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The Name Game

What's in a name? Who are the famous people who we sometimes forget. Is it because their name doesn't stick in your mind. Try these on for size.

Betty Jo Bialowsky

Former college girl friend of Nick Danger 3rd Eye from Firesign Theater's " Cut 'em off at the Past!". She was also known as Melanie Haber, Audrey Farber, and Susan Underhill, but "everyone knew her as Nancy".

Tiny Tim

Person made famous by appearing on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in when he sang " Tiptoe Through the Tulips " while playing his yukelele. His marriage to Miss Vickie on National Television was the height of his 15 minutes of fame.

Legal Tender

Daughter of Jacob Coxey who was an advocate of the free-silver monetary policy and opponent of the gold standard. In 1894 he called on the unemployed from all over the United States to join him in an " army" marching on Washington to protest how industrialization threatened economic security. Tens of thousands started the march but by the time they reached Washington only about 500 remained. Coxey and his army were arrested for walking on the grass of the Capital Building and the protest fished out.

Norrin Radd

Born on Zenn-La in the Deneb system who assumed the mantle as the herald of Galactus to prevent his planet from being destroyed. He moves among the galaxies as the Silver Surfer.

Shoeless Joe

Shoeless Joe Jackson was one of the players banned from baseball as a result of the Black Sox Scandal of 1919. Early in his career, Joe had a new pair of spikes and got blisters on his feet when he started wearing them. The next day, the team was short of players and Joe had to play. So he played without shoes and in his socks. A fan shouted " You shoeless son of a gun" when he hit a triple. A sportswriter picked it up and began calling him " Shoeless Joe ". White Sox fans have been trying for years to get him elected to the Hall of Fame as it is generally felt that he was banned erroneously for fixing the Series.

Gipper

George Gipp died during his senior season at Notre Dame, but his name wasn't made famous until eight years later. Playing Army in 1928 and needing a win to clinch a winning season, Knute Rockne told the team of Gipp's dying wish. " I've got to go, Rock. It's all right; I'm not afraid," Rockne recalled of Gipp's words from his hospital bed. " Sometime, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go in there with all they've got and win one for the Gipper."

Okay

Martin Van Buren was born in Kinderhook, NY. " Old Kinderhook" was one of his nicknames, and, during the race for presidency in 1836 the slogan read " Vote for Martin Van Buren he's O.K." and thus the phrase okay was born.

Thomas Crapper

Inventor of the syphonic flush (toilet). Now this is not a lot of " crap". And, oh, by the way, he also worked for Queen Victoria and installed enough pipe to produce a " royal flush".

George

Former heavyweight champion George Foreman who lost his title to Mohammed Ali in the " Rumble in the Jungle" has five sons named George, George Jr., George III, George IV, George V, and George VI by George!

Armond Hammer

Called a communist when he arranged a massive wheat sale to the Soviet Union during a famine in the 1920s and became the USSR's unofficial American liaison. The Arm & Hammer Baking Soda logo is curiously similar to the hammer and sickle of the Soviet regime.

Who

The first baseman in Abbott & Costello's famous skit about baseball players. Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know's on third, Why is the left fielder, Because is center field, Tomorrow is the pitcher, Today is the catcher, Yes, the big hitter is in right field, and I Don't Give A Damn is the shortstop.

Meadowlark Lemon

Born Meadow George Lemon, the man in the middle of the famous Globetrotter figure eight weave spent 24 years with the travelling ambassadors of Hoop Time.

Heavy Kevy

Two time winner of Philadelphia's Wing Bowl competition held the Friday before the Super Bowl. This event features some of the largest guys in the area in a chicken wing eating contest. This event started in 1993 in a hotel lobby. Heavy Kevy won in the early days and retired as a two-time champion. In 2001, the event was held in the First Union Center with 20,000 fans cheering on the winning El Wingadore who blew away the field eating 137 wings in the event while being surrounded by voluptuous wingettes. El Wingadore was crowned for the second time and forced Heavy Kevy out of retirement for the 2002 contest. Only in Philadelphia (home of the Mummers Parade on New Years Day) could such an event happen.