Good, bad and ridiculous sports nicknames

Have you noticed that every athlete seems to have a nickname these days?

Tennessee Titans rookie cornerback Adam Jones calls himself “Pac-Man” because he claims he gobbles up footballs thrown in his direction.

Carnell Williams, Tampa Bay’s rookie running back is nicknamed “Cadillac” because of the way he runs over would-be tacklers.

But these guys are rookies. They’ve played two games in their National Football League careers.

When I watched sports as a kid, not many players had nicknames. And the ones who did had a name because they did something extraordinary.

Michael Jordan did not give himself the nickname “Air Jordan.” He was given the name because fans were awed by the way he seemed to defy gravity.

Walter Payton earned the nickname “Sweetness” because of his scintillating moves on the football field.

If you ever saw Wayne Gretzky play during his prime, you’d realize why he was anointed “The Great One.” He was a part of four championship teams, won nine most valuable player awards (eight in a row) and is worshipped by millions of Canadians.

Those players earned their aliases.

But now you have Cleveland Cavaliers sensation LeBron James being referred to as “King James.”

King? He has not even won an MVP award yet, or led a team to a professional championship.

James may turn into one of the best hoop stars of all time, but before I call him “King” he will need to get his team into the playoffs first.

Some nicknames describe a player so well that they become their name.

Do you know what Magic Johnson’s real name is?

The answer is Earvin.

But when a reporter saw him play in the Michigan State High School Basketball Tournament in the mid-1970s, he described Johnson’s ability as simply magic. And the name, rightfully so, stuck.

Other names are less glamorous but perfectly describe a player’s ability.

Dennis Rodman was known as “The Worm” because of his ability to squirm around opponents and grab rebounds on the court. Off the court, Rodman is called other names.

“Plastic man” was the name given to basketball player Stacy Augmon because of the way he can twist his body in awkward positions while throwing down a slam-dunk.

Two of my favorites are former NFL running back Christian Okoye, known as the “Nigerian Nightmare,” and Dominique Wilkins is called the “Human Highlight Film” for his thrilling dunks. They’re unique but accurate.

Some nicknames don’t fit or the players cannot live up to the hype.

Remember Harold Miner? Most people do not. He was the basketball player called “Baby Jordan” but turned out not to be the heir to “His Airness.”

Nicknames are not just for individuals, though. They can describe teams or even fans.

The Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s were know as the “Bad Boys” for their rough style of play, and professional hockey’s Philadelphia Flyers were referred to as “The Broadway Bullies” since the chance of them getting into a brawl was just as likely as the team putting the puck into the net.

“Raider Nation” is not the NFL team from Oakland. It describes the players, the management, the fans and the mystique of the Oakland Raiders.

If you are a Washington Redskins fan, you’ve undoubtedly seen “The Hogettes” at the team’s games. The guys wearing dresses, pig noses and Redskins gear was the alter ego of the team’s dominant offensive line of the 1980s.

But now that fantasy football has become so popular, the average sports fans can name their own teams.

In the fantasy football league I compete in, names range from normal to funny to ridiculous.

My good friend Juan Lopez named his team the “JuanDollaBillz.” Some of the teams’ names cannot be repeated because they are outrageous or could be construed as more than mildly offensive.

Fantasy football is not the only league with hilarious nicknames. Collegiate athletic teams have some of the best ones.

The University of Louisiana-Lafayette is called the “Ragin’ Cajun,” and the University of California-Santa Cruz goes by the nickname Banana Slugs.

Colleges in Virginia have some great names as well.

The Sweet Briar Vixens pique my interest and the name Mary Baldwin Fighting Squirrels makes me chuckle. I’ve seen Squirrels but I’ve never seen them fight. I guess I’ll have to attend one of their games.

But my all-time favorite team nickname is the one of a minor league hockey team from Georgia known as the Macon Whoopie. To me it’s more than just a name.

Which team and individuals have the best/worst sports nicknames?

“‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson because it’s a sweet name.”
Alex Glickman
Senior Mass Communications Major

“It’s a tie between Mordecai ‘Three-Finger’ Brown and ‘The Splendid Splinter’ Ted Williams.”
Michael Possanza
Senior Criminal Justice Major