Why are they called "kids?"

[eusebius]

I hear college fans, refer to the players as "kids." It's not just our fans but fans of other programs, primarily in the South. I have never understood that. Most of the players are over 18, some as old as 23. Is this a term of endearment? Or is it some veiled way of absolving them of responsibility? I have sons who are close to this age range, and at our house they are not kids, nor was I treated that way at those ages.

It also reminds me of a bit the late Tim Wilson did on Bobby Bowden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug1EDJ1KZ44     

[OTTER]

Dude, what difference does it make!?

[BorderPatrol]

Wow, this place has done turned stupid.

bp

[jimmur74]

Most idiotic post EVER! Congrats!!

[Reservoir Hogs]

Well Im pretty young 33 but I refer to most college students as kids...

[wupigsuey]

Age doesn't make you mature. I don't know many 23 year olds I'd call mature. But, like the man said, what does it matter?

[PorkSoda]

everyone is someone's kid

[Poop Hoggy Hogg]

I hear college fans, refer to the players as "kids." It's not just our fans but fans of other programs, primarily in the South. I have never understood that. Most of the players are over 18, some as old as 23. Is this a term of endearment? Or is it some veiled way of absolving them of responsibility? I have sons who are close to this age range, and at our house they are not kids, nor was I treated that way at those ages.

It also reminds me of a bit the late Tim Wilson did on Bobby Bowden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug1EDJ1KZ44     

ive made some dumb posts before, but i was drunk. what's your excuse? we call them kids because they are dang kids! I call my 20something year old neighbors that recently got married "kids" and they ain't thought a thing of it. Some of y'all think too Damn hard!

[Mike Irwin]

It's some sort of a coaching thing that has been around forever. "Young men" would be a better way to put it but I don't think it matters much to the players.

I did a piece on media day called, myth or fact. The question to Brey Cook was,
"Offensive linemen don't like being referred to as 'kids' by coaches but they think it's funny when coaches use that term for defensive linemen because they really are kids. Myth or fact?"

Cook said it was a fact.

[LZH]

The older you get, the older the people you call "kids" get.  I'm 47 and a 25 year old is still a kid....mostly because I'm old enough to be his father.  Fwiw, anyone that I don't know very well and they're old enough to be my father, I still say "yes sir/no sir" and call him "Mr. ___________".

[DeltaBoy]

The older you get, the older the people you call "kids" get.  I'm 47 and a 25 year old is still a kid....mostly because I'm old enough to be his father.  Fwiw, anyone that I don't know very well and they're old enough to be my father, I still say "yes sir/no sir" and call him "Mr. ___________".

This!

[LZH]

This!

Unless it's a 25 year old girl.  Then hopefully I'd call her 'Sweetie'.......

[eusebius]

It's some sort of a coaching thing that has been around forever. "Young men" would be a better way to put it but I don't think it matters much to the players.

I did a piece on media day called, myth or fact. The question to Brey Cook was,
"Offensive linemen don't like being referred to as 'kids' by coaches but they think it's funny when coaches use that term for defensive linemen because they really are kids. Myth or fact?"



Cook said it was a fact.

Thanks Mike for the response and perspective.

Thanks Mike for the answer and perspective.   

[texas tush hog]

It's some sort of a coaching thing that has been around forever. "Young men" would be a better way to put it but I don't think it matters much to the players.

I did a piece on media day called, myth or fact. The question to Brey Cook was,
"Offensive linemen don't like being referred to as 'kids' by coaches but they think it's funny when coaches use that term for defensive linemen because they really are kids. Myth or fact?"

Cook said it was a fact.

I hear all the players in baseball referred to as kids, from little league to college. Such as there you go kid.  Listen to it for yourself. Drives me nuts.

[rickm1976]

It's some sort of a coaching thing that has been around forever. "Young men" would be a better way to put it but I don't think it matters much to the players.

I did a piece on media day called, myth or fact. The question to Brey Cook was,
"Offensive linemen don't like being referred to as 'kids' by coaches but they think it's funny when coaches use that term for defensive linemen because they really are kids. Myth or fact?"

Cook said it was a fact.

