A 'gut check? is good, when time to 'suck it up?

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This was supposed to be one of those INTERACTIVE col-umns that are so wildly popular with readers. "Wildly" may be an overstatement; "popular," maybe. Actually, it's best de-scribed as "tolerated" by readers. Anyway, readers were asked to send me their favorite sports clichs for a future column. Only two readers have re-sponded; one doesn't want his name mentioned. But, according to a sports clich, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Let's get going! Since some clichs might be called metaphors, SPORTS JARGON might satisfy any English teachers out there.|ret||ret||tab|

First, from loyal reader, Leta Howard, who e-mailed the en-try "nothing but cotton," which she says describes Jackie Stiles hitting a basket when the ball doesn't touch the rim. Actually, this is a term that applies to any player whose shot goes "swish." Good selection, Leta. In fact, there are other variations of this: "Nothing but the net" or "nothing but the bottom of the net."|ret||ret||tab|

An unnamed reader suggested what he knew to be my fa-vorite: "Focused." He and I have noticed that teams lose when they aren't "focused"; they win when they are. I don't known what teams focus on, but it seems to be the difference between winning and losing. Also, eyesight seems to be im-portant. Some basketball players are said to be able to "see the court very well." Makes sense to me. If a player can't see the court, well, it wouldn't be a pretty sight. The same for hitters in baseball who are said to "see the ball very well" or football quarterbacks who can or can't "see down field very well."|ret||ret||tab|

I understand that football players positioned "back" be-hind the linesmen make up the "back" field, but why are they "quarter," "half" and "full" backs? In his novel, Victor Hugo called Quasimodo the "Hunchback of Notre Dame", because he had a hunched back. But why wasn't Joe Montana the "quarterback of Notre Dame"? Oh, well. "Wide re-ceivers" aren't overweight football players nor have "tight ends" had too much to drink.|ret||ret||tab|

Various championship football games are called "bowls": Super Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl and Tidy Bowl. (I made up that one to see if you were paying attention.) Why are they called "bowls"? Maybe back when championship football games began, winning teams received en-graved bowls. Why not "cups"? The hockey championship is a cup named after someone named Stanley. I suppose "Su-per Bowl" sounds more football-like than "Super Cup." Baseball's championship is the "World Series." As I write this, teams from New York and Ari-zona are playing in the "WORLD Series." Go figure. A ball in the "strike zone" is a "strike," otherwise it's a "ball" Why "strike," and "ball"? Three of the pads on the infield are called "bases," the fourth is "home plate," but you probably wouldn't want to eat off of it. They play "innings"; what's an inning? The only answer I can come up with is that they had to call them something.|ret||ret||tab|

Players in all sports are said to have their "game faces on." Some have to "play within themselves." Teams say they want to "make a statement," whatever that means. Players may make a "gut check," which appears to occur when it's time to "suck it up." Players "turn it up a notch," which may put them in the "zone." By the way, that zone is different from the "red zone" which a football team enters when it gets close to the "end zone," and tries to score a "touchdown" or kick a "field goal." It's a "shot" in bas-ketball when a player throws the ball at the "basket" or "bucket." Why isn't it called a "throw"? A gun shoots, a person throws; besides, when players are "fouled," they go to the "free throw line" to "shoot" "free THROWS." Does any of that make sense? In baseball, batters "protect the plate," "jump on the first pitch" and "sit on the fast ball," which sounds mighty uncomfortable. |ret||ret||tab|

Pitchers "play chin music" when throwing a "beanball" at a player's "wheelhouse." Run-ners get "cut down at the plate." "Outfielders" "spear the ball," teams play "double headers," aka "twin bills." |ret||ret||tab|

And when two "runners" are "thrown out" on the same play, it's a "double play" or a "twin killing."|ret||ret||tab|

I'm out of space and I have dozens of unused examples sports jargon. |ret||ret||tab|

I guess I'll just have to "punt" or maybe I'll "throw a Hail Mary". ...|ret||ret||tab|

(Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury Un-iversity.)[[In-content Ad]]