What’s in a name?  Can someone’s name be a significant factor in determining the quality of their life?  Can changing it really make a difference?  Adam formerly Pacman Jones will be the latest to test this theory.  I think it Adam’s case, there is no where to go but up.  However, in light of Jones’ request to drop the Pacman from his name, we have decided to look at some of the famous name changes by athletes, and the effect that the change had on their lives.

Honorable Mention:

• Larry Jones - A.K.A.  Chipper Jones
Chipper has been one of the stars of the first half of the baseball season, consistently flirting with the elusive .400 mark for batting average.  Chipper was also rumored to have had an extended filtration with a hooters girl that led to the end of his first marriage.   He got nickname "Chipper" came from family members who felt he was a "chip-off-the-old-block" of his father

• Vincent Edward Jackson – A.K.A. Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson was one of the most phenomenal athletes of all time, starring in both football and baseball before suffering a hip injury that ended his athletic careers.

Jackson, the eighth of ten children, was named after Vince Edwards, his mother's favorite actor. His family described him as a "wild boar", which was eventually shortened to "Bo".  Bo was nick-named "Wild Boar" for a reason, as he would constantly get into trouble. His mother and siblings, when she had to punish him, would have to run him down. After much experience evading his family in such chases, he began to get very good at shaking off tackles.

• Edson Arantes do Nascimento – A.K.A. Pele
Received the nickname "Pelé" during his school days, when it is claimed that he misspoke the nickname of his favorite player, local Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé as "Pilé".  He originally disliked the nickname, being suspended from school for punching the classmate that coined it, but the more he complained the more it stuck.

Pele was recently robbed at gunpoint in his native Brazil.  During the robbery, he rolled down his window and said, I am Pele.  The thief responded by ripping a chain from around the soccer legends neck  Hey Pele, next time try, I am Edson.

• Edward Charles Ford – A.K.A. Whitey Ford
Key cog in the Yankess Rotation during the 50’s and 60’s.  Named in the minor leagues for his extremely blond hair.  Just think, if was named Blondie it could have changed the shape of music in the 80’s.

Top 10 List

10. Joey Belle – A.K.A. Albert Belle

Although Belle’s first name was Albert, growing up, Belle's family, friends, and coaches called him "Joey," a shortened version of his middle name.  Joey, changed his name to Albert following a stint in drug rehab  

When he emerged from treatment, Belle claimed that he was a new man. He dropped the name he had been using since childhood--Joey Belle--in favor of the more formal Albert.  After an initially rough start as Albert, he went on to become one of the most feared outfielders in baseball.  He finished his 12 year career in 2000 with a lifetime batting average of .295 and 381 Home Runs.

Effect of name change: Positive

9.  Lloyd Bernard Free - A.K.A. World B. Free
Received the name World from a friend in high school because of his 44 inch vertical.  Free started his career with Philadelphia 76rs and San Diego Clippers.    In the 1978 and 1979 seasons he finished 2nd in the league in scoring.

He had his name legally changed to World in 1980.  His numbers on the court remained pretty good throughout the majority of his career.

Effect of name change: Neutral

8. Tampa Bay Devil Rays – A.K.A. Tampa Bay Rays
This is a special entry in the list.  However, because of the apparently significant impact the name change has had on the team’s fortunes, we have decided to include them on the list. 

Following the 2007 the Devil Rays changed their name to the Rays.  The effect to date has definitely been positive as the team with the worst record in baseball in 2007, is currently sitting in 2nd place in the always tough American League East.

Effect of name change: Positive

7.  Bobby Moore – A.K.A. Ahmad Rashad
Bobby Moore was an All-American Wide Receiver at Oregon before being selected 4th overall in the 1972 draft.

In 1972, after converting to Islam, he changed his name.  His pro career (after the name change) was solid if not spectacular.  He also went on to become a successful career as a broadcaster.

Effect of name change: Neutral

6.  James Bell – A.K.A. Cool Papa Bell
Bell was born in the early 1900’s and grew up poor in the south

At the age of 19, he was dubbed Cool Papa by his teammates because of his amazing speed on the base paths.  Legend holds that Cool Papa once scored from first on a sacrifice bunt.

Effect of name change: Positive

5.  George Herman Ruth – A.K.A. Babe Ruth
Ruth's parents worked long hours and had little time to take care of him. When he was seven years old, they sent him to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage, and signed custody over to the Catholic missionaries who ran the school. Ruth remained at St. Mary's for the next 12 years, rarely visited by his family.

In early 1914, a teacher at St. Mary's brought George to the attention of Jack Dunn, owner and manager of the then minor-league Baltimore Orioles.  He was signed to a contract, and when his new teammates first saw him, they nicknamed him "Jack's newest babe”.  The rest as they say is history, as he went on to become one of the greatest baseball players in history.

Effect of name change: Positive

4.  Fredrick Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr – A.K.A. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Alcindor was a boy hood legend on the basketball courts.  He led Power Memorial Academy to three straight New York City Catholic championships, a 71-game winning streak, and a 96–6 overall record. He scored 2067 points in his high school career.  He went on to star at UCLA where he was a 3 time All-American and contributed to the team's three-year record of 88 wins.  His early NBA career was equally impressive.

On May 1, 1971, the day after the Bucks won the NBA championship, he adopted the Arabic name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, meaning "noble, servant of the all-powerful [i.e., of Allah]."  After the name change his success continued, and is today known as one of the best players to ever play in the NBA.

Effect of name change: Neutral

3.  Cassius Clay – A.K.A. Muhammad Ali
Clay’s early boxing career was very successful.  He won an Olympic Gold Medal in the 1960 Olympic Games.  His professional career got off to a good start as he rose through the ranks to become top contender for Sonny Liston's title. Just prior to changing his name, he “shocked the world” by defeating Liston to gain the heavyweight championship.

Ali changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964.  The name change, along with his antics in and out of the ring, did nothing short of make Ali an international icon and earned him the reputation as one of the best boxers of all time.

Effect of name change: Neutral

2.  Eldrick Woods – A.K.A. Tiger Woods
Eldrick “Tiger” Woods was basically born to play golf.  He was known as a prodigy from the time he was 2.  He lived up to his prodigy title by being one of the best players, at every level of golf, in which he has participated.

On his 21st birthday in 1996, he marked the occasion with a legal name change, from Eldrick to Tiger.  This has done nothing to slow Tiger down.  He is currently the number 1 ranked golfer in the world and is well on his way to re-writing the golf record books.

Effect of name change: Neutral

1.  Sharmon Shah – A.K.A. Karim Abdul-Jabbar – A.K.A. Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar
A surprise entry at number 1, but Sharmon changed his name twice, once for legal reasons.  In my eyes, this is enough to get him the number one ranking on the list.

Prior to the name change, Shah was a successful college running back at UCLA who was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1996 NFL Draft.

In 1995, the Muslim Sharmon Shah was given the name "Karim Abdul-Jabbar" by the Imam. The new name he was given quickly garnered major attention upon his NFL debut. Some commentators mistakenly believed that he was the son of former basketball great, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He also wore number 33, the same number that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had made famous.

His put up some decent numbers in his pro career, but his play on the field never was able to overshadow the contreversy related to his name.  In 1998, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar filed a lawsuit against Karim, stating that there were too many similarities between the two. Kareem won a court order against Karim who subsequently changed his name to Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar in 2000.

Effect of name change: Negative

So how important is a name change?  Who are some famous players who have changed their names and have the results been positive, negative, or neutral?  We want your opinion, so leave some comments below and tell us what you think!