Times Shines Spotlight On Blount’s Bad Grammar
May 18th, 2012
Newspapers constantly make calls on whether to quote a subject verbatim or to clean up grammar, as well as to pick and choose comments to make a story flow smoothly and keep it from becoming about somebody’s communication skills.
It happens every day, especially with professional athletes and coaches.
Locally, the mainstream outlets did that routinely with Raheem Morris, the loquacious and vivacious former Bucs coach. But Joe typically quoted Raheem without cleanup because Joe had endless space on the Interwebs to celebrate a good Raheem ramble, plus Joe often found Raheem’s unique style of communicating and bizarre storytelling and nicknames entertaining and wanted to share that with readers.
But Joe saw the cover of Wednesday’s Tampa Bay Times sports section and felt the newspaper made a sinister choice to target LeGarrette Blount by highlighting his bad grammar in red in what’s known as a pull quote. See below. (You can double-click the image to enlarge it.)
Don’t get Joe wrong. Blount said what he said and there’s nothing wrong with quoting him. But the bold highlight of the poor grammar here is a questionable choice considering Blount expressed the exact same words correctly in the part of the quote you don’t see above. Here’s what appeared in the actual story:
“I think nobody can affect my carries but me,” Blount said. “They drafted him because we needed him. But at the end of the day, we’re both going to play. Don’t nobody affect my carries but me, not what he does, not what anybody else does, just how I practice and how fast I get the offense down pat and everything like that. That’s the only thing that will affect my carries.”
So essentially, the Times editors who designed and approved the sports page cover had three choices — take the quote from Blount that made sense, take the one that made him sound like an uneducated boob, or display both together as it was in the story.
The Times’ call was to make Blount look like a boob.
Joe’s readers can reach their own conclusions. But there’s no denying that Blount is being repeatedly targeted by local and national media. This is the third incident this week. As Joe’s written before, a sociology professor somewhere could put together quite a study of the negative media vibes around a young, productive and exciting player.
Joe openly wonders what Tampa Bay Times resident media ethicist and social activist Eric Deggans would have to say on this matter. Just a hunch, we will never know.
May 18th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
This is a very subtle form of racism, plain and simple.
May 18th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Nothing wrong with a direct quote, but as a former sports writer, I am thinking Blount did SOMETHING to the Times that irked them and as a result they’re exacting a little bit of revenge. Maybe he blew off some Times writers a little too often and they figure they don’t owe him any favors.
And Joe…I LOVE your site…. but Morris’ quotes and just weird anecdotes have nothing to do with him being witty. He was a MORON. My personal favorite was the following:
“Obviously, the only criticism I care about comes from people with (last) names that end with G,” Morris said. “Next, the criticism, his name would have to end with a D and that would be Dominik….”
I know what he’s trying to say because I’m smarter than the average fan, but Raheem…. Glazer ENDS with R. Dominik ENDS with K.
May 18th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
“very subtle”
yes. like 9/11 was subtle way of saying ‘we are displeased with your forgeign policy’
May 18th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
F the Times. I only read Joe for my Bucs news
May 18th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Joe
Any updates on Brian Price espn in reporting he is suffering from heat exhaustion and grieving over the death of his sister.
May 18th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
It’s obvious that Blount should sue the Times right after he sues the NFL for “Delusional Gate”
May 18th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Orlando:
He’s out of the hospital. Other than that, Joe hasn’t heard any more. The Bucs, naturally, are being very tight-lipped about this.
May 18th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
pft has an article saying he is adoppting the kids of his sister
This was in the story from Woody Cummings last night in the Tribune that Joe linked to below. –Joe
May 18th, 2012 at 12:34 pm
I wouldn’t buy this premise but Blount said what he wanted to say with acceptable grammar yet the Times took the low road.
Somebody doesn’t like him over there.
Didn’t the Times break the story about Blount being ring leader in that parking lot beating that the police said was bogus?
May 18th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
Kennedy:
To be fair, that was solid reporting. The Times received that information from reliable sources and since Blount is a public figure in this community, it was fair game. Joe had and doesn’t have a problem with that at all.
May 18th, 2012 at 12:46 pm
Most people probably wouldn’t think twice about what the paper “quoted”.
So what’s worse, The Times doing it or Joe bringing attention to it?
