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etitor
 Fresh Boarder
Posts: 12 
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I've noticed an increasing use of the term 'touches' as a substitute for 'carries' or 'receptions.' Even the Kansas City Star has begun the usage, as in this article by Adam Teicher:
'The Chiefs are using Holmes a lot, more than any other team uses it star running back. He's on a pace for 482 touches, counting rushing attempts and pass receptions.'
How does this come about? It's a mischaracterization. Carrying the ball, and catching the ball, are a whole lot more complicated than 'touching' the ball. If the QB passes you the football, you'd better do a lot more than touch it. To use the term 'touch' for a carry or catch imply no skill on the player's part; all he has to do is 'touch' the ball and yards are gained or points are scored.
Then, of course, there's the potential to mistake the word 'touches' as short for 'touchdowns,' in which case 482 for a season would be impossible for a team, let alone a single player.
Let's get rid of 'touches' now, before it becomes as widely used a mistake as 'giveaway/takeaway ratio.'
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was2004
 Fresh Boarder
Posts: 12
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It's an easy to way to say how often you carried the ball without saying, 'receptions, rushes and returns combined.' I don't have a problem with it. I'm sure just about everyone knows what is meant.
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Merenqer
 Fresh Boarder
Posts: 11
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Uh, sometimes a word can have more than one meaning. Y'know, like 'glass' can mean a pane in a window or a beverage container? It's really not that complicated, unless you're new to the English language.
What word would you recommend we use instead, to mean 'advanced the ball in some way'? It's a useful stat to track, so it'd be nice to have a handy term for it.
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MatiuSnefert
Fresh Boarder
Posts: 11
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It's been used for at least two years by local media in Florida and national media in general. It's kind of like how 'Walk off home run' was the rage for a while, except this term seems to be sticking. I have no problem with it, since it conveys in a lot less words the overall nature of a players involvement in a game. If a person insists on taking the term literally, then the term will drive you bonkers. In general though, at least in my circles and among most media, it's understood what is meant by 'touches'
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Qube2
Junior Boarder
Posts: 20
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How about 'gets?' As in, 'He GOT da ball.'
- MAL -
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