On Turin vs. Torino Olympics

Dear Sports:

The defense of your use of “Turin” on the inside cover of today’s special supplement on the Winter Olympics is more apologetic than is needed. NBC is not calling other Italian cities Roma, Milano, Veneto, etc. in its pre-Olympics buildup, and even refers to Torino, Italy, not Torino, Italia. When the games begin it will surely not speak of athletes from la Germania (much less Deutschland) rather than Germany, from la Francia (la France) rather than France, etc. Its gesture of “authenticity,” enforced in lockstep fashion at all levels of its programming and that of its local affiliates, is ridiculous.

Sincerely,

(2/8/06)

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