May 18th, 2012 at 12:46 pm
I certainly think people are picking on Blount, and I do not see why the hell they are. He is a productive young player who went undrafted because of his character issues, and has trned it around. Sure a rumor flies around here or there, but you haven’t seen his name cross the commissioners desk, or the police blotter. Bount is a good player, but it seem we are hell bent on running him out of town one way or the other. Doug Martin may be the next Marshall Faulk, but the fact is the kid hasn’t eve stepped on the football field andeveryone deems him the starter. Calling Blount delusional for say they are going to have to work to take his job. You are delusional if you think any man on the roster doesn’t feel the same way. If you don’t have that mentality then the game is not good for you. If you lay down and say”well the drafted at my position, I may as well roll over and take it” then I don’t want you on my team. All the kid said was, maybe this competition will be what I need to step it up and be more of a complete back. I appaud him for taking the initiative, and not blaming Greg Olsen, Rahrah, or his youth.
May 18th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
If you buy it, my piss poor grammar on my previous post was intentional, and meant to show my sympathy to Legarrete.
May 18th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
It amazes me that many pro athletes actually graduate from college, but can’t speak a grammatically correct sentence. The most common are double negatives. “I don’t never do that.” The next time a player says something like that, I really wish a reporter would say: “So you do it then?”.
May 18th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Joe –
As I said before…love the site, read it every day. But you knowingly contradicted yourself.
This post sounds like you feel that you can quote Raheem verbatim but the Times can’t quote Blount verbatim.
I can agree that Blount catches a lot of crap from media outlets, but you didn’t justify yourself from doing the same to Raheem.
Go Bucs.
Not true, Chris. Joe suggests you re-read this. It’s the highlighting of the bad grammar Joe’s talking about here. –Joe
May 18th, 2012 at 12:57 pm
What I want to know is, what kind of a drug “locals” is? And why has Miami been testing for them?
May 18th, 2012 at 1:03 pm
I don’t see a problem with the Times quoting him. His English is piss poor. Fair and accurate assessment. Maybe he should work on that like many other athletes that goes to college for the wrong reasoning. It’s not a racial thing but he has enough resources to fix his grammatical problems.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
@Chris
I think it has more to do with the fact that thy highlighted it in red, then quoted him twice. One quote was grammaticly correct, and one that was not. They highlighted the incorrect version and made the kid look bad.
“I think nobody can affect my carries but me,” Blount said. “They drafted him because we needed him. But at the end of the day, we’re both going to play. Don’t nobody affect my carries but me, not what he does, not what anybody else does, just how I practice and how fast I get the offense down pat and everything like that. That’s the only thing that will affect my carries.”
May 18th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
I would definitely have to agree with you Joe. But I still can’t help but wonder how 90% of these athletes graduate college with degrees.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Don’t nobody be carin’ about any of this stuff or Schiano’s tough guy approach if the Bucs don’t make no playoffs. It all be wild offseason farting noise until kickoff come down.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Some of the greatest athlete of all time speak as if they are 5th graders. Blount really isn’t that bad and it is ridiculous that people are bashing on him repeatedly.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
Everyone needs to just leave this guy alone. It seems like they keep hammering him in the media hoping he will EXPLODE and that will give them another story!!! LeGarrette don’t fall for these idiots and keep your head up, because you do have fans that support you!!!! Just play your game the way you know how and you WILL be the starter on this team!!! Shame on the media in Tampa!!! Stop talking LeGarrette and just SHUT them UP with your GREAT play!!! Good luck this season and GO BUCS!!!
May 18th, 2012 at 1:27 pm
i will say this, even the ‘grammatically correct way’ is awkward
the best way to say the sentence would have been:
Nobody but me can affect my carries
or I am the only who can affect the number of carries i get.
even None can affect my carries, I have control over that.
Noone can effect my carries but me still is awkward, maybe they saw them both as ‘incorrect’?
May 18th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
*Noone
May 18th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Chris: be careful correctly pointing out clear inconsistencies with Joe – if it relates to his peculiar favorites like Blount.
You are correct: he correctly did to RahRah what the Times did to Blount, correctly quote him.
Who cares about the color of the text? Emphasis is frequently added / even if to expose nonsense. If quoted accurately, live with it.
This also fits a storyline, Blount can’t grasp the offense.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Funny how the media is targeting our BEST PLAYER the last 2 seasons, hands down.
They need to lighten up on Blount.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Good God, we know what Blount was trying to say, why berate him, in a land that advertises and sells Krispy Kreme Donuts ?
