As sports fans, we love us some nicknames. It endears us to certain players and reveals what those athletes are all about. But which sports nickname is the best of all time? HNGN's staff debates.
Thomas: Follow @TurkeyTom17
In honor of the San Francisco Giants winning the 2014 World Series, I'm acknowledging Tim Lincecum as having the Best Nickname in Sports. "The Freak" was arguably the best pitcher in the MLB from 2008-2011. Over that span, he compiled a 62-36 record with a 2.81 ERA in 131 starts. He may not have played a big role in their World Series run this year, but he was their ace in 2010 and was great out of the bullpen during their 2012 run. His eccentric windup and bizarre delivery earned him his nickname, but those two aspects of his game also had some teams pass up on him in the 2006 amateur draft. However, two Cy Young Awards, three World Series titles and four All-Star games later, "The Freak" or "The Franchise" or "The Freaky Franchise" or "Big Time Timmy Jim" (if you remember correctly from the famous "This is SportsCenter" commercial) has left his mark on baseball and infamously known for his unique style of pitching. So yeah, I actually think any of the aforementioned nicknames could be considered the best in sports.
Cal: Follow @CalSFro
The NHL landscape has changed. Massive goons, who fought at the drop of a hat (or, more accurately, gloves) and moved about the ice with no noticeable skill or intent to score, are a thing of the past.
But, in the way back when, in the heyday of the enforcer, there existed a man - a man who went by the nickname, "The Hammer." A man who combined skill - he once scored 20 goals in a season - with grit, aggression and fighting ability. A man who, as a member of the infamous "Broad Street Bullies" Philadelphia Flyers team of the 70's, won two Stanley Cups and had a rule against players using boxing tape on their hands named after him - a man who, still to this day, holds the NHL record for most penalty minutes in a single season.
That man was Dave "The Hammer" Schultz, and he has the best, and most fitting, nickname in sports history.
Jordan: Follow @webb_ej
Shaquille O'Neal - "Diesel"
Diesel evokes everything Shaq was on the court: big, powerful, a machine. He was one of the league's best centers, and his nickname is fitting. He's 7-foot-1, 325 pounds. He's a four-time NBA champion, a three-time NBA Finals MVP and a 15-time NBA All-Star. Not only did he dominate the paint (10.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game), he could score (23.7 points per game).
I like his nickname the best because it sums him - and his game - up in one word.
Brandon: Follow @Great_Katzby
Allen "The Answer" Iverson.
What was he The Answer to, you may ask. A post-Michael Jordan NBA? The Shaq and Kobe team-up? Both?
Iverson was a riddle as a person yet a solution as a basketball player. He reinvigorated fans as NBA popularity waned in the late 90s. He brought his own distinctive style to the league and didn't compromise who he was for anyone. Have there been better player to come along since Iverson? Absolutely. But have they had the same type of cultural impact that he had? Debatable.
The Answer defined basketball counter culture and redefined what it meant to be cool. It is the best sports nickname of all time.
