This week’s bracketology: Sports cliches

There are several excellent bits featuring of baseball cliches, not the least of which is this scene from Bull Durham:

I previous wrote about The Final Four of Everything, focusing on Dan Okrent’s greatest Jewish baseball Players and Will Leitch’s greatest sports writers. Now it’s time for Sports Cliches, a contribution by Sports Illustrated‘s Steve Rushin.

Only one of the 32 choices — “All credit goes to my Offensive Line” — definitely excludes usage in baseball, so I’m discarding that one along with its opponent, “All credit goes to my Lord and Savior.” The rest are fair game.

So in the original setting we have (winner of each bracket appears in italics):

• We need to work on our chemistry vs. I need to work on my mechanics
• It’s do or die vs. Our backs are against the wall
• He’s in a zone vs. We’re on a mission
• I give 110% vs. It’s not about the money
• This is a real gut check vs. We shocked the world
• There’s no quit in these guys vs. It’s crunch time
• Not in our house vs. We’re going in a different direction
• We don’t pay attention to the hype vs. It is what it is
• The kid’s got tremendous upside vs. Nobody gave us a chance
• We have to stay within ourselves vs. They threw him under the bus
• We play ’em one game at a time vs. The guys have to dig deep
• I have a family to feed vs. We sent them a message today
• We left it all on the field vs. He has ice water in his veins
• This is a wake-up call vs. Someone needs to step up
• Let’s take it to the next level vs. I want to spend more time with my family

Round Two (Sweet Sixteen):

• We need to work on our chemistry vs. It’s do or die
• We’re on a mission vs. I give 110%
• Gut check vs. Crunch time
• Different direction vs. It is what it is
• Nobody gave us a chance vs. They threw him under the bus
• One game at a time  vs. the eliminated football reference face-off
• I have a family to feed vs. We left it all on the field
• Someone needs to step up vs. I want to spend more time with my family

Round Three (Elite Eight):

• We need to work on our chemistry vs. I give 110%
• Gut check vs. It is what it is
• They threw him under the bus vs. One game at a time
• I have a family to feed vs.  I want to spend more time with my family

Round Four (Final Four):

• I give 110% vs. It is what it is
• One game at a time  vs. I want to spend more time with my family

Finals:

• One game at a time  vs. I give 110%

Other examples of baseball cliches (many overlap):

• From BaseballAlmanac.com
• From BaseballProspectus.com
• From BleacherReport.com (scientific refutations)
• Cliches in action: