May 5, 2017

Liberals embarrass themselves going wild mocking Reince Priebus for screwing up a football metaphor.

After all the glee — including Stephen Colbert making another genitalia joke (because: balls) — they all had to admit that Priebus didn't get it wrong. He didn't say "The president stepped up and helped punt the ball into the end zone." He said "The president stepped up and helped punch the ball into the end zone."



Here's TPM with an updated post titled "No, Reince Priebus Did Not Screw Up That Football Analogy" — "A reporter for The Hill who landed White House chief of staff Reince Priebus in a dog pile of mockery Thursday has corrected her reporting and apologized to Priebus." The original post is there for your enjoyment: "White House chief of staff Reince Priebus found himself on the receiving end of his own unfortunate football metaphor Thursday...."

Here's Colbert (video at link):
"After the vote, one reporter ran into Reince Priebus who told her, the president stepped up and helped punt the ball into the end zone. Yes, a punt into the end zone. Accurate because it gets you zero points and gives your opponent good field position.... I think a more accurate football metaphor might have been the GOP just kicked America in the balls."
By the way, even if Priebus had said "punt," Colbert's joke should bother liberals. It's alienating to us women to hear things discussed in terms of football and the non-universal experience of getting kicked in the balls. It's frat-boy. In that analysis, Priebus is wrong even if he said "punch," which he did. Stop talking about football unless you're also talking about fashion. And stop talking about your balls, even if you're talking about your balls.

90 comments:

JohnAnnArbor said...

They beclowned themselves.

(I thought the more academic-liberal types made a big deal about not knowing/caring about football.)

Matt Sablan said...

I'm sure some of Colbert's best friends are footballs.

MadisonMan said...

The problem with Liberals trying to find the next best thing to be outraged about. They hear what they want to hear.

mockturtle said...

It's alienating to us women to hear things discussed in terms of football

Speak for yourself.

JohnAnnArbor said...

"Stop talking about football unless you're talking about fashion."

Lots of women know football well, so don't make that assumption. My mom might have been a better coach than my high-school football coach.

Gahrie said...

It's alienating to us women to hear things discussed in terms of football

And of course everything is always about women.....

rhhardin said...

Half the good limericks talk about balls.

Matt Sablan said...

I thought half of the limmericks were about a gentleman from Nantucket.

Freeman Hunt said...

Did anyone who has ever been good at football care?

Mick said...

BECAUSE THEY ARE CHILDREN.

tim in vermont said...

God help him if he suggested getting it through by shipping it on the Orient Express.

rhhardin said...

Talk about kicked in the gonads. Everybody has gonads.

Wince said...

Punt or punch.

What about a Drop Kick?

The Drop Kick is one of the rarest plays used in football. It is performed when the kicker lets the ball drop to the ground, and then kicks it when it bounces back into the air. In 1941, a successful drop kick was performed during a NFL game by Ray McLean of the Chicago Bears. Decades later, Doug Flutie kicked one in 2006 as a member of the New England Patriots. He is... the only NFL player in the last 70+ years to successfully execute a drop kick.

tcrosse said...

The President teed up health care reform, stepped up to the plate and slap-shot the puck clean through the uprights for a home run. Ole ole !

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Today, on early morning local TV "news" station - they re-played clips from late nite comedy shows -- all mocking Trump and Ivanka.

Otto said...

stop talking....stop talking . Get off your duff and go play golf, you are getting to sound like a yenta. You will regret if you don't.

Original Mike said...

"Stop talking about football unless you're also talking about fashion."

No.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

mockturtle said...
It's alienating to us women to hear things discussed in terms of football

Speak for yourself.

5/5/17, 11:20 AM

I agree with mockturtle. I'd say Ann is nitpicking, but any term that has to do with picking lice eggs out of hair is extremely alienating to me.

Pianoman said...

Confirmation Bias.

