Hyperbole! The greatest thing ever!

I don't exactly remember when or why, but the landscape of sports reporting and broadcasting has seemingly jumped the shark. In my early years of formation into the sports fanatic I am today, I can recall a time where games were called, reported, and broadcasted with a sense of relativity to the national, athletic, and social landscape. Moments like the 1980's Winter Olympics semifinal hockey game between the United States and Soviet Union were allowed to be referred to as the "Miracle on Ice" because of their impact not only on the Olympic games, but their impact on the world political scale.

Of course, I am not saying that creativity and wit should be entirely eradicated when titling some of the finer moments in sports, such as "The Immaculate Reception" and "The Music City Miracle" (to name a few) are fine by me because of their impact on the game, season, or betting landscape. But, with today's broadcasters and sports reporters constantly changing their opinion from one extreme to the next on a moment's notice, I'm starting to get the feeling that they believe the American public no longer cares about a headline unless it is finished with an exclamation point!

For example, the 2006 World Series were an absolute literary see-saw. Before the series had even begun, the national pundits claimed the trophy for the American League Champion Detroit Tigers. All season long, people talked about how the AL was the superior league. The talent gap was too great between any AL team and any NL team. An 80-something win team like the Cardinals didn't even belong there. Suddenly, the Cardinals come out and smack the Tigers supposed dangerous pitching staff for 7 runs in Game 1, and everything has changed. "The Tigers had too much time off", "The Tigers looked flat" or "The Cardinals bats are more powerful than people expected" seemed to be common stories amongst sports elite group of reporters.

Game 2: Everything switches right back. After Kenny Rogers dominates the Cardinals in a 3-1 victory, the opinions of everyone turns right back around. Now people are saying that the Cardinals don't have the hitters to score on Detroit's pitching staff. Kenny Rogers will single-handedly win the World Series, or even the recycled tale of how the AL was too powerful all season long and it just took one extra game for everyone to see it.

After St. Louis Game 3 victory, the flip-flopping happened again. John Kerry would have been proud of some of ESPN, Fox Sports Net, and Sports Illustrated's internet columnists ability to switch from side-to-side with such ease. All the while, I was wondering what was going on. A certain writer even went as far to say as the series was over because the Tigers bats were "dead". Was it not 48 hours prior that the AL was the dominant league and would win the World Series with ease? A true shame then occurred when the Cardinals ran off back-to-back wins and took the series 4-1, preventing my friends and I from hours laughing at columnist after columnist change sides.

And it isn't just sportswriters. Commentators are no better. Dan Fouts acts like a proud alumnus whenever a team is on a drive. The worst I have ever heard was during last weekend's Florida-South Carolina game.

To set this up properly, the game was being billed as the "Two Greatest Offensive Minds of All-Time" finally meeting head-to-head. Don't get me wrong, I was a huge fan of Steve Spurrier's Fun 'N' Gun offense in the 1990's. Not exactly a big fan of the man and his principles, but definitely his offensive prowess. Urban Meyer is also an exceptional offensive coach, and once he is able to plug "his players" into his offensive system (starting with Tebow), they could be a perennial favorite in the SEC. Although we had a team playing for a possible National Championship at the end of the season in the game, the entire focus was on the coaches. After a 6 play, 80 yard drive by the 'Cocks to take a 16-10 lead with 8:13 remaining in the 4th quarter, the commentator exclaimed "That was the greatest called drive of the past 20 years!"

Wait...what!?!? The greatest called drive? Of the past how many years? Just think of the amount of games and drives that exclamation truly encompasses? Not including high school and lower level college sports, the commentator was referring to approximately 400 Division I college games and 200 NFL games a year, for 20 years, and that 6 play drive was the best out of all of them? Really? I did not realize you had the ability, local broadcaster for unnamed sports network, to make that appointment.

Yes, yes. I was possibly responding a little too harshly with my criticism at the moment. Until 5 minutes later, when Florida scored on an 11 play, 80 yard drive to take a 17-16 lead when the same commentator said "Wait, yes. THAT was the greatest called drive!" Now, I was the editor of the University of San Diego's school sports section for only a year, so I may not be perfectly clear on this part; wouldn't one act being named the greatest ever "something," only to be replaced moments later by another act of the same kind as the greatest ever "something," decrease the impact and prestige of being the called the greatest ever of that thing?

Regardless, this trend is becoming more and more popular. I dare you all (yes, all three people who might read this in the next 72 hours) to pay attention to NFL, NCAA, NBA, and maybe even NHL (does anyone watch a television station when it's called Versus) this weekend and notice the crazy distinctions many commentators make. Then, on Monday, check out ESPN.com and Sportsline.com and see how many of those wacky theories suddenly become fact and beliefs to some writers. Either way, this is easily going to be the greatest thing you will ever notice in sports! EVER!

Music to check out:
Killswitch Engage - This Fire Burns