# Best and worst names in sports **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 18, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867 "2011-04-18T18:43:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/41 "2011-04-19T13:41:37Z")
More weird than bad, but: In the '70s and '80s the West German national ice hockey team had a coach named Xaver Unsinn. “Unsinn” means “nonsense” in German. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/42 "2011-04-19T14:26:10Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I kind of wonder by Boyd Harris (an infielder in the 1950s) didn’t use his first name and went by his middle name of “Gail.” You’d think the heckling alone would have made him change his mind. > > Names I’ve liked: > > **Darryl Lamonica** (Raiders QB) > **Dutch Dotterer** (Catcher for the Senators in the 1950s) > **Sean Fitzmaurice** (OF for the Mets; appeared in nine games) > **Ken MacKenzie** (The only pitcher for the 1962 Mets with a winning record; he had a winning record for them in 1963, too). Nitpick… the Mad Bomber (my favorite athlete when I was a kid) spelled his name DARYLE. ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/43 "2011-04-19T14:29:11Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > A popular riddle 'round these parts in the 80s: > > What does a convent have in common with the Detroit Tigers? Whilst on the subject of Kuntz, there is this infamous piece of football commentary from the ever reliable John Motson [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9VCJVZ2I9zY/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGFMgZSg7MA8=&rs=AOn4CLBRa_mRNMKdV4Uc36W1MRDjb3XM3w "John Motson says the c\*\*\* word during a commentary?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VCJVZ2I9zY) ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/44 "2011-04-19T14:31:33Z")
A good name: Joel Youngblood. Anyone else remember him? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/45 "2011-04-19T14:45:23Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Nitpick… the Mad Bomber (my favorite athlete when I was a kid) spelled his name DARYLE. No, the Mad Bomber of that era was Mike Taliaferro (Joe Namath’s backup before 1968). Lamonica did throw a short pass from time to time; Tiliaferro never tried anything but long bombs (usually because he came into the game when it didn’t matter). Lamonica made it to the Super Bowl; Taliaferro couldn’t even start for the Patriots when the job was handed to him. I do like Taliferro’s name, since it was pronounced “Tolliver.” I like players whose names aren’t pronounced the way you’d think they were, like Jim Beauchamp (“Beechum”). And of course, Walt Tkaczuk, whose name was pronounced “TAY-chuck” by everyone for years before he mentioned that it was “Ka-CHOOK” I do remember Joel Youngblood, best known for getting hits for two different teams in two different cities in one day. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/46 "2011-04-19T14:46:10Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > A good name: Joel Youngblood. Anyone else remember him? Yup, outfielder, played mostly for the Mets and Giants. In that same era, the Los Angeles Rams had _two_ guys named Youngblood: defensive end Jack, and linebacker Jim. AFAIK, none of the three of them were related. > [@Ulf the Unwashed](#): > > Chuck Knoblauch’s last name means “garlic.” In the early 90s, when Knoblauch was a young second baseman for the Twins, I had him on my Strat-o-Matic Baseball team. I went on a trip to central Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic)with my wife’s family. I know almost no German; one day, we walked into a supermarket, and, in the produce section, I saw a big stack of garlic bulbs, with the sign “Knoblauch” on it. I couldn’t stop laughing. 😃 > [@Ulf the Unwashed](#): > > Jim Brewer the pitcher never played for Milwaukee Similarly, I always thought that Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi should’ve played for the Packers, given how much Packer fans love brewskis. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/47 "2011-04-19T14:48:34Z")
[Bien Figueroa](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/figuebi01.shtml), whose full name (Bienvenido Figueroa) apparently means “Welcome Maker of Statuettes”. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/48 "2011-04-19T17:00:04Z")
Good football names: Kregg Lumpkin Richie Incognito Dick Butkis ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/49 "2011-04-19T18:14:03Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Ralph Houk. I always thought that his name sounded like the noise you make when you’re coughing up a loogie. [Håkan Loob](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A5kan_Loob) ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/50 "2011-04-19T18:29:02Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > What is the unfortunate imagery associated with Choate? I’ve said it over and over and can’t think of anything. The only association I have with it is the school, Choate. It always makes me think of the word “[choad](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=choad).” **(Possibly NSFW link goes to Urban Dictionary)** ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/51 "2011-04-19T18:30:37Z")
Which reminds me that Justin Smoak seems like a really good baseball name. Maybe it’d be better if he pitched. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/52 "2011-04-19T21:16:48Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > No, the Mad Bomber of that era was Mike Taliaferro (Joe Namath’s backup before 1968). Lamonica did throw a short pass from time to time; Tiliaferro never tried anything but long bombs (usually because he came into the game when it didn’t matter). Lamonica made it to the Super Bowl; Taliaferro couldn’t even start for the Patriots when the job was handed to him. I’m quite prepared to believe that multiple quarterbacks were nicknamed “the Mad Bomber,” but Daryle Lamonica was DEFINITELY one of them. > **[Daryle Lamonica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daryle_Lamonica)** > > Daryle Pasquale Lamonica (July 17, 1941 – April 21, 2022) was an American professional football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. Nicknamed "the Mad Bomber" due to his affinity for throwing the long pass in virtually any situation, he spent the majority of his career with the Oakland Raiders. > Lamonica was selected in the 24th round of the 1963 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, where spent his first four seasons, m... > **[This Page Was Not Found - raiderdrive.com](https://raiderdrive.com/404)** ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/53 "2011-04-19T21:24:06Z")
Texas had a kicker named Happy Feller. There was a wide receiver named Fair Hooker. That conjured up some weird thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/54 "2011-04-19T21:26:54Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > There was a wide receiver named Fair Hooker. That conjured up some weird thoughts. At least he wasn’t the kicker. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/55 "2011-04-19T21:44:32Z")
Good name: Former U of Washington QB, Sonny Sixkiller ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/56 "2011-04-19T22:06:52Z")
[Cracked’s 9 manliest names in the world](http://www.cracked.com/article_14982_the-9-manliest-names-in-world.html) includes a few athletes, most notably Australian Rugby Player **Stirling Mortlock**. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/57 "2011-04-19T22:11:49Z")
Randy Johnson Somewhat related, Anthony Weiner giving John Boehner a hard time at the correspondents dinner. [Link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=e2EJPZEHrSc#t=88s) ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/58 "2011-04-19T22:43:00Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > [Cracked’s 9 manliest names in the world](http://www.cracked.com/article_14982_the-9-manliest-names-in-world.html) includes a few athletes, most notably Australian Rugby Player **Stirling Mortlock**. Wow. I couldn’t believe the book cover for the Dick Pound (not an athlete, but part of a sports governing body) entry wasn’t a photoshop job, but [check it out](http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Olympics-Behind-Scenes-Politics/dp/0470834544). ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/59 "2011-04-19T23:32:26Z")
The Sabres had a rugged defender back in the 70s named Larry Playfair. He often didn’t, as witnessed by his high penalty minute totals. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867/60 "2011-04-19T23:40:27Z")
J.J. Putz is a very unfortunate name for a player, but then to be traded to the NY Mets made it 100 times worse as I suspect every New Yorker knows putz means: A stupid or worthless person and worse yet is Yiddish slang for Penis. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-names-in-sports/578867.md?page=4)