The Left hears what it wants to hear. Then when they are proven to be clowns yet again, they pretend nothing happened.

"We have always been at war with Eastasia."

Known Unknown said...

Does Colbert enjoy having half an audience?

Wilbur said...

Someone needs to clue in "Holster" Colbert that punting the ball into the endzone does not result in good field position for your opponent.

It's called a touchback. They get the ball on the 20.

Original Mike said...

Why did the reporter assume Priebus was referring to football? Punting into the end zone is a standard rugby play. How amerocentric of her.

Christopher said...

It's alienating to us women to hear things discussed in terms of football and the non-universal experience of getting kicked in the balls.

All football metaphors and commonly understood male references must now be anathematized because they don't appeal to "us women."? Man, the speech code updates are endless, can you build it into some automatic Android update?

I take points off for Colbert being crude and filled with hate though. Definitely unlike Althouse.

robinintn said...

"Drop Kick Me Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life)".

Dude1394 said...

Seriously? So should he use knitting and sensi analogies as well?

Etienne said...

Scrotum's are like little purses.

The older you get, the more junk you have in them.

walter said...

Another dick move by Colbert.

Francisco D said...

I'm with Wilbur.

Punting the ball into the end zone only benefits your opponents when you punt from their 40, expecting to give them a poorer starting position than the 20. The 20 is not a good field position anyway. An end zone punt greatly diminishes the possibility of a good punt return, as well.

Girlymen like Colbert should stick to fashion and leave sports to the men and women who actually watch it.

rcocean said...

"I think a more accurate football metaphor might have been the GOP just kicked America in the balls."

Wow, now that's funny! I can see why Colbert has a TV show.

BTW, the MSM "oh, sorry we got that Trump & Friends quote wrong - and we're sorry we made him look stupid" seems to happen about once a week. There's a pattern. Its seems when they're not misrepresenting or badly interpreting what Trump (and Friends) said in order to attack him, they're outright lying.

rcocean said...

Just remembered that Colbert was criticized in 2006 for being "rude" and "offensive" to Bush in 2006 WH Press club dinner. Even the MSM thought he went over the line and was boorish.

Now he can tell jokes about the POTUS getting blowjobs from Putin on national TV and the MSM elite is OK with it.

The decline of the Left.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Original Mike said...
"Stop talking about football unless you're also talking about fashion."

Also, Ann, you're assuming that all men like and universally "get" football metaphors, and women would automatically like and get fashion ones.

But I know men who dislike football and women who pay no attention whatsoever to fashion. Wouldn't those women be offended by the assumption that we all know what Chanel suits, pencil skirts, and kitten heels are?

rcocean said...

Actually large numbers of women watch football.

Its not just for men anymore.

rcocean said...

Football analogies are used because they easily equate into politics. Winning/losing/teams/strategy/coaching, etc.

Does anyone win or lose in fashion?

mockturtle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mockturtle said...

Actually large numbers of women watch football.

I'll wager more women watch football than fashion shows. And I suspect that, in Medieval times, the ladies watching jousting knights did so with considerable knowledge of the sport.

Larry J said...

Known Unknown said...
Does Colbert enjoy having half an audience?


I think he's playing to his audience. How many people who have to get up in the morning and go to work every day watch those late night shows like his?

mockturtle said...

Does anyone win or lose in fashion?

Women lose. Bigly.

Matt Sablan said...

"Wouldn't those women be offended by the assumption that we all know what Chanel suits, pencil skirts, and kitten heels are? "

Kitten heels? Someone alert PETA, stat.

traditionalguy said...

It's Big Ten speak. After 59 minutes of 3 yards and a cloud of dust, Wisconsin winning the game depends on their scoring on a fourth down and goal.you need a big slow full back like a Ron Dayne to punch it in.

Try a pass and TCU wins the Rose Bowl. Or the Patriots win the Super Bowl because Marshawn Lynch was not given the ball.

