Today's phrase: "body of work."

This phrase certainly popped up all of a sudden but then just as quickly became annoying. How many times did we hear that one during CBS' NCAA tournament selection show Sunday night? Eight, nine, 10 times? I lost count how often the committee chairman used "body of work" just by himself.

Come on, these are basketball teams, not authors or film directors. When you mention "body" and "work" and basketball, I think tattoos.

Photo: Associated Press

Posted by Ray Frager at 8:45 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (1)
                       

Today's phrase: "punching their ticket."

You'll hear this one about teams that have clinched NCAA tournament berths. The thing is, though, the last time I can remember getting a ticket punched was on a train. And the NCAA tournament is the Big Dance. The only train I know of with dancing is Soul Train.

Do you ever get a ticket punched to get into the Big Dance? Now, you could get yourself punched at the Big Dance if you try to put a move on the All-State linebacker's girlfriend, but that's an entirely different matter.

So keep in mind, if you hear State U. has punched its ticket for the Big Dance, not only are we in cliche territory, but also a mixed metaphor cliche.

Posted by Ray Frager at 10:13 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (1)
                       

... 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: "going in a different direction."

Translation: You're fired. Just last week, Matt Stover said the Ravens would be going in a different direction for their kicker. This phrase usually is applied to the team, when, in fact, it is the individual who is headed in another direction. The team isn't going anywhere, but you, pal, will be the one going in that other direction -- away from club headquarters.

This reminds me of the often-told firing story, attributed to various coaches or managers, in which Mel Mentor is called into the general manager's office and told the club is planning to make a change in his department. "And then I realized," Ol' Mel says, "I was the only one in my department." 

Posted by Ray Frager at 8:00 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (4)
                       

... 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: "drinking the Kool-Aid."

This description of an uncritical approach to a team can take on different colors, as in someone who is "drinking the purple Kool-Aid" when he takes as gospel anything coming out of the Ravens' Castle and absolutely believes the team is always headed in the right direction.

In addition to being overused, the phrase trivializes an awful historical event -- the mass suicides at Jonestown in 1978. Followers of the Rev. Jim Jones consumed a poison-laced, Kool-Aid-like drink at the cult's compound in South America, where more than 900 people were found dead.

Posted by Ray Frager at 8:00 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (3)
                       

Not a cliche, but it's an incorrect usage, heard a lot this week with national signing day having occurred Wednesday: "verbal commitment."

Every commitment is a "verbal" commitment, because that refers to words. So, unless Sidney McStud indicated his preference for the University of Taxes only by waving his arms at the recruiting staff, he used words. He also used words when he signed his letter of intent -- unless maybe the letters use pictographs these days.

No, the correct phrase is "oral commitment," referring to spoken words, as in, "Coach Blitzsky, I really want to come to State U. and play football for you and not ever worry about a parking ticket on campus for the new Escalade your little buddy there said he would lease in my momma's name."

Posted by Ray Frager at 11:07 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (1)
                       

... 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: "in space."

As in, "get him the ball in space" or "he operates best in space." In football, we're generally -- though not exclusively   --  talking about an offensive player in the open field as opposed to someone running between the tackles. This is not to be confused with Ralph Kramden's threats to send wife Alice "to the moon." This phrase immediately makes me think of Johnny Rodgers at Nebraska, which, considering he won the Heisman in 1972, just shows how old I am. (The Honeymooners reference skews a bit ancient, too.) 

Of course, Buzz Aldrin operated pretty well in space, too.

A couple of comments on this feature have provided interesting context on some of the phrases. I searched our electronic library and found that the first mention of "get him the ball in space" in The Sun appeared in 1993. As a crutch for broadcasters to use, it seems to have gained momentum much more recently.

Posted by Ray Frager at 10:22 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (1)
                       

... 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: "What a difference a year makes."

Or "a month," "a season," "a half" -- just pick your time period. It's meant to convey how things have changed dramatically for a team or individual, usually in a positive manner, but not necessarily. This is one of those cliches that has been so pounded into the ground that the source has been lost to obscurity. It's from the song "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes," a hit for Dinah Washington in 1959 and then again for Esther Phillips in 1975.

What a difference a day makes 
Twenty-four little hours 
Brought the sun and the flowers 
Where there used to be rain 

A suggestion: Why not use the Monty Python "Now for something completely different ... "?

Posted by Ray Frager at 8:00 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink
                       

OK, this isn't really a cliche and it's not about sports, but it's an annoying incorrect usage we keep hearing over and over because of what is happening today in Washington. Too many people with microphones are calling Barack Obama's inauguration "an" historic event. No. It's "a" historic event. "An" would be used only if the next word began with a vowel sound.

