People in the newsroom who loudly refer to a college team as 'we'

Really? You're getting worked up about this? I will never call a team "we" -- not even my alma mater -- but geez, there are desk guys doing this in every newsroom in America, especially in the sports department. As long as I don't hear the reporters doing it about the team they cover (or one in the same league/NCAA division), I'm not worried about it. It just makes it more fun to crack on them when their team loses.

 

Based on a lot of the threads on this board, it sure seems like ethics 101 has conditioned a lot of people to miss the forest through the trees. Of course, there is some value to hard-and-fast rules despite the drawback that they will always be under- and over-inclusive. But the focus on petty points like this prevent people from realizing the far more invidious forms of bias that manifest themselves throughout journalism.

 

HOW DARE YOU DEMONSTRATE PASSION FOR A SPORTS TEAM. DON'T YOU KNOW IT'S YOUR JOB TO VIEW SPORTS DISPASSIONATELY AT ALL TIMES, WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE CLOCK OR NOT? GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

 

"we" just never sounds right unless it's from a player or coach on team.

From someone else it's like nails across a chalk board.

 

Hey that's my line....[/bubbler]

 

Seeing as how I paid enough in parking fines that one of the ramps ought to have my fucking name on it, my alma mater is definitely "we" even before they hit me up for money each year.

Wouldn't be shouting it in public though.

 

I don't like the idea of any of the staff using we, especially writers who might cover the said team. Always rang as way, way homerish to my ears. In fact, it's become a long-running joke in our department because of its silliness.

My stock question, when I hear someone use the word we to describe a sports team: "Do you have a mouse in your pocket?"

 

Identifying yourself as "part" of a sports team is such a basic human emotion that I can't rip on someone for taking it a half-step too far and using "we."

 

I agree with Boom.

 

Did you ever notice that fans never say "we" with great confidence? There is always a "should I say this"
pause.

It's rampant on sports call in radio.

 

No, not Si'. Wi'.