Cobber Cliche' Guide

10-29-90

It was a pretty good week for Cobber sports. The women's cross country team won their first-ever MIAC title. The men's soccer team ended their season with a win. Volleyball won two matches. And, even in defeat, the football and women's soccer teams acquitted themselves well.

It's also time for the winter sports season, with its own inevitable deluge of seemingly meaningless sports-talk cliche's.

Sports cliche's get terribly tiresome unless you are able to pick up the real meaning of what is being said.

And that, of course, varies depending on who's doing the talking.

For instance, during the fall, we've heard a lot of coaches and athletes say stuff like, "Well, I thought we had a good game plan."

When football coach Jim Christopherson says it, he means we mixed the pass and ran well and got good defensive pressure. When quarterback Chad Walthall says it, he means we scrapped the game plan and he threw forty times and ran 16 times for 100 yards to pull out a squeaker.

When women's soccer coach Dean Hashbarger said it, he meant that Sarah Pittorf, Deb Idstrom and Lydia Kabaka had the ball all day. And when cross country coach Marion Strand says it, she means, "I told the team to run fast."

Clearly, this sports cliche' business can be both confusing and boring, unless you know how to decipher the real message of the cliche's.

Therefore, as a public service, we (an anonymous friend and I) have come up with a quick guide to deciphering the cliche's you are most likely to hear or read this winter from the mouths of Cobber coaches and athletes.

For instance, you all know that when that eternal optimist, Steve Baumgartner, says of his high scoring hockey team, "We think we can be in the thick of the race this year," he really wants to say, "We'll dominate 'em."

But you may not know that when Steve says, "We are really going to concentrate on defense this year," he really means, "If we can keep the other team under double figures, we'll have a good year. Look for a lot of 12-9 scores."

And when wrestling coach Ron Nellermoe says "We should have better balance in all weight classes this year," he really means, "I got so sick of starting dual meets down 12-0 because we were open at 118 and 126 it made me puke."

Here are other Cobber cliche's you can expect to hear, along with what is really being said.

Cliche': Bryan Flam, all-MIAC shooting guard for the Running Cobbers, "I really like the teamwork the team is showing in practice."

Meaning: I'm getting the ball every time down the floor and getting off a shot.

Cliche': Bryan Flam, "I've really worked at improving my overall game."

Meaning: I passed up a shot last week.

Cliche': Lady Cobber coach Duane Siverson,"We have the talent to be pretty good this year."

Meaning: If assistant coach Pyle doesn't goof things up, we could go a long way.

Cliche': Cathy Johnson, all-MIAC junior Lady Cobber shooting guard, "I really like the offensive scheme we have this year."

Meaning: Coach told me I could shoot a lot.

Cliche': John Eidsness, men's basketball coach, "The whole league is better this year."

Meaning: The whole league is better this year.

Cliche': Steve Baumgartner, "We have good depth this year."

Meaning: The all-MIAC senior front line of Mike Hassman, John Town, and Shawn McGurran will get a two minute break in the 1st and 3rd periods.

Cliche': Duane Siverson, "Our defense really played well tonight."

Meaning: Pyle's offensive plan stunk and I had to bale him out again."

Cliche': Duane Siverson, "I thought we played pretty well tonight without any letdowns."

Meaning: The Lady Cobbers won 108-37.

Cliche': Rhonda Schneekloth, Lady Cobber small forward, "I thought the refs did a good job."

Meaning: They didn't call traveling on her patented step-over-reach-around-scoop shot.

Cliche': Steve Baumgartner, "We are a good skating team and want to use our speed."

Meaning: When we get against a bruising team our guys get thrown around like rag dolls.

Cliche': John Eidsness, "I think (senior guard) Mike Hilley could help us this year."

Meaning: What a blessing. The guy has court sense as good as any Cobber player in years.

Cliche': Pete Myrvik, junior post player, "I thought we played smart tonight."

Meaning: The Cobbers passed the ball into the post all night and Myrvik had 23 points.

Cliche': Ron Nellermoe, "I'm sure we are going to get good leadership from our seniors."

Meaning: Senior all-American Chip Halverson announced at a press conference last week that he was putting off running for the Montana legislature until he graduates next spring.

Cliche': Steve Baumgartner, "I'm really excited about our new group of young goalies."

Meaning: Last year's goalies are off recovering from nervous disorders brought on by having to stop too many pucks while yelling for help.

Cliche': Chad Walthall, student assistant coach for men's basketball, "We are focusing on improving our defense this year."

Meaning: If my roommate Bryan Flam will guard somebody, anybody, we could be pretty good.

Got it? We hope this is of help. Armed as you are with this guide, you should now be able to understand almost any interview you hear this winter coming out of Cobberville.

Oh yes, there is one more general cliche' that we hope not to have to use. But, in case it does come up (and it will) here it is. Cliche': "I was really proud of our team tonight. We kept after it and didn't quit."

Meaning: We got shelled.

These pages are maintained by Jerry Pyle pyle@cord.edu. These articles are copyrighted © and may not be published or reproduced without the express permission of Jerry Pyle.

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