Words That Sportswriters Use That Make Me Cringe

Yes, it absolutely made print. Unfortunately, our old afternoon newspaper isn't online so I can't find it.

 

Tracksters were "spikers" and so were volleyballers.
Glad they didn't start calling the volleyballers "roofers" although for a few years Pepperdine's men had a very good block and they called them the "Malibu Roofing Company." When they got stuff block, the crowd shouted "Roooofffff." Sounded like a kennel.

 

Those are referring to actual rules though. How do you get around them? The first relates to staying in bounds, the second to being tackled and having the ball knocked lose on impact with the turf.

My foremost pet peeve is one that mostly relates to sports radio. Certain hosts say “the Conor McDavids, the Sidney Crosbies,” when they mean “Conor McDavid and Sidney Crosby”.

 

Gonna be hearing a lot of Bills Mafia over the next week or more.

 

In a similar vein, I've seen baseball writers report that a pitcher coming back from an injury will "throw a bullpen." Hope it's not too heavy!

And any opinions on "hoops" (as in college hoops, high school hoops) as a substitute for basketball? Most of the sports editors I've worked for banned it. But at my current shop, where I'm focused on news, everyone from the sports editor on down is OK with it. I questioned it once when I saw it on a proof and in essence was told to stay in my own lane.

 

I'm OK with "hoops" in a headline if it helps make it fit.
"Hooping" is still used as slang for playing basketball so that one doesn't seem as old-fashioned to me as other terms.

 

Just saw one of these tonight: Track as a term for a golf course can go out back and die in the yard.

 

The expression is "close to the vest," NOT 'chest'.

And it's. "set foot in," NOT. "step foot in".

Jeezus.

 

The one that drives me nuts is the way sports fans and some journalists have changed the context of “journeyman”. It used to mean someone who had served his apprenticeship and was a capable hand. Now it is often used for someone who has played for a bunch of teams “he’s a real journeyman, this is his fourth team in three seasons”.

 

I get great delights every year by waht buzword Collinsworth beats to deaf every year in SNF. In yrs past it was stuff like stock blokc or wide 9 technique but this year I feel like he says “off skedule” so god dam much that it’s not even fun.