Before World Soccer Talk launched its rebrand, it was known as ‘EPL Talk’ for several years. During those EPL Talk years, I lost count of the number of times I had to defend the name of the site from foreigners who wanted to correct me and say that there was no such thing as the ‘EPL’ and that it should be referred to by its official acronym, the ‘BPL’ (as in Barclays Premier League).
But with today’s announcement that the Premier League will, as of 2016/17, continue onwards without a league sponsor, the BPL acronym will die until the world’s most popular sports league can land a bigger fish. And based on the popularity of the league, I don’t blame them for waiting until the right mammoth deal comes along.
However, the whole fixation by some foreign soccer fans (who are mostly Brits with a superiority complex) is laughable. Really, who cares what people call it anyway? Call it the EPL, BPL, Premiership or anything else you want. Just as long as we all know we’re talking about the same topic, why scoff at it?
The same thing applies to the particularly British habit of laughing or scorning fans for calling the sport “soccer” instead of “football.” Again, both are popular names for the sport, so why do some Brits continue to mock those who call it soccer? Could it be anti-Americanism or a fear of foreign soccer fans embracing the sport that English people call theirs?
While the Premier League continues to look for a sponsor who will be an ideal fit for the league and its global appeal, I personally would love it if the company that signs the deal has a name that begins with an E, I or S. Imagine the look on some of the faces of the people who chastise soccer fans for calling the Premier League the ‘EPL’ if/when the league officially changes it to the EPL, IPL or SPL.
In closing, this tweet by beIN SPORTS commentator Phil Schoen sums up my feeling regarding the matter perfectly.
