What's in a Name? The 10 Coolest Names in American Sports Today

Henry Dorgan doesn't sound too cool, right? Hey, don't blame me! Blame my parents! My name has a lot of history to it, Henry Ford, Henry Louis Gehrig (also known as Lou Gehrig), and Henry Winkler (the Fonz, or for the younger generation, Stanley Yelnats the II from the movie Holes). But we're not here to talk history folks; we're here to see which name is the coolest in all of American sports. 

Why American sports? Well, soccer players have cool names (such as Didier Drogba), and we included them, it would be a fiasco of international footballers!

10. Champ and Boss Bailey

Roland and Rodney. Champ and Boss.

Which sounds cooler? I think the second one personally. Roland is Champ Bailey's birth name, and Rodney is Boss Bailey's birth name. These names are cool, but unfortunately, they are docked because they are not their real names.  

9. Nnamdi Asomugha

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OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 3: Defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha #21 of the Oakland Raiders breaks up a pass to wide receiver Kevin Walter #83 of the Houston Texans during an NFL football game October 3, 2010 at The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Cal

When people say Nnamdi Asomugha, they pronounce it Nahmdee Asomooguh. That doesn't sound like a cool name to me.

But people are wrong. Yes, the first name is right and it's not hard to pronounce. The last name is what gets everyone. It is pronounced Asomwa, which sounds French.

8. Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo

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HOUSTON - APRIL 21: Dikembe Mutombo #55 of the Houston Rockets walks on the floor before the tipoff of Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Utah Jazz during the 2008 NBA Playoffs at the Toyota Center April 21, 2008 in Houston, Tex

This list is only for current players, but with a name with 50 letters, he has to be mentioned!

7. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

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CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 19: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie #29 of the Arizona Cardinals breaks up a pass to Steve Smith #89 of the Carolina Panthers during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by

Dominique is considered a name given to a woman, but you'll see that this statement is wrong when you see DRC's game. His last name barely fits on the jersey, and the best part is, it's a combination of a Super Bowl winning quarterback (Aaron Rodgers) and the man who is credited with the longest play in NFL history, as he returned a missed field goal for 109 yards for a touchdown (Antonio Cromartie).

Sounds like a quality name to me!

6. James van Riemsdyk

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BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 13: Jeff Carter #17 of the Philadelphia Flyers is congratulated by teammate James van Riemsdyk #21 after Carter scored in the second period against the Boston Bruins on January 13, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Ph

This last name is too cool for one word, or a hyphen in that matter. van Riemsdyk just rolls off the tongue like it's French, or a double r in Spanish. Okay not really, but how the "van" isn't capitalized just seems so cool. 

I can't explain why. It just is.

5. Asdrubal Cabrera

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CLEVELAND - JULY 28: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees is called safe after a sixth inning double next to Asdrubal Cabrera #13 of the Cleveland Indians on July 28, 2010 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Ima

I am obligated to include this name on this list because my name in Spanish during 8th grade was Asdrubal, and if weren't for Asdrubal Cabrera, my Spanish teacher wouldn't have had the delight in calling me it. Actually, I think she hated it because it wasn't "traditional".

Tradition is what makes teams more interesting, but in the case of names, it's quite boring. 

4. Jarrod Saltalamacchia

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ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 05: Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia #21 of the Texas Rangers bats against the Toronto Blue Jays on Opening Day at Rangers Ballpark on April 5, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

I think this is a cool name, but when Jarrod was a young boy in school, he'd probably disagree. Imagine if you were a kindergartener, and on the first day of school, the teacher says "Spell your name kids so everyone will know it!" Poor little five year old Jarrod had to spell a last name that has a bigger curve on his jersey than a Tim Lincecum curveball. 

But he has gained some popularity because of his name. Honestly, who would know a regular last named catcher who has a .248 batting average (Jarrod's career batting average).

3. Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala (Although He's Retired)

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 5: Tommy Maddox #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers hugs teammate Chris Fuamatu-Ma atala #45 after the AFC Wild Card game against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field on January 5, 2003 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers won 36-

Honestly. Just try saying this last name.

2. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 20: Cam Janssen #55 of the St. Louis Blues trades punches with Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond #22 of the New Jersey Devils during their first period fight at the Prudential Center on March 20, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Jim

This name has so much French in it I suddenly have a craving for a croissant. You have to hand it to this guy for the amount of hyphens in his name, and for the times he has to pronounce his name to people he's introducing himself to.

Although he doesn't play in the NHL (he plays for the Devils minor league team, the Albany Devils), he's still on this list.

1. Captain Munnerlyn

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CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 20: Captain Munnerlyn #41 of the Carolina Panthers against the Minnesota Vikings at Bank of America Stadium on December 20, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

I think it's safe to say Captain Munnerlyn chose the right sport in playing football instead of hockey. I have this comparison because a captain in hockey is a valued thing (the captain is the only person who can talk to the referee, and unlike football, there's one specific person who's captain, not four), while in football, it's not really seen as important.

If Munnerlyn played hockey instead, and showed great leadership qualities, people would address him as Captain Captain Munnerlyn, and that would be too confusing!

He's sure the CAPTAIN of this list!