What's In A Name?

Everything I have to say save one this morning has to do with sports or deportes as we like to say here in Latin America, okay we don't actually like to say it, we just do so, so people will know from whence we speak, which is something we really like to say because, c'mon, how many times do you get to say from whence we speak, so I'll get to the one thing first and get it off my chest.

I have just learned that the real name of legendary blues great Muddy Waters is...McKinley Morganfield. If you are wondering why I needed to get this off my chest, then you try carrying McKinley Morganfield around on yours. Smart man, old Muddy. He could sense that MM didn't quite have the proper tone for the blues. Needed something a little ruddier, a little, well muddier. "And now Ladies and gentlemen, on our stage for the first time, bringing us down, breaking our hearts and wearying our worried minds, please welcome McKinley Morganfield!" Just wasn't going to work. It is kind of a shock to learn though. Next thing you know they'll be telling me B.B King is Ashly Lamont.

Maybe the real trick is to become a one name icon like Brazilian soccer stars and American entertainers. Yesterday a new name emerged joining the long list of Brazilian greats such as Pele, Ronaldo, Ronaldnino and most recently...Kaka. I submit for your approval the goal clinching scorer in yesterday's fierce match with Australia...Fred. That's right, Fred. The great Fred. The mighty Fred. Fred goes to Disneyland...and Hollywood! Think of it. There's Cher, Madonna, The Artist Formerly Known As Prince and now...Fred. Tomorrow's star? I'm going with Ralph.

And then there was the U.S. Open Heart Surgery in slow motion starring Phil Mickelson who, it is rumored, is now singing the blues and has changed his name to Dirty Diapers. He was in danger for a while of becoming a one namer, either Phil or Mickelson would do, put he's definetly put that to rest. On the other hand, the tournament's winner has a perfect moniker for one name status... Ogilvy. I like saying that, Ogilvy. Ogilvy meets the Tiger. I'm looking forward to it. Maybe at the British O.

And finally, from the do movies mirror real life or does real life imitate movies argument comes this: I saw a commercial yesterday for a new movie that stars the Charlie's Angels girl who is not Cameron Diaz or Lucy Liu, I can't remember her name and neither can my wife and memory, and in the movie she is dating a guy who is a crazed Red Sox fan. In the clip the guy is on one knee in front of...whatever her name is, holding a small box. The kind that usually holds a ring. As he says something to her, you can't hear what in the clip, he slowly opens the box to reveal... a pair of Red Sox game tickets. Now I wasn't there when my daughter D was proposed to and I've heard romantic tales of how it was supposed to have gone down, but I know her husband well and I'm thinking this was a moment stolen from their lives. Somebody should be sending them money.