I had three of them in college at one time, and believe me,  they ARE kids!  Seriously, my 28 year old son is a HS football coach, and he refers to 18 year old HS seniors as kids.  He was an offensive lineman in college, and hated being called a kid too.  I guess some of it is payback.

[1highhog]

I hear college fans, refer to the players as "kids." It's not just our fans but fans of other programs, primarily in the South. I have never understood that. Most of the players are over 18, some as old as 23. Is this a term of endearment? Or is it some veiled way of absolving them of responsibility? I have sons who are close to this age range, and at our house they are not kids, nor was I treated that way at those ages.

It also reminds me of a bit the late Tim Wilson did on Bobby Bowden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug1EDJ1KZ44     

Because at my age they are kids.  They're wet behind the ears, they're whistledicks, that's just the way it is.  If any of y'all fall into that age category, then you think you know everything, then you reach 30 and realize you didn't know jack when you were 18-23, then when you're 40, you'll realize you still didn't know much at 40, its and ever learning process, but most of all, when you're 18-21, you think you're the smartest thing there ever was only to find out you were dumber than dirt.

[DoctorSusscrofa]

Most people aren't mature until 25 or later.

[LSUFan]

Kids are best BBQed in a slow smoker.

[BatesvilleHOG]

3 losses to top 15 teams in a down year where we were predicted to maybe be worse than the year before and Hogville goes bat sh*t crazy.

[BatesvilleHOG]

sorry double post, blame Suddenlink Internet and Barak Obama.

[aar0n]

I'm all of 27 years old and I can tell you there's a BIG difference in being 18-22 and being my age even, let alone older.  I thought I was a grown man when I was 18, but looking back now I was absolutely a kid.  I'm sure years from now I'll look back at when I was 27 and think of myself as a "kid" then too.

[cbhawg03]

I think it is a term of endearment more than anything, but the true answer is more complex. Term of endearment because of how much football means in the South, especially the SEC. These are our "kids" that play for our  :razorback:

That said though, I am with the others in what does it really matter

[PorkSoda]

3 losses to top 15 teams in a down year where we were predicted to maybe be worse than the year before and Hogville goes bat sh*t crazy.

my thoughts exactly.  we are a good team, we just have a brutal schedule.  if we get a bowl, I feel sorry for whatever mid major gets matched up with us.

[Rzbakfromwaybak]

Lol......well, with all the headlines nearly every week that tell of college athletes being arrested, warrants, suspensions, dismissals, mischief, etc.......(& often wonder how many incidents that we don't hear about)...

Seems that quite a number of them are still acting like kids. Certainly hope these aren't all mature adults pulling these stunts.

[Inhogswetrust]

Dude, what difference does it make!?

One of my pet peeves. It is because they are NOT kids................Anyone old enough to go fight for their county at 18 years old which is the same age as most of the players in college is NOT a kid. They are young adults.

[BrianWPS!!]

I think it is a term of endearment more than anything, but the true answer is more complex. Term of endearment because of how much football means in the South, especially the SEC. These are our "kids" that play for our  :razorback:

That said though, I am with the others in what does it really matter

This should just be copied and pasted every time this question comes up. Very well said I had never thought of it this way.

[Inhogswetrust]

Most people aren't mature until 25 or later.

"fully mature" maybe not......................but still a kid.............NO.

[John Futrall]

Dude, what difference does it make!?

[Rzbakfromwaybak]

Unless it's a 25 year old girl.  Then hopefully I'd call her 'Sweetie'.......

Yep....if she looks good, I'll call her anything she wants....

[OTTER]

One of my pet peeves. It is because they are NOT kids................Anyone old enough to go fight for their county abt 18 years old which is the same age as most of the players in college is NOT a kid. They are young adults.

Really?  I have known a lot of brave soldiers between the age of 18 and 22 who were kids at heart and kids when they were at play.  They were also great soldiers in the field.  Shouldn't be a pet peeve for them to be both.

[HouSwine]

Some of us kids somehow got stuck with these outdated bodies!

