The thing about this is, I feel like Frank Reich's family, which I would guess is probably German, has carelessly made it impossible for him to ever visit Germany (or Austria or Switzerland). What are you going to do, walk into a pension and say to the clerk "Hi, I'm France, I have a reservation"? If somebody tried to rent a room from you and kept insisting that their name was Moe Zambique or Bo Livia, wouldn't the instinct to shout "Fuck off!" or punch them persist a little, even after they managed to convince you?
Comments (18)
Hey, if Ron Mexico can get Michael Vick a room, nothing's impossible....
Posted by eric84 | August 26, 2009 8:42 AM
Posted on August 26, 2009 08:42
Funny story, that!
Posted by Al Berta | August 26, 2009 9:10 AM
Posted on August 26, 2009 09:10
Ron Mexico doesn't really fit the story line does it?
Posted by Manny Toba | August 26, 2009 9:11 AM
Posted on August 26, 2009 09:11
What's the point of this story?
Posted by Jay Maica | August 26, 2009 9:13 AM
Posted on August 26, 2009 09:13
Naming and Nicknames are good fun......although I've always been fascinated by the older generation's complete denial of the subsequent generation's understanding of the name Dick. Dick Armey, Dick Long, Dick Johnson, etc...
Posted by Martin Ique | August 26, 2009 9:20 AM
Posted on August 26, 2009 09:20
Colby, I can't tell you how glad I am that someone else finds this as ridiculous and amusing as I do. I've wondered the same thing aloud to various people for years, only to be met with indifference.
Posted by John Thacker | August 26, 2009 10:18 AM
Posted on August 26, 2009 10:18
Dick Armey, Dick Long, Dick Johnson, etc...
And how can you forget Canada's own Dick Pound?
Posted by Geoff | August 26, 2009 1:25 PM
Posted on August 26, 2009 13:25
I remember refusing to believe that the US Air Force had a base named "Seymour Johnson" until someone showed me pictures.
Posted by SparcVark | August 26, 2009 2:27 PM
Posted on August 26, 2009 14:27
You can't make this stuff up.
Posted by Sand | August 26, 2009 10:25 PM
Posted on August 26, 2009 22:25
Actually, after a little digging, this doesn't appear to be true. German associates a gender with words. Frank Reich, being a man, is "der Frank Reich". Countries are, generally, neautral, so France would be "das Frank Reich". In German, this matters. From the link, the difference between the word for "door" and "fool" is only the gender.
Posted by Timothy Worsley | August 27, 2009 10:50 AM
Posted on August 27, 2009 10:50
Well, if someone introduced himself to me as Bo Livia, I'd say to him, "You're a gay!"
Posted by ebt | August 27, 2009 11:09 AM
Posted on August 27, 2009 11:09
I am quite sure that the parents did not notice that they named their kid "France". Search on google.de for "Frank Reich" and you will find a whole bunch. "Frankreich" has the emphasis on the first syllable, "Frank Reich" on the second. Most people in Germany would not make a connection with "Frankreich" if you introduced yourself as "Frank Reich".
Posted by Thomas W | August 28, 2009 3:07 PM
Posted on August 28, 2009 15:07
You guys are just determined to ruin this for me.
Posted by Colby Cosh | August 28, 2009 3:09 PM
Posted on August 28, 2009 15:09
I am quite sure that the parents did not notice that they named their kid "France". Search on google.de for "Frank Reich" and you will find a whole bunch. "Frankreich" has the emphasis on the first syllable, "Frank Reich" on the second. Most people in Germany would not make a connection with "Frankreich" if you introduced yourself as "Frank Reich".
Posted by Thomas W | August 28, 2009 3:09 PM
Posted on August 28, 2009 15:09
BFD. There are lots of people with "country" names.
Michael Jordan, for instance
19th century military historian Sir Charles Oman.
U.S. Representative Steve Israel (D-NY)
Former MLB pitcher Mark Portugal
Former Chicago city official Erwin France
Novelist Nevil Shute [Norway] (his actual last name)
There are even more regional names:
Holland, Flanders, Hesse, Baden, Holstein, Kent, Lombardi, Maine.
Or cities: Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, London, York, Manchester, Marseille, Napoli, Jaffa, Cairo, Tunis, Jerusalem.
Posted by Rich Rostrom | August 29, 2009 1:25 AM
Posted on August 29, 2009 01:25
There's a big difference between being named Tom Canada and being named Ca Nada.
Posted by Lord Bob | August 29, 2009 9:41 AM
Posted on August 29, 2009 09:41
Take off, eh.
Posted by Bob McKenzie | August 29, 2009 4:13 PM
Posted on August 29, 2009 16:13
SparcVark is going to have his head blown clear off his body by the existence of Moron AFB.
Posted by Ryan Cousineau | September 21, 2009 1:19 PM
Posted on September 21, 2009 13:19