That is the Big Ten great runner theory of winning football games. Give the ball to Trump and he scores.

MayBee said...

It's alienating to us women to hear things discussed in terms of football

I love football. I have tons of female friends who love football.

Ann Althouse said...

"Lots of women know football well, so don't make that assumption."

Don't assume you know what my assumption is. It's not that women don't understand the rules of football. It's that many of us are annoyed at how often the activity is used as a metaphor/analogy. I believe that the association with football is as male as the the association with fashion is feminine. So I challenge those who use football analogies and metaphors to show your inclusiveness by also doing fashion analogies and metaphors.

FullMoon said...

robinintn said...

"Drop Kick Me Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life)".
5/5/17, 11:59 AM

They ain't makin; Jews like Jesus anymore.

sean said...

And stop talking about STEM unless you're also talking about fashion! That alienates women too.

Ann Althouse said...

"So I challenge those who use football analogies and metaphors to show your inclusiveness by also doing fashion analogies and metaphors."

And by "you," what I really mean is: politicians and entertainers who are doing politics. You guys have to speak to females too. Don't come across as frat-boy unless that's the image you want, but look what happened to Andrew Dice Clay. Be careful!!

FullMoon said...

Colbert pretty funny. A kick in the balls is a go to in Disney movies, along with a dog peein' on somebodies leg.

Does he do fart jokes?

walter said...

Football has become far more relatable for women than fashion has become for men.
That's an important distinction when..fashioning..a metaphor.

mockturtle said...

I believe that the association with football is as male as the the association with fashion is feminine.

You're projecting your own associations, Ann. I associate fashion with gay males more than with women.

Nonapod said...

It's weird how personally a lot of comedians take politics. Guys like Colbert seem to come alive with incandescent glee when they think they've caught some stodgy Republican in a silly gaffe. Colbert should be more careful to keep certain quips holdstered in his mouth.

walter said...

The real Social Justice has arrived when punch in the cunt is as accepted as kick in the balls.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Ann Althouse said... I believe that the association with football is as male as the the association with fashion is feminine.

Your belief is sexist. Women love sports, too. Just as much as men--maybe more. Title IX, remember? If YOU think that football/sports metaphors are more associated with men than with women than that's a measure of YOUR sexism, and YOU should work on that.

The idea that men and women have different tastes, by gender/sex, is sexist. It's an ungood thought.

You smart progressive people can't argue one day that since gender is a social construct it's wrong to believe that "men like X, women like Y" and then the next day argue that "since X is associated with men then men should make an effort to talk about things in terms of Y instead." Syllogistically it's not impossible to reconcile those two ideas, but in practical terms it's inconsistent.

Drago said...

Althouse: "So I challenge those who use football analogies and metaphors to show your inclusiveness by also doing fashion analogies and metaphors"

Shouldn't be too difficult for you to provide some analogous analogies that we might use.

Gahrie said...

The president stepped up and helped clothe the anorexia victims.

Bad Lieutenant said...


Ann Althouse said...
"Lots of women know football well, so don't make that assumption."

Don't assume you know what my assumption is. It's not that women don't understand the rules of football. It's that many of us are annoyed at how often the activity is used as a metaphor/analogy. I believe that the association with football is as male as the the association with fashion is feminine. So I challenge those who use football analogies and metaphors to show your inclusiveness by also doing fashion analogies and metaphors.
5/5/17, 12:36 PM



It's a pity, Ann, that you never have anything interesting to say, that could be expressed with fashion analogies, so you could show us how it's done.

But perhaps it's not your fault; if so many people use sports references and no one uses fashion references in speech, that probably means that fashion references are useless for communication. Which makes sense because fashion is useless. Which I know makes you scream and rage. Which is not a reason for me not to say it.

The alternative is that people who are interested in fashion have nothing interesting to say.

buwaya said...

"The idea that men and women have different tastes, by gender/sex, is sexist. It's an ungood thought. "

It is, however, accurate.

