While listening to the BlackHawks radio pregame the other night, I heard the announcer say, “well, the ‘hawks head into tonight five games over .500…”
Chicago’s record at the time was 11-6-7. That is NOT “five games” over .500. Five games over .500 sounds like you’ve won five more than you’ve lost, right?
But the “7″ at the end of the record indicates “overtime/shootout losses”. Losses. That means the Blackhawks were only 11 wins against 13 LOSSES at the time I was listening, and that is NOT “five games over .500″.
It’s a big pet peeve of mine, but darn it, it’s wrong. What they should say, or could say without argument anyway, is that the BlackHawks are “five POINTS over .500″ In hockey you get 2 points for a win and one point for an “overtime/shootout loss”.
So, in 24 games, the BlackHawks had a chance to earn 48 points in the standings. By combining the 11 wins (22 points) with the 7 OT losses (7 points), you’d have 29 points in the standings…out of that 48. Half of 48, or .500, is 24. So that’s how you’d say “the team is 5 points over .500″, and that would then be correct.
Five wins over .500? Impossible. Again, just a pet peeve, but hockey writers/announcers/fans should call it right.
There, I feel better now.
2 responses so far ↓
1
Neal
// Dec 12, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Ok BJ, you are an old baseball player……..why do they say RBIs instead of just RBI ? LOL (for others who read this…….RBI = Runs Batted In )
2
bjstone
// Dec 14, 2008 at 12:49 am
I have a problem with that one, too, Neal. Matter of fact, I pronounce it “R’sBI†when I’m talking baseball with friends, which sadly, thanks to steroids, I don’t do much anymore.
I also have a problem with football coaches making up words, like “escapability†and “out-athleticed†and the famous John Gruden-ism from last year “irrelativeâ€.
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