Fixing a Joe Torre quote

[BB Bobcat]

Just saw this quote from Torre in an AP story from the offday between games 4 and 5 of the NLCS...

"What we have to do is make sure we just go out and put the blinkers on, win tomorrow and then concern ourselves with the next day and hopefully in Game 7 again," he said. "We just have to think in terms of not looking too far ahead."

Obviously, it should be "blinders." If you working the desk and that comes in front of you, what do you do?

I have no idea if the reporter mis-typed or if Torre mis-spoke. I guess you have to determine that first, huh.

 

[Joe Williams]

From m-w.com (I looked it up the first time I heard it, because I thought it was wrong as well):


Main Entry: 1blink·er
Pronunciation: \ˈbliŋ-kər\
Function: noun
Date: 1636
1: one that blinks ; especially : a light that flashes off and on (as for the directing of traffic or the coded signaling of messages)
2 a: blinder 1 b: a cloth hood with shades projecting at the sides of the eye openings used on skittish racehorses —usually used in plural
3plural : blinder 2

 

[BrianGriffin]

Torr

From m-w.com (I looked it up the first time I heard it, because I thought it was wrong as well):


Main Entry: 1blink·er
Pronunciation: \ˈbliŋ-kər\
Function: noun
Date: 1636
1: one that blinks ; especially : a light that flashes off and on (as for the directing of traffic or the coded signaling of messages)
2 a: blinder 1 b: a cloth hood with shades projecting at the sides of the eye openings used on skittish racehorses —usually used in plural
3plural : blinder 2

The question is still valid. Let's pretend there was a mistake. Do you correct mistakes like that? I might omit the mistake and replace it with the proper word in parentheses. "We can't put (blinders) on, yada, yada."

 

[SoCalDude]

We should stop quoting Joe Torre after the way he totally over-managed and mis-managed Game 4.

 

[Drip]

Torr

From m-w.com (I looked it up the first time I heard it, because I thought it was wrong as well):


Main Entry: 1blink·er
Pronunciation: \ˈbliŋ-kər\
Function: noun
Date: 1636
1: one that blinks ; especially : a light that flashes off and on (as for the directing of traffic or the coded signaling of messages)
2 a: blinder 1 b: a cloth hood with shades projecting at the sides of the eye openings used on skittish racehorses —usually used in plural
3plural : blinder 2

The question is still valid. Let's pretend there was a mistake. Do you correct mistakes like that? I might omit the mistake and replace it with the proper word in parentheses. "We can't put (blinders) on, yada, yada."

That actually is the best way to fix the quote. You never want your subject to appear foolish. However, there have been many times when athletes such as Mike Tyson, say things so outrageous that the quotes are in verbatim.

 

[goalmouth]

I saw blinkers and knew what Torre was talking about. But maybe that just makes me old.

You never want your subject to appear foolish. However, there have been many times when athletes such as Mike Tyson, say things so outrageous that the quotes are in verbatim.

And how, exactly, do you determine the difference between foolish and outrageous?

 

[zebracoy]

I might be the only one, but when I read that quote, I immediately thought that I wouldn't use it.

 

[Drip]

I saw blinkers and knew what Torre was talking about. But maybe that just makes me old.

You never want your subject to appear foolish. However, there have been many times when athletes such as Mike Tyson, say things so outrageous that the quotes are in verbatim.

And how, exactly, do you determine the difference between foolish and outrageous?

That's a good question goalmouth. I don't have a clear-cut answer.

 

[TheMethod]

I saw blinkers and knew what Torre was talking about. But maybe that just makes me old.

You never want your subject to appear foolish. However, there have been many times when athletes such as Mike Tyson, say things so outrageous that the quotes are in verbatim.

And how, exactly, do you determine the difference between foolish and outrageous?

If it's a white guy, it's foolish. If it's a black guy, it's outrageous.

 

[dooley_womack1]

Just saw this quote from Torre in an AP story from the offday between games 4 and 5 of the NLCS...

"What we have to do is make sure we just go out and put the blinkers on, win tomorrow and then concern ourselves with the next day and hopefully in Game 7 again," he said. "We just have to think in terms of not looking too far ahead."

Obviously, it should be "blinders." If you working the desk and that comes in front of you, what do you do?

I have no idea if the reporter mis-typed or if Torre mis-spoke. I guess you have to determine that first, huh.

