Team Name Confusion

[smurfgirl]

It happens to everyone. Our team is officially registered as the ÜberBots, with an umlaut on the u and the second b capitalized. We write it that way on all our documents, give outs, t-shirts, and that's how it is in TIMS. However, every year, our name is spelled "Uberbots", with no umlaut on the u and the second b not capitalized. It's like that in official program books, other teams spell it that way, etc. We've learned to get used to it. After all, your official team name doesn't make the team, the people on the team and the way you conduct yourselves is what defines you.

[Uberbots]

@smurf: typing UberBots with the umlaut is very hard if you dont have a german keyboard, and the keycode is a bit excessive. oh well...

personally i always get galehawks and gaelforce mixed up. heck, i probably mixed the spelling on them too.

[Beth Sweet]

On a similar note, they always pronounce Okemos wrong, it's beginning to border on comedic...

So far I've heard Oh-key-mos
Oh-key-mos

instead of Oh-keh-mis

That and No-vee instead of No-vi (like eye), but that's their battle...

[Jeff Waegelin]

One of the announcers at BAE (the one who wasn't Andy Grady) kept having trouble with one of our high school names (Tiverton). It should be pronounced Tiv-er-ton (short i), but he kept saying Tie-ver-ton (long i).

[jgannon]

Some announcers seem to think that AR is the state abbreviation for Arizona, much to the Bomb Squad's chagrin.

In any case, announcing must be an insanely difficult job, having to try to pronounce a whole bunch of words you've never seen before in front of a whole bunch of people. The best we can do is to get the info right in TIMS, hope they don't turn it into mush, and laugh it off when they do.

[EricH]

In AZ (the correct abbreviation for Arizona), the first two years, both 294 and 330 were there. Both have names starting with "Beach" ("Beach Cities Robotics" and "Beach'Bots", respectively). Usually once on Friday, the announcer (I name no names) would call 294 "Beach'Bots". Only once a year, though...after that, he'd get both right. Funny, he never called 330 "Beach Cities Robotics"... In 2006, right 100% of the time, as I recall.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by Beth Sweet

On a similar note, they always pronounce Okemos wrong, it's beginning to border on comedic...

So far I've heard Oh-key-mos
Oh-key-mos

instead of Oh-keh-mis

That and No-vee instead of No-vi (like eye), but that's their battle...

Well it might be Frog Force's battle, but they did end up saying "No-Vye" by Saturday, so I guess 503 won that one. Whereas I heard a variety of pronunciations of Okemos - one of which sounded more like Ogemaw.

Least we don't have to listen to Steve Warren try for "Daimler" this year.

[Ryan Dognaux]

Originally Posted by jgannon

In any case, announcing must be an insanely difficult job, having to try to pronounce a whole bunch of words you've never seen before in front of a whole bunch of people. The best we can do is to get the info right in TIMS, hope they don't turn it into mush, and laugh it off when they do.

It all depends on the state. Last year when I was announcing up in Wisconsin, I had a heck of a time pronouncing some of those cities. Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Oconomowoc... but once you get them down it's even more fun when those teams are in the match.

And some advice to avoid name confusion: pick a unique team name. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a team called the robo-somethings. I'd bet money that probably 5 - 10% of the teams in FIRST are robo-somethings. You have to pick a unique team name, something completely random even, to be remembered and stand out.

[Dan Petrovic]

Originally Posted by Ryan Dognaux

It all depends on the state. Last year when I was announcing up in Wisconsin, I had a heck of a time pronouncing some of those cities. Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Oconomowoc... but once you get them down it's even more fun when those teams are in the match.

And some advice to avoid name confusion: pick a unique team name. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a team called the robo-somethings. I'd bet money that probably 5 - 10% of the teams in FIRST are robo-somethings. You have to pick a unique team name, something completely random even, to be remembered and stand out.

There are dozens of "Gearheads"

I have also noticed that "Screaming Eagles" is a popular one.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Ryan Dognaux

Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Oconomowoc...

A few years ago, the TechnoKats were part of an alliance between teams from Kokomo, Oconomowoc, and Mukwonago. That was interesting, to say the least.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

A few years ago, the TechnoKats were part of an alliance between teams from Kokomo, Oconomowoc, and Mukwonago. That was interesting, to say the least.

Alan,
Would you mind spelling these names phonetically with the emphasis placed where it should be?

I know Kokomo, I can read/think that one but the other two make my brain want to lisp or stumble. Seriously.
And these are names that stem from Native American heritage, yes?

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

Alan,
Would you mind spelling these names phonetically with the emphasis placed where it should be?

I know Kokomo, I can read/think that one but the other two make my brain want to lisp or stumble. Seriously.
And these are names that stem from Native American heritage, yes?

I lived in Natchitoches, Louisiana for several years. It is the sister city of Nacogdoches, Texas. I was told at the time that Natchitoches is a French spelling of an Indian name/tribe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natchitoches,_Louisiana

Natchitoches sounds like Nakutush but can sound like Nakudish when you get the subtleness down.

Nacogdoches sounds like Naku-doe-shis - no subtleness needed just a bit of twang.

(Sorry for a double post)

[Michelle Celio]

My high school's team name was actually one of the many Japaneses words for "Dragon" so it was Tatsu, that was always a hard one to pronounce but it really ensured that no one had the same team name as us. The team was from Osceola County in Kissimmee, Florida. Both have seemed to be tongue ties for the MC/Announcers. (If you watch the 2007 Website award presentation you can hear how Osceola is said two different ways in the same sentence )

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

A few years ago, the TechnoKats were part of an alliance between teams from Kokomo, Oconomowoc, and Mukwonago. That was interesting, to say the least.

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

Alan,
Would you mind spelling these names phonetically with the emphasis placed where it should be?

I know Kokomo, I can read/think that one but the other two make my brain want to lisp or stumble. Seriously.
And these are names that stem from Native American heritage, yes?

I should probably let a native cheesehead reply, but they're probably all broken up about Brett.

Kokomo is just like looks, as it was sung in the Beach Boys song.

Oh - CON - uh - muh - wok, with the last 3 syllables going as fast as possible.

The last I've not heard before, but suspect it's muk - WHAN - uh - go

Gotta love those Pottawatamis and Winnebagos. They're responsible for Kalamazoo too.