NBA Latin Night

[hettinger_rl]

Found this interesting thread about how good it could look if the NBA would use the full spanish name for each team. It would also show more commitment to the idea of the latin night compared to just slapping Los and El in front of a team name.

LINK

[Dnice]

I'm down with it.

[OnWis97]

I would enjoy seeing a "Lobos" jersey.

Some teams translate better than others.

(But what I would really enjoy is to see this thread just discuss the uniforms and not how much we all hate or love that they even do this at all).

[Conrad.]

As I usually do, I'll selfishly post this

Click HERE to see the rest of my topic. Maybe I need to hit this project with renewed vigor (and current NBA uni designs)...yay or nay?

[sportstar1212]

I always find it funny when the Lakers wear theirs, the Los Angeles Los Lakers.

But seriously, it would be a good idea. The Chicago Toros would be cool.

[TheOldRoman]

I agree that teams need to put thought into it and use the closest possible tranlation for the team name. It doesn't matter that the Spanish language broadcast call them the Bulls. Selling "Los Bulls" jerseys is half-assed and basically saying, "Here you go. Buy our jersey, Mexican." There's nothing wrong with doing nights like these, but adding "Los" in front of a name is just insulting.

[slapshot]

As grammatically incorrect (and pandering) as these uniforms are, today's UniWatch had an interesting comment about this...

the NBA?s market research shows that most Hispanic fans really do refer to the teams as ?El Magic? and ?Los Bulls? and so on

I'm not Hispanic, so I can't vouch for it. Is anyone here Hispanic? Is the "botched" way correct as far as how the fans refer to the teams?

[tBBP]

But what I would really enjoy is to see this thread just discuss the uniforms and not how much we all hate or love that they even do this at all.

IJS.

[Buffalo]

As grammatically incorrect (and pandering) as these uniforms are, today's UniWatch had an interesting comment about this...

the NBA?s market research shows that most Hispanic fans really do refer to the teams as ?El Magic? and ?Los Bulls? and so on

I'm not Hispanic, so I can't vouch for it. Is anyone here Hispanic? Is the "botched" way correct as far as how the fans refer to the teams?

doesn't matter if you speak english, spanish or chinese. the chicago bulls are the bulls, the heat are the heat.

this has always been the worst marketing play ever!

soooo cloying bro!

i'm not latino, but if i were, i'd feel pandered to

[fillmont]

As grammatically incorrect (and pandering) as these uniforms are, today's UniWatch had an interesting comment about this...

the NBA’s market research shows that most Hispanic fans really do refer to the teams as “El Magic” and “Los Bulls” and so on

I'm not Hispanic, so I can't vouch for it. Is anyone here Hispanic? Is the "botched" way correct as far as how the fans refer to the teams?

I'm half-Mexican, but am culturally pretty much straight American. I can't vouch for NBA team names, because I haven't actually spoken to any native Spanish speakers about NBA teams, but I have talked about NFL teams, and they definitely use the English word. It's los Cowboys, not los Vaqueros.

I'm assuming that it is probably the same for NBA teams too.

[WSU151]

It doesn't matter that the Spanish language broadcast call them the Bulls.

Actually, it does matter. If they're Los Bulls in the Spanish listening market, then it's Los Bulls on the jersey.

No one in America calls Real Madrid "Royal Madrid".

[Red Wolf]

I would prefer that the NBA use the actual Spanish words. Adding the Spanish equivalent of "the" on the jersey just seems pointless, especially since the jerseys read "Magic," "Lakers," etc. Not "The Magic."

[48erhater]

I don't think the Jazz could do that though. I don't think Jazz translates to Spanish.

[Red Wolf]

I don't think the Jazz could do that though. I don't think Jazz translates to Spanish.

They can pronounce it differently for a game

[oddball]

I've had this conversation with a friend who is Mexican and is fluent in Spanish. You don't use the Spanish word for a proper name, end of story. I've gone back and forth with her about this because when I'm at Disneyland and they announce Fantasmic on the Rivers of America will be starting in 15 minutes, they use "Rivers of America" not the Spanish translation because it's a proper name. So using the Spanish translation of Bulls, Lakers, Cowboys falls under the same rule.

[STL FANATIC]

I'm definitely on the side of it's a proper noun, and you don't change it.

But here's my question.

Is there any distinction in Spanish that would make it correct to say Los Bulls? In English we obviously just say Bulls and that's what goes on the uniform. But in Spanish, is the article a more important piece of the term? Does it make sense that the word Los would be added?

Or is it really truly just pandering?

[Burmy]

On Telemundo, they say "los Brewers"...the Crew could've just copped out and done the same with their jerseys...THEY DIDN'T.

So we have this beauty:

Why is it so hard for the NBA?

[dfwabel]

I've had this conversation with a friend who is Mexican and is fluent in Spanish. You don't use the Spanish word for a proper name, end of story. I've gone back and forth with her about this because when I'm at Disneyland and they announce Fantasmic on the Rivers of America will be starting in 15 minutes, they use "Rivers of America" not the Spanish translation because it's a proper name. So using the Spanish translation of Bulls, Lakers, Cowboys falls under the same rule.

Complain to the members of the Dallas Cowboys Spanish radio network as the announcers call the team as, "Los Vaqueros" at every snap. they have gove through more than one PBP guy and it has still been the same.

[Midway]

Well I'm Mexican so fwiw I'll throw my hat into this discussion. When we talk sports we don't literally translate team names and it has already been discussed why: the proper English versions are already ingrained in our heads. That doesnt go without tossing in the word "Los" but it doesn't justify having to slap it on a real jersey. Most people I know think it's stupid and we'd rather see the actual jerseys worn on a nightly basis instead of having the NBA be blatant about pushing their silly Latin Nights idea.

[marlinfan]

I'll echo what's already been said: the team names are said in English by most Spanish-only Hispanics. However, the media like El Nuevo Herald and Spanish language broadcasts here in Miami, uses the Spanish translation unless it doesn't sound 'right' or becomes unwieldy. For example, Marlins stays Marlins and Heat stays Heat. Panthers becomes Pantheras, Twins becomes Mellizos and Cubs becomes Cachorros.