Krispy Kreme is a bastardization of English, why not pick on them ?
May 18th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Thomas,
Right on, Blount has not yet grasped the playbook. His talent level has gotten him by thus far. I hope he is eager to learn bc he could be a major help.
The question is: Is Blount willing to be a team player and do his best to learn the system?
His talent is there, but does he have the mental make up to want to be a team player and better develop as a pro?
May 18th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Cadillac had some of the worst grammar ever ,… Partially because he had a deep south accent making him harder to understand … But nobody made fun of him.,
May 18th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
“Here’s the deal. When we were young kids, right? I went to school, I was 6 years old, 7 years old. And this guy saw my grandmother and said my grandmother ran like a bulldog. And I beat the heck out of him. I beat the heck out of him. I went home and my mom was so disappointed that I beat the heck out of him”.
One of my personal favs.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
@chris
When you see the hot now sign you don’t care how Krispy Kreme is spelt.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
jvato:
VERY good point.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
On training camp, Morris says: “That’s when you establish… the men. Ya know, you take off your underwear. Put on your big boy pads…, and put your face on people. And that’s what training camp’s about.”
May take some time to re-program the team…………..
As for Blount, its silly. For all we know he was delibrately using bad grammer to make his point. “aint nobody taking a job from me”.
Lots of people do that. I do it myself.
Its slang. I havent been a supporter of Blount, but dang give the man a break! Enough is enough already.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Hey liar Thomas:
First off, you are wrong. Second, when did Joe use pull quotes in red on Raheem?
Maybe you forgot how thin of ice you are treading here?
May 18th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
As an English teacher for the past 11 years, I don’t put much stock in what people say in spoken English in regard to them looks like fools. It’s written English that you have to be careful with. EVERYBODY, presidents, lawyers, scientists, public speakers, everybody speaks in run-on sentences, sentence fragments, dangles participles, begins sentences with prepositions, and every other no-no you can think of that would be erroneous to write.
Spoken English is different, not only from country to country, but from state to state and town to town. Culturally, spoken English has its own rules and regulations that most of us don’t want or care to understand. But written English does have a uniform code with strict rules that SHOULD be followed.
I have no problem with Blount not speaking perfect English, nobody does 100% of the time. I’m an English teacher, wait, I said that already, but if you catch me talking to my friends at the gym I might sound like a pervert or if you catch me on the football field I might sound like an uneducated sailor. Who really cares?
May 18th, 2012 at 1:51 pm
i meant grammar.
Bad time to make that mistake!
May 18th, 2012 at 1:52 pm
jvato:
Cadillac had some of the worst grammar ever ,… Partially because he had a deep south accent making him harder to understand … But nobody made fun of him.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I don’t know, I certainly thought he sounded like a complete moron when he addressed the rumors of him cheating in college. If there was ever a time in his life that he didn’t want to sound like an imbecile, defending his “schooling” at Auburn would have been the perfect time.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Eric,
Thanks for the bulldog grandma memories. Priceless. Can’t wait for Raheem to coach again.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
The man is going to fight to keep someone from taking his job, what the heck is wrong with that?
Happens after every NFL draft ever conducted.
May 18th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
I’m with Joe. I see no reason for the highlighted part of the quote. Completely unnecessary.
Blount sure is getting piled on. I really hope he takes it out on the field this year. I’m definitely rooting for him
On a lighter note, who’s that really skinny dude in the background wearing a #5 jersey?
Geez, Freeman… maybe you might need a late night Taco Bell run tonight afterall….
And I LOVE Blount’s “bite the ball” technique. Solid.
May 18th, 2012 at 2:13 pm
I’m guessing there would be a whole lot less attacking Blount’s grammar if he had a lot less fumbles. Funny how a perception of shortcomings in one area get magnified in another.
May 18th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Dear Legarette,
Someone will criticize every small mis-step you make, but know that we love having you on our team young man. It’s the nature of being a sports star. Trust me, nobody will care about this offseason crap when you are toting the rock this Fall. So put your headphones on and enjoy the spotlight. Next year when it’s time to sign a real contract, remind them that you are the best player on their roster, grammatically correct or not. Mostly “Don’t never let nobody tell you no different!”
Sincerely,
Bucs Fan Club
Denver, Co.
May 18th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Joe:
Have you seen this one from USAToday?
