Getting A Grip On Handles

Saturday night, Milwaukee Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings dropped 55 spectacular points on the Golden State Warriors (the second highest single game point total for a rook in NBA history).

Immediately and deservedly, Jennings was thrust into the sporting spotlight.

In the ensuing days, the thing that has impressed me most about Jennings wasn't his skill, his background (having played a season in Rome because he wasn't eligble for the NBA draft, and his grades were too low to get into college), or his projected totals for the 2009/10 season.

What impressed me most, was his nickname. He was given it in Grade 12 and has it tattooed across the back of his back: YOUNG MONEY.

I love it!

It's short, it's catchy, it epitomizes a guy who is money on the court, with money in the bank!

Unfortunately, too many nicknames these days are terribly uncreative.

Smith becomes Smitty. Johnson becomes Johnny. Kane becomes Kaner. Stone becomes Stoner (actually that one is pretty good!)

That being said, there are some GOOD nicknames out there...but very few GREAT ones.

These are some of the GREAT ones that come to mind from today and days gone by:

NFL - Christian "The Nigerian Nightmare" Okoye - for an NFL linebacker to see this guy, who was likely larger than most of the LB's, running at them...it definitely was a nightmare.

NHL - Ken "The Rat" Linseman - The nickname that perfectly described a guy that would stick you in the groin, and while you were down, take the puck and put it in the back of the net.

MLB - Frank "The Big Hurt" Thomas - I could sit here for a year and fail to come up with a better nickname for a guy this huge.

NBA - Charles "The Round Mound of Rebound" Barkley - he never won an NBA championship, but he is the champion of sound bites as a broadcaster for TNT and his girth brought us his wonderful nickname.

Those are just the ones that come to mind...what about you? Leave me a comment on what nicknames are the GREAT ones in sports!

Oh, and although it's not sports related, there is one more great nickname that should be recognized:



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