Sports Subjunctive Indicative

[Laurence Horn]

At 12:51 PM -0500 1/25/10, Seán Fitzpatrick wrote:
>I think this has been discussed.  I gather it is 
>a very common syntax among the commenters on 
>"Sports Center" type shows:
>
>QUOTATION OF THE DAY
>"With Peyton Manning, you can't disrupt his rhythm, he's going to kill you."
>COACH REX RYAN, on the quarterback of the 
>Indianapolis Colts, who threw three touchdown 
>passes to end the Jets' run to the Super Bowl.
>  http://snurl.com/u6rzg - Colts Put Emphatic End 
>to Jets' Surprising Run - NYTimes.com
>
>Seán Fitzpatrick
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

This seems more like an enthymematic conditional, 
paraphrased by "If you can't...".  I've referred 
to the related but more marked sportscasterese 
construction--"If Favre doesn't throw that 
interception, the Vikings kick the field goal and 
win the game"--as the PICFC (present indicative 
counterfactual conditional) in earlier ADS-L 
posts, and more recently as the SCFHP (sports 
counterfactual historical present). Kai von 
Fintel at MIT (who blogs about it at 
http://kaivonfintel.org/) calls it the 
sportscasterese present indicative counterfactual 
conditional. He gives the (constructed) example

"If Ramirez doesn't catch that, it's a double and 
the tying run is in scoring position."

Some actual cites:
======================
After spectacular catch by David Justice that 
prevents the winning run from coming in,  the 
announcer says, "If Justice doesn't catch that 
it's a double and the go-ahead run is in."
(October 1995, cited by novelist David Carkeet in 
New York Times "On Language" column)
======================
  "If the shortstop doesn't boot the easy 
double-play ball, nobody's talking about the fan 
who interfered with Alou catching the foul ball."
(TV announcer after inning that cost Cubs 2003 
pennant; note actual present counterfactual in 
apodosis)
======================
"If the ball [ground-rule double hit by Yankees' 
Tony Clark] doesn't bounce into the stands, the 
run scores and the game ends an hour and a half 
ago."
(Fox TV analyst Tim McCarver over replay of 
crucial event in 9th inning of Game 5 that may 
have been the turning point in the 2004 ACLS 
comeback win by Red Sox over Yankees; note ago)
======================
"If he (Green) doesn't throw that cup, Artest doesn't go up into the stands."
(Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca, on 
filing charges for Nov. 19 brawl, including two 
counts of assault and battery filed against John 
Green; from ABC World News Tonight, 12/8/04; cf. 
"If Artest doesn't go in(to) the stands [Šthere 
is no riot]":  72 google hits)
======================
non-overt conditional with tense shift:
from Avery Johnson, former guard and now 
assistant coach of the NBA Dallas Mavericks:
"Last year, we don't win this game," Johnson 
said.     (post-game TV news conf., 5/19/03)
======================
present with non-past (but counterfactual) reference:
Knoblauch disputes Steinbrenner's claim (espn.com, 9/2/00)
NEW YORK -- Chuck Knoblauch fired back at Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
on Saturday after The Boss once again questioned 
his second baseman's injured arm.
"If I don't have the throwing problem, no one 
questions if I'm hurt," Knoblauch said in
a profanity-laced interview.
====================
The New York Times
March 27, 2006 Monday, D7
HEADLINE: With Vinatieri, Colts May Have the Edge
By DAVE ANDERSON  [*emphasis* added]

For all of Coach Bill Belichick's ''genius'' and 
all of Tom Brady's passes, [New England Patriots' 
kicker Adam] Vinatieri was often the difference 
between the Patriots' winning and losing, notably 
in their three Super Bowl triumphs in four 
seasons. In addition to his last-second field 
goals (against the Rams in 2002 and against the 
Panthers in 2004), his 22-yarder against the 
Eagles in 2005 was the eventual margin in a 24-21 
victory.

  His even more important field goal was the 
45-yarder in the snow that forced overtime 
against the Raiders in the playoffs after the 
2001 season. ''I think that's the best kick I 
have ever seen,'' Belichick said in saluting 
Vinatieri for having broken Gino Cappelletti's 
franchise record for points in a Dec. 4 game last 
season against the Jets. ''Because of the 
conditions and because of what was at stake on 
that kick. I mean, that is the game. *If he 
doesn't make that kick, it is over.* We don't win 
that game without that kick. So that wasn't the 
win, that was the tie, so it is over.''

  *If Vinatieri doesn't make that kick in the 
snow, that Patriots team doesn't go on to win the 
Super Bowl* at the Louisiana Superdome on 
Vinatieri's 48-yarder against the Rams as time 
expired.
===============
(Notice that the last example involves the use of 
a SCFHP by a Pulitzer-prize winning columnist.)

I think it's been Language Logged too, but I don't know under what.

LH

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