# I mean, like, you know, just stop talking. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 21, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011 "2010-06-21T18:20:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/41 "2010-06-22T18:32:39Z")
Ah, thanks for reminding me of my other big sports interview pet peeve. Tony Stewart has a name, and it is not “The 14”. In the same vein, Jeff Gordon’s name is not “The 24”, nor is Jimmy Johnson’s “The 48”. For an organization that has done so much to downplay and virtually eliminate its Southern redneck roots, NASCAR has to realize by now that referring to drivers by their car number is one of the most redneck things you can do. Those guys can shut up, too. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/42 "2010-06-22T18:58:22Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Ah, thanks for reminding me of my other big sports interview pet peeve. > > Tony Stewart has a name, and it is not “The 14”. In the same vein, Jeff Gordon’s name is not “The 24”, nor is Jimmy Johnson’s “The 48”. For an organization that has done so much to downplay and virtually eliminate its Southern redneck roots, NASCAR has to realize by now that referring to drivers by their car number is one of the most redneck things you can do. > > Those guys can shut up, too. Yeah, and in a similar vein, there’s the prima-donna Leons of the sporting world that have to refer to themselves in the third person, or by their jersey number. That’s pretty annoyingly narcissistic. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/43 "2010-06-22T19:02:35Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Tony Stewart has a name, and it is not “The 14”. In the same vein, Jeff Gordon’s name is not “The 24”, nor is Jimmy Johnson’s “The 48”. Damn straight. Gordon is correctly referred to as The DuPont Pepsi Quaker State National Guard GMAC Haas Automation Bosch Georgia-Pacific 24. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/44 "2010-06-22T21:48:35Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I recently watched a coach come back to one of those with “was that supposed to be a question? I’m here to answer questions, but that means _you_ have to ask them.” (emphasis his) I’m surprised we don’t see more of that, but I guess they’re so used to the non-question question that they just say whatever they were going to say and get it over with. > [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Yeah, and in a similar vein, there’s the prima-donna Leons of the sporting world that have to refer to themselves in the third person, or by their jersey number. That’s pretty annoyingly narcissistic. I actually think that’s kind of funny; “Who’s a silly little narcissist? YOU are, that’s who.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/45 "2010-06-23T01:19:42Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Ah, thanks for reminding me of my other big sports interview pet peeve. > > Tony Stewart has a name, and it is not “The 14”. In the same vein, Jeff Gordon’s name is not “The 24”, nor is Jimmy Johnson’s “The 48”. For an organization that has done so much to downplay and virtually eliminate its Southern redneck roots, NASCAR has to realize by now that referring to drivers by their car number is one of the most redneck things you can do. > > Those guys can shut up, too. Well, to be fair, I’ve heard a lot of the drivers themselves refer to other drivers by their car numbers, both in on-track radio comms and in interviews. I don’t mind it all that much since the car number for me represents the entire team (driver + crew chief + crew). When the network announcers do it, though, it’s clear they’re doing it just to show they are Hip and Inside, and yeah, they can shut up. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/46 "2010-06-23T14:33:53Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I’ll join in on putting a lot of the blame on the sports journalists asking the questions - half the time, they aren’t even asking a question, just putting something out there like, “That was a heckuva second half you played out there.” and then turning the mike over to the athlete. But I agree, one of my least favourite things is watching interviews with professional athletes. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything in a post-game interview that gave me any insight at all into anything going on in the sport. I’ll go along with this. “Sports journalism” is something of an oxymoron. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/47 "2010-06-23T14:49:53Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Well, to be fair, I’ve heard a lot of the drivers themselves refer to other drivers by their car numbers, both in on-track radio comms and in interviews. I don’t mind it all that much since the car number for me represents the entire team (driver + crew chief + crew). Those are the people I’m talking about. “Yeah, the 36 got me sideways, and the 43 ran into me because he’s an idiot. If the 36 and the 43 want to meet me out back I’ll tell them what I think of them.” :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > When the network announcers do it, though, it’s clear they’re doing it just to show they are Hip and Inside, and yeah, they can shut up. Especially those who have never driven. It’s bad enough when Darrell Waltrip says it, but Mike Joy or Chris Myers? No. Just stop. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/48 "2010-06-23T15:52:13Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > I’m jealous that these knuckle dragging NBA players make more in a game than what a doctor or lawyer makes in a year, or what a minimum wage employee makes in a lifetime and this is OK with everyone. You are aware that these “knuckle dragging NBA players” are responsible for the direct employment of hundreds of people and the indirect wellbeings of thousands more right? Because if you’re not aware of that and just spouting off to make yourself sound superior to the stupid athletes, well then maybe its your IQ we should be questioning. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/49 "2010-06-23T19:37:30Z")
> [@](#): > > You are aware that these “knuckle dragging NBA players” are responsible for the direct employment of hundreds of people and the indirect wellbeings of thousands more right? I for one was unaware of that. Who are these hundreds of people that an NBA player directly employs? ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/50 "2010-06-23T19:47:21Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > You are aware that these “knuckle dragging NBA players” are responsible for the direct employment of hundreds of people and the indirect wellbeings of thousands more right? Are the “thousands more” you refer to their kids spread all over the country? ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/51 "2010-06-23T21:38:32Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Years ago I had a friend who could do a great parody of a sports interview. > > “Just gotta put some points on the board,” he’d say over and over. Ha. My husband is pretty good at that too. He keeps saying over and over, “Just gotta take it to the hole. I’mma stay focused…take the ball to the hole. That’s what we gonna do today, take it to the hole” I always say, Hey, do you think maybe in basketball, the object is to put the ball in the hole? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011/52 "2010-06-23T22:54:02Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Are the “thousands more” you refer to their kids spread all over the country? I was thinking more of their posse. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-mean-like-you-know-just-stop-talking/544011.md?page=2)