Boomer Esiason got fact-checked after claiming New York Jets’ spike shouldn’t have counted
Not all takes on football are created equal. There are good takes that are backed up by evidence and analysis. There are also bad takes rooted in a lack of knowledge or a desire to drive engagement.
In the bad-take territory, there is the rare occasion where the opinion is immediately shut down and fact-checked. Unfortunately for ex-NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, one take of his suffered that fate.
Posting after the New York Jets’ victory over the Giants, the current WFAN host claimed that “the center actually spots the ball before the spike, not the official” and that “the game should have been over.”
The center actually spots the ball before the spike not the official . The spike play shouldn’t have happened. Game should have been over. @NFL @NFLOfficiating https://t.co/XpOk6bgEU7
— Boomer Esiason (@7BOOMERESIASON) October 30, 2023
There is one glaring issue with this take, though. The highlight that Esiason replied to clearly showed the referee touching the ball before it was snapped, completely negating the claim made in his post.
Taking note of this, the post was flagged by the Community Notes feature and had more context added to it.
The post stated that “Rule 3, Article 2 states the ball is ready for play when an official places the ball down. The video shows the linesman spot of the ball at the 17, & the center placing it at there. The umpire touches the ball as part of placing it at that spot and allows play to continue.” It also included a link to the NFL’s rule book.
It is very rare to see an opinion so quickly denounced and fact-checked on Twitter/X, let alone the internet as a whole. Esiason was a very good quarterback and played in the league for a long time, so seeing him completely whiff on this take is surprising. While Esiason is not known for clickbait and spreading false information, it is another example of local and national media not understanding the action occurring on the field, specifically surrounding the Jets.
Before the Eagles game, following two games where Zach Wilson had played well and seemed to be stepping up to a new level, our friend Boomer lets loose with a negative comment that the team will turn on Wilson if he had a bad game against Philadelphia. It was a very odd moment for negativity since practically all observers of the Jets, friends and foes, seemed to be enjoying give Wilson a break after all condemnation he had received. But there was Boomer with his fart in an elevator. I thought, WTF is his problem? Is he jealous that maybe a QB will succeed with the Jets where he did not? Now this bogus comment. Something’s going on with this guy.