Today, I have an Impromptus column, which touches on a variety of subjects, as usual. One of them is gun control. I talk a little about Marco Rubio’s predicament (caught between attackers on the left and attackers on the right). I also say that I’ve always had a warm word for people who advocate the repeal of the Second Amendment, or the reform of the amendment. (An amendment of the amendment.) Not that I agree with them — but I appreciate their honesty, their straightforwardness. It’s better than pretending that the Second Amendment doesn’t exist, or that it isn’t a big honking obstacle to gun control.
I see that Jonah Goldberg devotes his entire column to this point, and a good column it is.
Another of my items has to do with sports and language at the same time. Today is Final Four Eve Day. And I talk about nicknames for three rounds of the tournament (the NCAA Tournament): the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, and, of course, the Final Four. I’ve never liked the sound of “Elite Eight.” I prefer “Elegant Eight.” I think it has a better cadence and that it goes better with “Sweet Sixteen.”
One reader said that you could go French: “the Elite Huit.” I also have a note from a longtime reader in Indiana:
Back in the day when Al McGuire did games with Dick Enberg (“Oh my!”) and Billy Packer, it wasn’t the Elite Eight. Al’s name for the round was the Great Eight. I always liked that sound — and always loved the great Al McGuire, whether as a coach or as an announcer.
Our reader signs off, “From the Hoosier hardwoods . . .”
Let me sneak in another sports item, here on the Corner. I was watching — I could explain — an episode of What’s My Line?, from July 1962. This was the game show, you remember, where celebrity panelists had to guess the occupation, or “line,” of contestants.
One contestant was a Jens Söderberg from Sweden. He had a very exotic line: “Professional Soccer Player.” The panelists had a hard time getting it. It was just so alien, the idea of a professional soccer player.
Anyway, I thought this was historically interesting.