Best nicknames in University of Michigan sports history
Inspired by this thread. So what do you think are the best nicknames in U-M sports history? What are some of the ones you grew up with? What were the worst/lamest? Any and all sports, of course.
Obviously, we have nicknames like Shoelace (awesome), Tractor (RIP), and the Butterfly (ugh). Graham Brown was known as Moose. I remember whenever Jerod Ward scored, they'd put up the "Hot Rod" graphic in Crisler.
This is also an education in Michigan sports history for me, as I was pretty much clueless about it until I started attending U-M in the mid-90s. Before that, I was all about the Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta pro sports, having been born and raised in the ATL.
Old 98.
Fumble Fingers Hucklbe
Didn't some folks call Mandich "monster" mandich, also?
30-odd posts and no mention of the Red Baron? tsk tsk!
I couldn't believe that 46 posts and I was almost the first to mention Gordon "Red" Berenson, also known as the Red Baron. Of course, JMFJ and Tiny "Shawn 'Mothafuckin'' Hunwick" Jesus aren't bad names either and I'm pretty partial to Cammy, Patches, etc. as well...
Shawn Hunwick's the Magic Midget as far as I'm concerned.
but in terms of true universal use, I have yet to hear the stadium vibrate from people chanting "Shoelace" the way it did when people chanted "AC".
From Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Tshimanga "Tim" Biakabatuka
313 yards vs. tUofOSU 1995...good times
His actual nickname was touchdown Tim. Far cooler.
His actual name
Scott Steiner a.k.a. "Big Poppa Pump"
Albert aka "Ox"
Alvin aka "Moose"
Francis aka "Whitey"
...and the kid likes it, so Shane "The Fonz" Morris it is.
Oh man. + 1 billion mgopoints for Shane Morris
RoJo - Ron Johnson, 347 yards vs Wisconsin - 1968
That record still stands.
Edit: if I were told he put up those numbers just trying to stay warm, I would not argue it.
Eric "Easy E" Riley
"Soup" Campbell
...Tacopants and Chad "The Robot or Robo" Henne.
David Cone AKA Febreze
Harold E. "Butch" Woolfolk
Cripe, I forgot that Butch wasn't his actual name. I have to be reminded about "Bo" also. Some nicknames are hardwired in.
There's also Butch Wade, whose real name, I guess, was Mark.
Here's one other I don't think has been mentioned: John "Jumbo" Elliott.
"Air Canada" Jevohn Shepherd
It's mostly football nicknames that have been posted, so I decided to peruse Baseball Almanac for a few U-M baseball player nicknames. There are a few that seemed worth mentioning (years at U-M):
- Chris Sabo was sometimes called "Spuds"
- George Sisler (1913-1915) was nicknamed "Gentleman George" or "Gorgeous George". He's also a hall of famer.
- Vernon "Slicker" Parks (1919-1920). Cool nickname, although he only played one season in the bigs. Capt of the 1920 team, per wikipedia.
In other sports, swimmer Eric Namesnik (winner of 2 olympic medals) was nicknamed "Snik".
And of course in hockey, we can't every forget Jack "M***** F******" Johnson
I think in some sectors Rick Leach is known simply as "Number 7"
Or, Ricky the Peach Leach.
But just to be clear, I am not Rick Leach
I'm going to be Captain Obvious and say "The Fab Five" hands down.
1902 Captain Harrison "Boss" Weeks
http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbcapt/1902capt.htm
Ricky The Peach Leach (although Guts and Glue gets my vote for best MICH name)
El Diablo - Jim Mandich
Magic Man - Desmond Howard
Leroy "The Turtle" Hoard
Zoltan the ___________
Ready?? Go.
to name a few. Fab Five, The Magic, Old 98, Touchdown Tim, and Super Mario to name a few more of my favorites.
..."Little Brother." I love watching a Sparty blow a gasket when this one is used. It's like my first car when it would vapor lock and not start, but sort of convulse and not know what to do. Priceless.
Since I see no requirements that you're looking for the nickname of people. I think I have to say "The Big House".
tony pape as "fat elvis." my favorite of all time.
Elvis Grbac as the "thin tony"?
Mister Simpson.......oh wait.....
As if he needed one, Harlan Huckleby was known in some parts as 'Huckleby Deep' So much so that I once had a handpuppet of a Michigan player with 'Huckleby Deep' stitched in as a name tag of sorts. (Some parts here may strictly refer to my home, but I think the web cast a bit further).
(Ufer voice-over) "Leach is under center with a balanced line, it's Davis close and Huckleby Deep...".
him referred to as "H-Bomb"
gotta love ELVIS (as in Grbac).
..thank you very much
Jim Mandich - R.I.P. Although, I'm not sure if that nickname came from college or later with the Miami Dolphins.
I was always a fan of Eric "Zeus" Mayes, one of the 1997 captains.
"So you're the Ass-man." Great Seinfeld episode.
Prison Abs.
Campy Russell comes to mind. Don't know how John Navarre felt about "Lurch" but it was pretty funny.
The Space Emporer of Space....
Ricky "The Peach" Leach.
I was in band when he was there and he was dating someone in the band for a bit...she always called him "poom poom"...I know it was never public...and lord knows it's a good thing it wasn't...but my wife and I still call him that, even in the mid 00s when he always seemed to wind up on at least one fantasy football team I had....
Shoelace?
"Woo" for Lamar Woodley. I have a cousin whose last name is also Woodley, and everybody used to call her Woo. Lamar made a big play during a Steelers game once and the crowd was yelling "Wooooo!" One of my friends asked me why were they booing and I told them they were yelling his nickname.