This has been bugging me for a long time and I thought I'd drop a little line about it. I am tired of the use of combat rhetoric by sports writers, athletes, and owners. So, I request here, as follows:
*Stop using the word "war" to describe a sporting event, unless the sporting event is figure skating 'cause they actually come the closest, what with the use of hit men and all;
*Stop describing men who travel with their own chefs and massage therapists as "warriors", they are not. They are paid obscene amounts of money to whack balls or put on pads and hit each other. They are NOT warriors. The closest thing to a warrior, other than a service man or woman, is (usually) the woman left at home who holds a family together under stresses you and I cannot conceive of. These woman deserve our respect. Athletes are not warriors.
*Stop using the word "battle" or "battle tested" to describe a football player. Sports Illustrated described some LSU grad as "battle tested" because he played for the Tigers. The closest he has come to battle was the co-ed who probably successfully (this is Louisiana, after all) fought him off. He may have developed great athletic ability and tremendous powers of focus and concentration, but he is not a battle tested anything. He is the most coddled of creatures, a big time college football player.
There are other examples, I'm certain, but these are the ones which come to mind and piss me off the most of late.
Here endeth this morning's rant.
Posted by Random Penseur at October 14, 2004 09:11 AMI'm right with you on this one, Random. These hallowed terms that once inspired awe and respect, have lost their lustre by being used and abused in sportstalk. Call a game a game, not a battle. Nobody's life hangs in the balance over a football game. At least I hope not!
Posted by: Mick at October 14, 2004 10:27 AM