Walk off? Enough already

It has to stop. It just has to.

When did baseball annoucers/broadcasters start using the phrase walk-off homer? I can guarantee you that the great ones - Jack Buck and Harry Carry - never used it to describe a game-winning homer and never would have if they were still alive today.

But now, every one seems to use it and not just for homers. I actually heard the other day walk-off RBI single. Are you kidding me?

This has to stop. It's a game-winning home run. It's a game-winning single.

Could you imagine if the walk-off phrase was popular when Kirk Gibson hit his magical, pinch-hit homer in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Could you imagine if Buck used it to describe Kirby Puckett's GAME-WINNING homer in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.

If we don't watch out, this walk-off trend is going to start showing up in other sports.

I can hear it now. "Kicker Ryan Longwell has just sent the Vikings to the playoffs with a walk-off 40-yard field goal."

How about: "Tiger Woods has just won his fifth Green Jacket with a walk-off three-foot putt."

What about hockey? Are we going to say, "Robin Crosby sends the Penguins into first-place with a skate-off breakaway goal."

Or basketball. "LeBron James has just given the Cavs a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals with a walk-off three-pointer from the corner."

Baseball announcers need to stop with all the walk-off stuff. I don't want to be watching boxing and hear: "Evander Holyfield is once again the heavyweight champion of the world with a walk-off upper cut in the fifth round."