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Possible Duplicate:
Why is the historical present tense used so often by sports broadcasters?

Yesterday I watched a basketball game. There was a substitution, and a commentator said “Vince Carter comes in”.

I've always thought that in this situation it is better to say “Vince Carter is coming in”, because the action is happening at this moment, or “Vince Carter came in” if he already on the court. Why did he say it that way?

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Moses
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  • ‘should’ is a past-tense form, of ‘shall’, so it’s a little tricky. Short answer: use it for either past present. “I thought I should go, and I still think I should go.” Long answer: read up on English modals. Here ‘s a starting point. – StoneyB on hiatus Nov 11 '12 at 11:48
  • I have removed the second question. Please do not ask several unrelated questions at once. – RegDwigнt Nov 11 '12 at 14:46

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Sports commentators sometimes use the present tense, rather than the present progressive construction, to describe a present event that occurs at the moment of speaking. It gives the commentary a greater sense of immediacy.

Barrie England
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