"Poop" (thanks, Shawne!), "Pop" and "Swish" -- NYC additions to the basketball lexicon

"Shawne Williams poops from the corner!"

I just had to add "poop" to the NYC sports lexicon on my website, and I took another look at "pop" and "swish" as well.

POOP

"Poop" began December 5, 2010 on the Posting and Toasting NY Knicks blog. After a Shawne Williams three, the blogger wrote, "Its beautiful! Poopin’ from the corner!" The blogger quickly tried to correct this to "poppin'," but it was took late. The poop was already out.

There is some question if "poop" will survive from the Knicks to the Nets. Does it apply to other players--can Anthony Morrow also poop from the corner? It's all up to Nets fans.

HE STOPS, POPS AND IT DROPS

"Pop" for a basketball shot is in the saying, "He stops, pops and it drops!" Golden State Warriors websites credit this to Steve Albert, but Marv Albert and Al Albert also used it. If anyone runs into the flying Albert brothers, please ask about their catchphrases and send me an email. "He stops, pops and it drops" appears to date to the 1980s, if I recall correctly.

SWISH

Marv Albert and many others have credited the legendary Marty Glickman (1917-2001) for popularizing "swish." Glickman was the first NY Knicks announcer (1946) and was also an early announcer for the NY Nets when they played on Long Island. Glickman said that he picked up "swish" from the Knicks players.

Unfortunately, some electronic newspaper database checking shows that the basketball "swish" dates to at least 1910. Glickman is said to have invented many other sports terms (such as "key" for a "shot at the top of the key") and maybe I'll do more work to give him credit for those.