Why would the Dolphins add free-agent safety Ifeatu Melifonwu ? We're not talking credentials. We're not talking about his previous stop (Detroit). We're not talking price (reported 1-year, $4 million).

We're talking name. We're talking having to pronounce it, write it, spell-check it, still-get-it-wrong and facing the wrath of our readers.

In case you're wondering - and we were, too - his name is pronounced eh-FAH-too mel-eh-FON-woo.

Jevon Holland it's not.

As someone who has suffered most of my life with people mispronouncing my last name, I can relate. Roll call on the first day of school, hearing your name butchered at the doctor/dentist/podiatrist office, talking to the guy at the front of the restaurant who can't even find your name ("YES, we have reservations!")

Why put Ifeatu Melifonwu through all that in South Florida? He's been in the Motor City for four seasons so they have to know how to pronounce his name by now. Surely the Lions could have coughed up a few more Benjamins to keep him on their roster.

Take it from a guy who has been called Puglieesee, Puglieeskii, Puglooski, Pug what-ever ... this won't be easy. There are people who can't even pronounce my first name - it's Dominic - which is why I go by Nick.

When I first was hired by The Tampa Tribune to be their University of Florida correspondent while attending UF, someone dubbed me "Pugo." No one ever called me Pugliese. Or Nick, for that matter. Some people took that a step further and called me "Pogo."

I'm sure people already are coming up with nicknames for the Dolphins' new safety.

Learning a new playbook and system, acclimating to the climate and simply moving all your stuff across the country is tough enough without wondering if that is you the coaches are yelling at on the practice field.

I want to offer my help but I'm sure he's been through all this before.

So, for the record, my surname is pronounced pug-lee-see and it's going to be all right Ifeatu (can I call you by your first name?). I want to be part of your support group - as long as it does not cross any journalistic ethical lines.

By the way, my last name actually is not pronounced pug-lee-see in Italy. When in the Mother Country or Little Italy, they call me Pull-yay-zee .

Call me. We'll talk.