[QUOTE=coach belly;67405]Originally Posted by redietz
In terms of what's on the printed page, of course.
"Someone who bets on sports" connotes that it's an activity an individual engages in, among many activities. "A sports bettor" connotes that it's a primary feature or attribute of the individual. There's a serious difference between the likely connotations of "someone who plays blackjack" and "a blackjack player." Now you can play the minutia game of arguing that "a sports bettor" or "a blackjack player" doesn't NECESSARILY have those likely connotations, but it's the writer's duty to profile his audience and anticipate how that audience will interpret what's on the printed page.
And besides, it's not a completely accurate analogy (as if there is such a thing). Some people might interpret "spec writer" as someone hunkered down in his mother's basement, typing up myriad letters and chapters that will never see the light of day.
Now Mr. Mendelson meant it as a compliment, and I certainly take it that way, so I salute him. I know people working on spec are taking 1 in 100 shots, if that, so scoring is a rarity. Getting a paper accepted with a non-academic as lead author was obviously a long shot. It had to be a good paper, or one with a couple of novel things to mention.
Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to spell this out. Much appreciated.
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