Hutton: Time to get ‘tough’ on sports clichés

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Purdue coach Matt Painter instructs his players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Ohio State, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State won 87-84. (AP Photo/Terry Gilliam)

Updated: March 13, 2012 10:40AM

The Answer Man returns again after a two week hiatus, stealthily looking for his shadow to see if winter is over yet (It’s not. The Answer Man can see a mound of snow out his front window. Not good.)

Today, the Answer Man is going to start by examining language in sports. The Answer Man has some serious venting to work through on this subject. We’ll start with this one: “It is what it is.”

The Answer Man is leading a crusade to banish that cliché from the English language. (The Answer Man has actually seen that phrase hanging on a wall on a plaque in a business.)

The first time the Answer Man ever heard that phrase was when the Jets beat the Bears at Soldier Field. Bill Parcells used it after the victory to describe his over achieving team. It was fresh, original and different then, particularly emanating from Parcell’s mouth. Parcell has a knack for delivering a line like that at just the right time with just the right intonation.

The phrase has morphed into a sports euphemism to describe a team wracked by injuries, a team beset by bad luck, a team that plays hard but can’t win a game. DePaul’s basketball team has an “It is what is” kind of team. They are scrappy but not good.

The Answer Man is pleading with sports figures everywhere to cease and desist with the use of this phrase. It is lazy and nondescriptive.

A basketball coach wouldn’t want his players not to block out correctly or get down in the correct defensive stance. They should feel the same way about using language correctly.

This next phrase is even more terrifying.

The Answer Man became acutely aware of it last year during the great, incessant budget debates. As far as the Answer Man can tell, it’s a political term. “Kicking the can down the road” is a talking point, mostly for Republicans who believe in austerity measures, hard choices and balanced budgets all of which have become cliches.

President Obama, who the Answer Man hears is quite a sports fan, even has used it, much to the Answer Man’s dismay. Yes, it’s true. The Answer Man has heard the phrase used in a sports context. It was something about how the Colts can’t “kick the can down the road” in regards to making a decision about Peyton Manning and his future with the team. The Answer Man has a visceral, stomach turning reaction to that phrase. Let’s hope the use of it doesn’t permeate into our own special and unique vocabulary.

The next phrase refers specifically to Purdue coach Matt Painter and generally to coaches everywhere when their team isn’t “tough” enough. Apparently, Painter didn’t cook the meat enough before the Boilers played IU because those players certainly weren’t “tough” enough to take down a middle of-the-road Hoosiers team in Mackey Arena. The IU players were more “engaged” and had that “look about them” according to Painter.

Ironically, Purdue’s loss to IU was followed by a documentary on the Big Ten Network on former Purdue coach Gene Keady, a scowling, menacing, foot stomping figure who was the epitome of toughness in a working class league.

Keady took the job against the advice of people like former Marquette coach Al McGuire, who said that Bobby Knight and Digger Phelps had the state wrapped up and that it would be impossible to do well there.

Keady proved them wrong by coaching teams that were consistently “tougher” than their league opponents.

Keady was hired in 1980 and his very best teams came around in the late 80s and early 90s. Purdue was pretty tough when Robbie Hummel, E’twuan Moore and JaJuan Johnson were healthy and playing together but they’re not so tough without Moore and Johnson.

The Answer Man feels like Painter puts the blame on the players when he says they’re not “tough” enough rather than stand up and be responsible, which is generally what coaches do after bad losses. As always, the Answer Man enjoyed the conversation.

Feel free to call or email with questions and the Answer Man will get answers.

Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeHuttonPt