Basketball Announcer / Basketball Writer phrases and cliches you hate

It's always grated when announcers say "Gets it to go!" on a shot that takes an unlikely bounce and goes in. (1) it just sounds dumb, and (2) in fact, the shooter did NOT "get" it to go, but rather got lucky on an off shot. "Gets it to go" makes it sound like the shooter waved the ball in with his hands after he shot or blew it in or something.

In reference to any short player:

"He may not be the tallest guy out there, but he has the most heart"

Or something to that effect.

Blake Griffin "runs like a deer" got old really fast.

I guess we should get "momma there goes that man" out of the way.

"knock-down shooter"

"Defense wins championships"

my lone quibble with jvg is "make or miss league." that's the basic conceit. the team that scores more points wins. it's basically equivalent to "must dribble correctly to maintain possession."

if anyone goes after hubie's third person or "(blank)...we have in the league" i will cut you in the name of uncle hubie

ALL KNOTTED UP.

hubie is unimpeachable

pretty much hate all of Bulls' announcer Neil Funk's pet phrases, but all I can think of now is "buggy-whip" for a dunk.

"if anyone goes after hubie's third person or "(blank)...we have in the league" i will cut you in the name of uncle hubie"

"hubie is unimpeachable"

Yes. He's the best.

"Defense wins championships"

― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, June 15, 2011 11:07 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

this is true tho

Yah, but, so does all the other stuff. Got to have balance.

"they need a stop here"

can we count anytime someone on sportscenter talks about how a player "messed around and got a triple-double"?

Cube should've trademarked that.

'when you have A jason kidd or A dirk nowitzki'

'let me tell you something'

no

wouldn't say I hate it, but it seems like "from downtown" has morphed from hyperbole to mere synonym. like I don't pictue the imagery of a guy shooting from so far away that he's in the downtown area of a given city. downtown=behind 3 pt line.

The word "physicality" can gargle.

"He handles the ball SO WELL for a big man"

"Lets see if he can get this free-throw to go, you know sometimes all they need is to see that ball go through the hoop to get em going"

"both teams played hard, but Victorious Team just made more shots..."

thin i'd hate all of Kevin Harlan's stuff if not for his voice & delivery.

"...does all kinds of things that don't show up in the box score..."

^ think xp

team x "just wanted it more"

I HATE THAT FOR ALL FUCKING SPORTS

if mere desire was all that was needed I woulda been an all-pro b-baller growing up rather than scoring 4 career points

Some of this stuff is more just annoyingly bad sports analysis than cliched language. But on that note, I hate when announcers say stuff like "you have to stay in front of your man. you can't be letting your man get around you to the basket like he just did." It's like saying "you have to make shots. you can't miss shots." As though the player on the court forgot for a second that staying in front of his man was a good idea rather than just failed to do so because the guy juked him/was faster.

idk I often thought with Hedo Turkoglu that letting your man skate by him was an intentional defensive strategy

in the interest of brevity we can just say "anything mark jackson says"

most of all though "give ____ credit"

I think Bulls' announcer needs to retire and the Chicago Trib's beat writer is merely adequate, but I imagine these are more prevalent in smaller markets.

i don't like when they say "he's on fire" because it's been proven that streaks are a statistical illusion

what about steaks.

i don't like when they say "he's on fire" because it's been proven that streaks are a statistical illusion

― 40% chill and 100% negative (Tracer Hand), Thursday, June 16, 2011 7:18 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark

i was gonna argue with you but then i realized you were quoting the simpsons ~_~

'when you have A jason kidd or A dirk nowitzki'

this one is the worst.

portland's old radio guy, bill schonely, also known as THE SCHONZ, invented like a million great basketball sayings over his hundred year reign, but one thing he used to use quite a lot drove me crazy as a kid -- "dribble drive," i.e. "drexler on a dribble drive towards the basket." he used to say this all the time.

bill, c'mon dude, there is really only one kind of drive and it always involves dribbling.

If they give em three steps a lot of modern dudes can drive without dribbling pretty well.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ln5xiqBSgn1qzel1vo1_500.png

That one Clippers announcer always says "OH MEEEOHMY" in this really pathetic way every time BG does something -- more of an announcer-specific tic than a general sports announcer cliche but ugh.

Lawler is pretty ridiculous as a clips announcer but he grows on you a little bit. He's certainly better than bill fucking mcdonald. Dude looks like a drunk who sleeps in the street wearing a suit. Really not happy with that hire. Will miss u spero.

lololol yeah take back what i said about spero mcdonald has gotten less supercilious over the years but still gives off a suuuper cokey low-rent vibe wtf is going on with the hiring. xxp chick hearn used 'dribble drive' all game every game it is a mystery

mcdonalds light interviews with phil were kinda cool though but probably only worked cause phil didnt feel obliged to take him seriously. phil is like the only person i can remember him having 'chemistry' with which is weird if you think about it.

xp i meant 'superfluous'; he used to ask questions and not even pretend to listen to the answer.

"Defense wins championships"

― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, June 15, 2011 11:07 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

A dude said this in the elevator today right before letting out the nastiest smelling fart. It was just me, him and his fart, in an elevator.

but anyway I came to this thread to complain about announcers saying "you just cannot do that" every time a good three shooter gets left open for a three. Yeah no shit, don't leave three specialists open for threes, don't stub your toe, don't forget where you put your keys -- all good advice, all things that will keep happening anyway

"He can really score the ball"

Unless he's literally marking up the ball with a metal tool, that sounds idiotic.

love that phrasing. also stuff = dunk