Little things that annoy you in sports
 

I absolutely hate how basketball players, at any level, must smack hands with another player after every single free throw. It reminds me of Puddy on Seinfeld...

"Hey, I just made a free throw. High five!"

"Hey, I just missed a free throw. High five!"

The only time I enjoy it is when none of the other players offer the hand and the free throw shooter has to go out of his way to walk from the line to another player to get slapped. Some players almost look panicked, as if they would be screwed on the next shot if they didn't get some desperately needed hand-to-hand contact. Am I insane or does anyone else notice and/or get annoyed by this?

What other little rituals in sport annoy you?

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

Some of the dumb interview questions they ask after the games get annoying. Like, "do you feel good about the win tonight?". Um...yes? Or after one of our high school games a reporter asked my friend who had hit two free throws at the end, "how did you make those free throws?" What kind of question is that? He shot them and they went in, there's no magic secret.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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Some of the dumb interview questions they ask after the games get annoying. Like, "do you feel good about the win tonight?". Um...yes? Or after one of our high school games a reporter asked my friend who had hit two free throws at the end, "how did you make those free throws?" What kind of question is that? He shot them and they went in, there's no magic secret.

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This definitely gets annoying. I've noticed a recent trend where they don't even ask a question. They just make a statement and shove the mic in the player's face. I'd like to think I would stand there in silence.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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Some of the dumb interview questions they ask after the games get annoying. Like, "do you feel good about the win tonight?". Um...yes? Or after one of our high school games a reporter asked my friend who had hit two free throws at the end, "how did you make those free throws?" What kind of question is that? He shot them and they went in, there's no magic secret.

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This definitely gets annoying. I've noticed a recent trend where they don't even ask a question. They just make a statement and shove the mic in the player's face. I'd like to think I would stand there in silence.

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Shaq does this sometimes, like when they ask him about Kobe. Either that or he gives one-word answers, and the reporters don't know what to do. Hilarious.

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Football:
First down and how do they place the chains? By 'guesstimate'.
Fourth down play, a pile of 22 bodies and 6000 lbs. and how do they spot the ball? By 'guesstimation'.
Now you bring out the chains and with microscopic precision measure for the first down.

Fumble. Joe Bigwicki falls on the ball. Clearly has possession. Five players from the other team land on him. He's on the ground. Touched by an opponent. Down by contact? Play over? No, we now have a wrestling match for the ball.

Baseball

Two outs, top of the 8th. Score 7-1 favor of the home team. Man on first. Pitcher throws over to first base. Seven times. The runner is a 35 year old former catcher with arthritic knees. He ain't running, Einstein, throw to the plate.

Grand slam home run.

"They came to play." No kidding.

"He gave 110%". Not really.

"If you are on a kick return team and can see (was 'read', but to be safe) his name on his jersey, don't block him"

New Jersey Giants/Jets. You don't even play in the state of NY.

New York football Giants. There hasn't been a NY baseball Giants for almost 50 years.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

ESPN's focus on entertainment over the depth and beauty of competition of team sports

How much officials are paid for their level of performance


oops, these are big things that bother me.





I agree with Angus, setting up the chains is kind of a joke


OH yeah, how long instant replay takes! If it cannot be overturned in a minute and a half of slo-mo, it's close enough to let the call on the field stand.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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New York football Giants. There hasn't been a NY baseball Giants for almost 50 years.

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The only person who says that is Chris Berman, and he says it as a joke. (i.e., it's the same as Kenny Mayne using the term "tackle football," as if they'd be covering two-hand touch foundball.)

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

I'm going to go with the one and one rule in college basketball. It is barely better than not being fouled for an average shooter and much worse for a 60% guy. Teams should be penalized for fouling.
Also, how about any time any announcer ever talks about the decision to go for it on 4th down. Usually they make the wrong decision for the wrong reason, and even when they are right they make the decision for the wrong reason, citing stuff like "they have the momentum here". Finally, if a team goes for it and makes it, the announcer will overwhelmingly agree with the call, talking about how the coach "fired up his players".

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

I hate the foul fest at the end of basketball games. If a team can benefit by fouling, then there is a problem. This could easily be fixed (delayed whistle hockey style, give the fouled team the option of inbounding, exponentially increasing numbers of free throws, etc.) but no one seems to want to.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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oops, these are big things that bother me.

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OMG HIJACK! Eh, whatever. I could have just as easily removed the word "little" from the subject line.

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I agree with Angus, setting up the chains is kind of a joke

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I wonder how far off we are from an all-electronic system. That yellow line you see on TV wasn't terribly accurate at first, but now comes incredibly close. Considering the system they are now using for challenges in tennis, it seems the technology is not too far off.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

in hockey how, if the puck hits you on its way into the net, you get credited with a goal - even though if you intentionally hit it with part of your body it doesn't count

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Marcus Giles.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

Bill Walton.

