Re: Celtica (was: Maggel)

MJR> The Glaswegian footballers are the Celtics?  I had no idea.

SM> Erm, no, not exactly. The name of the team is "Glasgow Celtic". No "s".
SM> Sports team names over here don't follow the American pattern of  "The
SM> <placename> <critter>s".

They don't always follow that pattern over here, for that matter,
although usually the exceptions are collective or otherwise
non-pluralizable nouns (Miami Heat, Georgia Force, Utah Jazz, . . .)

SM> Nor need there be only one team per sport in each locality.

That's not the rule here, either, although it is the norm.  New York and
Chicago each have two major league baseball teams, for instance.

SM> There are two football (meaning soccer...)

I knew which sport you meant.  I'm not quite that dumb an American. :)

SM> teams in Glasgow (at that level), "Glasgow Celtic" and
SM> "Glasgow Rangers" (NB: *not* "The Glasgow Rangers").

I don't consider the article part of the name anyway.  The usage point
is noted, but it seems to be more of a Transatlantic dialectical
difference than a nomenclatural one.  It feels rather like the fact that
you crazy furriners insist upon using the plural verb with collectives
(e.g. "In a fantastic coup for Glasgow Celtic, the team have acquired star
footballer David Beckham from Madrid!" - American usage would say "the
team has").

-Mark

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