The most overused phrase in sports

by shula13 on Feb 4, 2009 3:53 PM EST

The great thing about the Internet era is that it gives us multiple ways and forums to follow our teams and connect with others. But in this time of instant analysis, replays, and the like, we keep getting the same pundits tell us how something is THE BEST EVER, THE GREATEST EVER, BEST PLAY EVER, etc.... It's absolutely making me neausious. Obviously, great plays and moments happen every year, but must we trivialize those other moments and games from the past?

I remember reading Peter King's "Monday Morning Quarterback" the day after Miami played an epic regular season contest against the Broncos, probably in 2002. He declared at the time " the best regular season game ever," you can check in the archives for yourselves. But how many times since then has another game in subsequent years taken the mantle of that top billing? It's annoying. Just to stay on Peter King for a moment, last year's Super Bowl with the Pats-Giants was " the best ever" until this year's game somehow eclipsed it. How can that be? How can people be so careless with the " best ever" term? Can't we just be ok with hearing it was a great game, and that's it? Sure, I thought this year's Super Bowl was awesome, but not better than last year. Even the exciting 4th quarter wasn't as wild as the 4th quarter from the Pats-Panthers game from several years ago. Why must we annoint athletes, games, and plays as the best ever? To do that time and again just makes the whole thing a farce. As time passes on, who knows, people might think Dan Marino wasn't that great a quarterback, or that Jerry Rice really wasn't that great compared to today's players because he played in an easier era - or some nonsense like that. Let's try and keep things in perspective.

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lol well said

nice rant, and I think it has to do with so much more exposure and media coverage for things, that reporters frantically try to be the first to proclaim something “the best ever.” It’s Around the Horn syndrome, “he who speaks loudest, wins.”

And Peter King is an idiot. He’s in love with Brett Favre. And he loves the Pats (his final regular season Power Rankings had NE 2nd, even though they missed the playoffs).

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by Little Nicky 21 on Feb 4, 2009 4:02 PM EST reply actions

agree on all points

Thanks for the comment – totally agree. It’s just gotten to the point of insanity already. You’re right, King has always had the schoolgirl crush on Favre. Makes me sick.

by shula13 on Feb 4, 2009 4:19 PM EST reply actions

But

That’s the point of the phrase “best ______ ever.” It means best to that point in time, so it’s inherent that something else will come along and better it.

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

by Daniel52 on Feb 4, 2009 4:23 PM EST reply actions

agreed

but it seems like every single game and every single big play becomes “the best ever,” with no regard to anything that came before. Last year’s Super Bowl was a classic, one of the best games ever played, and the minute that Holmes caught that TD pass, people starting saying this year’s was the best ever, without giving it time and reflecting on the game as a whole compared to others. This year’s Super Bowl had a GREAT 4th quarter, but the game itself was far from “the best ever.” It’s not saying that nothing new can be the best ever, but more that it’s ridiculous that people proclaim everything “best ever” minutes after it happens and with no real reflection to the past.

"Are we doing this? Is this happening?"

by Little Nicky 21 on Feb 4, 2009 6:04 PM EST up reply actions

huh ?

Understood, but when games or plays are upgraded to " best ever " status about as often as evert two weeks, the argument tends to get really stale.

by shula13 on Feb 4, 2009 5:45 PM EST reply actions

Better than having truly horrible play all of the, I guess.

by Daniel52 on Feb 4, 2009 6:19 PM EST reply actions

Really the most overused in sports is...

“I guarantee we’ll win.”

Not a season goes by without someone on some team guaranteeing a win, right before they lose.

Seriously?

by Daren on Feb 4, 2009 6:39 PM EST reply actions

you shoulda thrown some ALL CAPS in there lol..that woulda made the rant INSANE

lol but i agree. every like week it seems to be “the best catch of allt ime” or the “best game of all time”

i kno what you mean

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by finsxfactor on Feb 4, 2009 9:15 PM EST reply actions

Great rant

I think this Super Bowl was a great game.

But I wouldn’t rank it as the best ever, which seems to be the current consensus of the media. I bet you next year’s game is the best ever…

I would have to say last year’s game was MUCH better than this year’s. All the story lines, plus the beat down the Patriots took (Dolphins homerism on that one), and it was stellar.

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by Mosul_DolFan on Feb 4, 2009 9:33 PM EST reply actions