Musician Athletes
Potential nickname: "Smooth" Recently called up to the majors, this switch-hitting catcher, the top prospect in the Indians organization, shares a name with a certain Rock Hall guitarist. In his first at-bat, Santana reportedly stepped to the plate while the stadium speakers blared "Black Magic Woman."
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Michael Jackson, Baltimore Ravens/Cleveland Browns
Potential nickname: "Moonwalker" For the Cleveland Browns' Michael Jackson, whose NFL career ended in 1998, it was hard having the same name of the King of Pop. At one point, the wide receiver changed his name to Michael Dyson but eventually came to terms with being the lesser of two Michael Jacksons. "I want to meet him and do a poster. Man in the Mirror — he looks in the mirror and he sees… me!," Jackson, the receiver, once said of his name twin to Sports Illustrated .
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Brandon Flowers, Kansas City Chiefs
Potential Nickname: "The Killer" The unlikeliest pairing on this list — there must only be two or three Brandon Flowers at max in the U.S. — the Kansas City Chiefs cornerback has been in the NFL since 2008, perhaps making himself more well-known in New York than his Killers counterpart by intercepting a pair of Brett Favre throws when KC played the Jets.
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Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants
Potential nickname: "Shut Down Volume 38" It's fitting that a player who shares his name with the mastermind behind "Good Vibrations" and Pet Sounds should find a home on a California pitching staff (this Wilson is actually from Massachusetts). Wilson and his 100-mph fastball currently serve as the San Francisco Giants' closer. The Beach Boys' Wilson was a Rock Hall inductee, the Giants' Wilson was a 2008 NL All-Star.
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Jack Johnson, Los Angeles Kings
Potential nickname: "Banana Pancakes" Sports have seen no shortage of athletes named Jack Johnson — one was the first black heavyweight champion boxer ever, another was a Detroit Lion, and the singer-songwriter himself is a champion surfer. The Los Angeles Kings' defenseman helped anchor the U.S. blueline to an unexpected silver medal during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
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Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers
Potential nickname: "First Offense" One of the most repeated jokes in all of sportscasting is the constant reminder that yes, Corey Hart has the same name as the dude who sang "Sunglasses at Night." The Milwaukee Brewers' Hart is no one-hit wonder, however: In 2008, Hart was voted to represent the team at the All-Star Game.
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Chris Brown, Houston Texans
Potential nickname: "Not That Chris Brown" A former starting running back for the Tennessee Titans, current Houstan Texan Brown must have thought it was cool at first to have the same name was the "Forever" singer. In retrospect, he might want to change his name to "Christopher Brown" before his next trading card comes out.
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Steve Mason, Columbia Blue Jackets
Potential nickname: "Zeroes to Heroes" This Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender helped his team reach the NHL playoffs for the first time during his 2008-09 rookie season, earning the Rookie of the Year award. The Beta Band, whose lead singer was also named Steve Mason, also deserved a similar trophy for their first single "Dry the Rain."
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Chris Stewart, Colorado Avalanche
Potential nickname: "Tricky" Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is the Atlanta producer that, along with The-Dream, helped pen the megahits "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," "Umbrella" and "Me Against the Music." The Avalanches' Stewart is a sophomore NHL player who helped his team, predicted to be among the league's worst at the beginning of the 2009 season, make the playoff
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Lou Reed, Llalnelli Scarlets
Potential nickname: "European Son" The Welsh rugby player and the Velvet Underground god likely share one core trait: preternatural toughness.
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Robert Smith, Minnesota Vikings
Potential nickname: "The Cure" One Robert Smith is the all-time leading rusher in Minnesota Vikings history; the other is the lead singer of the all-time favorite band of goth kids everywhere. Other reasons for Cure fans to love the other Robert Smith: The running back once had a cameo on Mystery Science Theatre 3000 — the show was filmed in Minnesota, after all — and after retiring in 2000, Smith became an author and pursued a career in astronomy.