Good Sports Nicknames a Thing of the Past

Wednesday, 11 May 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Where have all the good nicknames gone? The New York Times says this year’s NBA playoffs are “devoid of onomastic pleasures”: there’s no Magic, Air or even a Mailman. And it’s not just basketball. Actually, it’s not just sports. Sociologists say there’s been a general shift in America over the past decade, away from nicknames.

Experts can’t exactly pinpoint the reason—instead, they give several: “Maybe it reflects a loss of intimacy and connectedness. Maybe it is because of the changing way we name children, or how we now deflect unflattering nicknames to shape our own identities. Maybe all the good nicknames are taken.”

BleacherReport.com put together a good list of the 100 best sports nicknames of all time. Babe Ruth gets top billing. Willie (The Say Hey Kid) Mays came in second.