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1. Billy Packer

2. Playing music over the speakers DURING NBA games

3. Similar to Homer's is the high and low-fiving that is constant in volleyball (thinking 'team' volleyball like college, not 2v2 beach-volleyball). Like most of you, I don't watch volleyball very much nor do I care. But if I happen to see 30 seconds of a match it's a giant celebration and squeal-fest after every point and it's a huge turn-off.
This is way worse than the half-hearted free-throw low-five stuff they do in hoops.

4. ESPN and Sportscenter's super-expanded NASCAR coverage.

5. Most of the extraneous stuff on SportsCenter when I just want to see scores and highlights (Budweiser Hot-Seat, Fact or Fiction, etc)

6. Inconsistent MLB strike-zones.

7. Ridiculous salaries for below-average MLB players.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

The one that's really getting to me lately is the CONSTANT BITCHING by stars in the NBA when they don't get a call. I thought the 'new rules' were supposed to crack down on that [censored]?

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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I hate the foul fest at the end of basketball games. If a team can benefit by fouling, then there is a problem. This could easily be fixed (delayed whistle hockey style, give the fouled team the option of inbounding, exponentially increasing numbers of free throws, etc.) but no one seems to want to.

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Agreed. I don't watch much basketball, and the end of the NCAA games reminded me why.

If a player is fouled, the team should just keep the ball. If the shot goes in, it counts and they still keep the ball. No foul shots. Basketball would be 10x better.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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I agree with Angus, setting up the chains is kind of a joke

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I wonder how far off we are from an all-electronic system. That yellow line you see on TV wasn't terribly accurate at first, but now comes incredibly close. Considering the system they are now using for challenges in tennis, it seems the technology is not too far off.

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Put a chip in the football and ditch the chains. Let the refs spot the football and then the chip relays the ball's location to the electronic "chains" on the sideline. Easy.

Edit: "ZOMG what if the chip gets knocked loose?" Um... put three chips in the football. If one gets screwed up, we'll know.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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Similar to Homer's is the high and low-fiving that is constant in volleyball (thinking 'team' volleyball like college, not 2v2 beach-volleyball). Like most of you, I don't watch volleyball very much nor do I care. But if I happen to see 30 seconds of a match it's a giant celebration and squeal-fest after every point and it's a huge turn-off.


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this is the awesome part of volleyball!

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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this is the awesome part of volleyball!

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No, this is the awesome part of volleyball:

http://usesoap.com/images/olympics/b...vollyball2.jpg

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

Sebastian Telfair.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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How much officials are paid for their level of performance


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For me people constantly whining about the officiating is annoying. This includes coaches, players, fans and especially announcers. Having been a referee for soccer, it's not easy at all. Also, pretty much any call or noncall you make and people bitch and moan about it, no matter how correct you were.

If you think the level isn't high enough, then refs should be paid more not less and there should be higher scrutiny paid to the job they do.

On a similar note, the biggest peeve for me is biased announcing. Even if it's my team I hate it when the announcers are so obviously biased. Getting excited when your team does well and down when they are getting beaten is good, but it shouldn't affect the analysis. If a guy is driving the lane and Marty Luenen hip checks him it's a foul whether he's wearing an Oregon jersey or not. If your job is to tell people what is happening in the game, you should be able to objectively do it even if you are biased.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

Mark Price had one of the highest FT percentages of all time. In a list of tips on shooting FTs, he advised stepping away from the line to avoid your teammates and their high fives. They're distracting, he said.
He made 90% from the line.
I'm annoyed with the length of time between pitches nowadays in baseball. Just throw the damn ball, and get your ass in the batter's box.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

Disagree about everything said about freethrows.
The one and one makes college games way more entertaining I'd like to see the one and one in the NBA.

In hockey getting a delay of game penalty anytime the puck is shot over the glass. It's so dumb. Just put a clause in that says if it is deemed to be on purpose. When someone clears the puck it takes a weird bounce and goes over the glass it shouldn't be a penalty.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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When someone clears the puck it takes a weird bounce and goes over the glass it shouldn't be a penalty.

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It's not. The puck has to go directly out, which means no bounces.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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I hate the foul fest at the end of basketball games. If a team can benefit by fouling, then there is a problem. This could easily be fixed (delayed whistle hockey style, give the fouled team the option of inbounding, exponentially increasing numbers of free throws, etc.) but no one seems to want to.

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Agreed. I don't watch much basketball, and the end of the NCAA games reminded me why.

