Medium Well: Cliche of the day - Sports media blog by The Baltimore Sun's Ray Frager

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Cliche of the day

... in which we highlight a well-worn, nonsensical or jargon-laden word or phrase that has been infecting the world of sports broadcasting.

Today's phrase: "break down."

This is commonly used on radio talk shows or TV studio shows. It's not enough to say they are going to discuss the matchup between Team A's receivers and Team B's secondary. "When we come back, we'll break it down for you." The implication is that your sports talker has spent long hours staring at game film, as if he were a member of the coaching staff.

I'm guessing that's not the case. Plus, those coaches shorts are so unflattering.

Posted by Ray Frager at 9:30 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (1)

Comments

Another clever photo-text connection, Ray. Of course, if one heard this Cliche of the Day too many times, he/she might get their "19th Nervous Breakdown."

Posted by: Attila the Hon | January 8, 2009 5:14 PM

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About Ray Frager

Ray Frager joined The Baltimore Sun’s sports department in 1985 and has been an assistant sports editor for more than 15 years. This is his second stint writing a sports media column for The Baltimore Sun. Most sequels aren't as good as the original, but then, the original wasn't all that great either.

Frager, born in 1957, grew up in northern Delaware (graduating from a high school that since has shut down) and received his bachelor's degree in journalism from Rider College in Lawrenceville, N.J. He worked as a reporter and copy editor at The Trenton Times and The Dallas Morning News before coming to Baltimore.

Surprisingly, if you look at his accompanying photo, Frager is married and has a son and daughter. He enjoys playing basketball and has organized pickup games among members of The Baltimore Sun staff for many years, which means they don't get too mad at him for shooting way too much.

He has a good beat and is easy to dance to. I'd give him an 85.