Toggle sidebar

Sports Writers Are Using The Wrong Grammar When Discussing The Tide

A

Alasippi

Suspended
Aug 31, 2007
12,875
2
57
Ocean Springs, MS
I was reading Ian Rappaport or however you spell it and he wrote something like, "The Crimson Tide HAVE now won blah blah blah".
No Ian, the Crimson Tide HAVEn't won anything. The Crimson Tide is one unit, one team comprised of Crimson Tide Players. Therefore, the Crimson Tide HAS , and the Crimson Tide PLayers HAVE.
The Stanford Cardinal HAS..The Cardinal Players HAVE
Johnny HAS..
Not a biggie but it drives me nuts and it's getting more and more frequent.
RTR!
sip
P.S.--If I'm misinformed please inform me :-)
 
Alasippi said:
I was reading Ian Rappaport or however you spell it and he wrote something like, "The Crimson Tide HAVE now won blah blah blah".
No Ian, the Crimson Tide HAVEn't won anything. The Crimson Tide is one unit, one team comprised of Crimson Tide Players. Therefore, the Crimson Tide HAS , and the Crimson Tide PLayers HAVE.
The Stanford Cardinal HAS..The Cardinal Players HAVE
Johnny HAS..
Not a biggie but it drives me nuts and it's getting more and more frequent.
RTR!
sip
P.S.--If I'm misinformed please inform me :-)
Click to expand...

Ian was in Tuscaloosa long enough to know the difference.

I've always thought the same thing, but never said it.
 
Alasippi said:
I was reading Ian Rappaport or however you spell it and he wrote something like, "The Crimson Tide HAVE now won blah blah blah".
No Ian, the Crimson Tide HAVEn't won anything. The Crimson Tide is one unit, one team comprised of Crimson Tide Players. Therefore, the Crimson Tide HAS , and the Crimson Tide PLayers HAVE.
The Stanford Cardinal HAS..The Cardinal Players HAVE
Johnny HAS..
Not a biggie but it drives me nuts and it's getting more and more frequent.
RTR!
sip
P.S.--If I'm misinformed please inform me :-)
Click to expand...
Grammar-wise, it's a gray area. Either is technically correct...
 
TIDE-HSV said:
Grammar-wise, it's a gray area. Either is technically correct...
Click to expand...

But if we use the plural to describe the Crimson Tide, we may be in trouble. If the Crimson Tide plays as ONE UNIT, we will be okay. If the Crimson Tide plays as individual players with individual goals, we are in a bunch of trouble on Monday night between 7:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., maybe 11:30 p.m.

Here's hoping the Crimson Tide plays (not play) an OUTSTANDING game with a winning result because of it's singular focus.
 
Alasippi said:
I was reading Ian Rappaport or however you spell it and he wrote something like, "The Crimson Tide HAVE now won blah blah blah".
No Ian, the Crimson Tide HAVEn't won anything. The Crimson Tide is one unit, one team comprised of Crimson Tide Players. Therefore, the Crimson Tide HAS , and the Crimson Tide PLayers HAVE.
The Stanford Cardinal HAS..The Cardinal Players HAVE
Johnny HAS..
Not a biggie but it drives me nuts and it's getting more and more frequent.
RTR!
sip
P.S.--If I'm misinformed please inform me :-)
Click to expand...

Hate to disagree, but I think you're incorrect. If the Crimson Tide were named the Crimson Tides, and each team member were a "Tide", the plurality would be "Tides", thus the wording "HAVE" would be correct. However the plural of Crimson Tide is still Crimson Tide, so the word "HAVE" is still correct. JMHO
 
Alasippi said:
I was reading Ian Rappaport or however you spell it and he wrote something like, "The Crimson Tide HAVE now won blah blah blah".
No Ian, the Crimson Tide HAVEn't won anything. The Crimson Tide is one unit, one team comprised of Crimson Tide Players. Therefore, the Crimson Tide HAS , and the Crimson Tide PLayers HAVE.
The Stanford Cardinal HAS..The Cardinal Players HAVE
Johnny HAS..
Not a biggie but it drives me nuts and it's getting more and more frequent.
RTR!
sip
P.S.--If I'm misinformed please inform me :-)
Click to expand...


Actually, Sip - you're incorrect here. Either is correct, it's a constructio ad sensum. Let me give you an example:

"If the band are popular, they will play next month."

"A great number of persons have assembled."

This is also acceptable - "The Crimson Tide have."
 
Alasippi said:
I was reading Ian Rappaport or however you spell it and he wrote something like, "The Crimson Tide HAVE now won blah blah blah".
No Ian, the Crimson Tide HAVEn't won anything. The Crimson Tide is one unit, one team comprised of Crimson Tide Players. Therefore, the Crimson Tide HAS , and the Crimson Tide PLayers HAVE.
The Stanford Cardinal HAS..The Cardinal Players HAVE
Johnny HAS..
Not a biggie but it drives me nuts and it's getting more and more frequent.
RTR!
sip
P.S.--If I'm misinformed please inform me :-)
Click to expand...
My father the lawyer born 1933, this new age journalism and grammatical errors is a sore spot with him. He will talk about that over what an article says if it has errors, some I would never catch. Earle probably sees them too.
 
English teacher weighing in here :)

This is an example of a collective noun, so depending on how "Crimson Tide" is being used, the verb can be either plural or singular. Anything the team does collectively (such as wins the game Monday night) would use a singular verb; however, anything they do as individuals would use a plural noun.

For example:
The Crimson Tide arrives in Phoenix on a 747 on Friday. --> They do this as a group, so the singular verb is used.
The Crimson Tide shower after practice. --> They take their showers individually, so the plural verb is used.
 
bamablood6 said:
whose Be caring? :)
Click to expand...

You did solve the riddle though. People don't care anymore, sad, those little things meant a lot to my fathers generation. Like at the Ivy League schools you would get stared down if your tie or pants length were a tad off. Times have changed. Ebonics on steroids. Debating if cursive writing is needed was a top of conversation not too long ago. Of course it is!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

New Posts

Advertisement

Trending content

Advertisement

Latest threads

Top Bottom
Back