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In Sports Reporting, Sometimes 'Groin Injury' Isn't Quite Right

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

A sensitive subject - or maybe we should say area - came into question last night during the NBA finals game between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Golden State's Andre Iguodala was running down the court when Matthew Dellavedova of the Cavs reached around him to hit the ball away. But he hit something else.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #1: Iguodala took exception to something right away.

UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #2: Well, he tells his team right away he was hit below the belt.

MCEVERS: A similar thing happened during a game last month, and Kyle Wagner of FiveThirtyEight analyzed the media's description of this part of a man's body. Groin was used the most, but that's not actually accurate.

KYLE WAGNER: Because in sports, you can, like, tear or pull your groin muscle, which is, you know, a muscle in your leg.

MCEVERS: Some news outlets were more precise.

WAGNER: There was nut shots, jewels, rocks, cherry picking. And Ray Ratto at CSN called it, I think, the heritage factory, which was pretty good.

MCEVERS: Let's leave it right there. Kyle Wagner's full analysis is at FiveThirtyEight.com.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT")

PAT BENATAR: (Singing) Hit me with your best shot. Fire away. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.