Earth’s rotation helped Bengals win, says Neil deGrasse Tyson

The Cincinnati Bengals won on an overtime field goal by Mike Nugent that banked off the left upright and, unlike most bank shots, went through anyway. It was dramatic all on its own, but what if we told you it was the result of SCIENCE?

Cue America’s most famous purveyor of scientific truth, one Neil deGrasse Tyson:

Today’s @Bengals winning OT field goal was likely enabled by a 1/3-in deflection to the right, caused by Earth’s Rotation.

— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) October 11, 2015

 Earth’s rotation? Tell us more! (Just don’t quiz us afterward.)

In the N. Hemisphere, Earth’s Coriolis force deflects airborne north-south projectiles to the right. About 1/2-in per 50 yds.

— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) October 11, 2015

 You realize you’ve just given Jay Cutler an unimpeachable excuse.

The @Bengals stadium isn’t oriented exactly North-South. And the field goal was 42-yds. Yielding a 1/3-in deflection, not 1/2

— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) October 11, 2015

Hmm. We’d ask you to show your work, but we wouldn’t understand it, so we’ll go with it.

Kickers are having enough trouble putting it between the uprights this year. Best keep this information from them; if they realize they have to account for the earth’s rotation too, they’re going to be quivering messes.

[H/T The Washington Post]

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter.

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