Nicknames In Sports

Nicknames in sports don't seem like a big thing, but they actually are. I played under a coach that made it a point to nickname his players. I believe from a psychological standpoint, a nickname can be beneficial. It can give a player motivation, a self identity, and even a role on their team. A guy nicknamed iron man could believe he is a strong opponent against other teams.

Even at the beginning of professional American sports, players acquired nicknames. George Herman Ruth probably having the most famous nickname, Babe. So many other athletes have been known by their adopted names such as Air Jordan, Yogi Berra, Joltin Joe DiMaggio, LeBron King James, Ed Too Tall Jones, William The Refrigerator Perry, and many, many more.

Many are not only known by their nicknames, but they're nicknames are marketing tools as well. Imagine how different Bo Jackson's "Bo Knows..." campaign with Nike would have been if his nickname was Jack instead of Bo. Or how well would Shoeless Joe Jackson was only known as Joe? Would he still be known today? Would they still have included a fictionalized, ghostly version of him in the movie Field Of Dreams?

I like nicknames. They add character to a player, especially when they're positive. I've played alongside players with names like Bubblegum, Bird, Chutley, Juice, Cone Head, Doctor Seuss, and many more. Without them, players would just be known by their real names and Lawrence Berra just sounds boring compared to Yogi.