Michael Hoomanawanui has one of the longest names in the NFL, and even he knows people might not get it right on the first try.
“I’m used to [mispronunciations], just as long as you don’t make the name derogatory,” Hoomanawanui said, according to the Boston Herald, after signing with New England back in September. “It’s a tough last name. It’s not Smith or Johnson. I realize that and I take it in stride.”
So, misspellings and mispronunciations are understandable. But shouldn’t the NFL at least be able to get it right?
Hoomanawanui, who’s now in his third season, has his No. 47 Patriots jersey up for sale on the NFL Shop website, just like any other NFL player. The only issue is that the jersey doesn’t even have his name spelled correctly.
The jersey pictured on NFLShop.com is missing two letters in the tight end’s name, instead spelling Hoomanawanui as “Hoomanawui.”
Now, maybe the photo inhibited the NFL from fitting the full 12 letters on the back of the jersey and instead limited them to just 10. But whatever the reason may be, it’s still humorous. Even Hoomanawanui would probably laugh at the mistake.
