Reader question:

Please explain “bell cow” in this quote: “They’re both good players, but Doug is our bell cow.”

My comments:

To paraphrase: Both are good players, but Doug is our leader.

If the speaker were talking about two cows instead of two players, he would be saying something like both cows are top-notch, strong and healthy etc, but one is the head cow, the other is not.

That’s the difference. The head cow, you see, is the undisputed leader of the herd. Where he (or she) goes, others follow.

Bell cow is another variation of head cow. Cow owners often attach a ringing bell onto the neck of the head cow, hence the expression. That’s a human effort to make it easy for their leading cow. When he (or she) moves, the bell starts ringing, making it easier for others follow him by following the sound. The bell is especially useful if it is a large pack.

Anyways, the bell cow is the leading animal, head of the herd.

In the wild, leading wolves and lions are called the alpha male (because they are mostly male), same thing.

As in our top example, bell cows are mostly used in sporting circles, referring to the best players on a team. Here are more media examples:

1. The San Diego Chargers left many people scratching their heads after signing running back Donald Brown to a three-year, $10.4 million contract at the start of free agency. The Chargers already have Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead sharing carries, so adding another running back was odd for a team tight on salary-cap space.

Running backs also aren’t hard to find, which is why their value in the draft and free agency has plummeted in recent years. Despite the suppressed market, general manager Tom Telesco still decided to make a sizable investment in Brown.

How much a franchise is willing to spend on a player in free agency may indicate a team need, but not always. It could also say something about how the team values the player, the position he plays or both.

Brown just doesn’t fit neatly into any of the normal categories. The Chargers don’t have a significant need, the position isn’t one of great value, and Brown himself isn’t a special talent.

“We know Ryan (Mathews) is our bell cow,” Telesco said via Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. “He’s our No. 1 back. He had an excellent year last year. And we all know what Danny Woodhead can do in his role. We saw that for 16 games last year. And we think Donald can come in and add to that, too, and give us some different options. And a different style, too. The more weapons we can have for Philip Rivers, the better.”

- How Donald Brown Will Fit in the San Diego Chargers Offense, BleacherReport.com, March 21, 2014.

2. Jamychol Baker had a huge day for the Golden Bears. The senior sprinter won the 100, 200 and 400, and he was a part of the Golden Bears’ 4x400 team won the event in a blazing time of 3:34.85. Munford finished second at 3:47.01.

“It was pretty successful day,” Baker said. “We had a lot of fun. We went from winning the county tournament 10 years in a row, and for the last two years we have lost. That motivated us to come out here and run harder and get where we needed to get. We hosted the tournament, so we said we might as well take the trophy home with us.”

Mansfield said that Baker pushes his teammates to be the best they can be every day.

“This is my bell cow pretty much every day,” Mansfield said. “He pretty much pushes everybody, and once they see him on his game, he makes the rest of them step up. He will be truly missed since this is his senior year. He has been on this track team since seventh grade.”

Baker won the 100 at 11.34. He won the 200 with a time of 22.59 seconds, and claimed the 400 in 52.24.

- Lincoln boys, girls sweep Talladega County Track Meet, AnnistonStar.com, April 14, 2015.

3. Kevin Durant can shoot most anytime he wants to, and nobody credible will utter a discouraging word. Durant worked hard for that privilege. He earned it.

But sometimes, Durant doesn’t have to shoot to impact a game. Same with Russell Westbrook, his long-time sidekick who also can create a shot, often a good one, upon demand.

Which explains Thursday night, when Durant and Westbrook took the court and didn’t feast on the Hawks. Durant and Westbrook served the feast.

Durant had four assists before he took his first shot. He had five assists in the first 7:12 of the game. Westbrook had four assists in the first 91/2 minutes, during which he launched one shot.

Good things happen when superstars share the ball.

The Thunder beat Atlanta 107-94 Thursday night, and the air in Chesapeake Arena was alive not only with sharp passes from the last two NBA scoring champs but with the excitement that OKC seems to be rounding into form.

Durant and Westbrook finished with 10 assists each, just the second time in their long partnership that both reached double-digit assists in the same game. That’s 20 of the Thunder’s 24 assists from two guys averaging almost 54 points a game combined.

“Kevin and Russell, I think they set a great tone,” said Billy Donovan. “Both of them are really trying to do the right thing.”

We’re slowly seeing the Thunder play differently. More spacing. More passing. Less one-on-one. Lessen the scoring load on the bell cows. Get others involved, and eventually things will grow easier for Durant and Westbrook.

The Thunder, 14-8, has won three straight. Durant's shot attempts in those games: 13, 14, 14. Westbrook’s shot attempts in those three games: 13, 7, 17. Both have averaged 19 shots a game for their career.

- Sharing is caring: Durant, Westbrook pass Thunder to victory, NewsOK.com, December 10, 2015.

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About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

（作者：張欣 編輯：丹妮）