What the hell is up with this expression? Suddenly it seems, you can’t listen to a sports talk radio show without hearing this expression. I first started hearing it on the talk radio shows that are hosted by guys I find to be not that bright but who are big cliche/expression guys like Steven A Smith or WTMJ’s the “Big Unit”. But now, it’s taken hold and spreading like wildfire. This morning on Mike and Mike in the morning’s ESPN radio, Mike Greenberg used it and no more than 3 minutes later Mike Golic used it (though he varied it some by going with the past tense “it was what it was”). And these guys are intelligent guys. Locally, Homer used it a few days ago on his Milwaukee ESPN radio show and I consider him to be bright.
But what really told me that this empty, verbally wasteful expression had arrived was when Brother Steve used it a couple days ago. Now, Steve is not one to use cliche expressions – especially, newer trendy ones (like walk-off homer, trickeration, the thing of it is, is that), so I’m not sure what prompted this. I can’t remember if I was talking to him over the phone or if it was in a Packergeeks post, but regardless, my reaction was the same: “what? my intelligent Brother has fallen victim to the underlying sports-world pressure to use this newish cliche?” Please Brother Steve, tell me you were joking…
packergeeks 
June 20, 2008 at 1:31 pm |
I believe they have a memo that gets sent to all sports hosts/journalists, even callers to shows — especially to former players and less-than-mental-giants. It includes a list of a few dozen phrases:
– it is what it is
– i couldn’t agree/disagree with you more
– what was running through your mind? (as if athletes are pondering the social ramifications of a touchdown run while evading tacklers)
okay, brainfreeze — i’m sure someone else has got a lot more of these memorized.
on another note, i’m not sure why i found it so damn funny, but i love this quote from a.j. hawk about rodgers’ haircut:
(Rodgers’ decision to tighten up does not appear contagious, however. Linebacker A.J. Hawk, who wears his hair at shoulder-pad length, said he has no plans to follow suit.
“He looks like he’s about 13 years old right now,” Hawk said. “I don’t think I’ll be doing it any time soon.”)
I think the chemistry on this team is going to be incredible, and I think it will only help — it wasn’t necessarily Brett’s fault, but I think the shrunken age gap between leader/team will, at the very least make this a fun team to follow.
June 20, 2008 at 1:32 pm |
i just wanted to note that i’m shocked and ashamed at the smiley face that appeared in that post. i don’t know how it happened, and i hope it never happens again.
June 20, 2008 at 1:38 pm |
Josh – I couldn’t agree with you more (I just tried to make a smiley face here but my system wouldn’t let me due to being a man…) (Actually, the same kind of smiley-face thing happened to me last fall when I wrote up my weekly predictions for the blog and it drew heavy and deserved criticism from brother Steve – still have no idea how it happened). Funny Hawk quote – I actually think it’s very important that he cut his hair because all of his goofy facial/head hair issues were funny when he was insignificant, but now as THE man, it’s time for him to focus on football not hair.