I think Bob Varsha is a wonderful announcer, but why does it sometimes sound like he pronounces Barrichello's name as "Bon-i-kello"?? Also, could someone please let Peter Winsor know that Robert Kubica's name is Polish so it is pronounced: "Cu-bit-za". In Polish the letter C is pronounced like a Z. Other than that, I think all the Announcers do a fabulous job! I especially like David Hobb's dry humor.
I pronounce the drivers' names the way they tell me they want them pronounced. Rubens has a particularly tough name for my American tongue, but I get as close as I can. Kubica is a little more problematic, as Peter says Robert told him he doesn't care whether you go with COO-bi-ka or Coo-BEE-tsa, the latter of which a couple of Polish speakers have told me is correct.
Of course it matters that the names are correctly said.
Think about seeing your name constantly written wrong or hearing it said constantly wrong. Would you not get annoyed? I certainly would.
I got into our local newspaper a couple of years ago - no not the crime section, but the finance section. The "journalist" wrote my name as I recall, three times into the article, each time differently and each time wrong. it's almost needless to say that my appreciation towards the so-called "journalists" went down quite a lot. Yeah, this is one occasion only. But if they don't get even the name right then aren't there going to be a lot of other mistakes too on their articles? Because the name is easy to get written right.
Of course we give slack to foreigners when it comes to saying our names. Our names are not their language so they are likely not going to be able to say it right. But not even trying, or as admitted by the BobVarsha in this very same thread, knowing how it should be said and can say it so, but still saying it the wrong way, is horrible.
It's these "small" things which in the end make the difference between the good and the bad, the pro and the amateur.
But as I said, of course we give slack to foreigners when it comes to saying our names... for example, a lot of Finnish names are directly meaningful words of our language. You need to know our language to be able to say most of our names correctly. Some names are more easy because they are common in many languages and not said much differently. But anyways, I am certainly not expecting that people whom's native language is English, could say my real name right. It's the "not even trying" or "knowing how it should be done and being able to do it right, but still doing it wrong" which is irritating.
I'm glad these guys don't do Chinese racing I cannot pronounce any name with X'S and Z's properly, can you? All these language's with silent letters, letters you don't say,R's that mean Z's, ph that are F's,Russian I still don't have a clue- so on and so on. you know who they are talking about! My last name has only three letters and only 1 in 10 can say it right, do I care-NO. I know it's me they are addressing. It's a big world names are just a calling card. I bet other countries have just as much of a hard time with our names. It depends where your from and how you talk(or how you were taught). IT's NO BIG DEAL .
On the one hand, yeah, it's no big deal. On the other: what would you think if you heard your own name butchered? On yet another: if you're being paid to do a job you can get the R's, Z's, ph's and the silent Q's correct... unless satire's a big part of it, then you can do what you want.
what annoyes me is when they make Fernando into Fred - lewis into luis - and theres someone else they change too - why, why would you do that? it's not funny, it's not right, it's just plain dumb.
what annoyes me is when they make Fernando into Fred - lewis into luis - and theres someone else they change too - why, why would you do that? it's not funny, it's not right, it's just plain dumb.
What the Heiki is wrong with some of you? If the driver indicates a preference in pronunciations when there are obvious and confusing alternatives, why not go with his/her authority in the matter? Whether the name is correct in the native tongue of the driver is Trulli not as important to me as what the driver prefers. Jarno, can we get on with the racing?
Great job, Bob, David, Steve, Peter; keep up the good work!
If the driver indicates a preference in pronunciations when there are obvious and confusing alternatives, why not go with his/her authority in the matter? Whether the name is correct in the native tongue of the driver is Trulli not as important to me as what the driver prefers. Jarno, can we get on with the racing? 