# Cool Sports Nicknames **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865 "2006-12-28T15:31:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/41 "2006-12-29T14:16:57Z")
[QUOTE=Revedge] As was his college team: “Phi Slama Jama.” [/QUOTE] Which included Hakeem “the dream” Olajuwon. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/42 "2006-12-29T14:50:49Z")
In the world of basketball. . . “Agent Zero” is definitely catching on for Gilbert Arenas. That’s pretty nice. “King James” is not bad. “The Answer” is good nickname, but I’m not much of an Iverson fan. They called Robert Parrish “The Chief” which fit nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/43 "2006-12-29T15:25:42Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] I think “He Hate Me” might be one of the greatest ever. I’ll tell you one thing. . .nicknaming has been a little problematic lately. A-Rod, K-Rod, etc. Shit style. You have half the alphabet to work with with LaDanian Tomlinson, and the best you can come up with is LT? A nickname someone else already has? What about these idiots calling Vince Young, “V.Y.”? Let’s put the kibosh on that before it sticks. How about Vinnie Touchdowns? V-Ten? Vinnie Flash? There’s a lot to work with there. Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor is pretty good. Mason “The Line” Dixon. 🙂 Andrew “The Foul Pole” Golota is a great one. [/QUOTE] I’m right with you. A formula to make a nickname is bad nicknaming. It’s also VERY lazy. Your first letter combined with the first syllable of your last name is NOT a nickname. There are a few exceptions, like the original ones, like Chris Webber and maybe Alex Rodriguez. Ivan Rodriguez already has a good nickname, (“Pudge”) so we don’t need to make it “I-Rod”, which I’ve heard and hate. Tracy McGrady does not equal T-Mac. That’s just damn lazy. For Vince Young, “Vinnie” works for me. What about “Vinnie Intangibles” or something like that? Fuck, “Vince” is already a nickname, or at least a shortened version of a full name. He already HAS a nickname! ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/44 "2006-12-29T15:26:49Z")
[QUOTE=Fern Forest] I always liked Drew Bled-so-much-he-needed-a-tranfusion. Even though it was only used once, in a commercial. [/QUOTE] I remember this one and also love it. Thanks for mentioning it, even though as a nitpick, I think it was Drew “bled-so-much-he-needed-a-blood-transfusion”. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/45 "2006-12-29T15:31:14Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] In the world of basketball. . . “Agent Zero” is definitely catching on for Gilbert Arenas. That’s pretty nice. “King James” is not bad. “The Answer” is good nickname, but I’m not much of an Iverson fan. They called Robert Parrish “The Chief” which fit nicely. [/QUOTE] “King James”, to me, was a bit early. You don’t nickname a kid that coming out of high school. He’s earning that nickname now, for sure, but he shouldn’t have had it as a rookie. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/46 "2006-12-29T15:40:41Z")
Chuck “the Iceman” Liddell isn’t completely original, but there’s a good story behind it; he’s notoriously unflappable before fights, like in this interview with his trainer GM John Hackleman: > [@](#): > > Prior to the start of UFC 47, John was hanging on the Octagon fence talking to Chuck. After offering Liddell a drink of water, John drank the majority of the bottle’s contents himself. "Well you know why?…I was more nervous than Chuck. Chuck didn’t get nervous for that fight. I kept trying to psych him out, and he just kept laughing the whole time. > > "Even walking into the ring - you watch it – he was laughing. He turned around to me, ‘John, I’m going to knock him out. I guarantee it.’ I’ve never had that much confidence before a fight, much less have I’ve seen any of my other guys with that much confidence. [http://www.knucklepit.com/mixed-martial-arts-john\_hackleman.htm](http://www.knucklepit.com/mixed-martial-arts-john_hackleman.htm) Coincidentally, UFC 47 was his last fight with Tito Ortiz, and the rematch is tomorrow, December 30. Neither has lost a fight since then, so it should be a good one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/47 "2006-12-29T15:44:43Z")
[QUOTE=brianjedi] Actually, all those nicknames, along with “The Battleship Lorenzen” and “The Round Mound of Touchdown” are from his days here in Lexington at UK. [/QUOTE] I hadn’t heard those two before; they’re both great. Sorry if I wasn’t clear, but I meant that some of his nicknames were given him by opposing fans during his college days. Surely fans of his didn’t name him J-Load, right? He’s barely been on the roster as a Giant, so NFL fans don’t even know who he is, much less think about him enough to give him a nickname. I was loudly calling for him to take the field during last week’s debacle, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/48 "2006-12-29T16:03:58Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] Chuck “the Iceman” Liddell isn’t completely original, [/QUOTE] George Gervin, San Antonio Spurs guard, who was cool under pressure. Whenever his team came to town, the local sports headline writers would demonstrate their knowledge of Eugene O’Neill play titles. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/49 "2006-12-29T16:26:27Z")
I don’t believe I forgot Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain “Tree” Rollins Lew “Kareem-Abdul Jabbar” Alcindor Oh. Wait a minute. Scratch that last one. I did read that in high school, Alcindor was called “The Tower of Power,” though. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/50 "2006-12-29T16:35:58Z")
Rollins’ close involvement with Danny Ainge’s finger in a Celtics-Hawks game permitted the classic headline “Tree Bites Man”. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/51 "2006-12-29T16:53:38Z")
Daryle “The Mad Bomber” Lamonica! [QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] “King James”, to me, was a bit early. You don’t nickname a kid that coming out of high school. He’s earning that nickname now, for sure, but he shouldn’t have had it as a rookie. [/QUOTE] “King James” is better than LBJ (ugh) or Bron-Bron, though, so it’s the best of a weak field. I hate initials nicknames and the A-Rod style. I think Bermanisms shouldn’t be considered in the same category as proper nicknames, but he’s coined a few good in his day. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/52 "2006-12-29T16:57:37Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] I think Bermanisms shouldn’t be considered in the same category as proper nicknames, but he’s coined a few good in his day. [/QUOTE] I agree. Bermanisms were really just puns on the atheletes’ names. Nobody saw Eric Bienemy walking down the street and said, “Hey, Sleeping With!” I don’t know how I could have forgotten Lamonica, either. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/53 "2006-12-29T17:01:49Z")
Oh, another one: Lenny “Nails” Dykstra. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/54 "2006-12-29T17:11:14Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Daryle “The Mad Bomber” Lamonica! “King James” is better than LBJ (ugh) or Bron-Bron, though, so it’s the best of a weak field. I hate initials nicknames and the A-Rod style. I think Bermanisms shouldn’t be considered in the same category as proper nicknames, but he’s coined a few good in his day. [/QUOTE] I agree. With everything, so far. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865/55 "2006-12-29T22:29:16Z")
[QUOTE=Ellis Dee] I hadn’t heard those two before; they’re both great. Sorry if I wasn’t clear, but I meant that some of his nicknames were given him by opposing fans during his college days. Surely fans of his didn’t name him J-Load, right? He’s barely been on the roster as a Giant, so NFL fans don’t even know who he is, much less think about him enough to give him a nickname. I was loudly calling for him to take the field during last week’s debacle, that’s for sure. [/QUOTE] Nah, we gave him J-Load. And “The Pillsbury Throwboy” is from a sign someone had at Commonwealth Stadium, if I recall correctly. “The Battleship Lorenzen” was started by Rece Davis of ESPN, “The Hefty Lefty” is from Kentucky fans, and “The Round Mound of Touchdown” was coined by someone in the Lexington media. True story: he was almost 20 lbs. at birth, and he can throw a ball a legit 50+ yards from one knee (I’ve seen him do it in warmups.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-sports-nicknames/385865.md?page=2)