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/05/nfl-offseason-report-cards-nfc-south/1#.T7aU6-j2Yuc
The problem is no one does any work on their own anymore. They just repeat what they heard somewhere else. Like parrots.
May 18th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
Don’t nobody care about no quotes in no newspaper. I’m with the people who are terrified that these guys get university degrees. That is horrifying.
I worked a regular job and went to school at night for 6 years to get mine. These guys played football and got the easy road and they end up with the same degree as me…. that’s ridiculous.
Glad I live in Canada where all the hockey players don’t bother to go to university eh…
May 18th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Maybe it was meant to coincide with the FCAT writing scores being released today.
May 18th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Joe,
1) obviously I was referring to the unedited quote of rah even when it made rah sound like an idiot;
2) only the immature and overly-sensitive use the liar word when I just agreed with the comments of another commenter – neither one of us said you “highlighted.” obviously we were referring to your decision to expose rah’s poor grammar but attack others when they do it to Blount;
3) I dismissed your weak attempt to distinguish your practice with rah from the times (bc of colored words) as weak.
Nowhere did I say that you used different color words to point anything out – therefore there is no lie. You are wrong and foolishly so.
Obviously Joe your continued threats of banning me and others for taking you on when we believe you are wrong is not going to shut us up. Apparently as you desire.
I could care less if you ban me from this increasingly anxious pattern of filtering those who disagree with your slanted biases toward certain entities – even the worst of the worst like Talib.
I believe that these kind of characters weaken the team.
May 18th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
Keep working your balls off.
May 18th, 2012 at 2:44 pm
This is Joe interrupting/deleting Thomas’s drivel for a moment.
Thomas, Joe is in single digits on the number of commenters he’s banned in nearly 4 years. So you are again putting out misconceptions about Joe.
You can type what you want, just don’t misrepresent Joe, lie about Joe, and become someone Joe has to babysit. Those are crimes against Joe. Joe has no time or patience for babysitting. You know this, since you were banned and then were given another shot.–Joe
May 18th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
I can’t believe this guy is allowed to talk to the site Admin like this! Unheard of. So unbelievably rude.
May 18th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Prostitution is to love as Journalism is to reporting.
To the unobserved, similar, however just not the same.
May 18th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
@Thomas
Looks like Joe can pee further than you…so
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YclnnoGlczo
May 18th, 2012 at 3:43 pm
He fumbles the english language like he fumbles footballs.
May 18th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
If you don’t want to babysit, stop being so sensitive.
Your interpretation of being misrepresented or lied about is very different from others – apparently.
Saying you used different color words for rah would be a that, believing that the meaningful practice (unedited quoting even when it makes people look dumb) utilized by both is not.
It is my opinion and Chris’ that what you were doing and what you chastised the Times for doing are materially indistinguishable – it has nothing to do with text color.
Your misapplied lectures cloaked with a threat will never change my opinion. If I get a fact wrong, I will always acknowledge that. This is not the case.
You should apologize for accusing someone who did not lie of lying by being overly sensitive.
Thomas, you are hilarious. Joe has no choice but to babysit because Joe is responsible for all words on these pages. Unlike you or any anonymous commenter, Joe is not anonymous, therefore Joe will not tolerate being misrepresented. It’s a very simple concept. Joe embraces opinions that clash with his. The presentation of said opinions is everything. Of course, you know all this, but Joe types it up for the others. –Joe
May 18th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Thomas,
Man just tuck in your chain* on this one. It’s not worth one us core posters being banned to prove fruitless statements that happened last season. Training camp is approaching and the season and I’m going to week one game so don’t blow it in a posts war.
Tuck in your chain…
May 18th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
As usual our few so called experts jump again. ” Blount can’t grasp the offense”. So glad the coaches handed out the NEW playbooks to our experts and they have seen LGB in action with it to make that quote!! I guess that means ALL the other NEW players have??
May 18th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
I forgot. The well spoken player behind him in the picture. Now he had the offense MASTERED!! How many intercepitons,fumbles? Stood and looked at wide open running lanes. over threw, under threw. Threw how many touchdowns? Grammer made ALL the difference. He was a real Master of the offense!!!!
May 18th, 2012 at 6:20 pm
fuc_k the times. bunch of douchbags that are never friendly to the Bucs players.
Personally, I would never want to play for the Bucs. I’d end up blowing up in an interview and get real pissed off.
