University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: The Need For Nicknames
July 26, 2002 | General
July 26, 2002
By Adam Lucas
TarHeelBlue.com
According to the experts, the incoming group of freshman basketball players at the University of North Carolina can be expected to make quite a name for themselves.
They better. If recent history is any indication, no one else will do it for them.
Has anyone heard a good nickname lately? They seem to have gone the way of short shorts in basketball, or three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust in football. Used to be, the Carolina roster was populated with the Kangaroo Kid, Sweet D, Big Game James and Big Smooth.
Kenan Stadium, meanwhile, was filled with the likes of Choo Choo, LT and Famous Amos.
It's not quite so catchy anymore. Antawn Jamison. Vince Carter. Joseph Forte. Dre' Bly. Ronald Curry. Ryan Sims. All came and went without a decent nickname, although "The Truth" clung to Jamison for a while, even though it never made sense. Did he happen along at a time when there was a particular rash of lying basketball players?
Do you mean to tell me that Carolina could have one of the greatest two-way athletes of all time, Julius Peppers, and all anyone could come up with is "Pep"? This is a disgrace.
The best nickname in the athletic department right now belongs to football cornerback Michael Waddell, who is known to everyone close to him as "Rabbit." But it wasn't some enterprising sportswriter or quick-tongued coach who hung the name on him. It was his grandmother.
We're getting outworked by grandmothers here, people. This is embarrassing. What do we have to do, hold a telethon?
At summer media day a few weeks ago, a collection of reporters asked hard-hitting safety Dexter Reid, a preseason All-American by The Sporting News, if he had a nickname. This particular question vexed Dexter more than any other than he fielded all day.
After suitable contemplation, this was his response: "I don't guess so," he said. "Some people call me D-Reid, you know, a lot of guys combine their first name and last name."
Dexter Reid may be the most nickname-worthy player on the entire team. His constant chattering on the field and vicious tackles make him a favorite of his teammates, and his knack for big plays endears him to fans. And the best we can come up with is "D-Reid"?
Dexter, until someone comes up with something more suitable, you're officially known as "Pain," both for the hurt you inflict on opponents and what your constant chit-chat can be for opposing receivers.
This dearth of nicknames is a big deal. After all, if it wasn't for nicknames, the University of North Carolina might not have a mascot. It's second nature now to associate rams with UNC, but it wasn't until head cheerleader Vic Huggins took a liking to star fullback Jack Merritt in 1922 that the ram era began.
Merritt's nickname, you see, was "The Battering Ram." So Huggins purchased Rameses the First from a farmer in Texas, and a great tradition was begun.
As you can see, this is serious business. Part of the nickname decline can probably be attributed to increased media coverage, since the days of one widely-read reporter hanging a moniker on a player and it sticking are long over. These days, no one reads just one paper -- all of them are available on the web, plus thousands of internet sites.
We're begging you here, people. If the long summer days until the football season opener seem terminally boring, spend your time coming up with catchy nicknames for your favorite Tar Heels. At least one of them is bound to stick.
Here's one to get you started. Watching him in pickup games, it's clear that Raymond Felton has a special gift with the basketball. Sometimes, you're not quite sure exactly what he did with the ball on his way to the basket until you take a second look. Voila, a nickname is born. Raymond, you're "Replay Ray" until somebody comes up with something better.
If you're creative enough to come up with a good one, email it to me and I'll steal your idea and take credit for it. Well, maybe not, but I will use it on a regular basis and give you the proper attribution. Who knows, maybe we'll come up with something unique. And yes, "Air" is already taken.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. He's eagerly anticipating your emails filled with suitable and lasting nicknames for your Tar Heel favorites.
