I was running errands today and, as usual, listening to Sirius NFL Radio. Like most of their spots, today's show offered an opportunity for people to call in and ask football-related questions. One gentleman called in, claiming to be a "HUGE!!!" Packers fan, and going on and on about how happy he was that the Pack decided to bolster their O-Line in the draft. He's watched every game for as long as he remembered, has been following the team in the offseason, and was tired of Aaron Rodgers having to scramble and take sacks, etc., etc., etc.
And then he said it...
I mean I'm just SO happy they took Bryan Beluga in the draft, I can't wait for the season to start!
Insert needle scratching across a record here. Um... WHAT DID YOU SAY? Your team spent its most valuable pick in this year's draft, at #23 no less... AND you claim to be a "HUGE" fan of your team... AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THE NAME OF THE PLAYER THEY SELECTED?
I honestly don't know how the radio show hosts refrained from correcting the caller, as I would have jumped in before he could finish his sentence to do so. In fact I practically screamed it out loud in the car. In the words of the ESPN crew, "C'mon, man!" I mean it's not like the guy's name is "Nnamdi Asomugha" or "Will Ta'ufo'ou" or "Michael Hoomanawanui." His name is Bryan Bulaga. Say it slowly with me..... BRY---an----Bu----LA----ga.
I urge everyone to show the proper respect to these young men who have worked very hard to achieve the level of professional athlete... and learn how to pronounce their names. There are some difficult ones on the Colts: Tuihalamaka and Tyshovnytsky don't exactly roll naturally off the American tongue. "Guice" is deceptive in its pronunciation, and even "Skolnitsky" can be a bit tricky. But with a bit of practice, you can get it right and not make a fool of yourself should you ever call into Sirius NFL Radio while LovinBlue is listening.