Top 10 Nicknames in Sport pt 4

4. "He Hate Me" Rod Smart Oh XFL, how I miss thee.  Actually I only watched about a quarter of one game, however it was a Las Vegas Outlaws game featuring one "He Hate Me" at running back.  See, in the XFL players could put whatever they wanted on the back of their jerseys, and Rod Smart chose "He Hate Me." Why? I'll let Rod explain - "Basically, my brother's my opponent. After I win, he's gonna hate me. It is what it is. It's a saying I was saying when I'd feel something wasn't going my way. For example, (when) I was on the squad in Vegas and coach was putting other guys in, (if) I felt I'm better than them, you know, hey, 'he hate me.' See what I'm saying? Give me a chance. That's all I ask. It came from the heart. Within. The way I felt."  

3. "The Spaceman" Bill Lee Bill was an articulate, charismatic pitcher/pot head for the Red Sox during the 70's (and Expos for a stint in the 80's,) who's "out there" comments to the Boston media earned him the nickname "The Spaceman."  He was quite popular with his fans and teammates, as his flamboyant personality took center stage, relieving media tension in the clubhouse.  On the field, he was never a stand-out pitcher.  More of a junk pitcher, he would throw pitches like the Leephus (his Eephus) and the Space Ball.  The world could use more originals like Bill.

Top 10 Nicknames in Sport pt 3

6. Billy "White Shoes" Johnson When Billy Johnson was a kid, he spilled white paint on his brand new shoes.  From that point on he was Billy "White Shoes" Johnson.  While that story isn't a great he-took-off-his-new-shoes-because-they-didn't-fit-and-played-the-rest-of-the-game-shoeless legend, he is a legend...  in college, a teammate made a bet with Billy "White Shoes" Johnson that he wouldn't do a dance after scoring a touchdown.  He did the "Funky Chicken," single handedly creating the endzone celebration. You are welcome Chad Johnson.

5. Chad Ochocinco Speaking of Mr. Johnson Ochocinco, for all of his antics (putting with a pylon) and misadventures (racing against a race horse), going in front a judge to have your last name changed to the spanish pronunciation of your jersey number, just so you can circumvent NFL rules to get your self-created nickname written on the back of your jersey tops the cake.  He could have just created a time machine to played in the XFL...

Top 10 Nicknames in Sport pt 2

8. "Chocolate Thunder" Darryl Dawkins - Normally self-titled nicknames are a big no-no, however in Darryl's case we will let that slide as he gave himself a variety of awesome nicknames back in the 70's.  Along with creating monikers like "Dr. Dunkenstein" and "Chocolate Thunder" he also named his dunks, giving the world the "Rim-Wrecker", the "Go-Rilla", and the "The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying,Robezine-Crying, Teeth-Shakin, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam-Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam". Pretty inventive for a man who claimed he was an alien from the planet Lovetron.

7. Sebastian Janikowski "Sea Bass" Yeah, I see how Sea Bass can come out of Sebastian, and how not that original that is, but it makes me think of Cam Neely in Dumb and Dumber ("kick his ass, Sea Bass!).  Also, he is a fat polish kicker, so that's funny. I always think of a fantasy draft a few years back when a friend, after picking Janikowski exclaimed "just because you have "cow" in your name doesn't mean you have to weigh as much as one."

Top 10 Nicknames in Sport

Alright, nicknames aren't what they used to be.  In this media saturated day and age you would think there would be a little more originality than calling someone by their initials.  I have like 10 channels on my television dedicated 24 hours a day to covering sports, and I presume there are at least a dozen or so writers working for each of those channels.  Where are all the witty, Bermanesque monikers of yesteryear? Well, the following are some of my favorites of today, and yesterday. (I left of any Chris Berman nicknames, as nothing can top Bert "Be Home" Blyleven.)

10. Lou "The Toe" Groza - Lou played 21 seasons in Cleveland as an offensive tackle and kicker.  That odd combination of skill sets was not that uncommon in back in waning days of leather helmets.  "The Toe" moniker was bestowed upon Lou by Cleveland sportswriter Robert Yonkers, as a reference to his kicking ability, which predated the soccer-style used today.

9. Shaun White "The Flying Tomato" Shaun White is the best known snowboarder in the world, quite possibly the only snowboarder in the world.  His celebrity surpassed his "sport" during the 2006 Winter Olympics, when he won a gold medal or something.  Who cares.  He has long red hair, bringing about the nickname "The Flying Tomato."  I'm just glad we only have to see him every 4 years.