If a player is fouled, the team should just keep the ball. If the shot goes in, it counts and they still keep the ball. No foul shots. Basketball would be 10x better.

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I suppose you are in favor of a no shot clock rule too.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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The one that's really getting to me lately is the CONSTANT BITCHING in this thread!

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Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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When someone clears the puck it takes a weird bounce and goes over the glass it shouldn't be a penalty.

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It's not. The puck has to go directly out, which means no bounces.

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Oops My bad I still think the rule is bad because frequently it is not intentional.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

How many times announcers or players say the word "golf" needlessly while commenting. eg "He has a nice golf swing" "I was just trying to hit a good golf shot".

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

Nice point on biased announcing Jared. I'm from the Chicago area, so I have to hear Hawk Harelson on the radio for the Sox, worst homer ever.

The T.O-ESPN Complex. They have to talk about T.O., which means he does more crazy stuff, which gets talked about more,....

Jay Mariotti
Skip Bayless

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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I suppose you are in favor of a no shot clock rule too.

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No. Where did that come from?

(Or am I being leveled?)

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

Annoucers who say there is a 6-second "differential" between the shot-clock and game-clock when they pretty much just mean "difference".

I'm hardly a grammar expert, but it seems like saying "differential" is just the fancier way of saying the same thing and I think it sounds stupid.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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I suppose you are in favor of a no shot clock rule too.

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No. Where did that come from?

(Or am I being leveled?)

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I'm just saying that changing the free throw rule is as absurd as eliminating the shot clock. There has to be a way to catch up at the end of games, and this is what allows it.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

All postgame interviews.

If an athlete says ANYTHING that is slightly off the standard "both teams played hard and we're happy to get out with a win" he is insta-flamed by every media outlet. WTF is the point of asking?

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

Sportscasters - "He is literally on fire!"


DUCY?

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

refs don't call offensive holding most plays. Call it, make the [censored] learn to block correctly. Same for D-guys.

NBA players don't get 3 steps now, they get 4. Bor-ring.
College stars get 3 now, it's a joke [and I don't mean dunk courtesy either, if there's no defender I don't care as much]

They don't call 3 secs or palming much in the NBA either. Players constantly drop their shoulder and shove the defender out of the way, or push them off with a forearm or hand - that's the definition of an offensive foul, but is now the 'norm' in the NBA. I know nobody can make a mid-range J anymore, but not calling O-fouls was the wrong solution, geniuses. Everyone, and I mean Everyone I know was incensed at the treatment Wade got last year, and I like Wade and hate Dallas. It was insane. I couldn't watch so I didn't after a while.

Stick-swinging in hockey. Head-hunting in baseball. Diving in soccer [Italy ftw].
Home-run trots. Mike Schmidt had like the 12th most HRs ever when he retired, he didn't stand and admire them and show up the pitcher, he ran around the bases so Nolan and Lee Smith and Seaver didn't take offense.

Idiot reporters go without saying.

Refs not calling obvious fouls at the end of a game - if it's a foul in the first 2 mins, it's still a foul in the last 2 minutes. Letting a DB interfere or OT hold or guys hack on a putback without a call is idiotic. Letting them break the rules is a huge unfair advantage.

Rich Kotite.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

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I'm just saying that changing the free throw rule is as absurd as eliminating the shot clock.

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Once upon a time, some people probably thought it was absurd to add a shot clock to basketball, but that worked out pretty well, didn't it? Radical rule changes might seem absurd at first, but sometimes they work out well. Taking out free throws is a radical change, but one that I think would really improve the game.

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There has to be a way to catch up at the end of games, and this is what allows it.

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Says who? Why should the game completely change all of a sudden at the end to allow the losing team to catch up? That doesn't happen in any other sport.

(Edit: I guess that's not 100% true, since the clock rules change at the end of halves in football to allow for 2-minute drives. But atleast it's still football, not a free-throw contest.)

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

The fact you can no longer charge under the goal in basketball. If you run a guy over it should be a charge shouldn't matter that you were "to far under the goal."

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

when coaches bench their best player because they're in foul trouble. fjdslkfsjlkf.

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[censored] on the MLB Veterans Committee (cough Michael Jack Schmidt) who deliberately leave their ballots empty to screw over everyone else trying to get into the Hall of Fame. So mind-numbingly petty, put Ron Santo in the HOF already.

Re: Little things that annoy you in sports
 

"Head-hunting in baseball."

"Home-run trots. Mike Schmidt had like the 12th most HRs ever when he retired, he didn't stand and admire them and show up the pitcher, he ran around the bases so Nolan and Lee Smith and Seaver didn't take offense."

Does not compute.