Great article and great experiment. This is great aid when explaining how "magic" or IM works for rational people. The ability of our mind to focus on one things and ignore the other is amazing.
I've used this effect for years not go get luck, but to find best solutions. But I can see how what happened to me can look like utter luck for the most people. For example, when I'm in the zone the busses, trains and other forms of public transportations are there for me
They always arrive perfectly in time for me. That and the traffic lights
As for the video, the author of the article is using it incorrectly.
If the instruction about watching white guys was not given, most of the people would notice the gorilla. With the instruction the attention is fully focused on the white team and the white color. I guess, the people would easily spot a white angel walking into the scene. So this is not the valid argument that people are filtering out something unexpected. They are just philtering out all the noise, which in this case is the color black.They filter out both the gorilla and the black team - I'm sure no one would be able to say how many times the ball is passed withing the black team.
But the stage effect of the video is huge, there is no arguing about that.