call me slim

 Whatever happened to nicknames?

    I don't mean the ones common today, like Tiny or Slim.

    But the old mobsters....like The Tuna, The Big Tuna, Scarface. Joey Sausage,e Joey Banana, Whack Whack.  Now, those were nicknames!

    There may have even been The Fish, but with all the tunas maybe that was just redundant.

    I remember a bank robber who was captured like 100 times... Named Willie Sutton. But Slick Willie and Willie the Actor were 2 of his nicknames.  And sure, he spent half his life in prison, but hey, he was Slick Willie!

    Sports nicknames seem a little tame too.  Kyle Tucker is King Tuck. 

    That doesn't compare to Joltin' Joe, Shoeless Joe, King Kong, The Lip, The Yankee Clipper, The Babe.....real nicknames that put a little spice into the game.

    Take the 1919 White Sox.  In addition to Shoeless Joe that had  Knuckles, Swede, Lefty, Sleepy Bill....names that had some oomph to them.  The even conspired with a gambler nicknamed Sport to throw the World Series.  

    The Galloping Ghost, Kansas Comet.  Mongo was a great nickname for Steve McMichael, but generally there are not a lot of outstanding nicknames in football today.

    I always wonder if I had a nickname, what would it be?

    Terrible Terry?  The Jokester?  

    Unless I become a sports star, or a mobster, I guess we will net know.

    I mean, Fats is taken.  

Peace and Love