The Big Lots “Big Shots” contest usually showcases a little bit of humor and fun on the basketball court. Rarely do the fans experience basketball greatness.
Anyone who has ever participated in the contest knows that winning the grand prize is a long shot. In Austin Hylander’s case, the long shot went in.
I was battling heavy eyelashes in front of the television when I heard that, for the first time, a kid made the shots and had won a year’s worth of free tuition. I was always under the impression that the contest was nearly impossible to win.
Then, like in an E! “True Hollywood Story,” an article appeared in The Lantern the following week saying he did not make the shots in time. Instead of draining them in the allotted 30 seconds, it actually took him 36.
The online video proved the claim. However, the first thing that caught my attention wasn’t the clock, but the people who were rebounding the balls and throwing them back. Every time I had seen the contest the shooter had to retrieve his or her own misses, which obviously makes the task much more challenging.
But I got over that quickly and began thinking about the clock. It must have either not started on time, stalled in the middle or refreshed every time a shot hit the rim.
At first I thought Ohio State might have Big Ten big shot referee Eddie Hightower enter Hylander’s home and wave off the bucket. Oddly, nothing like that happened.
Then it became obvious that this was the best way this thing could be handled. Imagine the public relations nightmare that would have blossomed had they taken the prize away.
As it stands, Big Lots has probably been mentioned more in the past two weeks than in the previous year combined. This controversy has taken a temporary, feel-good story and extended it another week.
I think Austin Hylander deserves the money. First, had it not been for that jittery opening lay-up, he would have shot an impressive 45 percent. He almost shot a better percentage behind the arc than the Michigan men’s team.
Had his makes been converted to points, he would have outscored 17 of the 23 players that competed in that night’s women’s game. Every player that did outscore him played more than 20 minutes. Austin scored nine points in 36 seconds.
I’m sure Austin Hylander now has friends he never knew he had.
This is without question a positive story, though I do feel bad for the next person who participates in the contest. Not only will it be a tough act to follow, but the time will probably be monitored to the nanosecond to ensure that mistake does not repeat itself.
