It has to be one of the most under-rated clichés in sports. Under-rated in that no one really calls it to task, but it happens during every NFL game, every weekend, without fail.
You know the scenario. A quarterback drops back, scans the field, rushes a throw into coverage. A defensive back or safety gets a glove on the ball, which then slams to the turf. The commentator yelps excitedly, ‘Almost intercepted, almost!’
It doesn’t matter if it actually was close or not. Sometimes the errant throw into coverage can hit off the back off the defensive backs head, or off his backside, as he is turned trying to cover the receiver. In last nights Chargers/Cowboys game the situation arose twice. Once the ball zipped between three defenders and a lone receiver, realistically nobody had a chance to catch it, however the gormless commentator squealed ‘NEARLY intercepted!’
That’s the variation, ‘nearly’ intercepted.
Next time you are watching an NFL game, watch for a play where a pass goes closer to the defensive back than the receiver. We here at Boston Irish will bet you dollars for donuts at least one member of the commentary team excitedly reports that the pass was either ‘almost’ or ‘nearly’ intercepted.
We will be conducting a scientific report on the next few games we watch, tabulating the number of times a commentator clownishly squeals ‘ALMOST intercepted!’ against the number of times the ball was actually catchable, by anyone.
Next time you hear it, have a think to yourself, was there actually any possibility of anyone, receiver or defender, actually catching that ball?
Oh you lazy commentary teams, get a new cliché! That ball was not almost picked off!!
.
You know the scenario. A quarterback drops back, scans the field, rushes a throw into coverage. A defensive back or safety gets a glove on the ball, which then slams to the turf. The commentator yelps excitedly, ‘Almost intercepted, almost!’
almost...
It doesn’t matter if it actually was close or not. Sometimes the errant throw into coverage can hit off the back off the defensive backs head, or off his backside, as he is turned trying to cover the receiver. In last nights Chargers/Cowboys game the situation arose twice. Once the ball zipped between three defenders and a lone receiver, realistically nobody had a chance to catch it, however the gormless commentator squealed ‘NEARLY intercepted!’
That’s the variation, ‘nearly’ intercepted.
Next time you are watching an NFL game, watch for a play where a pass goes closer to the defensive back than the receiver. We here at Boston Irish will bet you dollars for donuts at least one member of the commentary team excitedly reports that the pass was either ‘almost’ or ‘nearly’ intercepted.
We will be conducting a scientific report on the next few games we watch, tabulating the number of times a commentator clownishly squeals ‘ALMOST intercepted!’ against the number of times the ball was actually catchable, by anyone.
Next time you hear it, have a think to yourself, was there actually any possibility of anyone, receiver or defender, actually catching that ball?
Oh you lazy commentary teams, get a new cliché! That ball was not almost picked off!!
.
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