Bizarre Name Changes in Sport

Bizarre Name Changes in Sport

There were a few tears shed in the office this morning when we woke up to the shocking news that Etihad Stadium made Thanos’ naughty list and is no longer with us.

The Melbourne sporting landscape has been forever changed with the news that a new logo will be shining into the night sky on Friday nights, from the place formerly known as Etihad Stadium.

While Marvel Stadium may rank as one of the more bizarre names in Australian sport, the AFL fans in the office can take some comfort knowing that it could be worse.

While our suggestion of ‘Chuck Norris’ Stadium was rejected for Etihad Stadium name change, we have taken some time to remember some of the more colourful name alterations in the sporting world.

Marvel Stadium

It may not sound as fearsome as the ‘Bull Ring’ in South Africa, or have the same mystic as the MCG on Boxing Day but most of the sporting public will learn to live with it, and if Carlton and St Kilda start winning again maybe even like it. While it may seem a little unusual the sporting public in Melbourne will be sure to jump on board.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AonHsOuzs4c

Whiskas

There are some players who are willing to go the extra mile for their football club and former Geelong midfielder Garry Hocking was one of them. In 1999 the Geelong champion changed his name by deed poll to “Whiskas”. With the football club suffering from crippling debts of $7 million, Hocking and the club agreed to the stunt in return for $100,000. The majority of the money went to Geelong’s debt and the AFL refused to list the name in their Football Records.

He Hate Me  

A former professional running back who was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in the 2000 NFL Draft, Rodney Smart made a short-lived transition to the now defunct XFL. Smart joined the Las Vegas Outlaws team using the name ‘He Hate Me’ but fortunately moved on quickly and found some success with Carolina Panthers, winning an NFC Championship in 2003.

Mark Super Duper

Mark Duper was a wide receiver who made a name for himself with the Miami Dolphins. While he was an average player at best, he officially changed his name to Mark Super Duper in 1995.

Chad Ochocinco

Chad Johnson was a wide receiver in the NFL who played with the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. In 2006 Johnson changed his name to “Ocho Cinco” which is eight five in Spanish and matched his jersey number. The NFL would only allow him to wear his legal name that was registered on his registration. In 2009 he attempted to change his last name again to “Hachi Go”, which translates to eight and five in Japanese. In 2012 he went back to his original name in an attempt to reconnect with his family.

Metta World Peace

Former LA Laker Ron Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace in 2011, to inspire the world youth. World Peace won plenty of accolades in his time including an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2010 during the Kobe Bryant era. He was NBA Defensive player of the year in 2004 and was also known for his part in the 2004 brawl between the Pacers and Detroit Pistons.

Kitkat Crescent York

Bootham Crescent Stadium, located in the north of England and home to the York City Knights Football Club changed the name of their home ground for commercial reasons. From 2005 to 2010 the stadium was known as KitKat Crescent in a sponsorship deal with chocolate company Nestlé.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium

Liebenauer Stadium near Graz in Austria was known for a time as Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium in honour of the former US governor. Big Arnie was born near the town and it’s still home to football teams SK Sturm Graz and Grazer AK. Schwarzenegger had the use of the name revoked in 2005.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNI-4uUsdK4