​“Was I Stuttering?” How Peyton Manning Fumbled in the Super Bowl

By Craig Coleman

By now, many people have seen the opening segment of the Super Bowl (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP0ALpfJons) featuring Peyton Manning. In the segment, Manning says “Was I stuttering before?” to emphasize an earlier point that he made to his colleagues sitting around a conference table.
 
First, let me begin by saying I don’t think Peyton Manning was being intentionally hurtful. Manning himself was born with a cleft palate (http://www.carolinapeds.com/2014/09/peyton-manning/) and has done a lot of work to raise money for children in need.
 
The phrase “Did I Stutter?” has seemingly been around forever in some form. When you think about it, it’s fascinating to dig a little deeper into why it has been used as a punchline when others are not understanding or the lines of communication have broken down. “Did I stutter?” Why have people used that line? In fact, when people do stutter, others can still understand them. It might just take a little longer for the message to come out.
 
Unfortunately, the phrase perpetuates many of the myths that have surrounded stuttering:

1. If people stutter, others can’t understand them.
2. If people stutter, they can’t communicate their message well.
3. Stuttering is bad.
4. Stuttering is the worst communication disorder to have.

 
These all rank high on the “fake news” scale, and it is important to help people understand what stuttering is:

1. Stuttering is a disruption in the flow of speech that may include negative reactions and impact on overall communication. It can also be accompanied by physical tension and secondary behaviors (eye-blinking, head nodding, etc.).
2. People don’t choose to stutter. It is a genetic and neurophysiological (the way the brain works) condition. It is not caused by emotional stress or anxiety.
3. Stuttering typically begins between the ages of 2-4.
4. Stuttering is more common in males. About 4 males stutter for every female.
5. About 1 percent of the population stutters. That’s over 3 million people in the Unites States, and over 70 million in the world.
6. Stuttering is highly variable. Just because a person can speak fluently in one situation doesn’t mean they can do it in all situations just by trying really hard.
7. People who stutter are just anyone else. They just have more disfluencies. They can be very successful and do anything.
8. The impact of stuttering is typically far more important than how much a person stutters.

 
So, what is the problem with saying “Did I stutter?” Really, there is none. The problem is that there needs to be a follow-up response with “Yes, you did. And I was still able to understand you. It’s ok to stutter. Please continue talking and tell me what you want to say. I’m listening.”
 
Maybe can hope for that in next year’s Super Bowl! 

I encourage anyone who wants to learn about the experiences of people who stutter to watch Stuttering: Part of Me (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtWxqQCC3Ew).

​To get more information on stuttering:

www.stutteringacademy.com
www.westutter.org
www.stutteringhelp.org
www.stutteringhomepage.com
www.friendswhostutter.org
www.stuttertalk.com
www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/childhood-fluency-disorders/