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There is nothing we will not debate.
In the sports department we have a wide variety of loves and interests. Some of us like comic books, others like movies. Music, professional wrestling and restaurants.
Oh yeah and sports.
To give you a sampling:
SportsBeat Producer Matt Glade and I got into a heated debate over who was the hotter early 90's model. I said Cindy Crawford, he said Kathy Ireland. A Google image collage proved Cindy Crawford the winner. Although, Matt contends that Niki Taylor was hotter than both.
Before our podcast, The SportsBeat Lounge, we had a mock draft of worst STDs.
Yes, stupid, but it illustrates the point that we will debate anything.
Which led us to the theme of this blog: Nicknames.
There have been some spectacular nicknames.
I'm not even going to open up this discussion to classics like Tiger, Magic or even Big Country. To narrow the pool, I'll limit it to Jazz players.
The Mailman, Horny and Dr. Dunkenstein enter the nickname Hall-of-Fame.
So how about the new guy? The big Turkish center and #3 pick of the 2011 NBA Draft.
I'm talking of none other than Enes Kanter.
The UnderKanter.
Wait. Let it marinate for a second.
Love it?
Hate it?
Maybe you'll warm to it if I give a little background. Kanter is a huge WWE fan and his favorite wrestler is The Undertaker. A 6' 10" 300 pound behemoth that enters the ring to dark, ominous tones, fog and a long dark trench coat and hat. Wikipedia says he is undefeated at WrestleMania and has been "named by the WWE as the greatest big man of all-time, the scariest superstar of all-time and also the best pure strike in the history of the game."
Does that make the UnderKanter a cool nickname?
I'm not sure what naming off his WWE accomplishments does for you. It's kind of like having the hottest cousin. It just doesn't matter.
Apparently, I'm in the minority, according to our four man panel of judges, Mike Grant, Jeremiah Jensen and Matt Glade. They love the nickname.
I love Enes Kanter's sense of humor, his mean streak on the court and sweet 18 foot jumper, but the nickname has got to go.
I can take funny, like when Tyrone Corbin wore a milk mustache and went by the Milkman. I can even take a little cheesy with the Golden Griff, but I cannot and will not accept The UnderKanter.
He's better than that.
We're better than that.
We owe Enes the courtesy of giving him an awesome nickname.
I'm afraid if we don't nip this in the bud, Memo will go from "Money" to Turkish Delight.
That's the slippery slope with which we're dealing.
We can't just let terrible nicknames live.
There's too much at stake.
