Top Ten Sports Commentary Pet Peeves

They get paid to talk over games and help make things more interesting and I appreciate the skill and knowledge it takes to do that. However, they also insist on saying some of the most mind-numbing, ridiculous and annoying stuff you will find anywhere.
The Top Ten
1 Referring to any domestic sports champion as "World Champs"

Unless there are teams from all over the world competing, you can't very well call yourself World Champs. Especially you NBA folks. Last time I checked, Argentina beat Italy for the Olympic Gold.

2 Using corollary statistics to prove causation
3 Blatant bias by a commentator towards a particular team/athlete

I couldn't agree more! I already dislike the Steelers, but listening to the commentators praise EVERYTHING that they do just drives me insane. That's why I love watching them lose - to give the commentators some cause to try to justify why the team is bad. Big Ben isn't the messiah of football. He's a rule-breaking hack.

Give me a break! Favre got so much love from people, it was ridiculous. When he does something wild, he's just a kid having fun, but if it's a rookie, it's a rookie mistake.

Totally agree. People do it all the time with Brett Favre, the Cubs, Yankees, and Red Sox.

4 Giving a player way too much credit for a particular play

I hate it when a quarterback gets blitzed, heaves up a lame duck off his back foot, and the pass only gets caught because of a spectacular play by the receiver. Then the commentator explains the play by saying that the quarterback felt the pressure, read the safeties, and intentionally put the ball where "only his guy could get it."

It's just absolutely ridiculous. When my team executes a brilliant play, the commentators don't seem to recognize it. However, when the other team performs an okay-ish play, it gets complimented and recognized a little too much.

5 Saying a team that is losing by x amount of points is within x

This happens all the time in basketball and it drives me nuts. If you are within 2 points, then you are losing by less than 2 points. Within 2 is 1 or 1.5 or 1.7992, or any other positive number less than 2. If you are losing by 2, then you are within THREE points.

6 Using excessive hyperbole

True story: while watching an NFL game, the commentator described a catch where the receiver on a crossing pattern had to reach back to snag the ball as the most difficult catch to make in football. Then, in the very same game, the same commentator described an over-the-head catch while running down the sideline as the most difficult catch to make in football.

7 Referring to pro athletes as kids

some sports are childish, others not so much, some sports places serious emphasis on the real purpose of sports, esports & board games are for great minds, manly macho sports are for typical average joes. as a retired athlete I value health & wellbeing over conforming oppressive stereotypes/standards, no matter what your first sport is make use of what you got, other athletes would naturally surpass you or behind you regardless of your athleticism, sports aren't for everyone, you have to place your priorities of what you desire sports or not & you know what you are after what is written in the stars & beyond

8 Using the terms "half yard line", "one inch line", etc.

Um, there is no line there. Line refers to the white stripe painted on the field. If a team is an inch away from the goal line, say they are an inch away from the goal line.

9 Not taking the time to learn name pronunciation

While covering a game against Wyoming this year, Terry Bowden called Mark Madsen by the name Masden on just about every one of his 12 receptions in the game. Heaven help these guys when they come across a difficult name.

Or when an athlete has Jr or the 3rd in their name, they always say it. Like with KU's Frank Mason III, they call him Mason III.

10 Calling a player the hero of the game

To me, a hero is someone who does something selflessly for others. In my opinion, professional sports players are some of the most egotistical and selfish people out there.

The Contenders
11 Calling something a "rookie mistake" when it's a "football mistake". Example: ONE foot in bounds is a "rookie mistake". Holding, offsides, dropping a pass, etc. are "football mistakes" that are made by veterans as well as younger players.
12 Giving us the entire biography of a certain player

This is beyond irritating. I see this with commentators such as Joe Buck and Pierre McGuire. They seem to take 10 minutes just to explain where the athlete grew up, what their childhood was like, where they went to school, etc. Usually, they miss something important during the game.

Okay, sure, a few pieces of information are nice, but going through every moment since they were born? Seems a little too much.

13 Calling an end around a reverse and a reverse a double reverse
14 Placing way too much importance on streaks
15 Referring to (insert team here) "Nation"
16 Talking about something that is totally unrelated

I hate it when, during a matchup between Louisville or Duke or UNC, a sidebar appears on the TV screen and they start talking about it.

17 Using the word standpoint
18 Calling a "dump off" a "screen pass"
19 The "defensive secondary". Is there an "offensive secondary"?
20 "Through the Catch" nonsense
21 Sportscasters trying to be the story
22 Using the term "Grand Slam Home Run"
23 Shortening a team's name in an attempt to sound cool. Example: 'Zona, 'Zaga, 'Bama, etc.
24 Not just using a team's name

These guys announcing and doing pre- or post-game shows have taken to always saying a player's name AND the team when referring to a team. For example, "Aaron Rodgers AND the Packers take on Cam Newton AND the Panthers." Why is this a thing?

25 Saying a team is back in the game when they were down by less than 10
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