So why is NBC calling Turin by "Torino"?

[LynneSin]

http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2006-01-20/#tv2

Let's Call the Whole Thing Off?

Some writers are poking fun at NBC's decision to pronounce the name of the host city of the Winter Olympics as Torino rather than the traditional Turin. NBC Sports's Dick Ebersol told the Wall Street Journal that 'Torino' "rolls off your tongue, sounds so Italian, so romantic. ... 'Turin' just doesn't do it for me." But in Thursday's Chicago Tribune, sports columnist Mike Downey, presenting himself as "R.U. Deff," NBC vice president of "verbal affairs," writes in a fictional memo to NBC broadcasters, "Never mind that our viewers are making angry phone calls and sending us nasty e-mails that say: 'Where in the is "Torino?"' I like the sound of it. It's a combination of two of my favorite places, Toronto and Reno. If you ever go to Toronto or Reno, you'll know what I mean. A couple of fun towns.'Turin, ' though, what's that? A soup bowl?" "Deff" then goes on to order that Steven Spielberg's new movie be referred to as "München," not "Munich." "I like that a lot better, don't you? 'München' sounds like fun! 'Munich' ... ick." Meanwhile, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp, has said that it will use 'Turin' when referring to the city but 'Torino' when referring to the Games.

[GOPisEvil]

1. We're America and we're right, dammit.

Who cares if those EYE-talians call their city Torino? That's the name of a Ford, and people will wonder why Starsky and Hutch are hosting the Olympics from their car.

[xchrom]

28. turin. who cares if those EYE-talians call their city turin.

[Gormy Cuss]

2. It's a decision shrouded in mystery...

Bad pun attack!:P

I do wonder if it is a marketing decision made in part to disassociate the name with the shroud, because the freaky pseudo-Christians could start a crusade against defiling a holy place.

[bleedingheart]

8. good one!

[fishwax]

25. haha

:rofl:

[supernova]

3. Makes me think of this:

http://www.holley.com/data/VirtualShow/Pictures/2005-10-9!1971FordTorino10.jpg

[Blue_Tires]

18. the later ones used a 460ci

but it was a boat anchor, though

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

4. Delete - dupe

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

5. Gaaahh!

Things like this make me want to scream..... Torino IS Turin, you idiotic blowhard a$$hole!

:grr:

[JVS]

6. So that it will be Grand

[Lavender Brown]

7. I can't believe people are actually sending e-mail complaints

Idiots. Do they think Florence is actually called Florence too?

[supernova]

9. What do the locals call it?

I think we should call it what they call it.

I'm confused now. Do they say "Turin" or "Torino?"

I know nothing about Italy or Italian, though I'd love to go someday.

[fudge stripe cookays]

23. "Torino"

is the Italian name for Turin, like Firenze for Florence or Milano for Milan.

I'm glad it's being called its correct name-- not the Americanized version.

[Burma Jones]

10. So everyone isn't obsessed by the "shroud" of Turin...

How much will we hear about that during supposed "sports" coverage......

[huskerlaw]

11. You mean the shroud of Turino?

:shrug:

Call it whatever the people who actually live there call it. Stupid fucking Americans. "No, no...must make it sound Italian!" Uuuugh.

[Bill McBlueState]

15. as far as I can tell

The inhabitants most likely call it Torino. Turin is the standard English name for it.

[Heidi]

16. Yes, Italians call it Torino.

It's not far from us, and it's respectful to call a city by its native name.

[Burma Jones]

21. Torino is more fun to say than Turin anyway

[tjwmason]

22. I disagree

Mostly from practical grounds - but are we going to drop Moscow for Maskva, Florence for Firenze, Vienna for Wien, Croatia for Hrvatska, Japan for Nippon, Wales for Cymru?

Many places have long established names in English and to go around trying to change them all would merely be confusing. Besides, the bloodyminded Englishman in me refuses to do so until the French drop Londres in favour of London.

Perhaps it's just the cynical bitchy way that we English tend to see things, but adopting local pronunciations is seen as very affected over here.

[Lavender Brown]

24. I agree with you in general

Almost every language alters city names, it's not just an English/American thing. But it seems contrary to the "Olympic spirit" (I feel goofy just saying that :P )to actually insist on the English name for tv coverage.

[SOteric]

27. Pardon my tangential reference,

but I picked up a bottle of fragrance in Salzburg, Austria. A lovely floral scent of blossoms native to Vienna and it's surrounding environs. I wanted it just so I could have a frou frou little bottle labeled 'Wiener Bouquet' on my dressing table. :7

[huskerlaw]

26. Ah ok

I misunderstood the original post then. I thought the native name was Turin.

Definitely go with the natives...Torino it is!

[meow2u3]

12. Atsa da talian name (Italians call Turin Torino)

Ima think itsa respectaful to calla Torino by da talian name.

[Heidi]

14. Italians aren't the only ones who call it by its correct name. (nt)

[Heidi]

13. Because that's the _real_ name of the city.

Just because we Americans prefer to call it by the name we prefer doesn't make it right.

[supernova]

17. Torino it is, then

Even though, like I posted above, I mostly associated it with the Ford Torino. :crazy:

Perhaps during the Olympics I can unlearn that.

[FuzzySlippers]

19. Durned Eyetalians.

Calling their cities by things other than the Murican names. Just who do they think they are?

[yvr girl]

20. The organizing committee is calling themselves Torino

http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/OlympicGames/home/index.html

[xchrom]

29. a turin by any other name is a torino?

[FarLeftRage]

30. Well... as my Italian immigrant grandfather so often said

"La gente Americana è muto!"