If you have been watching the lead up to the NFL playoffs this weekend you might have noticed that the Jets and Patriots and Ravens and Steelers have been passing barbs back and forth all week. The Ravens' Terrell Suggs had a T-shirt made up that basically gives the Steelers the finger. The Steelers' Hines Ward (former Bulldog) says the Ravens have a bounty on his head. The Jets' Antonio Cromartie says that Tom Brady is an #$$ #Ol$ and Patriots receiver Wes Welker uses the term "feet" or "toes" seven or eight times in a three minute interview in a brilliantly understated jab at Rex Ryan's wife who allegedly made a foot fetish video.
All of this nastiness got me to thinking, where did trash talk begin and what is its' purpose.
I don't know how far back trash talking goes. Babe Ruth's famous "called shot" where he points to the stands where he is about to hit a home run, could be considered trash talk. I am sure that the pitcher was not too happy about that, but he still threw one right down Peachtree which Ruth quickly deposited into the stands.
The most famous trash talker and the athlete that brought trash talk into the mainstream had to be Muhammad Ali. Ali talked nonstop about how great he was and how he was going to destroy his opponent. "I'm a bad bad man" "Float like a butterfly sting like a bee" to name just a few of his famous quips.
Boxing has never been the same since Ali and trash talking is now an integral part of the sport. What would Boxing be with out the pre-bout news conference where the two sides do nothing but trash talk. The majority of the time the pre-bout conference is more exciting than the actual fight.
So, what is the purpose of all of this trash talking and does it really do any good.
The first rule of trash talk is: if you cant back it up with performance then shut your mouth. If you are the third string quarterback you should not say anything leading up to, or during the game unless lightning strikes twice and somehow you end up in the game and even then I think you need to concentrate on calling the next play. Even if you are a starter, if you are not a great player then what's the point. Many coaches frown upon trash talk prior to a game because they believe it gives "bulletin board" material to the other team and works to fire them up for the ensuing game. Trash talk on the field, however, is prevalent. We really don't know the extent of it because, obviously we cant hear what is going on in the trenches, but every once in a while the cameras will catch a player and we can read his lips. The NFL has become a trash talking clinic and it is often led by the coaches. Rex Ryan of the Jets has become the leader of this trend which again begs the question, what purpose does it serve?
Ali almost certainly thought that he could intimidate his opponent with words and gain an advantage even before they entered the ring. I believe that early in his career this strategy probably worked to his advantage. Towards the end of his career it lost a little of its effectiveness as he continued to fight well past his prime, another trend he started. So, if you are trying to gain an advantage over your opponent and strike fear in their hearts then what do you say. I don't think Rex Ryan is going to be intimidated by Wes Welker talking about his wife's feet, but could he be so embarrassed by his taunts that he can't even come onto the field for fear of ridicule, I doubt it.
The bounty on Hines Ward's head could be a little more intimidating. One of the scariest plays in sports is a wide receiver in a crossing route. How many times have we seen a wide receiver knocked unconscious this season on a crossing route and how many times have we seen a receiver miss a catch because he saw the safety coming to knock his head off? Hines Ward seems to embrace the talk and use it as added motivation. Ward is one of the most physical receivers in history and delivers many hits himself, so I don't think this works on him. Herein lies one of the problems with trash talk, your words serve to embolden your opponent and is thus counter intuitive.
I guess we will see if all of the trash talk does any good in the games today. I haven't heard any trash talk coming from the Falcons and Packers, I guess they plan on just playing the game. I like it much better that way. If my high school English teacher reads this blog, I'm sorry.
All of this nastiness got me to thinking, where did trash talk begin and what is its' purpose.
I don't know how far back trash talking goes. Babe Ruth's famous "called shot" where he points to the stands where he is about to hit a home run, could be considered trash talk. I am sure that the pitcher was not too happy about that, but he still threw one right down Peachtree which Ruth quickly deposited into the stands.
The most famous trash talker and the athlete that brought trash talk into the mainstream had to be Muhammad Ali. Ali talked nonstop about how great he was and how he was going to destroy his opponent. "I'm a bad bad man" "Float like a butterfly sting like a bee" to name just a few of his famous quips.
Boxing has never been the same since Ali and trash talking is now an integral part of the sport. What would Boxing be with out the pre-bout news conference where the two sides do nothing but trash talk. The majority of the time the pre-bout conference is more exciting than the actual fight.
So, what is the purpose of all of this trash talking and does it really do any good.
The first rule of trash talk is: if you cant back it up with performance then shut your mouth. If you are the third string quarterback you should not say anything leading up to, or during the game unless lightning strikes twice and somehow you end up in the game and even then I think you need to concentrate on calling the next play. Even if you are a starter, if you are not a great player then what's the point. Many coaches frown upon trash talk prior to a game because they believe it gives "bulletin board" material to the other team and works to fire them up for the ensuing game. Trash talk on the field, however, is prevalent. We really don't know the extent of it because, obviously we cant hear what is going on in the trenches, but every once in a while the cameras will catch a player and we can read his lips. The NFL has become a trash talking clinic and it is often led by the coaches. Rex Ryan of the Jets has become the leader of this trend which again begs the question, what purpose does it serve?
Ali almost certainly thought that he could intimidate his opponent with words and gain an advantage even before they entered the ring. I believe that early in his career this strategy probably worked to his advantage. Towards the end of his career it lost a little of its effectiveness as he continued to fight well past his prime, another trend he started. So, if you are trying to gain an advantage over your opponent and strike fear in their hearts then what do you say. I don't think Rex Ryan is going to be intimidated by Wes Welker talking about his wife's feet, but could he be so embarrassed by his taunts that he can't even come onto the field for fear of ridicule, I doubt it.
The bounty on Hines Ward's head could be a little more intimidating. One of the scariest plays in sports is a wide receiver in a crossing route. How many times have we seen a wide receiver knocked unconscious this season on a crossing route and how many times have we seen a receiver miss a catch because he saw the safety coming to knock his head off? Hines Ward seems to embrace the talk and use it as added motivation. Ward is one of the most physical receivers in history and delivers many hits himself, so I don't think this works on him. Herein lies one of the problems with trash talk, your words serve to embolden your opponent and is thus counter intuitive.
I guess we will see if all of the trash talk does any good in the games today. I haven't heard any trash talk coming from the Falcons and Packers, I guess they plan on just playing the game. I like it much better that way. If my high school English teacher reads this blog, I'm sorry.
Hey Drew! Really like your post.
ReplyDeleteFunny that words seem to be at the root of many issues. I think they are used because they are our most handy method of manipulation, whether in a competitive arena, political arena, or in the average relationship. But, it does prove beneficial for the networks and organizations that gain ratings and sell tickets from the anticipation built off of those provoking words. I'm sure some encouragement or maybe lack of interference from the ones with supple pockets is a main ingredient. The "back it up or shut up" part is the most amusing, I think. I can't imagine the state of anxiety I would be in if I taunted BEFORE performing. Most likely, having a big ego is a requirement for getting the you-know-what knocked out of you week in and week out. Maybe they are simply pumping up their own ego as motivation to willingly participate in the train wreck we watch like crazed maniacs.
Anyway, I enjoyed your entry and thought I'd say so. :)