Photo: Associated Press

Posted by Ray Frager at 10:55 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (5)
                       

Today's phrase: "jump the route."

I can't recall exactly how long ago we began to hear this as a description for a move by a defensive back, but now not a game goes by without the phrase's use. It can have positive or negative applications. If the tactic results in an interception, good deal. If it results in a receiver streaking by for a wide-open completion, not so much.

And in honor of today's cliche, ladies and gentlemen, Nat King Cole.

Posted by Ray Frager at 12:41 PM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (4)
                       

... 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: "pack a lunch."

This indicates a large, sustained amount of effort. This is no short workday, in other words. "When you go up against the Ravens' defensive line, you'd better pack a lunch." I'm not really sure how practical it is to pack that lunch. When are you going to eat it? Maybe at halftime? And is it like in elementary school, where you can swap lunches with your friends?

Variations include references to "bringing a lunchpail," apparently to praise an athlete's blue-collar approach to his job.

Somehow, saying, "You'd better order out for lunch" doesn't quite communicate the same message.

Posted by Ray Frager at 7:30 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (2)
                       

.. 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: "step up."

Remember seeing basketball arenas where the courts were raised above floor level? In those games, every player involved had to step up. But that's not what we're talking about. "With Peter Pro Bowl out of the game, Ernie Underachiever has really got to step up." I suppose there is a certain logic: If you're going to "raise your game," you probably need to "step up" to do it.

And if his players don't "step up," the coach could end up having to "step down."

Posted by Ray Frager at 8:30 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (2)
                       

Today's phrase: "the second level."

This used to be known as the secondary. "The second level" is where a running back gets to after he breaks through the line. (If he keeps going, he can get to a destination we discussed earlier, "the house.") Sometimes this is called "the next level," however, "the next level" usually refers to the pros in the context of a college player. As in: "Will Joe All-American be able to reach the second level when he plays on the next level?"

The answer, of course, would depend on whether he is able to keep a level head.

Posted by Ray Frager at 8:30 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (2)
                       

Today's phrase: "threw him under the bus."

I'm not quite sure why the vehicle in question has always been a bus rather than something else large like a tractor-trailer, but the allusion paints a disturbing picture in any case. It's not enough to say someone is pinning the blame, I suppose. 

Squirm-inducing phrase or not, the tires are getting pretty worn by now.

(Bet you thought I'd use a picture of Jerome Bettis, didn't you?)

Photo: Bloomberg News

Posted by Ray Frager at 8:30 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (2)
                       

Today's phrase: "the house."

You can apparently do at least a couple of things with "the house" in football. You can "bring the house" by launching a full-scale blitz, or you can "take it to the house" by scoring a touchdown. Unless you have a motorhome, it just seems a whole lot more convenient to take something there rather than bring it along with you.

This multiple use of "house" might be confusing to someone like me, but woe unto the coach who can't figure out the difference. He might end up losing his job, at which point the bank will "foreclose on the house."

Posted by Ray Frager at 12:30 PM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (1)
                       

.. 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: "control their own destiny."

You heard this most recently when applied to teams, such as the Ravens, that could make it into the NFL playoffs simply by winning their games and not having to be concerned about anyone else's results. Here's the thing, though: Besides being overused, the phrase says that a team is in control of something that is uncontrollable. Destiny is defined by Merriam-Webster as a "predetermined course of events," with that determination having been ordained by some kind of higher power. You might as well say the Ravens controlled their own weather.

And we all know that only Bill Belichick can do that.

Posted by Ray Frager at 12:30 PM in Cliche of the day | Permalink
                       

... 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: "Are you kiddin' me?"

Actually, we probably need to add several exclamation marks after the question mark. This has become a liberally applied expression of excitement that long ago lost its impact. It's descended from Jack Buck's "I don't believe what I just saw!" call on Kirk Gibson's famous World Series home run.

But, just once, we would like for the athlete to pause after his incredible catch or dunk, turn to the broadcast location and say, "Yes, I was only kidding. That doesn't count."

Posted by Ray Frager at 9:24 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (3)
                       

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)
                       

... 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: "burn a timeout."

Ever notice that no one seems simply to call a timeout or use a timeout anymore during a football game? Someone always is burning them. I wondered what that smell was. I thought maybe I had forgotten about the leftover pizza I had in the oven.

Burning implies that a particular timeout is being wasted, which might be the case sometimes. But if you call a timeout when you're driving for a winning score in the last minute and your wide receiver was just tackled in the middle of the field and you need to stop the clock, then there doesn't seem to be any burning involved.

But that doesn't mean it hurts to check on the oven.

Posted by Ray Frager at 8:59 AM in Cliche of the day | Permalink | Comments (6)