What's in a name? A lot if they're fun
Black Hole — Named for one of the sections behind the south end zone at Oakland Coliseum, the Black Hole is the home of Raiders Nation. Known for having some of the most rabid fans in the NFL, this is not a place for the squeamish, or for parents with 8 year olds. Still, the Black Hole shines as one of the more innovative nicknames in NFL fandom.
Mile High Salute — In the mid-to-late 1990's, Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis was the game's best. In a would-have-been-Hall-of-Fame career cut short by injury, Davis left his mark, and a trademark, performing the Mile High Salute after every touchdown (which was a lot) in honor of his father, a soldier. In Denver, Davis would perform the salute, as thousands of Orange Crush fans would reply in kind.
The Dawg Pound — Where else can you find rabid fans howling, yelping and baying at opposing teams? Nowhere but in Cleveland, where Frank Minniefield and Hanford Dixon jump started a classic NFL nickname by dubbing their fans and their home, The Dawg Pound. The name defined a portion of the bleacher section behind the east end zone in Cleveland Browns Municipal Stadium, known league-wide for having one of the most loyal fans in the NFL.
The Ickey Shuffle — Point football right, hop, hop; left, hop hop; point football right, hop, hop; bounce, bounce, bounce on right leg only with ball extended; hammer home a right-handed spike; assume sumo wrestler stance and gyrate while rotating the forefinger of the right hand in small circles. That was the dance done by one Elbert "Ickey" Woods, the lovable, rugged running back of the Cincinnati Bengals whenever he scored a touchdown. Woods was forced to move the dance to the sidelines behind the Bengals' bench after officials starting penalizing him for unsportsmanlike conduct, but fans still went into a frenzy whenever Ickey got to cut loose.
The Lambeau Leap — I don't care if this is pure theatrics, and is more staged than a church play, I still love it when a Packers player soars into the Cheeseheads looking for some love after a touchdown. During home games at Lambeau Field, any Green Bay Packers player lucky enough to find pay dirt leaps into the stands. Originally created by defensive back LeRoy Butler, it was made popular by wideout Robert Brooks. Players in other stadiums imitate, but none come close to this perfectly titled leap.
The Terrible Towel — a banner conceived by late Steelers color commentator Myron Cope — he of the raspy, nasally voice — used by fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers to cheer for their team, consisting of a yellow towel with the words "Terrible Towel" in black, Steelers fans would yell and scream for their team while waving these babies in the air. The Miami Dolphins had the horrible hankie long before the Steelers had the terrible towel, but the nickname just isn't as convincing as the TT. The Carolina Panthers also began a spin-off known as the "Growl Towel" and there have been other imitators, but nobody waves the towel better than in Pittsburgh.
The Frozen Tundra (of Lambeau Field) — OK, this is the all-time greatest nickname ever, even though it is wildly repetitive, since by definition, all tundra is frozen. The phrase is credited to NFL Films narrator John Facenda as he described the 1967 NFL Championship Game, or "Ice Bowl," during which Lambeau's under soil heating system failed and the field froze in minus 15-degree temperatures. Without a heating system, the severe winter climate of Green Bay, Wis. would frequently cause the field to freeze. If you haven't heard Facenda's deep baritone voice pounding out those famous words describing the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field, which is both haunting and regal, you haven't truly experienced NFL football. If you want more of Facenda's awesome voice, check out The Autumn Wind, the Oakland Raider's NFL short.