Etc.

March 9, 2009

Who is that guy, Dad?

There are common names, such as Chang in China and Singh in India's Punjab region. And then there are the people who make up one of the more notable teams in Italian soccer. Team De Feo, if you haven't heard, is based in Serino, a town of 7,000 or so folks east of Naples on Highway E841. What's so notable about it? Well, take the goal keeper, for example. Not coincidentally, he is a De Feo. So are the four midfielders. And the three forwards. And all three fullbacks. Plus each of the eight substitutes. (It hasn't been reported whether the players' names are stitched across the backs of their jerseys, but, realistically, why bother?) By now, you've probably guessed that the coach also is a De Feo, as are the team secretary and the doctor. The founder? Another De Feo, of course. The sponsors (all 12 of them): De Feos. And none of these people are necessarily members of the same family, either. We don't know whether Serino's mayor has any connection to the team, but guess what: He's a De Feo, too. Oh, and the street on which the team's playing field is located? Right: De Feo. Even if everyone who has anything to do with Team De Feo were to quit, it wouldn't necessarily mean the end of the phenomenon. Replacing them wouldn't be difficult. The name, says one resident, is as common in the area as Jones is in Wales. Meanwhile, the organizer of the team, former soccer pro Maurizio De Feo, has told reporters he's planning to ask the Guinness Book of World Records whether there's a category in which it can qualify for a listing.