[PORKULATOR]

The only ones arguing they're not kids are the ones the same age... Purely assuming on my part, but i stand by it.
Wps

[PORKULATOR]

Really?  I have known a lot of brave soldiers between the age of 18 and 22 who were kids at heart and kids when they were at play.  They were also great soldiers in the field.  Shouldn't be a pet peeve for them to be both.

you can't argue with that dude, Otter... He's a stump in hog fan flesh with a keyboard at his fingertips... And he's wrong.
I joined the USAF at 20 and i was still a kid... I also told two million dollar aircraft where to fly in our airspace and controlled em until they could see the runway. But still a kid

[Karma]

Because they are kids. If you are around college students for long, you realize they are still kids.  Legal age, etc., but still kids.

[eusebius]

Because they are kids. If you are around college students for long, you realize they are still kids.  Legal age, etc., but still kids.

Do you think this is a good thing? Or is this endemic of a larger cultural problem? 

[PorkSoda]

"fully mature" maybe not......................but still a kid.............NO.

at what age to people magically transform from a kid to an adult?

[Inhogswetrust]

Really?  I have known a lot of brave soldiers between the age of 18 and 22 who were kids at heart and kids when they were at play.  They were also great soldiers in the field.  Shouldn't be a pet peeve for them to be both.

A kid is a kid...................a young adult is a young adult......................18 is not a kid. I'm 57 and sometimes act like a kid at heart.

[Inhogswetrust]

at what age to people magically transform from a kid to an adult?

Nothing magical about it. For purposes of legalities and societal norms anyone that is old enough to vote or go to war isn't a kid imho. Therefore it is a matter of semantics but out of respect for persons 18 or older I don't think they should be called a "kid" even if they act like one sometimes. I'm 57 and still act like it sometimes as do ALL adults. Acting like a kid is not the same as being one.

[Inhogswetrust]

Really?  I have known a lot of brave soldiers between the age of 18 and 22 who were kids at heart and kids when they were at play.  They were also great soldiers in the field.  Shouldn't be a pet peeve for them to be both.

I'm 57 and act like a kid when playing sometimes. ALL adults do.

[eusebius]

I'm 57 and act like a kid when playing sometimes. ALL adults do.

Thanks all for helping me do a non scientific poll on the usage of the word "kid." Prior to the 1950's and the birth of teenage culture adulthood was something most entered into sooner based on responsibility and social norms. Through the 1960's and progressively until the current the ages of adolescence has been pushed back in our society. College aged individuals (18-25) are seen less and less as adults in many people's minds. The usage of "kid" is a term of endearment especially in the South, and it's also one of endearment in sports i.e. Ted Williams and Ken Griffey, Jr. and the 1950's Phillies, The Whiz Kids (avg age was only 26.4). Sorry if it elicited a Benghazi meme reaction But I do think it matters, because words are indicators of how we view the world. Calling them or not calling them kids usually has some meaning behind it. - 

[secfan30]

I'm in my 40's and get called kid sometimes.

Its what people 20+ years older than someone calls them especially in Sports. Never has been a big deal previously.

[redeye]

I never liked it either, but then players in the same class will call each other a kid, so I just accept it.  But they're certainly not kids and I'm nearing 50.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

It's some sort of a coaching thing that has been around forever. "Young men" would be a better way to put it but I don't think it matters much to the players.

I did a piece on media day called, myth or fact. The question to Brey Cook was,
"Offensive linemen don't like being referred to as 'kids' by coaches but they think it's funny when coaches use that term for defensive linemen because they really are kids. Myth or fact?"

Cook said it was a fact.

Nutt called his players men... How'd that work out for ya..? 

[1highhog]

I'm all of 27 years old and I can tell you there's a BIG difference in being 18-22 and being my age even, let alone older.  I thought I was a grown man when I was 18, but looking back now I was absolutely a kid.  I'm sure years from now I'll look back at when I was 27 and think of myself as a "kid" then too.

Yep, just as I stated.  I look back every 10 years, and it's easy to see I've got a lot more to go to be as wise as my Dad, who's going on 83.  But then again he'll tell you he's still doing what I do, every few years he looks back and realizes just how much more he's learned.  We continue to learn until the day we die.

[1highhog]

I never liked it either, but then players in the same class will call each other a kid, so I just accept it.  But they're certainly not kids and I'm nearing 50.

Nope, they're kids.  My daughter and son-in-law are 34 and 36, I call them kids, because they are my kids.  But as far as the rest of the young'ns go, I call them kids until they can stand on their on feet, own their own house, are married and not mooch off of their parents any longer.