Devante "Fridge" Gardner

[john_cocktoasten]

Can play and he's here to stay

[w0bbie]

No problem Murs.  You're right, I jumped the gun a bit.  I'm willing to have a good discussion about nickname as long as "Fridge" is not in the mix.  To me "Fridge" is and will always be Richard Perry.  I'm not a Bears fan or a huge NFL fan but I am familiar with Mr. Perry.  I think this is in large part due to his unique and fitting nickname.  Without the very memorable moniker that differentiates him in my mind, I don't think I would remember Richard Perry's career as clearly.  I would consider "Fridge" to be one of the more widely recognized and iconic nicknames in sports (http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/footnickname/010614.html).  Nicknames like this that are so closely associated with one individual should be reserved for said individual.  Just like you retire a number of an all-time great, a legendary nickname should also be retired.  There will never be another "His Airness," "The Big Unit," "Sweetness," "Magic" "Prime Time" etc.  Assigning a recognizable nickname to someone else seems lazy and rude to the original athlete in my mind.

I know you mentioned not wanting to emphasize his weight in HS in the nickname, and I think that is fair.  In my opinion, Ox doesn't so much allude to his weight but rather his overall size, width, and strength.  I realize that his hands, feet, soft touch, and skill set are outstanding and crucial to his success.  However, if these aren't combined with his size and strength, he wouldn't be as effective as a player.  I don't know how Davante feels about the Ox as a nickname, but if he's not offended by it, it gets my vote.

[superfan1387]

Fridge applies to Gardner because of his size, post presence and his poise at the free throw line and in a clutch situation. Another poster called it his “coolness” at the line.

Also William Perry, was not “Fridge”, rather “The Refrigerator”. There is a difference between Davante “Fridge” Gardner and William “The Refrigerator” Perry. When I made the thread I was trying to start a conversation on a nickname for a freshmen, not start some kind of Bears/Packers argument.

If "Fridge" doesn't stick, can we go with his "Airness" or "The Sultan of Swat"

[brewcity77]

To me "Fridge" is and will always be Richard Perry.  I'm not a Bears fan or a huge NFL fan but I am familiar with Mr. Perry.

As noted, it was William, not Richard.

And for superfan1387, sorry, but no. Yes, it was William "The Refrigerator" Perry, but if you were alive in the 1980s and heard someone say "Did you see what The Fridge did yesterday?" on a Monday morning, you knew they were talking about William Perry. Both the names "The Refrigerator" and "Fridge" were synonymous with William Perry. And it's not a Bears/Packers thing, but simply a mass culture thing. Just google "The Fridge". You get a business in DC, a website called Fridge, and then, of course, William Perry's wikipedia page. There is and always will be only one Fridge, and it's William Perry. I said it before, and now must apparently say it again, that is the end of the story. Fridge = William Perry, now and forever.

[brewcity77]

And as Perry himself said in the brilliant musical masterpiece, the 1985 hit song "The Superbowl Shuffle"...

You're lookin' at The Fridge,
I'm the rookie.
I may be large, but I'm no dumb cookie.
You've seen me hit, you've seen me run,
When I get the pass, we'll have more fun.
I can dance, you will see
The others, they all learn from me.
I didn't come here lookin' for trouble,
I just came here to do
The Super Bowl Shuffle.

[w0bbie]

As noted, it was William, not Richard.

And for superfan1387, sorry, but no. Yes, it was William "The Refrigerator" Perry, but if you were alive in the 1980s and heard someone say "Did you see what The Fridge did yesterday?" on a Monday morning, you knew they were talking about William Perry. Both the names "The Refrigerator" and "Fridge" were synonymous with William Perry. And it's not a Bears/Packers thing, but simply a mass culture thing. Just google "The Fridge". You get a business in DC, a website called Fridge, and then, of course, William Perry's wikipedia page. There is and always will be only one Fridge, and it's William Perry. I said it before, and now must apparently say it again, that is the end of the story. Fridge = William Perry, now and forever.

My bad about screwing up his first name.  Like I said, it's the nickname that makes him memorable to me.  Thanks for backing me up brewcity.  We basically have the same idea, I think you just stated it more clearly.  superfan, I wasn't trying to make it into a Bears/Packers thing.  I don't particularly like either team (I'm from Iowa and would rather watch the Hawkeyes look promising and then blow a few games every year).  The "Fridge" applying to his coolness under pressure is something I guess I wasn't thinking of, but I don't think two non-con games warrant him being labled as a clutch guy just yet.  Anyways, there are other big and cold things that aren't already an established nickname of some other athlete.  Off the top of my head, the Yeti?

[rocky_warrior]

1) Strong as an Ox

2) Nicknamed “The Refrigerator” for his gargantuan, square-like frame


Which would you rather be compared to.  I think this is easy folks. 

[Skatastrophy]

Ox is nowhere near big enough to be called Fridge

[Benny B]

Did any of you see Ox in the paint yesterday.  He didn't just have his hands out when he wanted the ball, his face demanded it. 

A "fridge" sits in the corner and is only relevant when you want something from it.

An "Ox" stands alert, anxiously waiting for someone to hitch a cart to his back.

There's no question here, people.  DG is an Ox.  He isn't some appliance you buy your wife for your 14th anniversary.

[nyg]

BTW, is he really 295 lbs.????

[Windyplayer]

Are there three pages of posts about Gardner's nickname if he didn't have two big games to open the season? Probably not...but who cares. Hopefully, he can build of this early season success. That said, Go Ox! Destroy the Plumlee brothers!

[SalsaMan]

Wow...Babe is really hung like The Ox  

Hung? To quote Sgt Nick Penis, "Poor boys, they still measure in inches..."

[Dawson Rental]

No problem Murs.  You're right, I jumped the gun a bit.  I'm willing to have a good discussion about nickname as long as "Fridge" is not in the mix.  To me "Fridge" is and will always be Richard Perry.  I'm not a Bears fan or a huge NFL fan but I am familiar with Mr. Perry.  I think this is in large part due to his unique and fitting nickname.  Without the very memorable moniker that differentiates him in my mind, I don't think I would remember Richard Perry's career as clearly.  I would consider "Fridge" to be one of the more widely recognized and iconic nicknames in sports (http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/footnickname/010614.html).  Nicknames like this that are so closely associated with one individual should be reserved for said individual.  Just like you retire a number of an all-time great, a legendary nickname should also be retired.  There will never be another "His Airness," "The Big Unit," "Sweetness," "Magic" "Prime Time" etc.  Assigning a recognizable nickname to someone else seems lazy and rude to the original athlete in my mind.

I know you mentioned not wanting to emphasize his weight in HS in the nickname, and I think that is fair.  In my opinion, Ox doesn't so much allude to his weight but rather his overall size, width, and strength.  I realize that his hands, feet, soft touch, and skill set are outstanding and crucial to his success.  However, if these aren't combined with his size and strength, he wouldn't be as effective as a player.  I don't know how Davante feels about the Ox as a nickname, but if he's not offended by it, it gets my vote.

The Artful Ox

Snap, there it is!