Thompson: Web sensations live

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Commentary by Dan Thompson

If you figure about half those who viewed the YouTube video of the Black and Blue Bowl's opening kickoff two weeks ago are from this region, then nearly every person in southeast Idaho has seen the hit that drew a suspension on Pocatello football coach Tom Harrison.

Southeast Idaho hasn't received this much attention since someone started crossbreeding lions and tigers near Lava Hot Springs.

As of Wednesday evening, the video had 98,043 views on YouTube. That's one-ninth of the hits the "Dramatic Squirrel" has in the last year. It's up to No. 48 on "Most Viewed -- Sports" this week, and "Taysom Gets Rocked" was only posted five days ago.

Someone posted it on Deadspin.com fewer than 24 hours ago, and already another 12,226 people have watched the 15-second, high-angle clip that clearly shows the hit on Highland kicker Taysom Hill happened within the five-yard safe zone.

Another site voted it the "cheap shot of the week."

It seems the cheap shot heard round Idaho will echo on the Internet far longer.

Move over, Ligertown. It looks like there's a new reason to put this region on the map.

Before we can all finally move on from this, the blogosphere is going to enjoy those arresting 15 seconds of video, and we are going to all talk about how and why that is the case. It's probably going to take another week for this to all go away, on the same trajectory the Mike Gundy, "I'm a man, I'm 40" rant did last fall.

It's strange. We should all be focusing on the elections and the World Series, which itself gained popularity solely because of the strange circumstances of Game 5.

This shouldn't matter all that much, and yet it does because no one has ever seen anything like it. That's why it's on YouTube, which celebrates the bizarre. It thrives on the four words, "Did you see that?"

By those measures, Hillgate is the perfect specimen for Internet gossip. It's the same with the "Ceiling Fan Cat." After you watch it, the first thing you do is call someone over to your desk.

One of my co-workers was contacted today by a friend who had watched the clip. The friend was in London.

The importance lies in its uniqueness. Because we talk about it, it becomes important, even though it shouldn't be.

It's a talking point, and that's why it just won't go away. It's why I'm talking about it even though I don't want to. It's why your co-worker is getting e-mails from friends outside the state asking you if you were at the game.

I realize that calling for people to turn their attention elsewhere inherently draws their attention right back to the place from which I want it to stray. It's a Catch-22.

There are far better things for us all to focus on, and I'm certain those at Highland and Pocatello would like it to be buried and gone. The suspension is served. The playoffs start Friday.

Agreed.

Let it float around on the Internet, and be sure to tell your friends who live in Florida to watch it. But here in Idaho, it's time to talk about something else. I promise I will.

Still, you have to admit, it's kind of cool for Pocatello to get noticed for something other than crossbred felines.

Dan Thompson's column appears Thursdays. With comments or story ideas, call him at 239-3122 or e-mail dthompson@journalnet.com.

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