fans never grow past the playground, so yeah Chris can expect that he will definitely make the Sports Pages of tomorrow papers, if not the Front Page in Austin!  Don't fret Chris, this will only be a "Defining" moment if you let it.  You define you... not ESPN. 

Well... maybe not ... but it sure sounded good.  My suggestion, play it up! Get a spot on Letterman, or Best Damn Sports Show on their Greatest Dumbass Plays of the year special.  Get rich... and get the chicks!  I recommend looking in Tempe for the latter...