Professional sports are, at their core, kid's games played by the best for others to watch and enjoy. Nicknames add color and flare for the fans and the players. This title is a unique resource for those who want to know the "why" behind nicknames that have stuck or failed to stick to individual and groups of professional athletes. Examples include "Air Jordan" (Michael Jordan, basketball), the "Steel Curtain" (the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, football), and "Tiger" Woods (real name Eldrick Woods, golf), along with 19,000-plus more athletes.
This work is divided into six sections. The first five cover athletes or teams in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and "Other Sports," listed alphabetically within each section by last name. Most entries are one or two sentences long, and all cite sources for the nicknames. The last section is an alphabetical index by nickname. Coverage includes historic and modern players, but as indicated in the title, no collegiate and only a few Olympic athletes are included.
Although the coverage is stated to be worldwide, football is defined as American-style football and soccer is included in the "Other Sports" section. Also included in "Other Sports" are tennis players, skateboarders, bullfighters, and jockeys. Most of the nicknames are ones given by fellow players or managers, but those given by Chris Berman, an ESPN sports commentator, come only from his fertile imagination and are designed to make his reporting humorous. These nicknames include "You De Manning" (Peyton Manning), "Bert Be Home Blyleven," and "Three Blind Weiss" (Walt Weiss).
So just who was "The Round Mound of Rebound"? Charles Barkley, the professional basketball player, of course, who was also known as "Sir Charles." This is a specialized but comprehensive reference source for all libraries that can afford it. RBB
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About the Author
Terry W. Pruyne lives in Milan, Pennsylvania.
