Players wanting to be known by their first names or by just one name

[Didsbury Dave]

I get unreasonably annoyed by this.

On the player's part, it is usually just massive egotism.

On the fan's part, it is the worst part of hipsterism.

I'll make an exception for Brazilians, with their 7 names and a long cultural history of doing it.

The bloke is called Alexis Sanchez, therefore, like all players before him, he is Sanchez, not Alexis.

Rodriguez, not James.

Ronaldo, not Cristiano.

Hernandez, not Chicharito.

And there are hundreds of other examples where pathetic player's are requesting to be known by one name or to have their first name on the back if their shirt. As if they want to almost trademark a name that thousands of others, including many footballers, share.

I can't think of examples at present but I'm sure I've even heard of English players trying to get on this bandwagon too and eventually being told by their clubs that they aren't going to put 'Dave's on the back of a shirt.

The fans who are so desperate to use it and aid them in this process come across as internet dwelling freaks, desperate to stand out amongst their mates in the playground.

If it is a cultural thing, fair enough. If not though, it should be banned and a 20 match ban issued to any player trying it.

Discuss.

I've posted about this before. It irritates me unreasonably.

I can just about live with rich, ego-driven moron footballers calling themselves "Zlatan" and speaking in the third person. Their heads have been ruined by adulation and cash. But when fans do it it drives me insane. It's a mixure of idolisation and forelock-tugging, with a small dose of over-familiarity.

Bizarrely we have one of our own: Yaya, but I suspect that's partly because of his brother so I will forgive him. Just.

 

[The blue phantom]

I can imagine some of the egotistical fuckers on here rocking up at City with their user name on plastered on their top.

 

[SWP's back]

Cultural

The South American thing is cultural as well.

 

[NQCitizen]

For nearly every player that does it its a cultural thing.

It's just naming customs across the globe.

It's only really northern Europeans that are guaranteed a straight up first name / surname layout.

 

[NQCitizen]

I get unreasonably annoyed by this.

On the player's part, it is usually just massive egotism.

On the fan's part, it is the worst part of hipsterism.

I'll make an exception for Brazilians, with their 7 names and a long cultural history of doing it.

The bloke is called Alexis Sanchez, therefore, like all players before him, he is Sanchez, not Alexis.

Rodriguez, not James.

Ronaldo, not Cristiano.

Hernandez, not Chicharito.

And there are hundreds of other examples where pathetic player's are requesting to be known by one name or to have their first name on the back if their shirt. As if they want to almost trademark a name that thousands of others, including many footballers, share.

I can't think of examples at present but I'm sure I've even heard of English players trying to get on this bandwagon too and eventually being told by their clubs that they aren't going to put 'Dave's on the back of a shirt.

The fans who are so desperate to use it and aid them in this process come across as internet dwelling freaks, desperate to stand out amongst their mates in the playground.

If it is a cultural thing, fair enough. If not though, it should be banned and a 20 match ban issued to any player trying it.

Discuss.

Rodriguez isn't his full surname
Ronaldo is a forename
Hernandez isn't his full surname

 

[ZanteWeatherman]

Venegoor of Hesselink. sure made Celtic fans eyes (and wallets) water if their kids wanted that moniker on the back of their shirts.

 

[jma]

Rodriguez isn't his full surname
Ronaldo is a forename
Hernandez isn't his full surname

Columbian and Portuguese footballers have historically - and still are - mostly referred to by their surname or part of their surname. Ronaldo was, and still is in the eyes of the majority if the world, always Ronaldo, until some tossers wanted to seem more familiar with him and started to refer to him by a pretty common first name.

Carlos Valderama was not going around calling himself just Carlos (or if he was it was in an era where people had the sense to ignore him and refer to him in the way that all South Americans, other than Brazilians, were referred to).

And if you can find me a reason in Mexican culture whereby adults are, in anything approaching an official capacity, referred to not by their name but a self appointed vegetable moniker, then fair enough. Fuck knows why everyone called him Hugo Sanchez when we should have been referring to him as 'The medium sized turnip.

 

[jma]

The South American thing is cultural as well.

Outside of Brazilians?

Nicknames are common but actively shunning their names in favour of self appointed nicknames or just first names outside of Brazil?

It seems to be something that they - or their fans - only decide upon after a certain level of fame is reached. Ergo, an ego thing.

Hence Sanchez and Rodriguez not being referred to as Alexis and James, when such a thing would rightly 've met with a reply of "Thousands of people share that name, be more specific, you stupid prick".

 

[SWP's back]

Outside of Brazilians?

Nicknames are common but actively shunning their names in favour of self appointed nicknames or just first names outside of Brazil?

It seems to be something that they - or their fans - only decide upon after a certain level of fame is reached. Ergo, an ego thing.

Hence Sanchez and Rodriguez not being referred to as Alexis and James, when such a thing would rightly 've met with a reply of "Thousands of people share that name, be more specific, you stupid prick".

I have lots of clients from Brazil and Venezuela (pilots and oil and gas engineers), the name(s) they go by have virtually no resemblance to what is on their passport. (I have one client called Jimmy Sanchez (on his work ID) who doesn't have Jim, Jimmy, James nor Sanchez on his passport ID - it's a bugger for the anti-money laundering checks).

I can't give a reason for this, I just know it's strange and not at all limited to football.

 

[domalino]

"Thousands of people share that name, be more specific, you stupid prick".

Yes, how annoyingly vague for someone to go by "Alexis" and not "Sanchez" in a spanish speaking country like Chile.