Japan’s World Cup Good Luck Charm: A Dog Named Rommel

June 8th, 2006 | by: WC Bob |

Perhaps the Japanese World Cup team didn’t get the memo about not mentioning the war. In a delightful bit of irony, Japan’s World Cup team has been buoyed by the arrival of their good luck dog named Rommel. The miniature dachshund survived the long flight to Germany where he was met by a swarm of media members and photographers. Japan is unbeaten in 18 matches when Rommel, who shares a name with a famous German general, has been present at training. Let’s just hope he avoids those evil dog painters.

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liz

Just keep him away from the desert.
http://ecuador.worldcupblog.org/ Trent

Dogs. Ants. Fish. The Japanese have created an animal football army. Let’s hope they use if for good ends.
zé

As long as they don’t have a monkey army throwing shit at each other…
http://nsnboy.mblogger.cn nsnboy

maybe a pig.
http://ecuador.worldcupblog.org/ Trent

A Monkey army?! zé, I like your thinking.
http://ecuador.worldcupblog.org/ Trent

Well, just now on the news I saw a South Korean PENGUIN World Cup exhibition. Madness!
spyfoxx

Japan simply rocks…
http://japundit.com/archives/2006/06/10/2733/ Japundit » Rommel the World Cup dog

[...] Rommel has been shipped to Germany for this month’s World Cup, and what on Earth was Japan thinking about when they named their mascot after one of Hitler’s warriors? Or am I missing something here? [...]
risa

I’ve been wondering and I’ve done a bit of research (in the Japanese language) but couldn’t find out why the dog is called Rommel. Japan FA’s chief media officer Mr. Teshima is the owner of the dog, so we’d have to ask him.

And the good luck dog status is unofficial — after all, the dog is someone’s pet that went up to the status in 2002 after he had been called Ron (short for Rommel) for 6 years already.
http://www.bullydomain.com Harry

“You can say any fool thing to a dog, and the dog will give you this look that says, `My God, you’re RIGHT! I NEVER would’ve thought of that!’”
http://www.bullydomain.com