I've been meaning to post this for quite some time. The heart of the matter of course is that a lot of people, myself included, just don't know how to say Rajon Rondo's first name. Take for example this announcer who simply calls him Rondo. Same with these guys who almost go the whole clip without even uttering either his first or last name, until a "Rondo" was slipped in at the end. Throw in the time Dick Vitale went out of the way to focus on Tubby Smith even though it was all about Rajon Rondo and we've got a borderline conspiracy on our hands. As side note I've seen Michael Jordan, Rondo and...nobody else pull that type of behind the back move. But I digress. To be fair those clips were taken out of context. Maybe they said Rondo's full name earlier. Although announcers really do seem to fear his first name. Thankfully we can always count on Mike Gorman. Just when you think this clip is like all the rest, Gorman goes with Rondo's full name at the 1:02 mark. But this isn't over. No, we've only just begun. Let's break it down.
I think we all can agree that the second syllable of his first name is pretty straightforward. It sounds like "John", with the added wrinkle that the "J" is pronounced the same way the French pronounce the "J" in "Jean". The controversy comes into play with the initial syllable of his first name. Gorman pronounces it as if he were saying "Rah" as in "Rah, rah, rah." For what it's worth I've always used this approach. However, on numerous occasions I have seen/heard Paul Pierce say it differently. Unfortunately I don't have any footage of this. But trust me Pierce pronounces the first syllable as "Ray", as in Ray Allen. So I'm torn. I trust Pierce because he spends an inordinate amount of time with Rondo. But let's not forget that Mike Gorman is a professional. Can I get a ruling on this? And if you think this is a blatant attempt to steer people away from any negative press surrounding Rondo's recent gambling misadventure, well...it's not. Remember when he dunked on Chris Bosh?!