My current favorite is the nick name for Alex Rodriguez...A-Roid. Other famous nick names: Juice (O.J.), The Greatest (Ali), Big Diesel (Shaq), Black Momba (Kobe Bryant---he is a snake ), Magic (Earvin Johnson), Tiger (Eldridge Woods), Mr. Clutch (Jerry West), etc. What is the best/favorite nick name for a pro athlete?
Pervis 'Never Nervous' Ellison Nigerian Nightmare = Christian Okoye The Refrigerator = William Perry The Molester = Lester Hayes Andre 'Red Light' Racicot (crappy NHL goaltender)
There was a new Navy recruiting class and their drill instructor introduced himself to them and ruled out nicknames. He was a football coach from Texas, and he shouted "My (expletive) name is Jones. It's not (expletive) Jonesy or (expletive) Chief Jones. It's (expletive) Mister (expletive) Jones, and don't you (expletive) forget it." No one ever did.
Jack "The Assasin" Tatum Craig "Iron Head" Hayward Jack "Hack Saw" Reynolds Steve "Mongo" McMichael Scottie "No Tippin' " Pippen (He is rumored to be "thrifty" with his money and unfamiliar with the concept of giving gratuities.) Mike "I'll endorse anything" Ditka James "I'll let anybody blow me" Worthy Dennis "How am I still alive" Rodman Lenny "Can I sign with the Phillies or Mets for 1 year" Dykstra Charles "Round Mound of Rebound" Barkley Joe "Yankee Clipper" DiMaggio Yogi "Einstein" Berra......................
"Iceman".... George Gervin "the Answer" or "AI".. Allen "just practice" Iverson "Dr. J"..... Julius Irving "I-Rod".... Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. "Clyde the Glyde" ...Clyde Drexler "Air Jordan".... MJ "Air Canada" ...Vince Carter. "Big Ticket"...Kevin Garnett "Tripod"... El Cubano
Billy "White Shoes" Johnson. Ed "Too Tall" Jones. Kenny "The Snake" Stabler Randy "The Manster" White Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds to name a few
What's good about your list is virtually all of those nicknames became surrogate first names. I don't think I ever heard Too Tall called "Ed". We could add Ted "the Stork" Hendricks and Eugene "Mercury" Morris. And few people know Red Grange as Harold. BTW: Marvin "the Human Eraser" Webster died last week.....