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The Real "C Word" of Sports

Here's why "classy" is the worst word ever

By Gracey Terrill

Stop using the word "classy."

I’m talking all variations of class: classless, class act, classy, etc.

Just don’t do it. Don’t use it ironically (because you’re probably doing irony wrong) and don’t use it in a serious manner. Since most of you are just getting to know me, know that I enjoy letting sports fans behave however they want because sports are supposed to inspire passion. Sports are not supposed to evoke burning down your town after winning a game, shooting someone because they weren’t upset enough about the game or whatever other terribly violent incident you can imagine. Sports unite people that might not have the same political or religious views but come together to cheer and to celebrate a touchdown or a buzzer beater that wins the game. That is what sports do.

Using "stay classy" as a tongue-in-cheek way of insulting the opposing team and condemning their fun with that stupid saying is just played the heck out. KU fans have this weird obsession with using "class act" and "classless" like those are the only words they know. After Brannen Greene’s dunk (which was NOT that big of a deal), Coach Self called the act "classless" and was infuriated. Here are some quick examples of the ways "classy" and "stay classy" are so smug it pains me to even read them.

My eyes can’t roll hard enough. MAKE IT STOP! Just when I think most rational people have learned how using that word makes everything accompanying the word drip with disdain…

NO! Not even our own school understands how incredibly terrible this word is, so maybe I need to do something that even some of the worst fans in sports and I can agree on.

Enter the worst sports fan base imaginable, the St. Louis Cardinals. Sorry guys, there is a reason the #BFIB (Best Fans In Baseball) account on Twitter is so popular… They are a complete train wreck. These #madonline Cardinals fans use #stayclassy hashtags whenever someone dares to question their precious team and constantly pat themselves on the back for being the "classiest fans" in baseball. This fan base is a national example year after year of awful fans that use the worst language and racial slurs in the world to describe "traders" (ahem, traitors*) that move on from St. Louis. So yeah, classiest fans fur sure.

You are so much better than that, KU fans. I know you can do better than using the exhausting "stay classy" or "class act" crap that everyone else seems to say. The Jayhawks look at Kansas State as the pesky little brother that they arm wrestle and usually win against. Yet, every now and then, little brother pulls a quick one and wins. Remember the last two trips to Manhattan? We sure do!

I get that we don’t have your rings, we don’t have your wizard of a basketball coach and we certainly don’t have your recruits. We freely admit that the Kansas Jayhawks have a program that anyone in the Big 12 would gladly take, because they are just that good. So do yourself and everyone else a favor and stop using those dreadful words to describe anything. The world will be a better place and your fan base will be less likely to become a caricature of itself. Instead of continuing to lecture everyone on why it’s tragic to continue to wear out class, classy, classless and class act… here are some alternatives!

#staysharp

Stay dashing!

Stay swanky!

Stay superior!

Dazzling act!

Posh act!

Chic act!

Stay foxy!

Stay well-formed!

Stay select!

With finesse!

With glory!

With tact!

Looking forward to seeing more people wage war on the the actual "c" word and utilize these fantastic alternatives. Your move, sports fans.