NICKNAMES have been part of darts for over four decades. The first to really catch on, and become integral to a players image, was the immortal ‘Crafty Cockney‘.
With one moniker Eric Bristow had found the ideal summary of himself, along with a logo and image to boot!
The advent of the PDC ensured this was taken to another level. Barry Hearn and SKY TV understood, from boxing and snooker, the importance of players being characters in a greater story.
A look at the first Premier League line up, 2005, shows the emphasis placed on such things.
The Power, Jaws, Hawaii 501, Darth Maple, One-Dart, Flash & Tripod kicked off what is now the PDC’s promotional flagship.
Many of you will be aware of the story behind many of darts’ most popular ‘shirt names’. Eric took his nom de plume from a Los Angeles pub, whereas ‘The Power’ stems from SKY’s choice of walk-on music for Phil Taylor. Others have more obscure or unusual backstories.
Legend has it that Adrian Lewis won the ‘Jackpot’ in a USA lottery, but could not claim the prize due to being underage!
Many consider Staffordshire arrowsmith Mark Frost to have the very best with: Frosty The Throwman personal favourite is ‘Parker the Marker’, spotted at Q School a few years ago, not exactly an awe-inspiring moniker.
These days a good nickname is a combination of many factors to help build an overall image. This is useful for the player, TV, social media, press coverage and sponsors.
The christening of Rob ‘Voltage’ Cross is a great example. Target managed to secure and build around a name that was linked in style to ‘The Power’, Cross’s career as an electrician ensured an everyman link, the electrical current logo in a V shape followed easily and a package was born!
Many handles are shortenings or other versions of a players name. Chizzy, Barney or Duzza are recent examples.
Comic twists on names are also popular; The Artist, Kevin Painter or The Thorn, Robert Thornton. Some describe the player’s style or character. The Machine, The Rocket or Rapid.
Still, others attempt to form part of an image or package, ‘The Bronzed Adonis’ or ‘Hawaii 501’ lend themselves to shirts, music and a certain tongue in cheek style.
The Iceman has been used, not without controversy, by both Gerwen Price & Alan Warriner. It seems likely that this situation will become more common if players do not take care of their intellectual property.
In the meantime, players and their teams are likely to get more and more original, and creative, with their nicknames & associated logos and paraphernalia.
Do you know a player with a funny, original or bizarre nickname? Perhaps with an unusual backstory? If so drop us a line. Include the players’ details so we can get in touch and feature them in the ‘What’s in a Name’ feature.
editor@dartsworld.com
