[…] I hasten to say that “alongside” is an old word. “Fans” have become “fan base” […] And beyond that, I believe that athletic “alongside” has a very particular history. Anyway, when one of the anchors intro’d the show, he always said “alongside”—i.e., “This is Dan Rydell alongside Casey McCall.” A few years later, NFL announcer Joe Buck, started opening his coverage a particular way: “This is Joe Buck, alongside the Hall of Famer Troy Aikman.” Again, just a touch ironic, especially as it became ritualized: Buck used the same language for baseball broadcasts, subbing in John Smoltz’s name; on WNBA coverage, it’s “Ryan Ruocco, alongside the Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo”’; and in boxing, it’s “Bernardo Osuna alongside the Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley.”