And football is far from the most sex-specific taste. Not for that matter is womens fashion.

I doubt more than a handful of women - literally, probably, not more than can be counted on one hand, have voluntarily cracked "United States Naval Operations in World War II" Samuel Morison, ed.

tcrosse said...

Sports metaphors are a mainstay of Biz Speak. For once I'd like to hear somebody use sexual metaphors to express business ideas.

dreams said...

There's nothing wrong with what Priebus said.

"The president stepped up and helped PUNCH the ball into the end zone."

Ken B said...

Speaking of stupid sports analogies. I'm a male in my 50s. I had no idea that punt would even be wrong there. So even if the reporter hadn't made a fake report, all the mockery would sound fatuous to my ears. Would they mock someone for misunderstanding the en passant rule in chess, or not knowing what a backwash squeeze was in Bridge? Those would strike me as similarly insular and stupid concerns.

JohnAnnArbor said...

For once I'd like to hear somebody use sexual metaphors to express business ideas.

And watch the harassment paperwork filed with HR before close-of-business same day.

dreams said...

Althouse trying to tell men how to be men. I guess, the nominate part of her personality is currently the parent part.

traditionalguy said...

Buwaya...That's not fair. Morrison's history of Naval Operations is 26 volumes writte about men, for men and by a man. Did you see the Coral Sea commemoration dinner live on C-Span last night? Trump played it perfectly, as did Turnbull. Aussies have never forgotten 1942.

walter said...

dreams,
It's a real punch in the cunt, if you ask me.

JaimeRoberto said...

A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.

Krumhorn said...

In the spirit of discarding tired, vaporous analogies, I commit myself to creating new literary images that are as sharp as a stiletto, as weightless as a Leah da Gloria size 4 wedding dress, and all with the stealth of Commando Low Beams.

Hmmmm...not sure any of that works.

- Krumhorn

Sigivald said...

"Lighten up, Francis."

Drago said...

Perhaps Althouse would prefer that we conjure up analogies and metaphors that are based on the plotlines from "Girls"? You know, so we are not so "ick-ily" male and heteronormative and Cis-whatever.

Something along the lines of "Shaka, When the Walls Fell"

Bad Lieutenant said...

Buwaya, I've been looking for a download of Morison, got a link?

Bay Area Guy said...

Once in the late 80s, Vice President Dan Quayle mis-spelled "potato" as "potatoe" and the media went ape-shit for several months, defined him as an idiot, and basically wrecked his political career.


Nobody's heard from him since.


That's what the media does. To his eternal credit, Trump decided to hammer back -- which is partly why he won the presidency.

mockturtle said...

which is partly why he won the presidency.

which is largely why he won the presidency. FIFY.

Christopher said...

So I challenge those who use football analogies and metaphors to show your inclusiveness by also doing fashion analogies and metaphors.

Dear Lord, she was serious.

Drago said...

Bay Area Guy: "Once in the late 80s, Vice President Dan Quayle mis-spelled "potato" as "potatoe" and the media went ape-shit for several months, defined him as an idiot, and basically wrecked his political career. "

He didn't misspell it.

He was asked to judge a spelling bee at a school and he was handed a card with the incorrect spelling which he used.

Whammo.

Similar to the fake news story by the NY times involving HW regarding scanners.

The left has been pulling this crap for 70 years.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Maybe an analogy between politics and men in shorts?

buwaya said...

"Buwaya, I've been looking for a download of Morison, got a link?"

Nope. Not in download form of any kind, ever, that I know of.
The Army "Green Books" are online, of course.
The Air Force also.
The Navy does have a huge trove of online publications. Why not the Navy "Blue Books"?

Yancey Ward said...

