- Oct 10, 2006
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Isn't that his name?
Commentators pronunciation of names
- Thread starter g-thing
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Isn't that his name?
buddyruff
Cancelled
Agree. Have started a thread about my annoyance with "the GWS" previously.
I don't understand why the commentators feel the need to add the letter "Y" to the end of seemingly every player's first name - e.g. "Tommy", "Scotty", "Matty" etc. You now even get "Jakey".
Why can't players just be referred to by their first name as it is known?
Ben'l at Gold Coast; Ben-al at West Coast.
Crafted
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- Jul 5, 2012
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Even though he's retired now, I still hated when the commentators said Travis Johnson.
Johnstone is NOT Johnson. It's even harder when there was a bloke WITH the name Johnson in the team (Paul Johnson at the time, I think there was another bloke as well, I'm not sure, I was kinda young)
Johnstone is NOT Johnson. It's even harder when there was a bloke WITH the name Johnson in the team (Paul Johnson at the time, I think there was another bloke as well, I'm not sure, I was kinda young)
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Would like to know how it's actually pronounced. I'm thinking along the lines of Mc-don-ooh
Start of the year the 2 networks should get together with the clubs and find out exactly how their players pronounce their names, instead of just making it up as they go along.
its pronounced mc-don-a-hugh (like hugh jackman). friends friend of mine.
It is quite funny to hear how some of the Dutch names have been Anglicised although this is not strictly incorrect.
(OT: By way of comparison, English football commentators do get a lot wrong, especially when it comes to players outside the Premier League. I cringe when it comes to the Eredivisie and Pro League but was told that they did not want a commentator who knew the league and the players (and their names).)
(OT: By way of comparison, English football commentators do get a lot wrong, especially when it comes to players outside the Premier League. I cringe when it comes to the Eredivisie and Pro League but was told that they did not want a commentator who knew the league and the players (and their names).)
- Aug 17, 2006
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Agreed. I think here would be a good place to put actual video or articles of the players confirming their preferred pronunciation of their own names, to remove any ambiguity. Somewhere along the way, I got the idea that to pronounce the vowels in Italian names that would be treated as silent in English was correct (Mon-tag-na instead of Mon-tan-ya; Co-nig-lee-oh instead of Co-nee-lee-oh), but I don't really have any idea whether I've actually got that right or not.
And then there's the cases of the same surname being pronounced two different ways, based on the player's preference (and possibly, their heritage), as in Ivan Ma-rich and Addam Ma-rick (I believe both players have Croatian heritage, as well).
At the end of the day, the commentators have the resources available to confirm the correct (well, the player's preferred) pronunciation of any 'different' surnames and it's sheer laziness on their part, if they don't bother to. Kolodjashnij is pretty daunting on the first take, but if you take the time to let someone explain how to say it, for maybe 10 seconds, it's easy.
Had to love good old Robbo talking about the Bulldogs game a couple of weeks back (I believe this exchange was with Anthony Hudson, but don't remember.
MR: And the Bulldogs' first round draft pick getting his first taste of AFL footy...how would you say that, Huddo?
AH (without even a moment's hesitation): Bon-tem-pell-i
MR: Well done!
FFS, it's not a common name for an AFL footballer, but (as far as I know) it would be pronounced exactly as it's spelt!
I remember reading a while ago that, Derek Rae, a soccer commentator in the UK, will call a consulate to ascertain the correct pronunciation of a player's name.
In AFL, on the other hand, inexactness in pronunciation seems to be celebrated, as if it is somehow "cool" or edgy.
- Aug 17, 2006
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That's impressive. But I really think just contacting the player (and/or the club's media manager) would be sufficient. Then they'd be covered if, for example, Jack wanted to be called 'Ree-wolt' and Nick wanted to be called 'Ree-volt'.
I've brought this up somewhere else, but I blame Sam Newman. A generation of ex-players have been brought up, by Newman, to believe that actually doing some research on the more obscure/younger players, is somehow beneath them. People find it much more entertaining if you get asked who you think will win a game and you respond with 'Who's playing?' apparently.
Agree with this. I also think that it comes down to the AFL essentially being one big "boys club", with the thinking basically being that "it doesn't matter if we don't get the pronunciation correct as we're all mates anyway/(player X) is a good bloke, he wouldn't really mind if we pronounced his name incorrectly".
Was speaking with Chris Masten's family friends last week.
I asked them and their response was it is MASTEN not MARSTEN
I asked them and their response was it is MASTEN not MARSTEN
Does anyone know the correct pronunciation of "Hibberd"?
I would have thought that it was HIB-UHD but the commentators always seem to pronounce is as HIB-ARD as if there were an A in his name instead of the E?
I would have thought that it was HIB-UHD but the commentators always seem to pronounce is as HIB-ARD as if there were an A in his name instead of the E?
tribey
ʎǝlʞuᴉH ʞɔɐS
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The same thing happens with Petterd. Instead of Petter'd we get Pett-ard.
I just assumed it was a Melbourne thing to go with 'El' pronounced as 'Al'.
Heardy_101
LET'S GO BRANDON
Sam Colquhoun from Port Adelaide.
When he played last year, BT pronounced it as "Car-hoon". Which could be correct, but I've always wanted to know how the fudge you pronounce something like that as it is. I always used to say "Colo-kuan" until I heard BT say his name to which I almost laughed, mainly because I see BT's logic; can't pronounce the f**king name, so make something up.
Travis Boak. Now I know it is pronounced as "Boke", however I have heard radio commentators say "Bo-ak"
Brent Renouf - I've heard both "Ren-off" and "Ren-iff".
When he played last year, BT pronounced it as "Car-hoon". Which could be correct, but I've always wanted to know how the fudge you pronounce something like that as it is. I always used to say "Colo-kuan" until I heard BT say his name to which I almost laughed, mainly because I see BT's logic; can't pronounce the f**king name, so make something up.
Travis Boak. Now I know it is pronounced as "Boke", however I have heard radio commentators say "Bo-ak"
Brent Renouf - I've heard both "Ren-off" and "Ren-iff".
What's really mind boggling is "Mzungo".
Some commentators manage to say "Mzungo" after having earlier got the name right.
Some commentators manage to say "Mzungo" after having earlier got the name right.
I've noticed this as well. It started last year and only occurred occasionally, but this year it has ramped up to being almost half the time his name is called. I'm sure Gerard Healy once actually corrected himself when he said 'Mzungu' and then said 'Mzungo' straight afterwards.
Huddo generally starts saying his name right until another member of his commentary team get it wrong then he calls him Mzungo from then on.
Especially given there is no trap in Tendai's surname, pronounce it as it's been written. Where Mzungo comes from is anyone's guess.
I know most of the commentary teams are ex players and most ex players are meatheads but Mzungu should be one of the easier names in the league to not utensil up.
Cleavy
Hall of Famer
reminds me of the 12th man calling the rugby league
Hank93
Brownlow Medallist
Not AFL, but Bruce and Jim Courier's pronunciation of Djokovic really pisses me off. It's not even close to Jokeavich.
Especially when the player in question even tells them how to pronounce it.
Especially when the player in question even tells them how to pronounce it.
