SI track stuff

[tafnut]

This week the spotlight is on Massachusetts and there is Boston Billy in the midst of a nice two-page feature on The Marathon. And there, in a full page ad for some financial group, is Gwen Torrence getting in the blocks at the Atlanta Oly Trials - Kool beanz. The cover article was about some leftie golfer - sheeesh!

[hj197steve]

Re: SI track stuff

and note that Salazar was noted as one of Mass' all time top 6 athletes. I was hoping John Thomas would make it too.

[tandfman]

Re: SI track stuff

I've no idea whether that list was confined to T&F. I suspect it wasn't. But among T&F athletes, the ones that come to my mind immediately are Hal Connolly, Charlie Jenkins, John Thomas, and Lynn Jennings. I'd rank all of them ahead of Salazar.

[hj197steve]

Re: SI track stuff

Yes, it is all sports; Rocky Marciano for instance was in the top 6, deservedly. One SI's website, you can find their rankings of the top 50 athletes by state. And some of the numerical rankings of T&F athletes, vis a vis each other, (irregardless of how the stack up in the overall list with other athletes), are ridiculous in many instances.

[hj197steve]

Re: SI track stuff

That SI website is SI.com/50 ; kind of fun to look at. And if any of you are regular SI readers, you know that for the last year, each week, they feature a different state, and amoing others things, list the top 6 athletes. I like to try to think of some of them, particularly any T & F'ers, each week, before I look. For instance 2 weeks ago it was Illinois; Red Grange was an easy pick in the top 6, but JJK was in there too.

[ed gee]

Re: SI track stuff

Irregardless is not a word. Perhaps you mean irrespective or regardless.

[Jefferson Buffalo]

Re: SI track stuff

Or maybe disirregardless.

[tafnut]

Re: SI track stuff

Of course 'irregardless' is a word, just like 'ain't' is a word; they are merely nonstandard.

[hj197steve]

Re: SI track stuff

>Irregardless is not a word. Perhaps you mean irrespective or regardless.

irregardless IS a word, at least in my dictionary, as an alternative to regardless. But I agree with you that regardless is better so I do indeed welcome your constructive criticism. Sort of like ironic and ironical.... I always dislike it when people use the latter.

[Realist]

Re: SI track stuff

>I've no idea whether that list was confined to T&F. I suspect it wasn't. But
>among T&F athletes, the ones that come to my mind immediately are Hal Connolly,
>Charlie Jenkins, John Thomas, and Lynn Jennings. I'd rank all of them ahead of
>Salazar. >>

Who wouldn't? Well, SI (or the NY Times) wouldn't because in the NYC-centered universe in which they operate, winning the NY Marathon is an automatic ticket to godhood.

[Asterix]

Re: SI track stuff

>irregardless IS a word, at least in my dictionary, as an
>alternative to regardless.

Looks to be one of those words that became accepted through brute force ignorance in opposition to linguistic logic.

From http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=irregardless
"Usage Note: Irregardless is a word that many mistakenly believe to be correct usage in formal style, when in fact it is used chiefly in nonstandard speech or casual writing. Coined in the United States in the early 20th century, it has met with a blizzard of condemnation for being an improper yoking of irrespective and regardless and for the logical absurdity of combining the negative ir- prefix and -less suffix in a single term. Although one might reasonably argue that it is no different from words with redundant affixes like debone and unravel, it has been considered a blunder for decades and will probably continue to be so."

However, a more tame description from http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=irregardless
"Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that "there is no such word." There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead."

Regardless, I choose to take the position that irregardless just ain't a viable word.

[jhc68]

Re: SI track stuff

Regardless of how authorities regard the matter I do not regard irregardless as a term worthy of regard.

[tafnut]

Re: SI track stuff

By that logic, invaluable or inflammable should not be acceptable words, since valuable and flammable are available already. In- is the negation of, e.g., incomplete. Ain't English fun?