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By Andy Slater and Donnie Clay
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Dec. 20, 2002 |
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Players in some athletic programs in the AAA (let's keep this anonymous) like to talk and talk and talk. But Lowell, a veritable goody-two-shoes, is above the rabble's babble.
"We don't react," junior running back Kevin Delfin said. "We just take it all in and play a little harder. It's fun to shut them up because when we beat them, they can't say anything."
But, as every weekend warrior knows, trash talk can enliven any competitive enterprise worth its salt. Allow us to break it down for you.
Verbally sparring with opponents is important because belittling a foe can fluster him into committing more errors. |
While trash talking may, at first glance, appear to be easy, it is actually a delicate art that few have the ability to master. Not many athletes possess the sagacity to coin phrases that can take a psychological toll on the opponent.
Verbally sparring with opponents is important because belittling a foe can fluster him into committing more errors. The opposing player may second-guess himself, exponentially increasing the probability of subsequent errors.
Trash talk is also crucial because it gets the competitive juices flowing. An athlete has more of an incentive to outperform an opponent when pride is on the line — when you make a boast, you had better back it up.
Trash talk has its pitfalls, though. Animosity percolates in the midst of games fraught with disrespect. Teams that gather for good-natured athletic competition often begin to harbor nothing but will toward each other.
Trash talk also has a powerful effect on coaches — it drives them up the wall. Coaches generally believe that players talking trash focus more energy on taunting their enemies than they do on taking care of business on the field.
"Instead of trash talking, we should just worry about ourselves and not look down on the other team," athletic director John Donohue said.
Indeed, talking garbage does not promote an atmosphere of harmony. Because sportsmanship is often lost in a game punctuated by disrespect, etiquette-conscious coaches look down on the practice.
"We don't advocate trash talk here," Donohue said. "High school sportsmanship is more important than ever."
Making fun of a player can have dangerous consequences, as excessive jeering has the potential to spark a volatile situation. If an athlete is already frustrated with his performance, a slur could spark him to lash out violently.
But senior Jake Cutler, self-proclaimed connoisseur of the art of the put down, said he likes to focus on the entertainment value of verbal abuse during the games.
"First of all, I have a PhD in trash-talk-ology," Cutler proclaimed. "I really like disses that put (the opponent) at a lower level, where they're second class. Like, 'You don't belong on the field.'"
In a recent baseball game against the San Francisco Senators, Cutler paced around the on-deck circle saying, "He's done!" in reference to the pitcher who was struggling mightily on the mound.
Senior pitcher Alex Sowydra heartily agreed that dissing an opponent is jolly good fun: "One of the best (examples of trash talk) was, 'I see a tear.' That's the one that made (assistant coach Romeo Aurilio Jr.) explode."
It is possible to succeed without provoking the other team, as the varsity football team proved on Turkey Day. We feel, however, that it's not enough for Lowell to merely let its play on the field do the talking. Why should these ruffians get away without so much as a rebuttal?
"We're gonna beat you like a red-headed step-child!" |
After a month of experiments in the trash-talking laboratory, we've assembled a montage for the annihilation of your opponent's spirit.
"Don't even guard that clown — he couldn't hit the sand if he fell off a camel."
"That guy is so bad he couldn't catch a cold!"
"Put some makeup on, pretty boy!"
"You're swing's slower than George W!"
"We're gonna beat you like a red-headed step-child!"
Vicious personal attacks will always have a place on the ball field. Never underestimate the effect of a haymaker to the ol' self-esteem.
Take, for example, the Washington Eagles. They've already been broken following their devastating defeat on Turkey Day. One more well-crafted line will finish the Eagles for good. Lowell should finally bust out the talking stick.
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