Friday 5: Favorite Sports Nicknames

Show me The Glove

Happy Friday readers.  Today I am going to borrow an idea from my blogging buddy Tim over at Life of Riles called Friday 5.  Basically,  for a Friday post I list my 5 favorite things in a different and completely random category.

Today, I have chosen Sports Nicknames.  Here are my 5 favorites.

5. The Big Unit: Randy Johnson was left-handed, stood 6'10" tall, and was perhaps the most imposing pitcher to ever take the mound in The Show.  I know he went on to bigger things in his days with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but to me his performance in the 1995 divisional playoff series between the Seattle Mariners and the hated New York Yankees cemented him as a legend.  The nickname The Big Unit is both fitting and, depending on how you interpret it, hilarious.

4. Crime Dog: While a decent professional baseball player in his day, Fred Griff will always be known more for his nickname which was a take on the police cartoon crime fighting dog McGruff, who could "Take a bite outta crime". 

3. The Microwave: Vinnie Johnson won NBA world championships with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990, but was originally drafted in 1979 by my hometown Seattle Supersonics.  Back then we just knew him as VJ as he was teammate with another pair of famous J's, DJ (Dennis Johnson) and JJ (Johnny Johnson).  In Detroit he became known as The Microwave for his ability to heat things up in a hurry.  Classic.

2. The Glove: Gary Payton was perhaps the best defensive point guard who ever suited up in the NBA.  He would defend opposing guards so tightly it was like they were wearing a glove.  Thus the nickname.  Another Seattle sports icon, his nickname was made all the more awesome by the hand gesture that accompanied it.  Palms and fingers outstretched as if putting on a glove, with the opposite hand gripped around the wrist.

1. Shoeless Joe:  Legend has it Joe Jackson became Shoeless Joe, after he played a game in Left Field without his cleats because they were new and had given him blisters.  Despite his involvement in the infamous 1919 Black Sox World Series fixing scandal, which resulted in his being banned from baseball Shoeless Joe is still one of the best hitters to ever play the game, posting the third highest career batting average of all time.  To me, the name Shoeless Joe is synonymous with baseball history and the nostalgia that surrounds it.

So, there you go.  Tell me folks, what are your all time favorite Sports Nicknames?

Photo Credit: blog.supersonicsoul.com