Sports Cliches

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

We've done this topic before, but let's do it again. The sheer amount of coverage in sports has led to certain phrases being used so often that they've lost any sort of meaning whatsoever.

 

Here a few:

 

- In baseball, young pitchers being described as "live arms."

 

- Any time a player insults a coach or teammate he's "throwing them under the bus."

 

- A player that is bad at what he does but is well-liked by the media or teammates is a guy that "plays the game the right way."

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

White Defensive Linemen all have "High motors"

[Boon 0]

Not a phrase, but showing city landmarks in national broadcasts. For example, every time Boston has a nationally televised game, they show the Old North Church.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

- Quarterbacks who have a good "mind for the game" (aka have no arm)

- Bench players who bring "energy off the bench" (aka not good enough to play regularily)

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH! 0]

White Defensive Linemen all have "High motors"

 

Similarly, every white basketball player is "blue collar" and has a "high basketball IQ."

[sfaJack 0]

- "Great team chemistry" to explain why an average team is performing great; "Poor team chemistry" to describe a team with high expectations that is performing poorly

 

- Saying a player is "great in the clutch" when there is no way to prove either what "the clutch" is or that the player excels in said clutch

[naiwf 0]

"He has a high upside" generally means he's not good enough to play now, but could be in 2-3 years. Or he could be packing groceries at the local supermaket. We're just not sure yet, so let's call it upside.

 

"This guy is a great value pick" or "Team X needs to draft the best player available", usually comes from Mel Kiper or Dick Vitale and is issued to someone he had ranked higher on his board than the position that the present team was drafting. What gets lost in the shuffle here is that the team picking him usually had a bigger need elsewhere. This kind of thinking is what led to the Lions taking nothing but WR in the 1st round ever since Barry Sanders retired.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

In Football... Some of these come from fans too.

 

1: Overachiever with a High Motor - A guy who gets drafted in the 5th/6th/7th who's average but in the right scheme (i.e. maybe fits 2-3 teams at best) could be good for a few seasons.

 

2: Player X can be coached up - Has all the talent in the world but struggles character wise and has deficits that can be fixed by sheer willpower from the coaching staff, ignoring the fact that said character struggles will likely render him a bust more than likely.

 

3: Player X needs a change of scenery - This coaching staff/front office really fucked up the kid's talent/potential but if he goes elsewhere, he'll be a journeyman backup at best or out of the league entirely at worst. Look at QB Alex Smith in San Francisco right now who'll be 23/24 next season.

 

4: Team X has a history of drafting good players at this position - This ignoring the small sample size and where the players are drafted. See the Steelers taking LB in the 3rd-5th rounds or later and people thinking all these guys came earlier in the draft.

 

5: Team X got "lucky" taking Player X - Tom Brady, 6th Round, 2001. Of course they got lucky! Any player drafted after the 1st round who plays really well with a team means that team got "lucky" taking them. Credit to the front office/coaching staff for giving the guy an opportunity to start.

 

6: Player X at QB was carried by a great defense - Every team that wins in the playoffs more often than not has a great defense. Very rarely do you see a QB carry a piss poor defense on his back to a SB win. Just because a QB doesn't put up gaudy stats doesn't mean he sat there itching his ass while the rest of the team played around him. Also: Game Manager is NOT a bad thing...

 

7: Quarterback X is a system QB - Fuck.Off. Every single QB out there is a system QB in some way, shape, or form. Peyton Manning has played in the same system since 1999 but nobody calls him out on being a product of the system. Steve Young & Joe Montana were monsters in the WCO, where's the clamoring? I know this more relates to "gimmicky" offenses like the Run & Shoot or Spread Pass but they excelled in those systems just like any good QB is supposed to. You learn the system and play it well...

 

8: Team X just needs one piece - Yeah, if it was that simple than every single team could add a stud WR/stud RB/stud QB/stud "insert position" and go to the SB in the ensuing year. New England's success in 2007 was they added Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Sammy Morris, and completely overhauled their offensive system as well as adding pieces here and there elsewhere... but it was all thanks to them adding Moss/Welker that the light went on.

