It would be hard to get a more flattering nickname than “Honest Abe” in reference to our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. Consid-ering today’s political climate, a politician will likely never hold that nickname again.
Our 10th president, John Tyler, had a nickname that was far less complimentary. He was called “His Accidency” because Tyler was elevated to the presidency after the death of his predecessor, William Henry Harrison.
Since this is a sports column, I should dodge the doldrums of democracy and talk about something a little more chipper – sports nicknames. So without further ado, here’s a rundown of the top 10 nicknames in sports history.
10. William “The Refrigerator” Perry – Trying to run up the middle of that 1985 Bears defense probably felt like running into a refrigerator when Perry was playing DT. To borrow a fast-food term, The Fridge was supersized.
9. “Mr. October” Reggie Jackson – With chants of “Reg-gie,” “Reg-gie,” Jackson made memories with his postseason blasts.
8. Marshawn Lynch “Beast Mode” – When Lynch went “Beast Mode” during that tackle-breaking TD run against the Saints in the playoffs, he gave the sports world a new buzzword. Now when any player is tough to handle, he’s called a beast.
7. Chad Johnson “Ochocinco” – This self-proclaimed nickname was cute enough at first. But it loses points because the flamboyant WR took it a step too far when he officially changed his last name to Ochocinco.
6. Andre the Giant “The Eighth Wonder of the World” – The Frenchman stood 7-foot-4 and weighed over 500 pounds. I can only guess what he ate for breakfast.
5. Earvin “Magic” Johnson – A point guard, Johnson played center in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Championship and responded with 42 points and 15 rebounds. You know it’s an appropriate nickname when it replaces your real name.
4. “Dr. J” Julius Erving – This nickname lost luster when he became a spokesman for Chapstick and declared himself Dr. Chapstick.
3. David Ortiz “Big Papi” – Legend has it Ortiz has trouble remembering names so he calls everyone “Papi.” That would make him one of the biggest Papis of them all.
2. “Prime Time” Deion Sanders – He liked to throw this nickname around himself, but hey, he lived up to the hype. Not many NFL cornerbacks have distinguished themselves with an endzone dance.
1. “The Mailman” Karl Malone – What do you call a guy who always delivered during his NBA career with the Utah Jazz? Back in his day, The Mailman was the obvious choice. Nowadays, Malone would be known as The Email.