Worldwide Leader in D’oh!
March 19, 2009 - 3:49 am by Hickey
As Jay Leno points out to us every week, writing headlines ain’t easy. In fact, bad headlines are the only thing that make Jay funny. But with some headlines, the reaction is a painful grimace rather than laughter.
Consider the following gem that was on ESPN’s website following Virginia Tech’s double-overtime win over Duquense in the first round of the NIT:
Va. Tech defeats Duquesne in 2OT shootout
I’m hardly Mr. Sensitivity over here, but seriously, wow. Do you think that maybe whoever wrote that headline could have thought of a better term to use in a game between two schools that made national headlines in the past couple years over shootings at their campuses? Thriller certainly could have sufficed. Or any other possible synonym.
At this rate of thoughtlessness, don’t be surprised to see ESPN coming up with headlines like “Raiders feeling lost at sea” or “Stallworth running over competition.”
8 Responses to “Worldwide Leader in D’oh!”
Touche salesman.
By Ombudsman on Mar 19, 2009
Awesome.
By MJenks on Mar 19, 2009
the fact that this blogger noticed that and wasted time pointing it out baffles me. but that’s the world we live in now. it was obviously an over site and not meant to hurt anyone. but hey, welcome to the great USA. someone makes the slightest mistake and let’s burn him at the stake. every little blunder let’s but it on the web or on youtube or on blah, blah, and humiliate the person. i’m exaggerating a touch but that’s just the way it is now and i think it sucks. this blogger should and probably could be nothing a lot more with his time and live then pointing out the odd poor word choice.
-my two cents.
By hodges on Mar 19, 2009
me fail english, that’s unpossible.
sorry i was mad and rushed the last part.
‘this blogger should and probably could be doing a lot more with his time then pointing out the odd poor word choice’ is what i meant to write.
By hodges on Mar 19, 2009
Man, you have got to be kidding me. This is why everything we see in sports journalism is cliche, too PC for honesty or realness. Rediculous
By Earl on Mar 19, 2009
Really I think everyone who reads that is going to agree that perhaps you have too much time on your hands, or happen to be desperately in search of a controversy. C’mon man, what a waste of time for both you to point that out and us to have read it.
By Earl on Mar 19, 2009
Actually, it took about three minutes to type this up at 3 a.m., so it really didn’t take away from my schedule. And if you think we’re PC, you haven’t spent too much time browsing this fine part of the internets.
The point is, when you are writing headlines — which I have been paid to do in my life — you have to take everything into consideration. In this case, with the outside circumstances of these two schools, it was a poor word choice. Anyone who does work that is presented in a public forum is open for critique, no different than a quarterback who throws four picks in a game or a closer who blows the save.
By Hick Flick on Mar 19, 2009
Amen Hick Flick. This is probably one of those things that’s way more offensive to those of us who have actually worked at news outlets.
By Phillips on Mar 20, 2009