OT: best nicknames in sports history
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OT: best nicknames in sports history
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- RealGM
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OT: best nicknames in sports history
my picks, in roughly descending order of quality (cleverness/appropriateness/iconicness):
the boston strangler
air
magic
AK-47
pistol pete
the wizard of oz
iceman
hitman hearns
broadway joe
dr. j
mr. october
mr. hockey
the fridge
minister of defense
mean joe greene
the hick from french lick
revis island
chocolate thunder/white chocolate
the juice
the glove
charlie hustle
the microwave
the nigerian nightmare
the admiral
earl the pearl
round mound of rebound
big shot bob
crime dog
prime time
the answer
the glide
human highlight reel
hands of stone
the big unit
the mailman
flo-jo
macho camacho
sugar ray robinson
the big hurt
bad moon
tractor traylor
the bus
the boston strangler
air
magic
AK-47
pistol pete
the wizard of oz
iceman
hitman hearns
broadway joe
dr. j
mr. october
mr. hockey
the fridge
minister of defense
mean joe greene
the hick from french lick
revis island
chocolate thunder/white chocolate
the juice
the glove
charlie hustle
the microwave
the nigerian nightmare
the admiral
earl the pearl
round mound of rebound
big shot bob
crime dog
prime time
the answer
the glide
human highlight reel
hands of stone
the big unit
the mailman
flo-jo
macho camacho
sugar ray robinson
the big hurt
bad moon
tractor traylor
the bus
the donald, always unpopular, did worse in EVERY state in 2020. and by a greater margin in red states! 50 independently-run elections, none of them rigged
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
- Ben Wilson25
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
Big Country
Half Man Half Amazing
Sweetness
Big Papi
As a Sox fan I was always partial to 1 Dog
Half Man Half Amazing
Sweetness
Big Papi
As a Sox fan I was always partial to 1 Dog
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
- HomoSapien
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
Magic Johnson has to be the best nickname. It's so good that most people don't even know what his actual name is (or think that Magic is his actual name).
This might be considered offensive now, but back in the day I'd get a good chuckle out of Shawn Bradley's nickname of "The Enormous Mormon". I don't know why it makes me laugh, but it just does.
This might be considered offensive now, but back in the day I'd get a good chuckle out of Shawn Bradley's nickname of "The Enormous Mormon". I don't know why it makes me laugh, but it just does.
ThreeYearPlan wrote:Bulls fans defend HomoSapien more than Rose.
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
- dougthonus
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
HomoSapien wrote:Magic Johnson has to be the best nickname. It's so good that most people don't even know what his actual name is (or think that Magic is his actual name).
I mean did they even ever refer to him by his real name anywhere? Even on most of his basketball cards his name was "Magic Johnson", and on all of the telecasts when his name came up in print it was Magic Johnson. His nickname was codified by all the entertainment companies as well.
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
- dougthonus
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
I think a nickname reaches legendary status when you refer to someone by the Nickname more than their actual name:
So for me, these stand out for that reason:
Dr. J
Magic Johnson
The Fridge
Like those guys are so inseparable from their nicknames that you have to stop to think what they're real name is, you don't know it automatically without the nickname and it sounds odd to actually say their real name without the nickname.
Pistol Pete and Earl the Pearl are pretty close to that status, but I'm not sure if that was true when they were playing or not since I wasn't watching them, but historically, it's really weird to hear Pete Marovich or Earl Monroe without the Pistol or Pearl in there.
Love some nicknames like the Big Unit or Sweetness for being unique, but while you absolutely know whom those guys are, you think of their real name first and not the nickname. Same with Air Jordan which is amazing, but you don't think Air Jordan before Michael Jordan.
So for me, these stand out for that reason:
Dr. J
Magic Johnson
The Fridge
Like those guys are so inseparable from their nicknames that you have to stop to think what they're real name is, you don't know it automatically without the nickname and it sounds odd to actually say their real name without the nickname.
Pistol Pete and Earl the Pearl are pretty close to that status, but I'm not sure if that was true when they were playing or not since I wasn't watching them, but historically, it's really weird to hear Pete Marovich or Earl Monroe without the Pistol or Pearl in there.
Love some nicknames like the Big Unit or Sweetness for being unique, but while you absolutely know whom those guys are, you think of their real name first and not the nickname. Same with Air Jordan which is amazing, but you don't think Air Jordan before Michael Jordan.
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
- dougthonus
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
Ben Wilson25 wrote:As a Sox fan I was always partial to 1 Dog
I literally had to go look up what 1 Dog's real name was (Lance Johnson). I could totally remember everything about him except his real name. I'm like yeah, that was the center field lead off hitter for the sox who stole tons of bases, got lots of triples, and had a great batting average. What was his name?
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
- JohnnyKILLroy
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
Bad Porn wins.
What is happiness? It's a moment before you need more happiness.” — Don Draper
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
He's still my favorite CUB.
Legally changed it - decades before Artest
and cmon......
No Tippin Pippen is pretty good too.
