Metaphors: horse carriages and a really dumb quarterback

A quarterback who just doesn’t get it
Dave Winer to Jay Rosen, 33 minutes into Rebooting the News #43

It’s like in football. … When the quarterback gets the ball, the quarterback always turns back and runs a few yards back before even thinking about passing the ball. And you think, “Why is the quarterback doing that? He’s giving up yardage. I mean, he’s running the wrong way.” Well he do it to find some little bit of room so he can see whats out there. So, in the new industry, they’re never willing to do that. They’re always standing right at the scrimmage line, not budging an inch. And of course what happens — they get tackled every goddamn time and they can never throw the ball.

A misnamed  car
Andrew Spittle on Twitter, discussing how using the term “computer-assisted reporting,” instead of referring online tools, is silly.

CAR would be like calling a car an “engine assisted horse carriage”

One thought on “Metaphors: horse carriages and a really dumb quarterback”

  1. Coupla thoughts:

    — One of the most consistently productive short-yardage plays for the Carolina Panthers in recent years has been the quick-out from Jake Delhomme (now with Cleveland) to WR Steve Smith. Delhomme literally doesn’t move a foot to make the throw. And somehow, the Panthers do not get tackled every goddamn time.

    — As one of the first reporters in the country to be trained in database analysis, about 20 years ago, I remember someone saying at the time of our training that someday, people would think of the term “computer-assisted reporting” as we thought at the time of the term “telephone-assisted reporting.” Just never thought that time would take so long to come.

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