Re: I admit I did not watch the replay closely

Quote
Speed_Kills
I know in real time it looked like a lateral

I will need to see it again

I haven't been to the Seahawks board but the discussion of physics (relativity I'm sure) was right on. The ball was thrown backwards relative to the person throwing it (the receiver was behind Wilson and remained so right through the reception). However, the ball traveled forward relative to it's position to the ground (that was also clear). So there was no illusion, it is a fact that the ball was thrown backwards relative to the person throwing it, and it is a fact that the ball traveled forward relative to its position to the ground.

Imagine standing on the shoulder of a highway. A pickup truck drives by heading north with some guys in the back with rifles, and it's open season of speed limit signs. There is a speed limit sign on the shoulder across from you which someone in the back of the truck fires a round at as they travel away from it. Let's assume that the bullet is traveling at 2000 feet per second and the truck is traveling at 3000 feet per second (obviously violating the speed limit). The truck is 20 feet away from the sign when the bullet is fired. Does the bullet ever reach the sign? Nope. Why? Because the bullet, although it was fired in the opposite direction the truck was traveling (south), it is traveling at 2000 fps relative to the rifle it was fired from but the truck is traveling in the opposite direction (north) at 3000 fps which means the the rifle and the bullet were also traveling north at 3000 fps when the rifle was fired. So the truck continues to head north at 3000 fps while the bullet heads north away from the sign, not south, at 1000 fps although it is moving in a southerly direction away from the truck/rifle at 2000 fps. So while the bullet is moving away from the truck at 2000 fps relative to the rifle, it is moving north relative to the sign at 1000 fps.

I think that's right, I need more coffee to confirm.