Words we can do without

With so much basketball showing on TV, it’s inevitable that there are certain words, phrases and clichés used repeatedly by commentators, players or coaches when they’re in front of the camera. Unfortunately, viewers get the same dose of comments from a wide variety of speakers and it can get boring, if not irritating.

For commentators interviewing players or coaches, the challenge is to innovate in drawing fresh insights instead of asking the usual, cut-and-dried questions. Sometimes, you can’t blame players or coaches for saying the same things over and over again because they’re asked the same questions over and over again. It’s like a playback of a recording and viewers would rather listen to something else than hear the same old refrains.

Let’s listen to some of those words we can do without. “Sana magtuloy-tuloy na.” This is the standard comment of a player or coach coming off a won game. Let’s be more imaginative in expressing how to keep the winning streak going. 

“What went through your mind?” This is the bailout question of an interviewer who instead of asking an intelligent question, takes the easy way out. A female TV interviewer in the NBA popularized this quote some years ago, making it seem like a probing, cerebral question. But it’s nothing more than asking what happened. Another typical question is “could you take us through this play?” The key is to focus on an issue that a player or coach is able to explain or elaborate on without being asked a wide-open question that could only trigger a general, not specific, response.

“Salamat sa mga fans at sana huwag kayo mag-sawa sa pagsusuporta sa amin.” It sounded fine the first time but when you hear it in nearly every interview, you wonder if there’s something else that can be said. Some players or coaches aren’t comfortable speaking on TV so they say the same things to save themselves brain time. Of course, it’s good to express gratitude to the fans for their support but turning a message of thanks into a cliché is a cop-out.

“Hacking foul.” The PBA public address announcer describes nearly every foul a “hacking” foul even if no hacking is involved. A reach-in or a bump or a nudge called a foul by the referee is nowhere near a hack. A hack is something like a bolo punch. When a referee calls a foul on a trip, there’s no way it can be described a hack.

“One game at a time.” In a playoff series, this is what players and coaches parrot when asked to predict what to expect. This cliché is so overused that it deserves a place in the Webster’s Hall of Fame. 

“Hi to my folks back home.” Fil-foreigners should be reminded that their home is now the Philippines. A reason why some fans don’t identify with Fil-foreigners is because the players act like they’re imports. Fil-foreigners are entitled to play in the PBA because of their Filipino roots so they’re considered locals as opposed to being imports. They should know where to draw the line. When they call another country home and they’re in the Philippines earning a living as locals, something’s wrong. Fil-foreigners should learn to assimilate and act like locals, not imports.

“I love or I like ...” NBA commentators Hubie Brown, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy often start off their analysis of a play by declaring “I love” or “I like” how it is executed. Honestly, viewers couldn’t care less how the commentators feel. Viewers expect the commentators to analyze or explain what’s going on in a game. Viewers will make up their mind if they “love” or “like” a play without any prodding. Commentators may express an opinion on a call, whether it was right or not, but copying Brown or Jackson or Van Gundy in using the “I” word tends to show a fullness of oneself.