There's only one thing in the soccer-reporting media that bothers me more than the constant put-down, condescending, jock-itch sports dinosaur writing that pervades much of the US sports media. That is laziness. Total unabashed laziness.So is the charge leveled against Chicago's WGN9 Sports anchor Dan Roan. In reporting the highlights of Celtic FC's 1-1 tie with Chicago Fire , Roan did the following in about 30 seconds.
* Mispronounced Celtic "Kell-tick" instead of the proper "Sell-tick."
* Incorrectly referred to Celtic as an Irish team, they are from Glasgow, Scotland.
Forgivable? Perhaps, but it really speaks to the media's either indifference or lack of commitment to get the story right. If anyone on Around the Horn or PTI had referred to the NBA's Boston Celtics as the Boston Kell-ticks, they would have been laughed off the stage. The thing that bothers me is that as a sports guy, Roan is already familiar with the Boston Sell-ticks, but pronounced Celtic FC as Kell-tick. Therefore, he already knows that there is more than one pronounciation for that word. Wouldn't it be hooof him to check to see which one was proper?
As for the location of the team, admittedly, that could be kind of confusing due to Celtic's largely Irish fan base, the presence of a four-leaf clover on their jerseys and Irish Tricolor flags being bandied about Toyota Park yesterday. Also, the absence of the Irish or Scottish anthems prior to the game perhaps further led to the misunderstanding. However, it betrays a lack of research and knowledge of the subject at hand. Imagine if someone had said the University of Illinois sports teams were based in Chicago. Yes, many U of I alums live in Chicago, as well as most of their current student body when they're not in class, and likewise, even though many Celtic fans are of Irish descent, that doesn't mean that they are in Ireland or that the team plays there.
No comments:
Post a Comment