Sports Nicknames, Love’m or Hate’m

I’ve always been a fan of nicknames, like Lefty or Sad Girl or Frosty. But when it comes to sports, nicknames can make, or even break you. Before we run through a few of them, let me remind everyone that you CANNOT pick your nickname. It must be given to you by your teammates, folks, or childhood friends. So Shawn the Matrix Marion, as far as I’m concerned, you’re out.

We all know the favorites in Magic Johnson, Air Jordan, Dr. J, Mr. Clutch Jerry West, Big Game James, Thunder Dan Majerle, Karl the Mailman Malone, Gary the Glove Payton. You also gotta give props to Fred the Mayor Hoyberg, George the Iceman Gervin (Chuck Lidell too), Daniel Booby Gibson (although I liked it more for Booby Miles from Friday Night Lights.) The list goes on with the Answer Allen Iverson, Paul Pierce the Truth, the Big Ticket KG, David Big Papi Ortiz, Clyde the Glide Drexler, Hakeem the Dream Olajuwan, Fred the Crimedog McGriff, the Great One Wayne Gretzky, and Sid the Kid Crosby.

Some players also have cool abbreviations that turn into nicknames, like Andrei Kirilenko’s AK-47, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila’s KGB, Alex A-Rod Rodriguez, Tracy T-Mac McGrady, Lo-Jac Lawrence Jackson and L.T. (can’t leave out Lawrence Taylor).

Then you get those that aren’t just nicknames, they’re more nicksentences, for example: Round Mound of Rebound Charles Barkley and Dominique the Human Highlight Reel Wilkins.

I’m not gonna disrespect the And 1 ballers, but they all have nicknames, maybe some a little overboard than others. I’ll point out some of the cool ones in Hot Sauce, Helicopter, Professor, Spyda, Escalade, 50, A.O., Main Event, and 1/2 man 1/2 amazing.

I’m not a fan of Lebron King James, Eddie instant offense House, Shaq’s Big Aristotle/Diesel, Robert the Chief Parrish, Bryant Big Country Reeves, and Cal Ironman Ripken (because I think he hurt his team for trying to keep up that stupid record).

But if I had to pick out my own, I’d probably go with the Rifleman. I know, it belongs to a sharpshooter by the name of Chuck Person AND I can’t shoot a 3-pointer to save my life. I also wanna give much love to my my ALLSTARS in Floyd Pretty Boy Merriweather, Eric Sleepy Floyd, Deion Prime Time Sanders, Touchdown Tommy Vardell, and Michael the Playmaker Irvin.