 

9: Team X's Coaches/Players have experience in the playoffs/SB - Everybody says this or says a team doesn't have experience (Arizona in 2009) ignoring the fact that players or assistants may have experience (i.e. QB Kurt Warner, Coaches Ken Whisenhunt & Russ Grimm)

[Kinetic 0]

"Player X can be dangerous when you get him the ball in space."

 

"These guys are still a year away."

 

"Player X plays with swagger."

[Slayer 0]

"We're taking it one (day/game/play/increment) at a time"

[alfdogg 0]

"He wears his emotions on his sleeve"

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

"No one believed in us but ourselves, everyone was sure we were going to lose!" and all other variations, which has become a synonym for "we won the game!"

[Just John 0]

Undersized white guys in baseball, football, or basketball are usually "scrappy." I think David Eckstein was the poster child for scrappiness.

 

My least favorite is "He's the first one in the gym, and the last one out." I've even heard announcers use that on two players from the same team during a game.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

"Deep threat" or "home run threat" for a receiver who runs terrible routes unless they're just "go straight for 40 yards downfield."

 

 

[tonyjaymzretro 0]

"That just Brett being Brett"

 

which, for other QBs, is called an INT

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

"That just Brett being Brett"

 

which, for other QBs, is called an INT

Or the cousin to that: Just having fun out there!

[alfdogg 0]

Also, whenever Shaq commits a flagrant foul:

 

"He can't help it, he's just so big and strong!"

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

- The coach that just "failed to make the right adjustments" (aka got out-coached badly)

- In hockey, "he's carrying the team on his back" (aka he's not passing)

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

"Player X belongs in the Hall of Very Good, but not the Hall of Fame."

[the max 0]

"That just Brett being Brett"

 

which, for other QBs, is called an INT

Or the cousin to that: Just having fun out there!

 

Just out there gunslingin'!

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

"It ain't over 'til_________"

 

Peyton Manning has played in the same system since 1999 but nobody calls him out on being a product of the system.

That's because the "system" completely revolves around him calling plays at the line and adjusting as such. Sure, there's an offensive coordinator talking to him, but Manning is that system.

 

Steve Young & Joe Montana were monsters in the WCO, where's the clamoring?

 

I do this once a year or so, but it has little to do with the WCO. Joe Montana can eat an ass sandwich.

 

 

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I can ignore tolerate most cliches. But these two gave it their 110 percent and made it to the big-leagues.

 

"He may be the smallest person on the field/court, but he's got the BIGGEST HEART."

 

and

 

"Boy I sure wouldn't want to face THAT team in the playoffs."

[Maztinho 0]

"He's a gamer"

 

So he plays well in games? That's his job.

[hyperchord24 0]

"That just Brett being Brett"

 

which, for other QBs, is called an INT

Or the cousin to that: Just having fun out there!

 

Just out there gunslingin'!

I absolutely hate "he's got that gunslinger mentality."

[Mik 0]

"Both teams played hard, my man, both teams played hard."

[Brett Favre 0]

"He's a football player."

 

Gee, I hope so, 'cause he's getting paid like one.

[Gert T 0]

When people refer to the Pittsburgh QB as a soccer player from Brazil. It sounds especially creepy when Bill Cowher says it. Makes me think he has a lot of posters of him in his house.

 

I don't know if it has been mentioned, but the fact that Boldin may not play because of a Hamstring, Hines Ward may be out with a Knee. And Ben has a Spinal Column and Skull that may affect his performance.

 

 

 

[naiwf 0]

I can ignore tolerate most cliches. But these two gave it their 110 percent and made it to the big-leagues.

 

Thanks for reminding me about "We're going to give/we gave {insert percentage greater than 100%} today!"

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

"We're going to take it one game at a time." Usually said during the playoffs.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

For anyone that watches Cavs games on Fox Sports Ohio, you know Austin Carr is pumped when he lets out a good ol . . .

 

"L-TRAIN!" or better yet "DEEP in the Q!"