Settle down, Junior

[BDC99]

The "untracked" thread got me thinking about my biggest pet peeve, and it has gone completely off the rails in the past year or so. From little league to the pros, players have resorted to wearing "Beckham Jr." or "Griffin III" on the back of their jerseys. It drives me bonkers. NO! You are Odell Jr. and Robert III. There are thousands upon thousands of Beckhams and Griffins. The modifier is for your FIRST name. Stop.

 

[Steak Snabler]

It really jumped the shark when Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith started going by "Steve Smith Sr."

 

[Bradley Guire]

Some years back in WWE (I know, I know) Chavo Guerrero Jr.'s dad started calling himself Chavo Classic. Solid heel heat.

Ken Griffey Classic
Tony Gwynn Classic

I like it.

 

[swingline]

Not that I'd ever wear a faux uniform, but Odell the Original would work, too, for his dad.

 

[justgladtobehere]

I kind of get what you are saying. If two people were talking about someone who happened to be a junior, they would say 'Odell Jr.' to clarify whom they were referring to. But I take the names on the back just as a shortened version of the full name and it makes sense that it is just the full name without the first name a me middle initial. What other instances do people refer to Joe Jr. or Joe III?

 

[Flip Wilson]

On the back of the jersey of Rico Gathers, a stud of a basketball player at Baylor, it says "Gathers Sr." He and his wife have a son, Rico Gathers Jr.

 

[MeanGreenATO]

I always thought the use of the suffix is needed if you reference the senior.

 

[justgladtobehere]

It is the opposite. Joe Blow was born Joe Blow and shouldn't be referred to as anything else. Joe Blow Jr. is his given name and should always be referred to as Joe Blow Jr.

 

[MisterCreosote]

Naming your kid after yourself in the first place is one of my biggest pet peeves.

 

[MNgremlin]

The "untracked" thread got me thinking about my biggest pet peeve, and it has gone completely off the rails in the past year or so. From little league to the pros, players have resorted to wearing "Beckham Jr." or "Griffin III" on the back of their jerseys. It drives me bonkers. NO! You are Odell Jr. and Robert III. There are thousands upon thousands of Beckhams and Griffins. The modifier is for your FIRST name. Stop.

You don't call him Robert III Griffin either, though. He's not the third Robert. He's the third Robert Griffin. You put it after the surname when writing it out, so that's probably why they started doing it on uniforms.

Personally, I think it's stupid unless a clarification is needed - like the Griffeys. But do we really need to know that Steve Smith has a son named Steve Jr.?

 

[Big Circus]

Naming your kid after yourself in the first place is one of my biggest pet peeves.

Why is that? I'm a III who didn't go with the IV, but I've always been proud of the fact that my dad passed along his name to me.

 

[MisterCreosote]

Why is that? I'm a III who didn't go with the IV, but I've always been proud of the fact that my dad passed along his name to me.

I feel like the kids are saddled with a predetermined identity, for the most part.

Kind of like how I used to hate the teachers who had my brother the previous year. "Oh, you must be ****head's little brother." "Well, yes, but I'm like a whole other separate person."

 

[Mystery Meat II]

How do you handle George Foreman's kids?

 

[Big Circus]

I feel like the kids are saddled with a predetermined identity, for the most part.

Kind of like how I used to hate the teachers who had my brother the previous year. "Oh, you must be ****head's little brother." "Well, yes, but I'm like a whole other separate person."

I get that.

 

[MNgremlin]

How do you deal with it in print? We've got a V locally. We write it on first reference, but then just go surname only on second reference. Is that correct?

 

[User 4332]

How do you deal with it in print? We've got a V locally. We write it on first reference, but then just go surname only on second reference. Is that correct?

The suffix on first reference generally isn't necessary unless you're referring to the father or one of the other ancestors elsewhere in the story, or you're writing about something that could potentially be libelous to Sr.-IV, but would not be for V.

It definitely shouldn't be there on second reference.

 

[Batman]

Not that I'd ever wear a faux uniform, but Odell the Original would work, too, for his dad.

"Odell the Original" sounds like the name of a medieval king.

 

[BDC99]

I feel like the kids are saddled with a predetermined identity, for the most part.

Kind of like how I used to hate the teachers who had my brother the previous year. "Oh, you must be ****head's little brother." "Well, yes, but I'm like a whole other separate person."

The idea that kids being named after a family member would be a pet peeve slightly offends me. I am a very proud junior, and my father died almost 30 years ago. It means a hell of a lot to me to carry his name. And in any case, in print, it should be Dale Earnhardt Jr. Or Dale Jr. Or the younger/elder Earnhardt. Not Earnhardt Jr.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

How does Dale Earnhardt JR JR changing its name fit into all this?

 

[BDC99]

How does Dale Earnhardt JR JR changing its name fit into all this?

I don't follow. ?