Merry Christmas, [Matt Glaude]!
Below, Brian Harrison presented his Christmas list. As I have never been one to dismiss a good idea, here's my brief list of yuletide desires:
- This may constitute a true Christmas miracle, but I wholeheartedly wish that Internet-based authors would move away from using the nominative singular pronoun "we." Using "we" as a personal reference rather than as an effort to denote a collective is absolutely maddening, especially given the nature of blogs and its role as a source of information and analysis.
I am unsure when and/or where the "we" movement finds foundation, but it has all but infected many a notebook over the last 12 months. My personal assumption is that many writers are fearful of using the personal pronouns "I" or "me" because many pre-secondary education English classes promote the use of non-first person prose.
Whatever the cause, the solution is simple: do not use "we" unless it is necessary to use the nominative plural of "I." - Speaking of using the word "we," I wish that the world would stop using the pronouns "we," "us," "them," and "they" when referencing either a team of preference or an opponent. The reason for this distinction is fairly straightforward: spectators are not participants.
For example, I would not expect members of the Syracuse University football team to refer to Orange::44 as "our" blog. Connectedly, as a writer, to refer to the Orange football squad's performance as "our" performance is patently improper.
Plus, in the end, using proper names provides readers with a more descriptive examination and inherently signals who the particular actors are. - I wish that Demetris Nichols would get some national attention for his performance thus far this season. According to Ken Pomeroy, Nichols is currently ranked in the top 500 in the country in seven statistical categories (Pomeroy currently categorizes 12 different statistical measures). In two categories -- offensive efficiency rating and percentage of shots -- Nichols is within the top 100.
If it was not for Nichols' ill-fated dunk-layup attempt against Wichita State, Nichols could have easily established himself as one of the most important players in the Big East Conference this season. - I wish that Syracuse's fabulous 2007 basketball recruiting class stays healthy throughout its respective preparatory seasons.
- I wish that Syracuse offensive line coach Bob Wylie somehow manages to find functionality in the Orange offensive front. The Syracuse front was simply atrocious in 2006 and given the youth that is expected to contribute in 2007, Wylie has a tough job ahead of him.
- I wish that the faucet in my kitchen would dispense Dewar's scotch.
- Finally, I wish that someone would condemn Georgetown University.
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