I’m Warning You!

I’m a logophile. — obsessed with words, their exact definition, and correct usage.

I’ve had one of my scribbled, mostly illegible, notes sitting on my desk for several weeks now. It says “2 minute warning”. The term’s been used ever since the inception of the NFL, the National Football League. It came about due to the lack of a clock big enough to be seen from the playing field. Using their wrist watch, the referees would “warn” the teams that time was running close to the end of the 1st half or, the end of the game.

Today the term is an anachronism. It’s not a “warning”, it’s an “alert”, but is it really necessary at all? The problem is: what will it take to fix the wording? Sponsors are fond of the “warning” when viewer’s interest in the game is at it’s peak. They’re not going to give it up without a fight. Here’s my solution;

Logophiles Unite! Speak up and insist that “warning” be changed to “alert”.

Send your letters to the Commissioner of the NFL. Roger Goodell, at 345 Park Avenue in New York City.