Has it really come to this?

[lhprop1]

IFSA USA Nationals: Start List . . . Stage Names

Saying it will be "the most competitive US nationals so far," ASC president Dione Wessels told IronMind today that she already has confirmed entries from The Hammer, The Strait Jacket, The Freak Show and The Wolverine - the IFSA stage names for Van Hatfield, Steve Kirit, Jon Andersen and Phil Pfister, respectively.

Stage names or not, Steve Kirit is the 2002 and 2003 US national champion and Van Hatfield is the defending champion, and Jon Andersen and Phil Pfister are also considered to be among the very best American strongmen. In addition, Travis Ortmayer, who has moved from NASS to the pro ranks without missing a beat, and Steve Mac Donald, who Wessels said she also expects to do very well, have confirmed their entries, according to Wessels.

Has it really come to this? I hate to say it, but this is starting to sound like the WWE or XFL. Never one to sit idly by, I thought I'd start a thread on it. Thoughts? And just to make it more than a bitch session, why don't you tell us what you'd want your stage name to be.

Personally, I think "Buck Studrite" has a nice ring to it.

[Ryan Phillips]

Ryan "The Gun" Phillips

oooooh yeah!

[lhprop1]

Ryan "The Gun" Phillips

oooooh yeah!

By throwing that Ooooooh Yeah! in there, you just earned the stage name of "Duff Man"

[Lacy]

I think it is sad to see it come to this.But then again even football players have nicknames.Sorry I dont have a nickname for myself

[CharlesDMickey]

The average human is already very impressed by the sport. I don’t think ominous stage names are necessary. To me it somewhat discredits the sport.

BUT!

I want to be "LORD POONTAR - KING OF CAVE TUNA" ! :M:

That would most certainly strike fear into the hearts of even the strongest of men! :BB:

[Patrick McGuffin]

i dont know about me but i know that Dan and Clay would have interesting stage names

CAPTAIN GRUNTO!!!!!! and BENT OVER AND DETERMINED!!!!!

[Patrick McGuffin]

wait i know, the great tomato face!!!!!!!!!! hahahahahah!!!!!! man what are they thinking!? :confused: :D

[J. Alexander]

Sorry I dont have a nickname for myself


Oh, I am not even going to touch this one......Not after last nights training discussion :M:

[Lacy]

HA HA HA smart ass

[TEXAS STONEMAN]

I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. So what if they want to throw a little flair into the sport; some guys need all the help they can get with their personalities. There is no comparison to the WWE because those guys are made out to be total meatheads, and not to mention that they are all complete asses on stage.

[Lacy]

I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. So what if they want to throw a little flair into the sport; some guys need all the help they can get with their personalities. There is no comparison to the WWE because those guys are made out to be total meatheads, and not to mention that they are all complete asses on stage.

Thats how the public views them .Whats to say that the public wont adapt the same views for the strongman sport now.

I would really like to hear Tod and Julies view on this as they both do Wrestling

[Lance Peterson]

Ummmmm, mmmmmkaaay.

I don't see anything too bad about it IF the atheltes are referred to as Van "The Hammer" Hatfield or Phil "The Wolverine" Pfister. Now if their real names are omitted on a regular basis and they are simply referred to by their stage names it is the most freaking stupid thing I have ever heard of.

[Tod Becraft]

I think it's kind of fun once in awhile for a guy to come along and develope a nickname for himself that maybe goes along with his attitude or performance. But to go and give everyone a nickname in a contest seems cheesy to me. In Pro Wrestling guys are given nicknames or character names because they are playing a character or role, even on the local level almost everyone uses a fake name because when they are doing an interview or wrestling match they can go into this role they are playing and change what would be their normal behavior to do their character. It especially helps with interviews because normally i'm a shy person who keeps to myself, but the Tod Ruhl character is more outspoken and acts alot different that Tod Becraft. For something like Pro Wrestling to give people nicknames or "gimmick" names it makes sense since it is an entertainment performance not a sport, but to give or force a nickname on everyone in a legitiment sport seems to make it cartoonish and or cheesy. I remember when Vince McMahon did that with the WBF bodybuilding thing he started and it was ridiculous and it failed. It worked for wrestling but not for bodybuilding. A person in a legitiment sport doesn't need to be something he isn't, their performance will make them memorable not a fake character.

-Tod

[Julie Havelka]

I agree with Tod. My input on this subject is as follows.

It seems that the WSM show and other televised strongman events like to spice things up for the viewers. I think that's a good idea - to make things as interesting as possible for the viewers. Or else, you lose them and then lose your tv coverage. Keeping the names limited to televised programs, which have that extra flair in their presentation anyway, is ok by me. Over the last few years it seems that WSM in particular has made even more of a spectacle of the athletes - having them scream in the camera, dance around after winning something, or other general showboating. I think some athletes are more apt to be outgoing in any case, but I'm guessing the cameramen on hand have asked the athletes to be flamboyent for the filming. That combined with catchy music creates a show that the average joe is more apt to watch. So I can see where nicknames can fit into something like this.

whew, sorry for the novel on that subject..

"Jewels"

http://www.juliehavelka.com

[lhprop1]

Like Tod & Julie have said, it's fine to have nicknames and if a competitor has a particular nickname, I see nothing wrong with using it publicly. But when you have to manufacture nicknames/stagenames, I think it just kind gives the impression of less legitimacy.

I come from a sport where almost everyone has a nickname and it's not uncommon to not know their real name for a long time after you've been playing with them. But in order for a nickname to be given, it has to be EARNED, either through observation of your character or as a reminder of a particularly embarrassing event (usually involving alcohol).

[Ryan Phillips]

how cool is Duff Man!!

[GDolan]

but to give or force a nickname on everyone in a legitiment sport seems to make it cartoonish and or cheesy.
Definitely, this will cause nothing but uncomfortable embarrassment among alot of the athletes being tagged with these ridiculous names. Svend"viking"Karlsen being the exception of course. :IMHO:

[AaRoNSnider]

I think it's kind of fun once in awhile for a guy to come along and develope a nickname for himself that maybe goes along with his attitude or performance. But to go and give everyone a nickname in a contest seems cheesy to me


I agree.I think a nickname is something you have to earn,otherwise it usually sounds dumb.Other than that I dont see anything wrong with it.To me strongman is one giant freak show(in a good way),so why not have some nicknames,and extreme personalities to draw more people in.It makes it more exciting

[Mike Westerling]

...unless they are earned unintentionally (like Ben said involving alcohol and perhaps a lamp shade). Does anyone else remember when Goerge Costanza tried to give himself the T-Bone nickname?

[SBaier]

You bet I remember the T-BONE episode. It was great when they gave him the Coco nickname instead!