The Fairborn Paper

So, we stick to what's been working: cliches.

Whether it’s using a cliche to describe or a cliche uttered by your favorite head coach, cliches are proven winners. But you can't win them all. My editor would have a field day with my work if I went to the well once too often.

You win some and lose some. But at the end of the day, you can only blame the person in the mirror for using cliches. So I've got to move forward and get better each time I step up to the plate.

Tebowing.

Sound familiar? Those above 15 cliches represent established phrases and new words alike. And in our society of branding and twitter hashtags, sports cliches have become even more prevalent than in the past.

And so, with the end of 2011 at hand, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and look at the top ten most-uttered cliches from area coaches.

10. “It is what it is.”: This firmly-established cliche was a favorite of former Springfield head coach Rick Robertson, and I still heard it plenty from other coaches in 2011. When this phrase is uttered by a coach after a game, you can bet that coach’s team lost. I’ve yet to discover what exactly it is.

9. “He/she is a game changer.”: I’ve heard this quote used to describe a player that has an impact in a game. Although the definition of a game changer certainly varies from one coach to another.

8. “You win some and you lose some.”: This classic cliche can be translated to this: “We lost, and I have no idea why.”

7. “He/she makes plays with his/her feet.”: This used to be limited to football, but coaches of other sports are picking it up. Also feel free to sub in “legs” for “feet.”

6. “They left it all out on the field/court.”: What did they leave out on the field, coach? You may want to go and pick it up — it’s not good to litter.

5. “We don’t expect to lose.”: I mean, I really hope you aren’t playing the game because you actually expect to lose.

4. “I’d have to look at the film.”: You were at the game, right?

3. “Both teams played hard, but someone had to lose.”: Yep, that’s what happens when two teams play each other.

2. “He/she is an athlete.”: That’s great, coach. He/she is playing a sport, so it’s a pretty safe assumption that he/she is an athlete.

1. “Our kids played hard.”: This is a perennial favorite, and it was as prevalent in the last year as ever. Name an area coach, and they’ve said it. It’s good to know that the kids did indeed play hard as opposed to coming out and playing soft.

And now, for the phrase I’ve wrote so much that now is become a cliche in its own right:
Let’s pick.

Southeastern at Mechanicsburg: Most conferences are taking the weekend off with Christmas on Sunday, but the Ohio Heritage Conference is going full-swing this Friday. Your best bet for a good game comes when the Trojans visit Mechanicsburg this Friday.

Southeastern fell 53-48 in overtime to Catholic Central last Friday. The Trojans led most of the game, but the Irish controlled the game in the last eight minutes, clogging Southeastern’s passing lanes and almost entirely shutting down its offense.

The Trojans looked impressive in the game and kept up with a fast Central team.

Mechanicsburg is off to a 3-3 start, but its three wins have come against Emmanuel Christian, West Liberty-Salem, and Cedarville, who all have one win between them.

There will be no shortage of height in this game. The Trojans have five players 6-4 or taller, while Mechanicsburg has four players over 6-4.

This game will be close, but I think Southeastern will have too much on offense for Mechanicsburg. The Trojans win by single-digits.

Springfield at Urbana: There are several interesting nonconference games coming up next Tuesday, and the make up most of the games in our pick ‘em this week. The most interesting comes as Springfield travels to Urbana.

The Wildcats posted back-to-back wins last weekend and improved to 3-1 on the season. Springfield is improving with each game (there’s a cliche for you) and they have better team chemistry than last season.

Urbana beat Springfield 52-47 last season in overtime, but I don’t look for the game to be that close this season. The Wildcats will get a double-digit win.
Until next week, have a Merry Christmas!