Disrespecting the game
I'm a little tired of hearing sports media talk about "disrespecting the game." Exactly what does that mean? Seems like something people say when they simply don't like you.
After the Patriots ran up the score against the Redskins Sunday, LB Randall Godfrey had this to say: "I said something to (Belichick) after the game," Godfrey said to NBCSports.com. "I told him, 'You need to show some respect for the game.' You just don't do that. I don't care how bad it is. You're up 35 points and you're still throwing deep? That's no respect."
I understand he's upset, but I don't see how running up the score is disrespecting the game--it's just disrespecting the Redskins defense. Using a camera to break the rules--now THAT falls under "disrespecting the game."
When Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez announced during the World Series that he had opted out of his contract, this was also viewed as "disrespecting the game:"
Sure, his timing was intended to take the spotlight off the World Series and put it on himself, but is this really "disrespecting the game?" Maybe it is, but the term is thrown around so loosely that I'm really having a hard time knowing what it means anymore.
After the Patriots ran up the score against the Redskins Sunday, LB Randall Godfrey had this to say: "I said something to (Belichick) after the game," Godfrey said to NBCSports.com. "I told him, 'You need to show some respect for the game.' You just don't do that. I don't care how bad it is. You're up 35 points and you're still throwing deep? That's no respect."
I understand he's upset, but I don't see how running up the score is disrespecting the game--it's just disrespecting the Redskins defense. Using a camera to break the rules--now THAT falls under "disrespecting the game."
When Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez announced during the World Series that he had opted out of his contract, this was also viewed as "disrespecting the game:"
Sure, his timing was intended to take the spotlight off the World Series and put it on himself, but is this really "disrespecting the game?" Maybe it is, but the term is thrown around so loosely that I'm really having a hard time knowing what it means anymore.
3 Comments:
Don't you think you're being a little too literal and nit-picky here?
Maybe. Could you be more specific?
Disrespecting "the game" has some heavy connotations, whereas disrespecting an individual or another team is not perceived as badly.
I think the line between the two is confused. Or perhaps I've been watching too much ESPN lately and it's starting to bug me.
Sure. Maybe the problem here is that the term "disrespecting the game" being thrown around too loosely is just the sign of a larger problem: that commentators and players aren't particularly precise or articulate with their words and misuse clichés all the time. If that's the case, then I submit that this is nothing new or surprising.
So Godfrey used the term "you need to respect the game" when he should have meant, "I think you were showing bad sportsmanship." or "This is disrespectful to us." This doesn't strike me as a big deal.
In A-Rod's case it's probably a fair usage here, as they're talking about taking attention from the sport, literally, not showing respect for the pageantry and ceremony that is the World Series.
Can you even disrespect an inanimate object?
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