During the Patriots demolition of the Jets last year on Thanksgiving Day, I remember watching the replay of Mark Sanchez losing the football after running squarely into his lineman's behind and saying something like:"I think that's the worst football play I have ever seen. I know people exaggerate and make ridiculous claims like this all the time, but honestly, that really was the worst."And every Friday since then for the past 40 weeks, the rest of the country has agreed. Sportscenter's "Not Top Ten: Worst of the Worst" pits a different challenger each week, and on every occasion fans have voted for Sanchez's fumble. It's the longest running "Top Play" or "Not Top Play" champion in the show's history. However, with a new NFL season starting the folks at ESPN have taken it upon themselves to retire "the butt fumble."
I have to say I am extremely disheartened by this. Who are they to play God with what is and is not the worst play ever? Come on ESPN, let the people continue to speak! Maybe if the infamous gaff ruled supremely (or an antonym of that) for one full year I could understand the network arbitrarily ending its reign, but even then it would be very disappointing. If and when the viewers get tired of it they will stop voting for it; but until that day comes, why mess with (im)perfection?
As a farewell to commemorate the play, Sportscenter created one of their awful "Sports Science" features analyzing it. Strangely enough ESPN's official version of the clip (which I watched yesterday) now appears to have been removed from the internet. We'll see how long this youtube rendition lasts:
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