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Shut It, Athletes; Just Tweet

Then Frank Deford won't have to listen to crazy guarantees and apologies

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 27, 2010 10:48 AM CST

(Newser) – Frank Deford doesn’t want to hear your outrageous predictions or tearful faux-apologies, athletes, and he doesn’t want to read about them in the papers, either, reporters. “Come on, guys, just because some jock babbles incoherently, you don't have to pass it on,” he admonishes his fellow journos. That’s why Deford is happy players are jumping on the Twitter bandwagon. First off, it’s a good fit “because it doesn’t require an ability to spell correctly or employ grammar.”

Secondly, and more importantly, Deford writes on NPR, “twittering is specifically for those who have signed up for the twittering universe, so those of us who do not wish to be bombarded by aimless, misspelled chatter are a protected species.” And Tiger Woods did the athletes who confine their inanity to Twitter one better: “He had the decency to get lost.” Deford hopes when the disgraced golfer does return, his first statement will be, “Ladies and gentlemen, I tee off at noon tomorrow.” But he’s not hopeful.

St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire speaks to fans at the team's annual Winter Warm-Up during his first public appearance in St. Louis since admitting to using steroids, Sunday, Jan. 17.
St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire speaks to fans at the team's annual Winter Warm-Up during his first public appearance in St. Louis since admitting to using steroids, Sunday, Jan. 17.   (AP Photo)
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Guaranteeing victory did have an amusing genesis in the 1960s, when first the young Muhammad Ali and then Joe Namath employed it...But we sports journalists should have been smart enough to have buried the humbug then. - Frank Deford

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
Count-Spatula
Jan 27, 2010 11:19 AM CST
Frank DeFord is the most annoying queen-y sportscaster... There are many things that are annoying about NPR, but he's way at the top of the list. I CANNOT listen to his pieces.
cognitivefilter
Jan 27, 2010 8:20 AM CST
where is the checkbox for "self-defeating" ?
JohnnyHamburger
Jan 27, 2010 4:51 AM CST
Just ask Larry Johnson!

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