Countdown: Best Nicknames in Sports

Let's get one person out the way really quickly. LeBron James will NOT be making an appearance an this list. Why you ask? Well, the thing with nicknames is that they should be earned, not simply handed out as a result of a monstrous amount of hype. When he wins a title, I'll be fine with the label "King James". Until then, long live "Prince James", heir to the throne of "King Kobe".

With that said, let's get this going...


#10. Gilbert "Agent Zero" Arenas


Maybe "Secret Agent Zero" should be Gilbert's actual nickname after leaving whatever undercover mission he is on to play in a total of 15 games over the last 2 seasons. When he's not devastated by injuries, Arenas puts up monster numbers and makes the mediocre players around him in Washington more effective mediocre players. Plus, anytime you get a non-racially charged shout-out from Kramer, you've got a great nickname.


#9. Alexander "the Great" Ovechkin


Simple, but absolutely perfect for the NHL's one man highlight reel. Ovie's mere presence on the ice restored a floundering Capitals franchise and has built them into a team that will compete for the Stanley Cup every year. Considering he's only 23, we'll have the priveledge of watching Ovechkin fill up Top 10 lists for many seasons to come.


#8. Pablo "Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval


If the "Panda" can keep putting up numbers like he has in his first 1-1/2 seasons, he's going to shoot right to the top of this list just on how fitting the nickname is. At 5-11, 246 lbs. (how he's listed, believe what you want), Sandoval is built like a tank and has about the same level of firepower, putting up 21 home runs and a .326 average this season. Here's to hoping that he and Prince Fielder end up on the same team at some point so I can make my millions selling reinforced astroturf to whatever franchise they end up on.


#7. Calvin "Megatron" Johnson


If you're like me, you simultaneously shook your head and laughed when the Detroit Lions announced Calvin Johnson as their #1 pick in 2007, their 4th wide receiver selected with their first round pick in 5 years. Maybe they knew what they were doing after all. Johnson has emerged as a undeniable force catching the ball, demanding double, or even triple, coverage. If the Lions can transform into something other than the NFL's running joke, it's more than likely going to be on the more than capable shoulders of "Megatron".


#6. Allen "The Answer" Iverson


In the late 90's/early 2000's, Allen Iverson was the most electrifying player in the NBA. During his peak years there wasn't a question that he wasn't "the Answer" to, including "who can cross Michael Jordan"? The new question is will A.I. be the answer to problems that have plauged the Memphis Grizzlies franchise recently. Just don't ask him about practice, I hear he is none too fond of it.


#5 (tie) "Superman" Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard


Don't tell Shaq, but he's going to have to share the "Superman" nickname with Howard. For years, the "Diesel" has held the title with no challengers to the throne. Dwight's performance at the All-Star game in 2008 has launched the Magic's center to the top of the heap as the "Superman" torch bearer. With both playing in the Eastern Conference this coming season, we may just get to see Howard usurp the crown that has sat upon Shaq's head for so long.


#4. Anderson "The Spider" Silva


"The Black Widow" might be more appropriate, but it doesn't flow quite as well "The Spider" for the UFC's middleweight champion/executioner. Since coming over to the UFC in 2006, Silva racked up 10 straight wins and 6 consecutive defenses of his middleweight title. His level of striking and ability to make his opponents look foolish conjures up images of Pernell Whitaker and Ali from the boxing world. He's lankey, he's precise and he's deadly if he gets his hands on you. One only needs to see his performance against Forrest Griffin to see why "the Spider" fits Silva almost as well as that middleweight belt.



#3. "All Day" Adrian Peterson


Freak. Monster. Terror. All could be attributed to the premire running back in the NFL today. But do any two words describe A.P better than "All Day"? Give this man the ball and watch him work his magic. Up the gut, outside the tackles, out of the backfield, in the open field; Peterson can burn you for 6 anytime he touches the ball. If he can keep this up for future seasons we may be giving "All Day" a new tag like "All-Pro" or "All-Time great".


