TERM: PAC-12 AFTER DARK

SYNONYMS: #pac12afterdark, #drunkfootball

ORIGIN: I dunno some Twitter thing that just kind of stuck

DEFINITION: The random and possibly scientifically valid correlation of Pac-12 games to a general atmosphere of chaos entirely independent of the execution of the game by the players and coaches.

This last part is an important distinction. It's not that Pac-12 football itself is any more or less chaotic on average than any other conference-branded football. It's that the following disorganized, random, and entertaining things seem to happen more often in the wide open spaces of the Pac-12 than in other conferences, perhaps because things are newer out there, less defined, and people simply don't give two shits what you think about them, ever.

The football can fluctuate in terms of weirdness, and can be included, but #Pac12AfterDark isn't just about football. It's about a wild, wandering spirit infecting the games of our Western brothers and sisters. A spirit hanging out at a 7-11 in Tempe, realizing it left its wallet at home, and shit, how did they get here again? That spirit bought some dank and may have hit it a little too hard before riding its trick bike to the 7-11 for some Flamin' Hots. Someone may have just stolen that spirit's trick bike from this 7-11.

That spirit has a football game in five minutes. Shit.

CASE STUDIES

1. 2011: A fake ref stops play during a 42-7 blowout of UCLA by Arizona, attempts to take the ball from the hands of a real referee, and inadvertently helps spark a nasty brawl between the two teams.

2. 2012: Utah fans rush the field three times against BYU, once while there is a live ball, putting BYU in field goal range late in the game. (BYU missed the kick. It does say they rushed the field three times up there.

3. 2009: Arizona fans empty onto the field just in time to watch Oregon tie the game late, take the game to overtime, and defeat the Wildcats.

4. Wazzu fan, #1

5. Wazzu fan, #2

6. Pac 12 Refs, just yelling "PREVIOUS" for no reason into a mic

7. Pac 12 Refs, blowing a play dead because someone got blocked real hard.

8. Pac 12 Refs, penalizing a dude for bowing

9. This:

10. And this:

P.S. okay maybe it's the football, too.