Nickname Hall of Fame

Sports and nicknames go to together like milk and honey, and once an athlete has earned a nickname, he or she has transcended their sport and entered into the realm of general pop culture. An unforgettable nickname can turn a mediocre player into a household name, and it can turn a great athlete into a multi-million dollar corporation (e.g.: "Air" Jordan). \nFor your reading pleasure, I have taken the time to develop a complicated formula in which I take the Pythagorean Theorem, divide it by Bernoulli's Principle, multiply that by Pi and finally divide that quotient by the circumference of the sun. The result is the following list of the 10 greatest sports nicknames of all-time.\n10. Earl "the Pearl" Monroe -- Earl's nickname in high school was actually "Thomas Edison" because of his ability to invent moves on the basketball court. "The Pearl" became known for his smoothness as a member of the Washington Bullets, and later as a New York Knick. \n9. Bill "the Spaceman" Lee -- Lee was a slightly above average left-handed pitcher in the '70s, but he became known for his off the field antics as much as for his play on the field. As a member of the Boston Red Sox, Lee showed up for a game wearing an astronaut suit to protest air pollution. He would often jog from his home to Fenway Park on gameday, a distance of nearly 20 miles. Lee was also outspoken about his "training regimen," which included the use of marijuana, LSD, mushrooms, and \nmescaline. \n8. Pete Rose, aka "Charlie Hustle" -- Rose has became synonymous with controversy since his retirement and subsequent lifetime ban from baseball. Nevertheless, "Charlie Hustle" left it all on the field day after day as a player. Rose became known for giving 110 percent at all times, \nsliding head first into every base, and sprinting to first base after drawing a walk. \n7. "Iron" Mike Tyson -- There has been no more intimidating sight in the history of boxing than "Iron" Mike entering the ring in his black trunks, black shoes, and black gloves and immediately obliterating his opponents. \n6. William "the Refrigerator" Perry -- The defensive lineman/fullback for the Chicago Bears earned his nickname by becoming hyperly obese, yet amazingly maintaining the ability to run and function as an otherwise normal human being. "The Fridge" has since gone on to embarrass himself in hot-dog eating contests and celebrity boxing matches against Manute Bol.\n5. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson -- Forever memorialized in "Field of Dreams", Jackson is unfortunately banned from the Hall of Fame because of his involvement in fixing the 1919 World Series, despite evidence suggesting the contrary. \n4. Charles Barkley aka "The Round Mound of Rebound" -- Charles didn't always keep himself in the best of shape during his career, but his ability to play was never in question. \n3. Dominique Wilkins aka "The Human Highlight Reel" -- 'Nique became one of the all-time great dunkers the NBA has ever seen, as well as one of its most prolific scorers. 'Nique's ability to throwdown a 360 or a windmill dunk at any given moment earned him this unforgettable nickname.\n2. Rod Smart aka "He Hate Me" -- As a member of the Las Vegas Outlaws of the now defunct XFL, Smart put "He Hate Me" on the back of his jersey, where his last name would normally be. The nickname quickly took off, and Smart explained that it was a phrase he used when things didn't go his way. Smart currently plays for the Carolina Panthers and trademarked the nickname, which has become the only thing anyone remembers about the XFL, thank God.\n1. Darrell Griffith, aka "Dr. Dunkenstein" -- Griffith was a high-flyer from the University of Louisville who played his entire career in the NBA for the Utah Jazz. "Dr. Dunkenstein" is undoubtedly the coolest nickname one could possibly have. In fact, I wish it was my nickname, but unfortunately I can't dunk, and "Dr. Lay-upenstein" doesn't have quite the same ring to it.