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
- JohnnyKILLroy
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
I’ve always been fond of “Tough Juice”
What is happiness? It's a moment before you need more happiness.” — Don Draper
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
Pistol Pete
The Iceman
Dr. J
Hondo
every player named Lou, Sweet Lou
Mr October
The Snake Kenny Stabler
Bubba Smith
Broadway Joe
Deacon Jones
this could go on for hours
The Iceman
Dr. J
Hondo
every player named Lou, Sweet Lou
Mr October
The Snake Kenny Stabler
Bubba Smith
Broadway Joe
Deacon Jones
this could go on for hours
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
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- RealGM
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
No Splendid Splinter?
For me it starts and ends with the Human Highlight Reel - Just wonderful
But Sweetness? Just perfect
And I didn't see WORM
Budda was a good one
The Answer was pretty good - and an underrated player
For me it starts and ends with the Human Highlight Reel - Just wonderful
But Sweetness? Just perfect
And I didn't see WORM
Budda was a good one
The Answer was pretty good - and an underrated player
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
AND the Waiter! I always loved that one
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
Hakeem the Dream was obvious but also a good one
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
The Penguin!
The Great One
Mike Easler - The Hit Man
"Pudge"
The Stork!
3 fingers brown - well, he had 3 fingers on his pitching hand
BIG TRAIN
Yankee Clipper is darn good
The Great One
Mike Easler - The Hit Man
"Pudge"
The Stork!
3 fingers brown - well, he had 3 fingers on his pitching hand
BIG TRAIN
Yankee Clipper is darn good
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
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- RealGM
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
dougthonus wrote:I think a nickname reaches legendary status when you refer to someone by the Nickname more than their actual name:
So for me, these stand out for that reason:
Dr. J
Magic Johnson
The Fridge
Like those guys are so inseparable from their nicknames that you have to stop to think what they're real name is, you don't know it automatically without the nickname and it sounds odd to actually say their real name without the nickname
true. i also like that "fridge" or "refrigerator" refers to the container holding the food as opposed to the food itself, which is pleasingly idiosyncratic. whoever came up with it couldn't have expected it to catch on. william "the buffet" perry or something would have been more directly appropriate but not nearly as charming. plus, refrigerators are not intimidating, which makes it fly in the face of the typical football player nickname ("ironhead", "iron mike", "night train lane", etc) and thus makes it lovable
speaking of "iron mike", maybe that should have been on my list
Pistol Pete and Earl the Pearl are pretty close to that status, but I'm not sure if that was true when they were playing or not since I wasn't watching them, but historically, it's really weird to hear Pete Marovich or Earl Monroe without the Pistol or Pearl in there.
you do typically hear just the last name in game action, though (dr. j often referred to as "erving" as well). as opposed to magic or fridge, who are rarely referred to as "johnson" (partly a function of the ordinary nature of the surname) or "perry"
"magic" is almost as ubiquitous as "oprah"
Air Jordan which is amazing, but you don't think Air Jordan before Michael Jordan.
none of the others were brand names, though. that nickname/logo possibly has added nine figures to MJ's wealth. the "air jordan" campaign as a whole surely has
i put AK-47 so high on my list because the coincidence of initials, uniform number and nationality (the gun is a russian model) is so extraordinary...unless the uniform number was chosen to create the nickname
the donald, always unpopular, did worse in EVERY state in 2020. and by a greater margin in red states! 50 independently-run elections, none of them rigged
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
- chitowndish
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
Honestly if I had to vote I may go with half man half amazing that is just such a great nickname. I'm also partial to Sweetness that one is great and I also really like Microwave, Magic, Glove, Answer, Air the one word descriptive ones. I guess one other is Wilt the Stilt but that one does feel a bit too obvious but it is still pretty good, Hick from French Lick, Logo, Worm. Fridge is all time great and Dr J and Pistol Pete, Round Mound of Rebound. I always really liked AK 47 that one just seemed like everything fell into place. I guess if you have to pick one Magic basically became the guys first name and is also just one of the great nicknames so you can't go wrong there but I still just like half man half amazing.
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
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- Junior
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
I agree with the ones talking about Magic Johnson and I will add another Laker to the discussion: Black Mamba. It didn't stick as much as the Magic but it sure builds the image of Kobe Bryant as a player and his "killer instinct".
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
- molepharmer
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
Tiger
The Golden Bear
Babe
Shoeless
The Golden Jet
Rocket
The Golden Bear
Babe
Shoeless
The Golden Jet
Rocket
TGibson (1/28/17); "..."a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 for drama"...What's the worst? "...yelling matches with Thibs, everybody is just going crazy and I'm just sitting there...like, 'Don't call my name please..."
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
- Michael Jackson
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
troza wrote:I agree with the ones talking about Magic Johnson and I will add another Laker to the discussion: Black Mamba. It didn't stick as much as the Magic but it sure builds the image of Kobe Bryant as a player and his "killer instinct".
I think “Penny” qualifies for sure too. No one calls him Anfernee
Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
- JohnnyKILLroy
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Re: OT: best nicknames in sports history
The Pink Panther is also pretty awesome.
What is happiness? It's a moment before you need more happiness.” — Don Draper