OT: - College & Professional Athletes Nicknames | Page 5 | The Boneyard

OT: College & Professional Athletes Nicknames

A poster mentioned the Purple People Eaters - Vikings

Reminded me of some other TEAM nicknames.

Monsters of the Midway - Bears
Gashouse Gang - Cardinals (with Dizzy and Daffy Dean) of the 1930's
Miracle Mets - even though I hate them
Pi Slamma Jama - Univ of Houston (circa 1982.83ish)
Flyin' Illini - the Fighting Illini (circa 1988-89)
Big Red Machine - Cincinnati Reds of the 70's.
No Name Defense - Miami Dolphins early 70's
Fearsome Foursome - Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier, Lemar Lundy. LA Rams defensive line.
America's Team - Dallas Cowboys
Bronx Bombers - Yankees (back in the day)
Evil Empire - Yankees, TN Vols
All Blacks - New Zealand Rugby team
The Dream Team - USA Men's Basketball 1992


Oh geez, how could I forget

Gunners - Arsenal Football Club
Gooners - fans of AFC
 
meyers7 said:
A poster mentioned the Purple People Eaters - Vikings

Reminded me of some other TEAM nicknames.

Monsters of the Midway - Bears
Gashouse Gang - Cardinals (with Dizzy and Daffy Dean) of the 1930's
Miracle Mets - even though I hate them
Pi Slamma Jama - Univ of Houston (circa 1982.83ish)
Flyin' Illini - the Fighting Illini (circa 1988-89)
Big Red Machine - Cincinnati Reds of the 70's.
No Name Defense - Miami Dolphins early 70's
Fearsome Foursome - Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier, Lemar Lundy. LA Rams defensive line.
America's Team - Dallas Cowboys
Bronx Bombers - Yankees (back in the day)
Evil Empire - Yankees, TN Vols
All Blacks - New Zealand Rugby team
The Dream Team - USA Men's Basketball 1992


Oh geez, how could I forget

Gunners - Arsenal Football Club
Gooners - fans of AFC
Expand ...
Don't forget these

Bad Boys, Detroit Pistons
Steel Curtain, Pittsburgh Steelers
Who Dat?, New Orleans Saints
Who Dey? Cincinnati Bengals
 
meyers7 said:
A poster mentioned the Purple People Eaters - Vikings

Reminded me of some other TEAM nicknames.

Monsters of the Midway - Bears
Gashouse Gang - Cardinals (with Dizzy and Daffy Dean) of the 1930's
Miracle Mets - even though I hate them
Pi Slamma Jama - Univ of Houston (circa 1982.83ish)
Flyin' Illini - the Fighting Illini (circa 1988-89)
Big Red Machine - Cincinnati Reds of the 70's.
No Name Defense - Miami Dolphins early 70's
Fearsome Foursome - Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier, Lemar Lundy. LA Rams defensive line.
America's Team - Dallas Cowboys
Bronx Bombers - Yankees (back in the day)
Evil Empire - Yankees, TN Vols
All Blacks - New Zealand Rugby team
The Dream Team - USA Men's Basketball 1992


Oh geez, how could I forget

Gunners - Arsenal Football Club
Gooners - fans of AFC
Expand ...
The Fightin’ Irish-Notre Dame
 
Carnac said:
Too easy.......the splendid splinter was MLB’s Ted Williams (Boston Red Sox). Teddy ballgame was also one of williams’ monikers. Williams still holds the record of being the last player to hit over .400 (406) for an entire season (1941). Tony Guinn came close finishing at .396 in 1984.
Expand ...
A spelling correction of Tony’s last name
:Gwynn (not Guinn) who also had a moniker of “Mr. Padre.”
 
The deacon said:
Peanuts Lowery, probably, Boonton, correct?

A few I came up with while perusing the thread to this point - sorry if some might be repeats:

Cheetah currently could be Tyreek Hill, or, for golfers, a nickname given DJ back a few years ago. Of course, for football fans, Tom Brady has also been called Cheetah for other reasons.

Spud Chandler and Spud Webb

Apologies, Meyers7, Tom Terrific was, as someone else mentioned, originally Tom Seaver.

Smokey Burgess

Biff Pocoroba

The Brown Bomber

Teddy Ballgame and The Splendid Splinter was also known as The Kid... back before most of us were around.

The Iron Horse... Lou Gehrig

Dizzy Dean

The Say Hey Kid... Willie Mays

Stormin' Norman Cash

The Human Vacuum Cleaner... Brooks Robinson

The Blade... Mark Belanger

Finally, for the moment, one every UConn sports fan should know: The Poughkeepsie Popper!

This is fabulous stuff. Great lists by Huskee11, Meyers7 and others. I'm humbled to be surrounded here by so many knowledgeable sports fans. Keep 'em coming. Thanks, Carnac!
Expand ...
Yes, and Lowery had a good mlb career. Lifetime .273 hitter, and one of the best pinch hitters ever.
 
