# Sports version of "Jump the Shark" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 3, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262 "2003-04-03T18:19:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/21 "2003-04-04T01:13:48Z")
Blaming Buckner for that debacle has completely McMahoned since any true fan knows that the blame squarely falls on Boston’s relievers. (Hmmm…can’t hold a lead against Tampa, foreshadowing?) Constantly bringing up the “Curse of the Bambino” has completely played for the Cubs. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/22 "2003-04-04T01:21:43Z")
Yeah it wasn’t really all his fault, but that was the oh-shit moment when you just knew it was all over. ---
**Author:** ![Auntie\_Social](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@Auntie\_Social](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntie_Social)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/23 "2003-04-04T01:25:16Z")
Doesn’t “lost his fastball” already exist in the sports world? I mean, there’s literal losing your fastball, but it still gets used metaphorically for other sports, too. Like Jordan came back to play for the Wizards, but he had lost his fastball. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Barber_s_Underwear)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/24 "2003-04-04T01:25:38Z")
How about “bowled the underarm” (you’d have to follow cricket to understand). ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/25 "2003-04-04T01:56:47Z")
“Drafted Ryan Leaf?” ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/26 "2003-04-04T02:41:38Z")
Seliged. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/27 "2003-04-04T03:02:21Z")
The Boston Celtics bit the ear (or traded the Babe, or whatever) when Len Bias OD’d while celebrating his signing. They were a team of aging superstars, and he was a chance to continue the legacy by combining their skilled veterans with a hot up-and-coming rookie. After his death, Bird, Parrish, McHale and the rest retired, moved on or just faded out until there was nothing left. Red Auerbach also seemed to take Bias’ death very hard and very personally, and some of the spark that he always brought to the game was gone. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/28 "2003-04-04T08:16:39Z")
Kurt Warner has definetly whatever-we-come-up with. He’s done. He’ll never have that magic again. And can we please stop blaming Buckner? I’m not even a Red Sox fan and I know there’s lots more places to put blame than on him. Remember–even if Buckner makes that play, the game was still tied and we keep playing. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/29 "2003-04-04T09:08:30Z")
Pro bowling bit the ear just recently when they came up with the idea of having the same masking unit (with a scoreboard on it) for every telecast, having showgirls escort the bowlers to the gallery, and allowing, perhaps even encouraging the bowlers to yell, whoop, bounce around, and even taunt the opponent after so much as a mark in the 2nd frame in the tradition of Pete Weber. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/30 "2003-04-04T10:55:51Z")
“Felt the Agony.” Though this should apply mostly to skiers who wipe out. ---
**Author:** ![Von\_Erich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@Von\_Erich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Von_Erich)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/31 "2003-04-04T14:23:04Z")
These all look good. What about Chris Weber when he “called the timeout” out in the NCAA Championship game. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/32 "2003-04-04T14:59:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Auntie Social \* > \*\*Doesn’t “lost his fastball” already exist in the sports world? I mean, there’s literal losing your fastball, but it still gets used metaphorically for other sports, too. Like Jordan came back to play for the Wizards, but he had lost his fastball. \*\* That would be the much used “lost a step” I believe. Which Mr. Jordon has certainly done. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/33 "2003-04-04T18:26:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tony Barber’s Underwear \* > \*\*How about “bowled the underarm” (you’d have to follow cricket to understand). \*\* I don’t follow cricket. Can anyone enlighten me? \Do cricket bowlers sometimes have to get Tommy John surgery?\ ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/34 "2003-04-05T00:11:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vl\_mungo \* > \*\*Do cricket bowlers sometimes have to get Tommy John surgery? \*\* I’ve never heard of them doing so. As you must bowl with a straight arm, there is negligible strain on the elbow. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/35 "2003-04-05T05:34:23Z")
The Milwaukee Brewers traded the Babe when Bud Selig bought them (i.e. they were screwed from day 1). Hey, maybe that could be the new saying; sold to the Seligs. As in “Kurt Warner has been sold to the Seligs, I’m afraid”. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/36 "2003-04-05T10:20:48Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by vl\_mungo_ > I don’t follow cricket. Can anyone enlighten me? In an infamous match between Australia and New Zealand back in the '70s (I believe it was the World Cup Final), New Zealand were facing Australia with one ball left in the game. NZ needed 6 runs to win, a score which can only be achieved by hitting the ball over the boundary: essentially the cricketing equivalent of a baseball homer. To begin with, it was incredibly unlikely that the NZ batsman would manage to do this. Sixes aren’t easy to hit. However, to ensure victory, Ian Chappell, the Aust captain at the time, ordered the bowler, Trevor Chappell (his brother), to bowl the ball underarm, rolling it along the ground as in lawn bowls. Trevor Chappell did so, making it impossible for NZ to hit the winning runs (which, as I said, was pretty unlikely anyway), and Australia won the game. What Chappell did was quite within the rules of the game, but it was so exceedingly unsportsmanlike that it’s been seen as a black day in cricketing history since. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/37 "2003-04-05T15:38:44Z")
As I’m reading thru the television guide today, I see ‘Superstars, live from Jamaica’ is on before the bball games. I’d say they _bit the ear_ many years ago. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/38 "2003-04-05T16:02:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wyld Stallyn \* > \*\*Except for the titles. And I hate the god-forsaken cowboys, so don’t think i’m defending that poser. > \*\* I thought he had a GM at that time. Didn’t he assume that role in the late 90’s? ---
**Author:** ![markdiscordia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@markdiscordia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdiscordia)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/39 "2003-04-05T17:49:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Trevor Chappell did so, making it impossible for NZ to hit the winning runs (which, as I said, was pretty unlikely anyway), and Australia won the game. What Chappell did was quite within the rules of the game, but it was so exceedingly unsportsmanlike that it’s been seen as a black day in cricketing history since. I don’t understand why it’s within the rules to throw a ball that’s impossible to hit without a penalty. Could you elaborate? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262/40 "2003-04-05T18:02:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by markdiscordia \* > \*\*I don’t understand why it’s within the rules to throw a ball that’s impossible to hit without a penalty. Could you elaborate? \*\* It is not impossible to hit the ball - it is (virtually) impossible to hit it for a six, though, which was the number of runs needed to win. To hit a six, you have to clear the boundary without the ball bouncing. Imagine trying to do that to a ball rolling along the ground. So, the tactic was legitimate, but just “not cricket”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-version-of-jump-the-shark/166262.md?page=3)