Have you noticed that in recent years, nicknames for sports personalities have practically disappeared into oblivion? It's enough to go back one or two decades - and what masterpieces of wit have we seen on the court or the turf? Megatron, The Big Ticket, White Chocolate, let alone Beast Mode or Black Mamba!

Nicknames are not only disappearing from sports - they are gradually disappearing from our everyday life, from our language, making us poorer. Of course, the first name and last name are wonderful, but there are a dime a dozen of conditional John Smiths around the world, and a nickname aptly reflects some of our unique qualities or an event that once happened to us.

A nickname can be incredibly funny or cynical, ridiculous or cruel - it can replace our name, or we can try our best to

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