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I apologize if these were mentioned previously:

Big Bird
Scooter
The Penguin
Marvelous ((insert name here)
 
Monte said:
Reading Rifle and Skoonj Carl Furillo
Shotgun: George Shuba
The Penguin: Ron Cey
Duke: Edwin Snider
Oisk: Carl Erskine
Campy + the Round Man: Roy Campanella
The Arkansas Hummingbird: Lane Warnake
Big Newk: Don Newcomb
Big D: DonDrysdale
Dollar Bill: Bill Bradley
Peanuts: Harry Lowrey
Whitey: Carrol Lockman+Ed Ford
Red: Albert Schoendienst
The Thumper: Ted Williams
Jolting Joe: Joe Dimaggio
Pee Wee: Harold Reese
Junior: Jim Gilliam
Expand ...
Looking at all of these former players takes me back to the good old days. I was a big baseball fan back then, and I saw a number of these guys play. I never saw Red Schoeienst play. I remember him as a Cardinals base coach in the early 60’s. The Cardinals were my favorite non-Dodger team.
 
Forego said:
I apologize if these were mentioned previously:

Big Bird
Scooter
Expand ...
I’m guessing on both of these.......Randy Johnson and Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto.
 
Carnac said:
Looking at all of these former players takes me back to the good old days. I was a big baseball fan back then, and I saw a number of these guys play. I never saw Red Schoeienst play. I remember him as a Cardinals base coach in the early 60’s. The Cardinals were my favorite non-Dodger team.
Expand ...
Yeah, back in those days, almost every player had a nickname.
 
the tuna.
captain hook.
the truth.
shaq foo.
flash.
LT.
cardiac kemba's other nickname was ez pass.
round mound of rebound, aka, sir charles.
 
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to my knowledge and understanding, a lot of nba'ers these days are called 'no check,' like an east european play on names.
'don't hand him no check, he's got alligator arms...'
alligator arms, too.
 
Carnac said:
Looking at all of these former players takes me back to the good old days. I was a big baseball fan back then, and I saw a number of these guys play. I never saw Red Schoeienst play. I remember him as a Cardinals base coach in the early 60’s. The Cardinals were my favorite non-Dodger team.
Expand ...
So, a Dodger fan? Then you might know who "Happy" was.
 
60’s-70’s Hoops:
The Big “O” Oscar Robertson
“Nate the Skate” Nate Thurmond
“Bells” Walt Bellamy
“Earl the Pearl” Earl Monroe

Boxing
“The Greatest”——all you need to know
 
boontonbomber said:
So, a Dodger fan? Then you might know who "Happy" was.
Expand ...
Yes, but the “happy” I know of was a Laker, Harold “happy” Hairston who was a member of their ‘71-’72 championsip team. Hairston passed in 2001.

On second thought, I do recall a happy on the Dodgers. It took a moment to kick in. You’re refering to pitcher Burt Hooton. He wore uniform number 46. I remember him well. He was with the Dodgers from 1975-1984.

He broke into the majors with the Cubs in 1971 and pitched a no-hitter for them in his fourth game that year. He finished with the Texas Rangers in 1985. That was 37 years ago. I haven’t had a thought about Hooton during that time. Out of sight, out of mind. :)
 
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Carnac said:
I’m guessing on both of these.......Randy Johnson and Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto.
Expand ...
Correct on Phil Rizzuto being Scooter. I can still hear Red Barber calling him that while they were in the broadcast booth. You may have been led astray by my reference to Big Bird. It was actually just “Bird”. I was recalling a Sports Illustrated cover where the player with his long curly blonde hair posed with the Sesame Street character.
 
ClifSpliffy said:
to my knowledge and understanding, a lot of nba'ers these days are called 'no check,' like an east european play on names.
'don't hand him no check, he's got alligator arms...'
alligator arms, too.
Expand ...
Some NFL receivers were accused of having “alligator arms” when running a crossing route over the middle in the “old days” before the recent rules changes that now protect defenseless players in compromising positions.
 
Forego said:
Correct on Phil Rizzuto being Scooter. I can still hear Red Barber calling him that while they were in the broadcast booth. You may have been led astray by my reference to Big Bird. It was actually just “Bird”. I was recalling a Sports Illustrated cover where the player with his long curly blonde hair posed with the Sesame Street character.
Expand ...
Yeah, I missed that edition. ;)
 
Carnac said:
Yes, but the “happy” I know of was a Laker, Harold “happy” Hairston who was a member of their ‘71-’72 championsip team. Hairston passed in 2001.

On second thought, I do recall a happy on the Dodgers. It took a moment to kick in. You’re refering to pitcher Burt Hooton. He wore uniform number 46. I remember him well. He was with the Dodgers from 1975-1984.

He broke into the majors with the Cubs in 1971 and pitched a no-hitter for them in his fourth game that year. He finished with the Texas Rangers in 1985. That was 37 years ago. I haven’t had a thought about Hooton during that time. Out of sight, out of mind. :)
Expand ...
Well, maybe before your time The Dodgers had a pregame show in the '50's called Happy Felton's Knothole Gang. I did not know that Hooton was called Happy. Now I do.
 
Harry "The Cat", for you really old timers. Surprised not to see "The Flying Dutchman", though maybe I missed it. Or "The BigTrain". All baseball guys.
 
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Not before my time. I’ve heard of Happy’s knohole gang. I believe this program was produced in the NY area before the Dodgers moved west in 1958. If that is the case, there is no way I could have accessed this program in New York from where I was in Southern California.

There was no MLB teams west of St. Louis before the Dodgers and Giants moved west in 1958. The best we could hope for was the nationally televised game of the week on Saturdays. All we had in the early 50’s were the Rams. The Lakers didn’t relocate here (the LA Sports Arena) from Minneapolis until 1960.
 
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