Team of the Decade - the 00's (Defense)

Okay, I've been putting this post off for too long.  Determining the best defensive players in football can be a tricky thing.  It involves what fits the needs of the defensive scheme your team is running.  If you're running a 3-4 you want a big fat guy in the middle and two big-but-not-as-fat guys on the outside of the line, a pass rush specialist at left linebacker, two outside linebackers in the middle and a safety at the right outside position.  For the sake of this list, we're going to determine the players at traditional positions who had the largest impact on football during the decade that was.  Here it is, the long awaited Best Defensive Players of the 00's.

DE - Michael Strahan Big Ol' Michael Strahan was a two time NFC Defensive Player of the Year and in 2001 "broke" the single season sack record with 22.5 (that is if you count Favre laying down for him in the final game of the season in what appeared to me to be a work worthy of the WWE.)


DE - Jason Taylor The only Dancing With The Stars contestant to be named to my 1st team 00's list (Sapp is a runner-up) was originally a third round pick for the Dolphins and went on to 6 Pro Bowls.
Runners Up: Julius Peppers, Dwight Freeney

DT - Kevin Williams Kevin didn't make All Pro his rookie year in 2003, and just missed it in 2005.  Every other season he has played in the NFL, he has been the All Pro (not just Pro Bowl) DT.


DT - Casey Hampton  The big Texan was a first rounder in 2001 and a 5 time Pro Bowler.  He has anchored the defensive line in Pittsburg since, and helped lead them to two Super Bowl wins.
Runners Up: Warren Sapp, Richard Seymour, La'Roi Glover

OLB- Derrick Brooks Derrick went to 8 Pro Bowls in the 00's (11 in all) and was by and large the dominant outside linebacker of the 00's. He was named the 2002 Defensive Player of the Year, having 3 interception returns for touchdowns, then another in Tampa's win over the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.


OLB - Joey Porter Joey is a troubled man.  He takes his job seriously.  So seriously that during the 2007 offseason he (and 6 "friends") jumped rival offensive lineman Levi Jones in a Las Vegas casino. On the field he was a 4 time Pro Bowler and a crucial member of the Steelers Super Bowl XL team.
Runners Up: Keith Bullock,  Julian Peterson

MLB - Ray Lewis The most dominating defensive player in recent memory, Ray was a 3 time AFC Defensive Player of the Year and 11 time Pro Bowler (8 in the 00's).  He will probably be remembered as the best Middle Linebacker of all time, not for the two stabbing deaths he was alleged to be involved in after Super Bowl XXXIV.


MLB - Brian Urlacher Brian won the 2000 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, 2005 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and 6 Pro Bowls. Yet for some reason, this guy is widely considered one of the most overrated players in the NFL.  His jerseys are one of the top sellers year in and year out, so I think everyone is just jealous.
Runners Up: Zach Thomas, Keith Brooking

CB - Champ Bailey There hasn't been a shut-down corner since Deion left the Cowboys after 1999.  Luckily he went to Washington where he rubbed his magic onto a young Champ Bailey.  He went to 9 Pro Bowls in the 00's (missing 2008).  In a day and age where Corners have about a 3-4 year window of greatness, he has maintained top of the line play for an entire decade.


CB - Ronde Barber Tiki's twin here has been to 5 Pro Bowls, the first in '01 and his latest in '08 disproving my earlier 3-4 year statement.  Ronde helped lead the Bucs to their Super Bowl XXXVII victory and is the sole cornerback member of the 20/20 club (20 INT/20 Sacks).
Runners Up: Ty Law, Troy Vincent

FS - Ed Reed Ed has had 6 All Pro seasons in Baltimore and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004.  His hobbies include scoring touchdown on defense, any way he can.  He is the only player in history to return a blocked punt, punt, interception, and fumble for touchdowns.  Most impressive is the fact that he has played in 7 post season games with 7 interceptions.
Runners Up: Brian Dawkins, Troy Polamalu

SS - Darren Sharper Darren is a 5 time Pro Bowl player for 3 different teams.  He may not be the most well known player on this list, but over the past 10 years he has been an interception machine (he has 63), and an interception return artist.  A little known stat that the NFL keeps is the interception return yardage stat.  In 2009, an ageless Sharper set this season record at 376 yards (breaking Ed Reeds previous record). With the Saints going to the Super Bowl this year, he could add Super Bowl winner to his resume.
Runners Up: John Lynch, Rodney Harrison

P - Shane Lechler Shane Lechler will go down as the best punter in history. He's a 5 time All Pro player is a rarity in the fact that he is not just a bail-out type punter.  He can put the ball on the other side of the field, making it harder (if his teammates weren't the Raiders) for the offense to score (a term I have coined as "Preemptive Punting"). He currently holds the record for highest punting average in NFL history.
Runners Up: Brian Moorman

