Hello, everyone, and welcome to Week 20 of THIS WEEK IN GIFs. Yep, we've been at it for about five months, having reviewed over 150 animated sports GIFs. This week, we have all sorts of cussing and crying and whatnot for your consumption.
Voting will remain open until 11 p.m. Eastern Sunday night. Between now and then, we will vote on our favorites and determine a winner. To kick things off, Matt Ufford, Dan Rubenstein and myself plea the cases of our favorite GIFs:
SHANE LECHLER
(Via James Dator)
Well this is just mean. You tell a man to punt an egg-shaped object, make him wear a helmet that impedes his field of vision, and expect him to know where the Hell it is when it's blocked? Once the sport of football collapses commercially (via fan disinterest, via not incorporating bicycles into the sport somehow), football is going to make for a great party game.
PADRES BULLPEN CATCHER
(Via @Natt0)
I guess it would be sort of uncouth for a bullpen catcher to freak out after catching an opponent's home run ball. Which is a shame, because this is impressive as Hell. This Padres bullpen catcher, identity uncertain, probably couldn't have seen the ball coming until it was 0.3 seconds before hitting his glove. By the time the GIF stops blurring and we can see him clearly, he's just squatting there like nothing happened.
Also, home plates shouldn't have grass around them. It's weird. Is he playing catch in a cemetery?
BAYLOR'S NICK FLORENCE
(Via Brian Floyd)
Nick Florence's trip to the ground sure was eventful! He successfully motioned for a passing trucker to blow his horn. Then he half-finished a Mad Lib, read a Far Side anthology, drank a CapriSun, and fell asleep while listening to Adventures in Odyssey. OK maybe it wasn't all that eventful.
SAD ARKANSAS FAN
(Via @bubbaprog)
I don't care if this is a three-second window into a life that is otherwise probably pretty happy. I don't care that this kid is crying over something dumb like sports. I still can't take it, man. IN GIFS THEY NEVER STOP CRYING
CHAD JENKINS
(Via Bill Hanstock)
My favorite part of this is the umpire's reaction. He solemnly and slowly removes his mask, transferring it to his other hand like he's preparing to give an impromptu Pledge of Allegiance or something. I'm glad I don't have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every time I see something awesome because I would never get anything done. Wait, was I supposed to be doing that all this time? Oh no.
TOM BRADY
(Via @bubbaprog)
Say, Tom Brady, why did you go to the auto mechanic?
"Vehicle business."
Say, Tom Brady, my hands sure are getting cold! Any advice?
"Find your mittens."
Say, Tom Brady, I sure could use a candy bar, bottle of soda, newspaper, and/or lottery ticket! What would you recommend?
"Vending machines."
Say, Tom Brady, how'd you end up as a quarterback?
"Failed at pitching."
But Tom Brady, you were drafted in 1995 as a catcher, not a pitcher!
"Go to Hell."
WEST VIRGINIA'S J.D. WOODS
(Via Jason Kirk)
This was one of the only imperfect throws Geno Smith made all day Saturday, but it didn't matter. It looked like his receivers were using the ball as a yo-yo.
God this game was so fun. Once both teams start hanging 60 points on one another, the bottleneck seems to be how quickly they're capable of sprinting to the end zone. It should be noted that since 2000, there have now been 18 FBS games in which both teams put up at least 60. It should also be noted that only one NFL team, much less two in the same game, has scored 60 points since 1989. College football: it's pretty neat.
VOTE!