May 18th, 2012 at 6:53 pm
AppleRoof: You are crossing the line man! Don’t hate on Krispy Kreme! Word!
May 18th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
LMFAO:
A guy or gal who comments as admin or Joe or Joebucsfan is not protected by anonymity.
I have no clue who you are or what your name is and I have no interest in knowing it – Mrs. Dominik.
Thomas, many readers here, along with Joe’s colleagues, advertisers and those who hear Joe on radio regularlly, know the names of the “Joes” here. But you already knew that and choose to display your stupidity. Of course you probably only do this because you’re anonymous.–Joe
May 18th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
Thomas truly doesn’t know when to shut up. I’m past the point of wanting him banned, mainly because he provides entertainment to the rest of us, kind of like the bearded lady at the circus. However, he really should learn when to give up. It’s a fight you aren’t going to win Thomas. It doesn’t matter what you say, you aren’t going to win. Swallow your pride and shut up, because you are only making yourself look worse. And please don’t pretend to be a tough guy and not care if you get banned, because we all know you would cry like a little girl if you were banned (and in reality, I probably would to if I were banned – I love this site too much). We won’t think any less of you (and not just because that’s pretty much impossible to do). But of course, I know you won’t listen to a word I’ve written, because that’s who you are.
May 18th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
Hawaiian, as they say in that Guiness commercial, Brilliant!!
May 18th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
As for Blount, it is crazy how much hate this guy receives. I’ve always said he’s not a complete back, and may never be, but I still love watching the guy play. Hell, I have a life size fathead of him in my office, and one more in my son’s room. He’s even a local kid, yet so many fans complain about everything he does. I haven’t liked everything he’s ever said, but I don’t have to. He’s in his early 20s, and he’s going to say stupid things sometimes. I’m in my mid 30s and I say stupid things all the time. This is nothing more than piling on, and he doesn’t deserve it. Fact is, if he’s off the team, we are significantly worse off. It’s officially getting to the point where it is becoming uncomfortable how much abuse this guy is taking.
May 18th, 2012 at 8:22 pm
Sensationalizing Blount in either a positive or negative manner will generate more readership and traffic to any publication or website.
The Times, PFT, Charlie Campbell, and especially the pansy a$$hole Tom Edrington at Bleacher Report crave the traffic and buzz they get bashing Blount.
To really kiss Joe’s ass on this one, at least he gives a guy a fair shake.
May 18th, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Sure Caddy country accent and occasional studder was not talked about but Cadillac had a higher character and pedigree. Blount came in with the humble and grateful act but it didn’t take long to see his real character. He started missing meetings other stupid on the field acts. So yes he’s going to be roasted.
May 18th, 2012 at 8:48 pm
“He started missing meetings other stupid on the field acts. So yes he’s going to be roasted.”
——
Examples? Proof? Or do you get your sources from the same place Thomas gets them (which typically is out of his own arse)?
May 18th, 2012 at 9:28 pm
Hawaiian:
You are an a– kisser.
Local journalist reported about Blount’s missed meetings, tardiness etc.
May 18th, 2012 at 10:25 pm
Does anybody remember Dez Bryant’s very poor grammar in the weeks leading up to the 2010 draft? Blount sounds nowhere near as bad as he did, in case any of you all remember.
May 19th, 2012 at 3:25 am
No Thomas, I am intelligent. I know an argument I can win, and one I can’t. You can’t win either, but you certainly can’t win against Joe.
As for this “local journalist”, who? Was it from a secret source? I heard of him being late for a meeting early in 2010, but that’s it. I’m sure you’ve been late once before in your sorry life.
May 19th, 2012 at 7:42 am
The highlighted part of the quote, the “pull quote” is simply the main point of Blount’s statement, just as he expressed it. *He* is responsible for how he comes across via grammar, but the substance of what expressed that way is still the essence of the story. Judging him a moron for his lack of grammar, or merely shrugging it off is the reader’s choice.
I know Joe likes, and feels defensive about Blount, but in the absence of that sentiment, this doesn’t seem like such a big deal.
May 20th, 2012 at 12:37 pm
I’m ashamed of all the hate this horrible sports media, and a large portion of its “fans” spew at LGB. Can anyone name the other rookies who came in with Blount in 2010 who have more rushing yards? I doubt it….cuz there are NONE!!!! Yea, that’s right, an UDFA has more rushing yards than ANY other rookie from his class, including 1st round pick Ryan Mathews.