Taking a Mulligan

Sports references can be very powerful.  If the Governor gives a great speech and you describe it as a "home run" everyone knows what you mean.  Since we all know what a "home run" is, the phrase immediately communicates a lot in just a few words.  But the reference falls apart if you have to explain it. 

Here's a great example.  The Star issues a big "I told you so" to Hispanic groups that supported Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General.  The paper thinks they should admit they made a mistake.

In essence, they're refusing to take a mulligan, which is the golf term for a do-over. If a golfer sends a tee shot 50 yards off the fairway, he takes a mulligan and hits another tee shot. The key here is that the golfer essentially admits that he's made a huge mistake that can't be remedied. He recognizes his error and moves on.

Wow, that's awkward.  The only thing worse than using a sports term and then having to explain it...is getting it wrong.   In addition to being unhappy with Hispanic groups, the Star thinks that the state's new immigration law is too tough. 

Under the law the governor signed, a business basically gets one strike. The first time it is cited for hiring illegal immigrants, its license is suspended; the second time, its license is revoked.

One strike?  Your license is revoked after TWO violations.  That looks like a TWO strike rule.

The mistake is even more obvious when they describe the constitutional amendment.

The constitutional amendment has no strikes. You get caught hiring illegal workers, your business goes dark.

No strikes?  Dude, a swing and a miss is one strike. 

The writer is thinking of something else.  He's thinking of a rule that allows the player to make one mistake and still play...you know a mulligan. 

Comments

[BobH]

The Alberto Gonzales mess, from a Hispanic standpoint, was a bit of an own goal -- a sports reference that wouldn't need to be explained to Hispanics.

[Mark]

I think the author of the article is as witty as a dial tone! Okay, so no sports reference, but at least I didn't explain a dial tone...

[Jeff Tenet]

The Democrats are so racist. Alberto should have just kept throwing it in their face. Clinton fired, what?, 82 attorneys for political reasons, we fired just a few. The Democrats feel they have to destroy the minorities in Bush's cabinet. The Dems are just a bunch of sleaze buckets.