The NFL’s Big Data complex, including Next Gen Stats and Pro Football Focus, would have you believe the numbers don’t lie, but the truth is the numbers can be small, unreliable numbers. They do not explicitly generate false statistics, but accurate statistics can be stated in misleading ways. For example, on Christmas Day, Jalen Hurts was hauled into the end zone for his 15th rushing touchdown of the season, surpassing Cam Newton’s record as a rookie.
However, Hurts’ fugazi numbers cloud what has been a wildly inconsistent season from him. After battling Patrick Mahomes for supremacy throughout 2022 and through four quarters of Super Bowl LVII, he doubled his interception rate and his deep ball accuracy regressed. totaling an NFL record 11 rushing touchdowns from the 1 meter line. Hurts owes De’Andre Swift an apology every time he trots out there. The Eagles guard should be in the midst of a career year, but has been held back by a dozen goal-line scores. Running backs are being phased out of even the most basic duties.
Hurts’ legless days off also deserve recognition, but a compilation of the 15 plays he recorded while rushing touchdowns could be edited into a 20 second clip. A quick analysis of every touch Newton scored in 2011 reveals that Newton has scored from the 1 only three times.
The degree of difficulty was higher and the total distance Newton covered behind the line of scrimmage and around tacklers en route to his 14 rushing touchdowns was significantly higher. Even as he took advantage of the goal-line scores, Carolina introduced Newton in the shotgun, giving him runway to pick up speed and launch over the trenches into the end zone. However, not all asterisks are as innocuous as Hurts’ touchdown milestone.
Replay of the 1972 USSR gold medal match
At the height of the Cold War, mutual antipathy between the USSR and the United States extended to the sporting field. The petty wars culminated in chaos during the final seconds of their 1972 gold medal basketball game at the Munich Olympics. What the USSR generously describes as its Lake Placid miracle is seen in the Western Hemisphere as the shameful chaos of Olympic history.
After having three replay chances on their final possession in a gold medal game against the United States due to a clock malfunction, Alexander Belov recovered a full-court pass from the attacking Ivan Edeshko on the third attempt and deposited a game-winning layup. as time expired to give the USSR a 51-50 victory. In protest, the 1972 U.S. men’s national team became the only Olympic team in any sport to refuse their medals. The U.S. team’s unanimous rejection of its silver medals more than half a century later underscores the antipathy that still exists after the game. Not all asterisks are this egregious.
The double problem of the fake dismissal of Michael Strahan
Two decades later, it’s hard to believe that Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record has never been surpassed. You’d think the increased volume of dropbacks, draft quarterbacks and 17-game schedule would have resulted in his eclipse by now, but TJ Watts tying the mark in 2021 is the closest anyone has come.
The only reason Watt doesn’t fully own the brand is because of Brett Favre comes out of action and into Strahan’s path and going limp in the final seconds of the 2002 regular season finale. After being sacked, Favre seemed too stunned by Strahan’s record, adding even more suspicion. But even Watt’s record is considered lower than the actual record despite playing 17 games. During the NFL’s first 16-game schedule in 1978, Detroit Lions rookie Al “Bubba” Baker had 23.5 sacks. Unfortunately, Baker’s name was lost to history because he painted his pass-rushing masterpiece four years before the NFL officially began tracking quarterback sacks.
Georgia Tech stings Cumberland
THE grainy, black-and-white dashboard images depicting Georgia Tech’s lopsided 225-0 victory over Cumberland is still cited as the ultimate desecration of a program in college football history. But it is also a sham. There was no Cumberland football team in 1916. The year before, they had disbanded its program a year early to focus on athletics, but had to continue their game against Georgia Tech to collect a $500 check for “gambling.” The administration has assigned its baseball captain to recruit students so they can field a football team for a game. Cumberland was the first Sycamore bishop.
John Heisman’s Tech team played like one of the best college football teams in the country and scored a touchdown on every practice against a conglomeration of law students, frat boys and baseball players. The following year, Tech won the national title while Cumberland football fell into ignominy. If Cumberland hadn’t tried to pull a fast one, Penn State 81-0 Cincinnati’s shutout during the 1991 season would be the largest margin of victory ever documented at the highest level of college football.
The home run king
The late Hank Aaron’s records are mostly impeccable. Hammerin’ Hank is still widely recognized as the home run king by a large contingent of the baseball community who rightly view Barry Bonds’ 762 as tarnished due to its association with steroids. Count me among them. Bonds should be in Cooperstown, but his crown is built on a throne of lies. However, Aaron has an asterisk on his own resume.
The quintessential MLB slugger retired as the career home run leader and still clings to the records for most career RBIs, extra base hits and 25 All-Star Games in the MLB. There’s only one problem with his 25 All-Star Games. The math doesn’t add up because he only played 22 seasons. For four seasons between 1959 and 1962, MLB hosted two All-Star Games. To Aaron’s credit, he played in the Midsummer Classic for 21 of his 23 seasons in the majors, which would still be the record.
For the record, asterisks can be ignored. These are the parentheses of the history books. They simply exist to provide context. There is no higher sports court to submit cases to arbitration. Ultimately, Hurts’ season will be defined by how he responds in the postseason and not the uproar over the Tush Push as a gimmick or cop-out. It’s in the eye of the beholder.