You have to be pretty damned stupid to mistake punt for punch, and even more so if you actually know and watch football- it isn't like "punch it into the endzone" is a phrase rarely heard. Probably The Hill reporter knows so little about football herself that "punt" is one of the only football related term she even knows.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Lois C K has funny bit about how Christianity won. How do we know Christianity won? We count the passage of time by the birth of... Jesus.

Althouse is still in the jungle fighting the gender wars... nobody has told her the men won ;)

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...


Sports metaphors are a mainstay of Biz Speak. For once I'd like to hear somebody use sexual metaphors to express business ideas


That's almost exactly how I lost that job at Pepsi, or was it Mattel Toys...

Anonymous said...

I'm a man who has no interest in sports, any sports. How am I supposed to feel? I like how I'm supposed to hope someone can tell me. I usually just nod and when pressed, just state, I have no interest in sports. Of course, I have no interest in being a bitch either. Annie girl, get yourself a job at the Safeway or something because you're losing it since you retired.

exhelodrvr1 said...

If you want some military reading that's a little lighter than Morison (his series is excellent, by the way) just Google "Falcon Codes" - and read a couple of the links.

tcrosse said...

That's almost exactly how I lost that job at Pepsi, or was it Mattel Toys...

So you got the thrust of what I posted, if not the exact ins and outs.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

It's alienating to us women to hear things discussed in terms of football and the non-universal experience of getting kicked in the balls.

I take it you accidentally hit your young sons in the balls a few times, and then said, "Quit crying! Your experience is not universal and I can't relate to it!"

What is wrong with you?

SukieTawdry said...

It's alienating to us women to hear things discussed in terms of football and the non-universal experience of getting kicked in the balls.

It's apparently alienating to at least one of us women who probably shouldn't generalize on behalf of the rest of us.

SukieTawdry said...

I believe that the association with football is as male as the the association with fashion is feminine. So I challenge those who use football analogies and metaphors to show your inclusiveness by also doing fashion analogies and metaphors.

I have the same approximate interest in fashion as I do in football which is very little. Fortunately, however, I do understand most football/fashion-related analogies and metaphors, so there's not much chance I'll feel excluded. Are you trolling, Ann?

Pamela said...

Football metaphors are acceptable. I can name more NFL teams than fashion designers.

traditionalguy said...

FYI Morrison's First work of History is on Kindle; Admiral of the Ocean Seas.it is a chronicle of a great Sailor from Italy commanding a Spanish Fleet that conquered n entire Hemisphere. Talk about fighting confirmation bias. Admiral Columbus was a tough cookie.

RMc said...

a punt into the end zone...gets you zero points

Not in Canada.

Etienne said...

I find it interesting that her youthful skin in the video belied a terrible life of yo-yo diets from before puberty.

No wonder her ovaries were confused.

Etienne said...

Punt, push, who cares.

Anyway you look at it, the jocks get millions to spend on whores and booze.

Maybe kill their wife and boyfriend in a mixed-race marriage to a blond.

Gahrie said...

What is wrong with you?

She's a feminist.

Professional lady said...

I don't play golf so I don't understand golf analogies. Both men and women play golf and golf outings associated with professional networking are very common.
So, because I don't like golf and don't understand golf analogies should I expect other people to stop professional networking golf activities? Should I expect other people stop using golf analogies? No, I just don't do the golf networking thing and when people use a golf analogy I tell them I'm not a golfer and ask them what they mean.

JAORE said...

"Liberals embarrass themselves..."

This is not possible. Liberals appear unable to be embarrassed.

Much riotous laughter at the football screw up. The retraction is unlikely to be seen by even 5% of those aware of the "screw up" that wasn't. Even for those 5% the retraction is "Meh. That one may be fake, but ALL the others are Gospel".

Bad Lieutenant said...

Pro gal,


So, because I don't like golf and don't understand golf analogies should I expect other people to stop professional networking golf activities?


'So, because I am blind and don't understand sighted metaphors, should I expect other people to stop using their eyes? Or just stop talking about it?'