#2. (double shot) "Pretty Boy" Floyd/"Money" Mayweather


The controversial figure and undisputed pound-for-pound #1 boxer in the world (before his short lived retirement) will be the first to tell you that he is one of the all-time greats of the sport. Having never tasted defeat up to this point in his career, the "Pretty Boy" has kept his looks intact with a deadly combination of blinding speed, knockout power and slick defense. As for the "Money" part, I suppose anyone who makes it rain at WrestleMania can call himself whatever he wants. Making $25 million a fight might be a good reason to call yourself "Money" too I guess.


#1. "Tiger" Woods


Quick, without using Google, what is Tiger's real name? Give up?; well I'll put it at the end here. It's hard not to put Mr. Woods at the top of this list considering what he has done in his PGA career. 70 wins on tour including 14 major titles has Tiger in position to be considered the greatest ever to hit the links. What better nickname could you give a man who ruthlessly pursues his prey before overtaking it and letting out a victorious roar when he has reached the top? His impact on the game of golf will continue long after he has Stevey put down the bag and hangs up his cleats. Tiger has bestowed a new energy to a sport that has long been considered to only be for the old and elite. The top of this list is Tiger's as long as he wants it.



P.S., his real name is Eldrick

What Happened to Alex Gordon?

Just ask Zack Grienke; Kansas City might not be the best place to play baseball if you want national recognition. But, in the case of former number one overall draft pick Alex Gordon, it's probably a good thing he has basically fallen off the map.

The former two-time Gatorade Nebraska Player of the Year, college superstar, #1 rated prospect in baseball, and 2006 Minor League Player of the Year has gone from heralded prospect to relative obscurity in just three professional seasons. An almost consensus favorite to win the MLB Rookie of the Year award in 2007, Gordon was extremely disappointing, batting only .247 with 15 home runs in 151 games. Match that against his 2005 year at Nebraska of a .372 average and 19 home runs in only 72 and there's clearly a bit of trouble adjusting to the majors.

Ok, adjustment period is over, 2008 was going to be the year he broke out. Wrong. Gordon continued to struggle to the tune of a .260 average and hit only one more home run than the previous season. He did put up some startling numbers during the '07 season though, 120 strikeouts and a .955 fielding percentage with 16 errors, both of which were lowest among AL third baseman. And just to pile on the kid, a torn right quadricep placed him on the Royals' 15-day disabled list.

Which brings us to the current season. The injury bug struck early, and hard, for Gordon in the form of a muscle tear in his right hip just 2 weeks into the season. He returned from the DL in mid-July, but only remained with the team for about a month before being optioned to back to Triple-A Omaha until rosters expanded in September. A fairly forgetable 2009 campaign has him hitting only .198 with 11 RBI in 29 games as off today.

So what has happened to this seemingly "can't miss" prospect that was destined to be one of the great third baseman? Is it too early to tell if he will live up to the hype, or was the hype simply that? Maybe he just needs a change of scenery; it seems to have done wonders for Josh Hamilton.

The struggles of Alex Gordon in adjusting to major league ball should serve a giant warning flag to anyone who is ready annoit players like Bryce Harper as the next sure fire future Hall of Famer. Wait until they get between the lines on the big stage before making any rash judgments. That's problem with hype, it can envelop players and bury them from the sight of baseball fans.

Knee-jerk Reactions: College Football's Opening Weekend

Taking into account everything I saw in college football this weekend, here's what I found...

1) Sam Bradford is the most important player (to his team) in college football: Have you ever seen a team fold as quickly, and as badly, as the Sooners did the minute Sam Bradford left the game? Most teams would have rallied around their injured star and fought twice as hard to earn the win. Not Bob Stoops’ squad. They more or less gave up when true freshman Landry Jones went under center. Oklahoma had just started to let Bradford off the leash with the passing game (with great results mind you) when he went out. Take nothing away from BYU; they did exactly what they had to do to win the game. But you can’t help but feel things would have gone as planned for the Sooners if Bradford’s shoulder held up.

2) USC is going to dominate Ohio State next week: The Buckeyes showed the nation something on Saturday that they may have wanted to keep quiet until USC comes to town; they’re not ready to be National Champions. Ohio State committed a terrible sports sin by looking past their opponent on the field to the next week’s opponent, and almost paid dearly for it. Sure, they won the game; but the Navy performance showed that this team is not ready to compete with the elite teams in college football right now. One thing Pete Carroll does better than almost every coach in college is keep his team motivated on the task at hand, no matter how overmatched the other team is. Say what you will about the strength of the Big Ten, but if the Buckeyes get caught looking ahead to Penn State or Iowa they may not be able to avoid the upset a second time.

