What’s in a name?
It depends on whom you ask.
Over the years there have been some pretty suggestive names of major college and professional athletes that elicited a tee-hee-hee response from fans, both gay and straight.
We’ve compiled some of the names that have been most-fun over the years. Because if you can’t have fun with a name, what can you have fun with?
We digress.
Anyhow, here’s a small sampling. As you’ll see from the list of athletes, there’s lots of Dicks…
Dick Pole
The pitcher played six seasons for the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners, with 239 strikeouts, eventually becoming a coach.
General Booty
One of the current backup quarterbacks for the Oklahoma Sooners, General Booty, a sophomore junior-college transfer from Texas, has both a distinctive first and last name and is sure to become a favorite with straight and gay sportswriters everywhere.
Dick Butkus
One of the greatest NFL players of all time had possibly the greatest “gay” name of any NFL player. Playing for the Chicago Bears, Butkus was named Defensive Player of the Year twice and was inducted into the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Ben Gay
Ben Gay was a running back from Texas who scored one touchdown for the Cleveland Browns in 2001, his only regular season in the NFL. He had been signed by the Browns that season as an undrafted free agent out of Garden City Community College.
Gaylord Perry
A member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Gaylord Perry was a five-time All-Star and won two Cy Young Awards. He pitched for eight different Major League Baseball clubs over his 22-season career.
Fabian Assmann
The goalkeeper with a last name for days has played professional soccer in Argentina since 2007.
Jake Butt
Butt earned first-team All-American honors at Michigan before becoming a tight end for the Denver Broncos.
Dick Trickle
An American race-car driver, Trickle raced in multiple promotions including NASCAR, where in 1989 he was the Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year. Below wearing a cap for “dura lube” is as precious as it gets.
Man Ram
Manny Ramirez won two World Series with the Boston Red Sox, as fans came to call him Man Ram.
Jule Niemeier
How could you not think about Wesley Snipes and Patrick Swayze in drag when you see the name of this German WTA player Jule Niemeier? While Julie Newmar was known by many as Catwoman in the TV series Batman, the actors in drag in the film “To Wong Fu, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar” have left a lasting connection with her name.
Do you have an athlete in mind whose name gay sports fans might find fun? Leave it in the comments below.
