Please find a new phrase to replace "matchup nightmare"

Galeb said:

Words should be used in a manner that accurately and succinctly communicates an idea. Sports reporting isn't poetry. If you tire of phrases in sports reporting, even when accurately used, you're missing the point.

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Sports reporting doesn't get special dispensation for use of cliches and pop-speak shorthand. It SHOULD be correct in terms of both grammar and journalistic style.

You can replace "match up nightmare" with "nightmare match up". If anyone asks where it came from, I'll just say it came to me because I'm that creative lol.

Alright, how about "ball magnet" or "walking cheat code".

I agree with whoever pointed out the ridiculousness of "this guy is just a football player." He is? Really??

how about "much down day stallion"?

too obtuse?

Tunescribe said:

Sports reporting doesn't get special dispensation for use of cliches and pop-speak shorthand. It SHOULD be correct in terms of both grammar and journalistic style.

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I agree that grammar should be correct in all types of news reporting. Using common terms and phrases such as "matchup nightmare" and "stretching the field" do not inhibit the 5 Ws and are appropriate for the intended audience. You're really not disagreeing with anything I posted.

Ice_Ice_Brady said:

It was cool at first, but now virtually every good player is termed a "matchup nightmare". On ESPN today, there were two separate front page captions, describing Calvin Johnson and Jimmy Graham, both as a "matchup nightmare." We get it- they are difficult to cover and cause problems for defenses (don't all good offensive players cause problems for defenses?) At some point the sports world/media needs to become more creative and find a new phrase to describe the awesomeness of certain players. This term is starting to get as annoying as the "he might go all the way" catch phrase.

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But that is on the Mount Rushmore on terms... ( I miss the bricks emoticon)

One phrase in all sports (not just football) that makes me cringe is any comparison with chess by idiot broadcasters who would call a knight a horsey. But that is just me.

Galeb said:

Words should be used in a manner that accurately and succinctly communicates an idea. Sports reporting isn't poetry. If you tire of phrases in sports reporting, even when accurately used, you're missing the point.

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Agreed, provided there are some conventions of standard usage that are retained. Space has a much older connection to distance between things than to outer space, so I'm find with "playing in space," but some of these other phrases are indicative of writers who didn't do so good in English class.

"Matchup nightmare" sounds like poetry more than succinct communication.
A player should only be described as long, if he's lying down. "He has a long reach" is not that much less succinct than "He is long." What's the hurry?
And don't get me started on "Matriculating the ball down the field." I've heard that from Bruschi and Reiss, and it's so far from succinct or accurate that I hesitate to call it communication.

pencilneckgeek said:

And don't get me started on "Matriculating the ball down the field." I've heard that from Bruschi and Reiss, and it's so far from succinct or accurate that I hesitate to call it communication.

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That's a famous Hank Stram quote that Keith Jackson in particular was fond of reusing.

pencilneckgeek said:

Agreed, provided there are some conventions of standard usage that are retained. Space has a much older connection to distance between things than to outer space, so I'm find with "playing in space," but some of these other phrases are indicative of writers who didn't do so good in English class.

"Matchup nightmare" sounds like poetry more than succinct communication.
A player should only be described as long, if he's lying down. "He has a long reach" is not that much less succinct than "He is long." What's the hurry?
And don't get me started on "Matriculating the ball down the field." I've heard that from Bruschi and Reiss, and it's so far from succinct or accurate that I hesitate to call it communication.

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Matchup nightmare is decent in that it conveys a pretty complex point relatively quickly. My only knock on the phrase is that it isn't very specific as there is a wide variety of traits that can cause matchup nightmares. In other words, it only makes sense to use the term when not "digging deeper" than "scratching the surface".

I agree that some terms and phrases are bad. "Matriculating the ball down the field." is an awful attempt at trying to sound intelligent rather than communicate an idea.

Joker said:

" ...but Peytie is the Einstein of the NFL according to the testicular vacuum hoses of the NFL media.

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For some reason this made me think, someone should do a montage of Peyton at the line of scrimmage, taking various pre-snap game tape and have the music be the chicken dance. It'd have to be great/funny.

Perhaps with a nice ending of the first snap for last years SB.

pencilneckgeek said:

And don't get me started on "Matriculating the ball down the field." I've heard that from Bruschi and Reiss, and it's so far from succinct or accurate that I hesitate to call it communication.

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Even Mike Tyson would look that up and refuse to use it.

RelocatedPatFan said:

For some reason this made me think, someone should do a montage of Peyton at the line of scrimmage, taking various pre-snap game tape and have the music be the chicken dance. It'd have to be great/funny.

Perhaps with a nice ending of the first snap for last years SB.

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Benny Hill music.

Bring Cosell back to life. Give him a couple of big bottles of booze. Let him loose in a booth.


Sit back and watch the fun.

Gronk will be a matchup nightmare this year as usual

pencilneckgeek said:

...
And don't get me started on "Matriculating the ball down the field." I've heard that from Bruschi and Reiss, and it's so far from succinct or accurate that I hesitate to call it communication.

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It comes from an old NFL films cut of Hank Stram, coach of the Super Bowl IV winning (and I losing) Chiefs. It was supposed to be a like Casey Stengalism ("famous" old timey baseball manager with a "flair" for English. I.E. he once told some rookies to line up alphabetically by height.)

Yes, that was like 1972 (or '71, or '73 - whatever) Bruschi was probably quoting it from when he saw it when he was 8 in 1984 (or whatever). Now somebody will quote it from Bruschi. These things die hard. (He said referencing an old movie from the '80s or something... )

lurker1965 said:

It comes from an old NFL films cut of Hank Stram, coach of the Super Bowl IV winning (and I losing) Chiefs. It was supposed to be a like Casey Stengalism ("famous" old timey baseball manager with a "flair" for English. I.E. he once told some rookies to line up alphabetically by height.)

Yes, that was like 1972 (or '71, or '73 - whatever) Bruschi was probably quoting it from when he saw it when he was 8 in 1984 (or whatever). Now somebody will quote it from Bruschi. These things die hard. (He said referencing an old movie from the '80s or something... )

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Hank Stram was funny as hell on the sidelines.

Oh, and "Coverage Catastrophe"

Though I think the term is finally falling out of major usage, "untracked" was always stupid to me.

You want THIS to happen to your running game?

"Extreme comparison deficiency"

"Compatible Illusion" That's the best I could come up with using an online thesaurus.

OhExaulted1 said:

"Compatible Illusion" That's the best I could come up with using an online thesaurus.

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What does the basis of most romantic relationships have to do with football?