Alan Pergament: Bandits’ post-game hat trick of expletives on TV sparks language debate

At least I thought the tweet was innocuous.

“Bandits get an A for performance, but one Bandit gets an F for language in a postgame interview. Actually 3 Fs. An advertisement for the delay button. Let’s hope WNLO – which did a good deed to air the title game – isn’t fined by the FCC.”

To my surprise, the tweet set off a debate on Twitter over whether I was making too big a deal over the expletives.

One critic made me laugh: “Always one over sensitive member of our woke media making a big deal out of something on the heels of the best sports night in Buffalo in 15 years.”

The use of “woke” in this context was funny because the word is usually used by conservatives to deride liberals. However, conservatives are just as likely to be upset by expletives that their children may hear.

Foul language wasn’t one of my biggest concerns when my children were growing up. I was more concerned about teaching them to be kind. Of course, I told them they shouldn’t use expletives in public, partly because people often view it as exhibiting a lack of class.

But I remember when one of my children overheard me using some expletives in a late-night telephone conversation with a close friend about sports and asked me why I did it if it is so bad.

I pleaded guilty to hypocrisy but added lamely that adults play by different rules.  

Another critic of mine made me laugh, too: “After 10 p.m. is safe harbor, Gramps.”

Nanticoke was interviewed shortly before 10 p.m. but expletives still are frowned upon on broadcast television, even after 10 p.m. or you would be hearing more of them on prime-time and late-night shows.

But my critic got one thing right: I…