"Duke is the Anti-Christ of College Basketball"

The title of this post is a comment I heard while watching Mississippi State narrowly lose to Duke in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. It is a microcosm of the stupid things guys who think they know about sports say. The fact is, there are a lot of fellows who spout off terrible sports opinions, and the trend is disturbing. My close friend and fellow sports opinion aficionado, Will Duckworth, inspired me to write this post after our many bouts with ill-contrived sports opinions.

You're at the sports bar enjoying some chicken wings and a cold one with your buds. Then the guy your buddy brought from work says Payton Manning isn't that good, he just never gets hit so he has all day to throw the ball. Please, someone get this man a brain. A. Manning is most known for his quick release, thereby being able to get the ball out of his hand before getting hit. B. He uses play-action pass a dozen times during the game to draw the linebackers up and get off a quick pass to the slot receiver. C. He is lethal in his accuracy, and he knows exactly where the receiver will be when he throws the ball. D. He audibles at the line on almost every play because he knows the playbook like the back of his hand and can counter any defense thrown at him. Must I go on? Who brought this bumbling idiot to watch sports with us?

Of course, your next guy gives statements which have to do with the rules of the game. You'll be at the game and hear the guy in front of you telling his girlfriend, "when a team get 5 fouls the other team goes into the bonus, so they have to make the first free throw to get a second one". No, no, no. Please don't spread bad information, you're like a talk show host spinning information and the public is misinformed. Seven fouls puts you in the bonus, 10 fouls and you're in the double bonus. Don't talk like it's a fact unless you're 100% sure.

Then there is the guy who doesn't know the intricacies of the game, but yet they explain them like they are an expert. For example, "a delayed steal is when there's a fly ball and after the outfielder catches it the runner goes to the next base". Wow. No, that's a sacrifice fly. A delayed steal is when the runner sees the infielders not paying attention so he takes off for the next base after the pitch as been thrown.

And finally the guy with the dumb statements: "Duke is the anti-christ of college basketball". Well, that doesn't make any sense. Basically, you're saying Duke is taking over college basketball, in turn to tear it down and have all other basketball teams bow to them during their reign. Things aren't going to get that bad. I don't like Duke, but I don't think they are scheming to take over the college basketball world and strike fear into the hearts of all other teams under the dictatorship of Coach K.

As I've gotten older I've tried to be more tactful in my corrections of bad opinions and information relative to sports instead of berating them. I use the, "I may be wrong, but I'm about 100% sure that is not accurate". I just can't let the disease of bad sports knowledge enter the American fabric while I'm present.

JB