Irritating phrases we'll hear the rest of college football's regular season

[ondeadline]

* "Run the table." This isn't billiards or pool.

* "Human polls." All polls are based on the votes of humans. People use this phrase to differentiate the polls from the computer rankings. The problem is that you don't poll computers. They simply are "polls."

* "Computer polls." See above. You don't poll computers.

 

[Mighty_Wingman]

Even by the standards of the journalism-only board, that's fairly anal.

 

[Terence Mann]

I'll disagree with the previous post. People think a Top 25 is automatically a poll. It's not. If Baseball America has one guy do a Top 25, it's not the Baseball America poll. It's the Baseball America Top 25.

Just because in popular culture everyone thinks it's all polls, it's not. To say "computer polls" is wrong, and to say "human polls" is one word too many.

This is not any different or more anal than many of the fight-to-the-death word wars we have here.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

If I read the term "oinked the pigskin" referring to a fumble one more time, I'm going to edit the story down to a brief.

 

[Mayfly]

If I read the term "oinked the pigskin" referring to a fumble one more time, I'm going to edit the story down to a brief.

I never read that before in my life. I actually just laughed a little bit. Wow, they use it that much?

 

[Some Guy]

I agree with the "human" and "computer" poll gripe. I don't have a problem with run the table.

That's like having a problem with the word "blitz." This is football, not WWII!

 

[ServeItUp]

Any newspaper that allows the following coach or player quote into any story needs to have its copy editors switched to decaf:

"Any team can win on any given Saturday..."

Are our readers really paying 50/75 cents a day for that kind of probing insight? Just because they say it doesn't mean you have to use it.

 

[sportschick]

I love a good word fight [/testycopyeditor]

No issue with run the table.

We use polls and computer rankings. Works for me.

Would kill any reporter who used "Any team can win on any given Saturday . . ."

 

[jlee]

More annoying than any syntax errors (though I'm with you on "polls," ondeadline):

Any column/tee-vee analyst that says, "I like/dislike the BCS, and here's what I think the NCAA should do to determine a champion..."

I've seen less BCS whining this year, but the closer USF or Boston College get to a nat'l championship appearance, the louder the whine will grow. [/semi-threadjack]

 

[Dignan]

I hate it when coaches/announcers/writers use the term "in space." As in, "State U. has to get Joe Blow in space." I know what they mean, but it's a stupid phrase.

 

[BillyT]

True freshman.

Yeah, I know there's a difference.

I just don't care.

 

[jlee]

True freshman.

Yeah, I know there's a difference.

I just don't care.

There's a difference between "freshman" and "redshirt freshman," but "true freshman" is just redundant. No backpedaling required.

 

[Starman]

at the end of the day

 

[micropolitan guy]

That's not true, because a redshirt freshman is also a freshman, eligibility-wise. So if you say someone is a freshman, he can be either and it's not unusual for people to wonder, did he redshirt?

True freshmen makes it perfectly clear what his standing is, as does redshirt freshmen. I like absolute clarity.

Now, you could ask why this only applies to freshmen, as a sophomore who has redshirted is different from a "true" sophomore.

 

[DanOregon]

"It was God's fault they lost that game - he clearly wanted the other team to have his glory a little bit more."

 

[JD Canon]

That's not true, because a redshirt freshman is also a freshman, eligibility-wise. So if you say someone is a freshman, he can be either and it's not unusual for people to wonder, did he redshirt?

True freshmen makes it perfectly clear what his standing is, as does redshirt freshmen. I like absolute clarity.

Now, you could ask why this only applies to freshmen, as a sophomore who has redshirted is different from a "true" sophomore.

it's more important to say true freshman than true soph because it's supposed to be impressive if someone is able to contribute in their first year in the program. if someone becomes the team's starting QB as a true freshman, it's a little different than becoming starting QB as a reshirt freshman. everyone else in the program other than a true freshman already has a year of college weight training, diet and practice under their belt.

True soph isn't important unless you are writing a story about leaving school early for the draft. redshirt sophs can go to the NFL. true sophs cannot (unless they spent a year at a prep school a la larry fitzgerald.)

 

[wickedwritah]

True freshman often is a false designation nowadays, anyway, since kids can enroll in January.

To me, by the time you're near the end of your second semester, you ain't all that much of a freshman.

 

[Moderator1]

I've been guilty of using true before freshman but it really is needless. You use redshirt to designate has already taken his year on the sidelines.

I had a player say "on any given Wednesday" a few years back when those ****ing Wednesday games were just starting. After I stopped laughing, I got that **** in my story.

"You know what they say. On any given Wednesday, anything can happen."

 

[slappy4428]

"It was God's fault they lost that game - he clearly wanted the other team to have his glory a little bit more."

So you cover Oxford too?

 

[playthrough]

Any reference to polls, Heisman race, whatever, that includes "vote-getter(s)." Heard that on one of the networks the other day. Yuck.

Johnny Tailback would probably be the leading vote-getter if Heisman ballots were handed out today.

Johnny Tailback would probably lead the voting if Heisman ballots were handed out today.