Rangers Get Vinnie?

I wasn't going to say anything - but thinking something and not saying anything about it is not really how we roll around here. So here goes:

There are been all these stories bouncing around the web (or what George Bush calls "the internets") about the Ranger's acquisition of a certain Mr. Prospal. But many of the articles and posts - heck - most of them - are for some incomprehensible reason, calling him "Vinnie".

Vinnie? I mean, really?

How ugly-American can you get? The man is from the Czech Republic and his name is (queue the Insurance Duck) Vaclav.

Vaclav is a fine name - nothing wrong with it. And there's nothing wrong with the name Vinnie. But Vaclav and Vinnie are different names. See, having the same first letter doesn't make them the same - becuase the names have all these other letters in them.

And having Americans calling Vaclav by a more USA sounding name is kind of 1950s lame, isn't it?

It's like when your grandma calls the superintendent Louis (LOO-iss) because she can't remember how to say Luiz (loo-EEES)

Think of it in reverse. Let's say the Czech republic decides they want a team in NFL Europe. And then let's say they go out and get Vinny Testaverde as their QB. And then Vinnie starts getting interviewed and reporters are calling him Vaclav Testeverde - you know - because Vinnie sounds a little weird in Czech and Vaclav begins with the very same letter! I mean, if you're Vinnie you have to be thinking "what is this Vaclav crap - my father named me Vincent?"

Anyway - in 2009 its just not cool to assume everyone else has to change their names to seem less foreign to US citizens. So, please, say it with me people - Vaclav. Vaclav. And if you forget - just think of the Duck. Because Vaclav is "AFFLAC" backwards.

Sort of.