This is apropos of nothing, but when does a title cease being used. That is, when a person occupies a position and attains some measure of success or notoriety in that position, does that entitle the person to use the title for the rest of one's life, no matter whether one retires or changes occupations?
The first time I noticed this annoying trend when Bob Knight, the former college coach, was being interviewed on a pregame show. Bob Knight was one of my favorite coaches. I still think, contrary to many who believe that Dean Smith bested him, the Knight was the greatest college coach of his era and one of the top five of all time. Be that as it may, by the time this show was airing, Knight had been out of coaching for a good year or two. Yet, the anchors and other talking heads tripped over themselves to address him as coach. It's respectful, I get it, but why not call him Mr. Knight? After all, he's been that since at least the age of sixteen and he'll be that until the day he dies or decides to go Chaz Bono on us. He was a coach for a few decades, but since his retirement, he's become a color analyst for college basketball games. He no longer coaches. This usage seems out of place.
Other professions that get this treatment are presidents, judges and priests. There may be others, but I can't think of them at the present time. Of the three, the only one I can agree with is President. Since there have only been forty-four of them, and all but five of them are alive. When it comes to Supreme Court justices, I might make an exception for them, too. But lesser court judges? Priests? Why?
(c) 2012 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
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