KR - Josh Cribbs I'll be honest, Dante Hall had this spot until he returned 2 kickoffs in week 15 against the Chiefs.  That was bad week for Dante Hall, he had his record 7 kickoff returns for touchdowns broken, then tied in front of his former fans, as well as resulting in his omission from my 00's Team of the Decade.  Josh only made 2 pro bowls in the 00's, but did it in fine fashion.
Runners Up: Devin Hester, Dante Hall

Head Coach - Bill Belichick Yes the hoodie is a cheater, a disciplinarian, and genius. He has a 112-48 record in New England, a team he became Head Coach of in 2000, as well as a 14-3 in the playoffs, and has 3 Super Bowl wins to his credit.  He would also be considered the General Manager of the decade, as this is included in his duties (until Pioli hires him in Kansas City).
Runners Up: Tony Dungy

Team of the Decade - The 00's (offense)

Happy new year!  Well the 00's are over, and another decade is in the books, so we here at Rob's Big Ideas have compiled our very own list of the NFL team of the decade.  So here is the best the 00's had to offer, as voted by the folks here at Rob's Blog Spot.

QB - Peyton Manning - Peyton's MVP performance in Superbowl XLI finally proved that the Colts made the right choice in selecting Manning over Ryan Leaf.
Runners Up: Tom Brady, Donovan McNabb, Ben Rothlisberger

RB - LaDanian Tomlinson - Nobody comes close.  LT has been running all over the NFL record book since coming into the league in 2001.  In 2008, sportswriters started calling him "washed up", and "irrelevant" because he only had 1,110 and 11 touchdowns.
Runners Up: Shaun Alexander, Edgerin James, Priest Holmes (I'm a homer)

FB - Tony Richardson - Yeah, Lorenzo Neal was awesome, blocking for some great runners (LT, Corey Dillon, and Eddie George) but T Rich made stars of Priest and LJ.  The day he left KC, Larry Johnson fell off the map, and Priest Holmes was just a decent back before he joined Tony and the Chiefs.  Makes you wonder if Adrian Peterson is really that good.
Runners Up: Lorenzo Neal, Mack Strong

WR - Torry Holt - Torry led the 00's in receptions and receiving yards, and went to 7 Pro Bowls.  He played most of the decade along side NFL star Isaac Bruce, yet never stirred the pot because he had to share the work load.  He's proof that consistent professionalism  keeps the media away, as he is not as much a "household name" as divas T.O. or Chad Ochocinco.

WR - Marvin Harrison - He is proof that consistent professionalism keeps the media away only for so long.  Marvelous Marvin also went to 7 Pro Bowls in the 00's, and is second in yardage.  He and Peyton became the most prolific passing combination in history during the decade.
Runners Up: Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Hines Ward, Chad Johnson (Ochocinco)

TE - Tony Gonzales -  Big number 88 was the most prolific receiving tightend in history, with most of his career being spent in the 00's.  He went to 9 Pro Bowls during the 00's and was named All Pro 6 times (3 times second team).  He wasn't just a "big receiver," when he was taking criticism for being too one dimensional, he worked on his blocking, helping Priest and Larry to multiple rushing titles.  On a side note, he once used the Heimlich Manuever on a Chargers fan to save his life.
Runners UP: Antonio Gates, Todd Heap, Jason Witten

T - Walter Jones - Walt helped Shaun Alexander to one of the best seasons a running back has ever had in 2005, and has been called "the greatest tackle of all time" by a certain (possibly senile) former coach/broadcaster/video game personality.  He was named to 8 Pro Bowls in the 00's, so he must be pretty good.

T - Jonathan Ogden -  For an entire decade, I traded my first round pick for Ogden in Madden Football.  He was that kind of impact player, paving the way for Jamal Lewis's success in the first half of the decade. His was also named to 8 Pro Bowls in the 00's (11 in his career).
Runners Up: Willie Roaf, Orlando Pace

G - Will Shields - Will went to 7 Pro Bowls in the 00's (12 in his career,) and never missed a start for the Chiefs.  Kansas City was consistently one of the top ranked offenses in the NFL up until his retirement, after which they quickly fell to the bottom.

G - Alan Faneca -  He's got 9 Pro Bowls under his belt, all in the 00's, as well as a Superbowl ring with the 2007 Steelers.  I have to admit, I never really thought of him as the dominating lineman he has apparently been for 10 years now.
Runners Up: Steve Hutchinson, Brian Waters

C - Kevin Mawae - Kevin has been around for awhile now, and has earned 6 Pro Bowl appearances in the 00's, one of which came after he was cut by the N.Y. Jets who felt his best days were past him.
Runners Up: Olin Kruetz, Jeff Saturday, Tom Nalen

K - Adam Vinatieri - This guy was clutch for the Pats and Colts, winning 4 Super Bowls in the 00's.  That is no fluke.  He kicked the game winner in 2 of those Super Bowls, and has hit the game winner 20 of 21 times in his career.
Runners Up: David Akers