A Facebook friend posted an image of Marc-Andre Cliche, who plays center for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League.
My friend quipped: “You know he gives 110 percent.”
Ah, sports cliches. As we settle into the baseball’s World Series, we are surrounded by cliches. Hundreds of reporters have descend on Kansas City and San Francisco to report every movement and utterance of the event. Consider this quick sampler of quotes after Game 3 of the Fall Classic:
“This is the way our games have gone all year,” Yost said, adding: “It’s not me doing it. It’s the guys that we put out there that are doing it.”
“Whatever he does, we go with it,” Cain said of his team’s manager. “We just try to go out and get it done.” (The New York Times)
“We’ve got to keep grinding. It’s going to be a tough series,” said Royals center fielder Jarrod Dyson. (ESPN)
“Our bullpen’s been lights out. We’ve got 100 percent confidence in them guys getting their job done,” Dyson said. (ESPN)
“It was a hard-fought game on both sides, like everybody probably anticipated,” Hudson said. “We just came up a little short. They just did the little things they needed to beat us.” (ESPN)
“It’s the reason why they’re here,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “You get late in the ballgame and you’re going to face those guys, you have your work cut out . . . I don’t know if there’s a better bullpen.” (Boston Globe)
“Everybody is still confident,” Hudson said. “We have a lot of guys that have been on this stage before and understand what it takes to win. We’ll come out tomorrow and give it our best shot, try to even this thing up.” (New York Daily News)
“We trust the core. We trust the process,” Giants right fielder Hunter Pence said. “Vogelsong’s an outstanding big-game pitcher. [We’re] looking forward to going out there and playing behind him.” (New York Post)
“We’ve got to relax. We’ve got to play our game. We’ve got to execute pitches, we’ve got to play defense, we’ve got to get timely hitting. That’s how we’ve won. That’s what got us here.” (USA Today)
None of this means anything. It’s a waste of everyone’s time–that of the players, managers, coaches, and writers and editors, as well as the readers.
What to do?
Try this: Only use quotations when they add value to the story–when they offer an insight or authority that you cannot otherwise find. Rather than just scribbling the usual post-game comments, keep asking questions until you get something worthwhile. Maybe interview other players or coaches. Or just do without quotes. Maybe go a little deeper on the game description–with, say, a description of a major play or situation. Observe more intently. See what the reader doesn’t have the eyes or time to see.
