Sports Talk

As avid sports’ fans, Matt and I watch a lot of sports on television, mostly collegiate.  We are especially faithful to the Big Ten, and football is a major pastime in our house each autumn.  For decades, I enjoyed the commentators of the games.  I like to hear the back stories of the players and coaches and Matt enjoys – or used to enjoy – the commentary on what is happening on the field.

               Then, some of the commentary began to change over the past decade or so, or at least it seems that way to me.  We often get annoyed by the fact that the commentators of the game we are watching – most usually a Big Ten game – spend a lot of time talking about games that are occurring in other leagues.  This resulted in us muting the sound for long periods. [Let me digress just a moment to add that the scroll at the bottom of the screen on one of the networks is equally irritating.  It takes up precious room and I honestly don’t care who’s been traded in the NFL or what hockey team or soccer team has an injured player.  But that’s just me.]

               A couple of years ago, we noticed a new annoying trait in the yakking from the commentators.  They still talk about things unrelated to the game we’re actually watching, often to the point of missing a key penalty or play.  Then, they started getting a little repetitive with catchy words or phrases. We first observed this with the term “tempo.”

               Suddenly, we had to hear the two (or three) announcers discuss how the “tempo” of the game was a critical factor.  Matt says this started when Oregon began to change up how quickly they snapped the ball.  Well, okay, I get it.  It was new and interesting.  About the three thousandth time I heard one of the talking heads say “oooh, tempo,” I was registering dismay, if not annoyance.

               Last year the new word of the season was “physicality.” Honestly, I’m not sure that’s a real word.  But announcers would exclaim and extol various players for their “physicality.” Okay, if I was out there on the field and tackled someone, or sacked someone, or broke a tackle, yeah, that would be pretty amazing, and they should exalt my physicality.  But it’s not me.  These are college level football players.  Most have been playing, working out, and training for at least eight years, often more.  They can bench press the weight of a small car.  They can run a 4-minute mile.  They often weigh upwards of 300 pounds and are over six feet tall. So, it’s really not a big surprise that they possess “physicality.” It would be strange (and scary) if they didn’t.

               This year, right off the bat, I was aggravated during the first Ohio State game.  The announcers said, many times, “they are making the Ohio State coaches coach.” Really? What do they think any coach is doing during a football game?  Playing cribbage? Having a cheese tasting?  Coaches (at least any I’ve watched) are consistently coaching on the sidelines.  Just observe them yelling, huddling, talking frantically into their headset, pacing, and running alongside plays.  I don’t think the other team’s behavior is “making coaches coach.”  They already are coaching.  This is just a kitschy way of saying that a team might have surprised the opposition with a play.  The commentators just have to be cute.

               It’s infuriating.  As long as I’m pointing out silliness, quit sending people down to ask the coach at halftime really dumb questions like “So, you’re ahead by 20, are you worried?” or “You’re behind by 3, what are you going to tell your guys?” We already know the answers and you’re just delaying the coach getting into the locker room.  

               Here’s my advice:  Just call the game, guys. 

2 Comments

  1. JOHN LLEWELLYN

    it IS kitschy – and that is a very neat – but new word to many – need to define it for us !!
    but very true – only thing worse is when they start talking politics or health safety issues – stick to the game and commend the players for EFFORT and AWARENESS of the action!

    • Susie

      Kitschy means – at least one definition – popular, but in questionable taste. I figure folks can look it up 🙂

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