Subject/Verb Wars

It seems to me that one of the biggest challenges faced by modern English speakers is correct subject/verb agreement. I lived for many years in the midwest and the deep south, and I can't count the number of times I've heard someone say "I seen" or "they was". I wonder how such folks ever manage to graduate from elementary school, much less high school.

But today, I'm hearing more and more subject/verb mismatches coming from the mouths of local TV news reporters. I live in the Orlando, FL television market, and there are a few reporters who regularly mix up their subjects and verbs. Most of the time, it's not quite as blatant as "we was", but it's noticeable nonetheless. For example, "The large nest of hornets were threatening the neighborhood children." Last time I checked, "nest" was a singular noun.

I guess no one in station management is listening to their own broadcasts. Or worse, they're listening and they don't recognize the problem!

Let's hear from you—is this a problem only in central Florida? Or are TV reporters across the country also mixing up their subjects and verbs?