Darrell Davis: Better, more respectful ways to make a point

Swearing has become far too entrenched in our everyday language.

Almost every second word is an obscenity. It’s not happening just in sports, but it’s most obvious during televised sporting events because microphones are everywhere. Players screaming nasty words at each other is almost blasé, although it shouldn’t be. Yet the only time pro athletes get punished is when they use racist or sexist taunts, not for foul language.

There are hundreds of bad examples. The latest surfaced yesterday when a 16-year-old hockey player in Yorkton was allegedly sworn at and berated by his coach.

Listening to the player’s secret recording of their meeting, it is disgusting language. The fact he recorded the session and, with his parents, called a press conference, is worth discussing. The player is from a First Nation, but it doesn’t sound like a racist put-down.

A coach has every right to relate his concerns to a player, but there’s a cleaner, more respectful and effective way to make a point.

All this sounds familiar to any athlete who has played at a high level. Coaches swear for emphasis, just like the general population does. There are so many verbs and adjectives in our languages, so many ways to make a point, why limit yourself to four-letter words?