In the bustling world of football, where athletes strive for greatness, Texas Tech defensive back Tyler Owens stood out. But it wasn’t his agility on the field that caught everyone’s attention—it was his unconventional beliefs.
At the NFL combine, amidst the stopwatch-timed sprints and gravity-defying leaps, Owens dropped a metaphorical meteor. He confided to media members that he didn’t believe in space. Not the vast expanse beyond our atmosphere, nor the celestial bodies that populate it. To Owens, the cosmos were mere illusions, like a magician’s trick played on humanity.
“I don’t believe in space,” Owens declared in a video interview posted by Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski. His words echoed through the digital channels, raising eyebrows and prompting curiosity. “I’m real religious,” he continued, “and in my faith, we are the sole inhabitants of this cosmic stage. No other planets, no distant galaxies—just us.”
Texas Tech's Tyler Owens, who's a favorite to post the fastest 40 at this year's NFL combine, doesn't "believe in space," as in "other planets," and feels flat-earth theories have some "valid points." pic.twitter.com/jE2jv9vyLv
— Brent Sobleski (@brentsobleski) February 29, 2024
The room fell silent. Reporters exchanged glances, unsure whether to take Owens seriously or dismiss him as an eccentric outlier. But he persisted, unyielding in his cosmic skepticism. His conviction stemmed from a blend of faith and stubbornness, an unwavering belief that Earth was the center of existence.
Owens wasn’t alone in his cosmic rebellion. He cited NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving and rapper B.o.B as fellow travelers down the rabbit hole. These celebrities, too, had questioned the curvature of our planet, rejecting the centuries-old consensus that the Earth orbited the sun. Owens had delved into their theories, pondering the flatness of our world and the cosmic tapestry that supposedly enveloped it.
Yet, history whispered its rebuttal. Ancient Greek astronomers had traced the paths of celestial bodies, connecting dots across the night sky. Renaissance scientist Nicolaus Copernicus had dared to propose a heliocentric model, with the sun at the heart of our system. And Italian philosopher Galileo Galilei, armed with telescopic lenses, had glimpsed Jupiter’s moons and Saturn’s rings, confirming the sun’s supremacy.
Galileo’s defiance had consequences. The Roman Catholic Church, custodian of dogma, summoned him to trial. His heretical beliefs clashed with their geocentric worldview, and he faced the inquisition. But Galileo held firm, whispering to the stars, “E pur si muove”—and yet it moves.
Today, we stand on the shoulders of these cosmic pioneers. Our textbooks bear their names, and our telescopes peer deeper into the abyss. Tyler Owens, with his meteoric doubt, reminds us that even in the age of science, mysteries persist. Perhaps, hidden among the stars, there are answers yet to be discovered—whether on Earth or beyond.
And so, as Owens prepares to sprint the 40-yard dash, he carries not only the weight of his athletic prowess but also the burden of cosmic uncertainty. For in the end, whether we believe in space or not, the universe spins on, indifferent to our doubts and convictions.
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