You ask the reporter. If it really was blinkers, then the quote stays. We can't assume Joe Torre's intention

 

[jgmacg]

Two thoughts:

First, I think young editors have to be prepared to confront words they've never seen. Assuming the reporter confirms the quote, "blinkers" and "blinders" are perfectly interchangeable and correct, especially for someone Torre's age. I'd check a dictionary before making a decision to "correct" a quote.

Second - what if he meant the turn signals on the team's car?

 

[hockeybeat]

I believe Torre is big into the ponies. If I am not mistaken, the trainers have horses wear blinkers so they can only see what is in front of them.

 

[gingerbread]

I believe Torre is big into the ponies. If I am not mistaken, the trainers have horses wear blinkers so they can only see what is in front of them.

That's the first thought I had when I read the quote.

Me too.
It's fine to put another word in parenthesis -- in this case (blinders) in place of blinkers. But we shouldn't be in the business of cleaning up quotes for anyone.

 

[Drip]

I saw blinkers and knew what Torre was talking about. But maybe that just makes me old.

You never want your subject to appear foolish. However, there have been many times when athletes such as Mike Tyson, say things so outrageous that the quotes are in verbatim.

And how, exactly, do you determine the difference between foolish and outrageous?

If it's a white guy, it's foolish. If it's a black guy, it's outrageous.

Unfortunately you are correct. If Yogi Berra were black, reporters would said he was stupid. But because he's white, he was whimsical.

 

[BB Bobcat]

my apologies to joe torre. I didn't know those horse eye covers could also be called blinkers. I thought they were just blinders. Guess I'm too young (not that young ... 38)

 

[da man]

I saw blinkers and knew what Torre was talking about. But maybe that just makes me old.

You never want your subject to appear foolish. However, there have been many times when athletes such as Mike Tyson, say things so outrageous that the quotes are in verbatim.

And how, exactly, do you determine the difference between foolish and outrageous?

If it's a white guy, it's foolish. If it's a black guy, it's outrageous.

Unfortunately you are correct. If Yogi Berra were black, reporters would said he was stupid. But because he's white, he was whimsical.

I'll call BS. Mickey Rivers was considered eccentric and hilarious in a good way, not dumb.

 

[Drip]

I saw blinkers and knew what Torre was talking about. But maybe that just makes me old.

You never want your subject to appear foolish. However, there have been many times when athletes such as Mike Tyson, say things so outrageous that the quotes are in verbatim.

And how, exactly, do you determine the difference between foolish and outrageous?

If it's a white guy, it's foolish. If it's a black guy, it's outrageous.

Unfortunately you are correct. If Yogi Berra were black, reporters would said he was stupid. But because he's white, he was whimsical.

I'll call BS. Mickey Rivers was considered eccentric and hilarious in a good way, not dumb.

You are very much mistaken there. Some reporters considered him a buffoon

 

[goalmouth]

But we shouldn't be in the business of cleaning up quotes for anyone.

Agreed. But we're cleaning them up first and foremost so we don't offend community stahdards. But I think we're going to see a lot more undiluted quotes thanks to blogs and alternative news sources.

 

[lone star scribe]

I saw blinkers and knew what Torre was talking about. But maybe that just makes me old.

You never want your subject to appear foolish. However, there have been many times when athletes such as Mike Tyson, say things so outrageous that the quotes are in verbatim.

And how, exactly, do you determine the difference between foolish and outrageous?

If it's a white guy, it's foolish. If it's a black guy, it's outrageous.

Unfortunately you are correct. If Yogi Berra were black, reporters would said he was stupid. But because he's white, he was whimsical.

I'll call BS. Mickey Rivers was considered eccentric and hilarious in a good way, not dumb.

You are very much mistaken there. Some reporters considered him a bafoon.

Could have been worse. They could have considered him a buffoon.

 

[Drip]

I saw blinkers and knew what Torre was talking about. But maybe that just makes me old.

You never want your subject to appear foolish. However, there have been many times when athletes such as Mike Tyson, say things so outrageous that the quotes are in verbatim.

And how, exactly, do you determine the difference between foolish and outrageous?

If it's a white guy, it's foolish. If it's a black guy, it's outrageous.

Unfortunately you are correct. If Yogi Berra were black, reporters would said he was stupid. But because he's white, he was whimsical.

I'll call BS. Mickey Rivers was considered eccentric and hilarious in a good way, not dumb.

You are very much mistaken there. Some reporters considered him a bafoon.

Could have been worse. They could have considered him a buffoon.

fixed with apologies.