Clueless writing about our sport

[cubehead]

It's commonly used in cricket, i.e. a maiden century, the first time scoring a hundred runs while batting, usually in a Test match. I've heard that expression countless times. However I've never heard it used anywhere else, except horse racing. In this case I think someone is just trying to be clever and purposely using a double entendre.

It's letsrun...what else would you expect?

[trevorp]

In this Brit's experience, 'breaking his/her maiden' is not a commonly-used phrase. A quick survey of half a dozen friends yielded unanimous bafflement. 'Maiden' in this sense is more usually used to describe a plane's first flight or a ship's first voyage. In cricket, it is also used to describe an over (a series of six balls bowled) in which no runs are scored. Of horse-racing I know nothing, so it could be used in those circles.

I'm not sure why some suggest the LetsRun article is of British origin: any link to another publication eludes me.

[booond]

I believe it's a common term in horse racing even on this side of the pond (or at least it used to be).

A maiden is a horse who has yet to win a race.

[26mi235]

It is not commonly used in the US, but anyone with horse racing background had certainly heard the term (even if they did not bother to understand what it meant). I am rather surprised that Atticus was not familiar.

In contrast to the comment about many friends not knowing the term, I used it a day or two ago with someone and they knew what I meant.

[Atticus]

I am rather surprised that Atticus was not familiar.

As indicated in my second post, I HAVE heard of it in horse-racing, but it's use in this circumstance was just too weird for me (or, alternately, and may be the case here, I'm the weird factor in this equation!).

[trevorp]

I'm the weird factor in this equation!

You're not alone. Welcome to the weird corner.

[cubehead]

'In cricket, it is also used to describe an over (a series of six balls bowled) in which no runs are scored.'

Yes I actually slipped by me since it's used so much in cricket commentary. A maiden over for Stuart Broad....

[Tuariki]

Clueless -, the Italian "sportswriter" in Rome a few days ago who believed Val Adams when she told him she was an 800m runner.

[Charley Shaffer]

This isn't "writing" per se, but something I heard during T&F TV commentary:

"When I drive my car down the freeway at 70 mph, that converts to 31.29 meters per second, which would be over the allowable, were it a wind speed.

"Or if I went down to my local high school, and if they somehow still had an ancient quarter-mile track, that translates to a lap in 12.86 seconds, did my car. But I like to think of speed in furlongs per fortnight, so make that 188,160 in the FFF system, I'd be going."

[tandfman]

Did you know that the mile run is part of the decathlon? Gee, I didn't either. :-)

http://www.tonganoxiemirror.com/news/2016/jul/12/almost-perfect-10/

[tandfman]

Here's one:

http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/olympics/us-olympic-committees-rule-40-is-ridiculously-restrictive-on-althetes-sponsors/

The URL and the headline refer to the USOC's Rule 40, which restricts Olympic athletes' sponsors. Problem is, Rule 40 is NOT a USOC rule--it's an IOC rule.

[tandfman]

This may be the best of all:

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/aries-merritt-rio-olympic-games-hurdles-383170841.html

It's a long interview with Aries Merritt, and it's all about how he's going to Rio to defend his Olympic title. Uh, the last time I looked, Merritt finished 4th in the Trials and as far as I know, nobody ahead of him has withdrawn.

A hint to what may have fooled the utterly clueless writer of this piece of shit can be found in this sentence: "Despite the odds, he triumphed to make a comeback that proves the athlete in him is ready for another gold medal." The words "triumphed to make a comeback" are highlighted, and linked to an AP story that mentions a great race that Merritt ran at the Trials. But if you read that story, you see that it referred to LaShawn Merritt in the semifinals of the 200. No mention of Aries Merritt at all.

[cubehead]

The most clueless here really seems to be Merritt...

NBC: Now going to Rio are you going to keep the same plan to stand eight hours if you have to?

Merritt: I am. I’m always the second week so I can recover from that easily [laughter]. I’m going to go to the opening and closing ceremonies because I feel like it’s part of the Olympic experience. How many times do you get to go to the Olympic Games and compete? I mean it’s very rare and there’s a very small window in which you get to do that.

[tandfman]

It looks to me as if the actual interview took place before the hurdles final at the Trials.

[tandfman]

Here's another one where it's the headline writer who's clueless:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11677907

In case they realize they've screwed up and change it, please believe me--I'm looking at a headline that says:

>>Athletics: No room in Kenyan Olympic team for Bekele<<

The story correctly notes that it's the Ethiopian team that has excluded Bekele.