3) Penn State will be in the National Title game: Yeah, it’s only one week into the season but hear me out. This team is very similar to the one that went to the Rose Bowl last year, but they have something this year that will put them over the top. Joe Paterno. He didn’t go anywhere last year, I know, but having his presence on the sidelines will be huge for this team. Add in the fact that I would give the National title nod to an undefeated Nittany Lions squad over a team like Texas, should they run the table. Sorry Longhorns, games against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State don’t cancel out scheduled executions against UTEP, Wyoming, Louisiana-Monroe and UCF in the title picture.

4) If Mark May picks against Notre Dame all season, Lou Holtz will crush him in the standings: Great hindsight from ESPN’s resident Irish-basher Mark May following the day’s games. Pick Nevada and their gimmick “pistol” offense that dominates defenses in the WAC to beat Notre Dame, then backtrack and bash their FBS-worst pass defense when the Irish put a man-sized beatdown on the Wolfpack. Seriously, Mayday; not even a little credit to the performance by Notre Dame’s offense? Jimmy Clausen has a passer rating north of 350, and Michael Floyd averages 45 yards per catch with three touchdowns and it’s still not worthy of some praise? What about the defense; it must be the fact that the pistol offense is ineffecti…wait, never mind. Whether you want to admit it or not Mark, the Irish are for real this year.

5) Frank Beamer really needs a pocket quarterback: Note to whoever is in charge of Virginia Tech’s recruiting; find a quarterback who doesn’t scramble at the first sign of trouble. On third and goal with a chance to take the lead, Tyrod Taylor decided to scramble out of the pocket and into the waiting arms of a containing lineman. If he would have stayed in the pocket and followed his progressions, he would have found his running back wide open in the right flat for an easy touchdown. The biggest question going into this season for the Hokies was if Taylor could shake his Michael Vick instincts and develop his passing to go with his scrambling talent. Maybe a brutal Alabama defense isn’t the best litmus test of his abilities early a season, but if he has dreams of playing on the next level he really needs to show he can keep cool and make his reads under pressure.

6) Steve Sarkisian will do great things for Washington: The Huskies lost their home opener to LSU but it was a lot closer than everyone thought (myself included, check my Streak for the Cash account). Sure the Tigers are breaking in a new QB but you can pretty much say the same thing about Washington’s Jake Locker who missed most of last season with an injury. Locker showed why he was so highly regarded as a dual threat QB coming out high school, managing the offense against a very talented defense. Showing you can compete with high level teams will do wonders for Sarkisian’s recruiting efforts.

7) Maybe Lane Kiffin can back up his preseason talk: Western Kentucky is not Florida, Georgia or LSU but did anyone expect the Vols to score at will like they did? Maybe, just maybe, coach Kiffin knew what kind of talent his team has when he went on his one man Tennessee hype trail this off season. If Jonathan Crompton, David Oku and Bryce Brown can play like they did this weekend, the Florida-Tennessee match-up could be the game of the year. I could be game of the year but…….

8) USC vs. California will be the best game in college football this season: My first “big prediction that will more than likely be wrong” this season. Judging solely by their performances in week one, that game will be a serious slugfest. Jahvid Best’s athleticism was prominently on display against Maryland, and Joe McKnight made the San Jose State defense look like…well, San Jose State’s defense. Cal’s defense looked stout in stopping what little offense the Terps brought to the table, while Matt Barkley showed why Pete Carroll has so much faith in him as a freshman. For the first time in years, this game looks to be very evenly matched and should lead to an incredible game.

9) College Gameday's choice of music makes me sad: Kenny Chesney - good; Dave Matthews Band - great; Kenny Chesney plus Dave Matthews Band - awesome; Kenny Chesney plus Dave Matthews Band plus college football - epic fail. Sorry, neither of these two artists really scream "college football" to me. You know what does; college marching bands! Why not have the host school's band put together something for the broadcast. Use the fight song, I don't really care. Just please spare me having to go through another year of this.