What’s The Most Unfortunate Name In Bigfoot History?
Posted by: Loren Coleman on September 27th, 2010
Sports radio personality Peter Burns commented over the weekend that his name was extremely difficult to live with, as he grew up. (Use your imagination.) Funny, because I never thought of how it must have been for Peter Byrne. I guess the name game could be played with his name too, but most have not gone there.
However, I’ve always figured one of the most unfortunate names to have in the Bigfoot field is Cliff Crook (shown below).
Of course, I would hate to be a newbie to Bigfoot research, about 14 years old, and be burdened with being born with the name Thomas Biscardi. That might be a real disability to being taken seriously. The name, of course, rhymes with “discard -y.”
Bigfoot hunter Tom Biscardi holds a photo of what he claims to be the mouth and teeth of a deceased Bigfoot during a news conference Friday, Aug. 15, 2008, in Palo Alto, Calif. (Photo: Ben Margot)
What do you think? What name game do you find being played in the Bigfoot field? What moniker do you consider would be the most difficult to possess, and then be taken seriously in your study of cryptids?
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
I can’t think of an actual person’s name but I obviously always thought the place name “Bluff Creek” sounded unfortunate. Obviously the ‘Bluff’ was meant to be a different type of bluff but still…….!!!
Oh I know. Greg Long. Long on hearsay. Short on established facts.
Another.
Bob Heironimus. His claim is a load of Heironimus ‘bosh’.
Sassie McStank.
Don’t forget: “M.M.“
I’ve always thought Moneymaker was an unfortunate name. You might want to know the answer to this question before paying for an “authentic” Bigfoot excursion: “Is this an authentic excursion or just a moneymaker for the BFRO?”
Of course, his earlier affiliation with Biscardi doesn’t help.
The most unfortunate name in this field is actually…Bigfoot. I have ALWAYS hated that term in reference to Sasquatch.
I have always hated Skunk Ape. Just doesn’t sound very classy. I don’t know that any name makes you less credible to me than Tom Biscardi, but we do have a local politician named Harry Johnson. My thoughts on that is, “At least you know what your gonna get when you vote for the guy.”
I have always felt a little sorry for the OTHER Loren Coleman. How many times has he been asked to comment on some Bigfoot related event and had to explain he isn’t THE Loren Coleman? How many times has he been at a book signing and someone is disappointed because the new book isn’t crypto related? Poor guy! 🙂
I also get a giggle over Cliff Crook every time I see something about him. Just can’t help myself.
I agree with TropicalWolf, I think “Bigfoot” is a bad name. It should be more appealing/exotic.
I like the “North American Bipedal Land Mammal” or something sleek that you can name a car after, like the “LongFellow” or “Avenga” something that rolls off the tongue.
Actually, Grover Krantz and Jeff Meldrum always made a good case for using “Sasquatch” over “Bigfoot” because of how silly “Bigfoot” sounds. Of course, “Sasquatch” is a created word too, from a Canadian in 1929, and not a Native name.
I still wish Ivan T. Sanderson’s hoped for name, the California Native moniker “Oh-Mah” would have caught on, but we are left with what we have, Bigfoot.
I reckon the most unfortunate name has to be that of the late sasquatch investigator Dr. Daris Swindler. That takes some beating.
Also Loren mentions sasquatch being coined by a Canadian. I have heard that although Burns spent a great deal of his life in BC, he was actually originally from the United States. I am happy to be corrected if I am wrong, but that’s what I recall from correspondence with a member of his family a decade ago.
‘Omah’ is the name I’d like to see used for Sasquatch. Just remember, it took a while for Orca to surpass ‘killer whale’.
‘Loranis’ has a nice ring, but it’s a tad Seuss-ish!
As for politicians, Rick Hole is as bad as it gets… (Grays Harbor, Washington)
Roger Patterson.
I mean, you said unfortunate names. Other than seeing a sasquatch…would anyone here have wanted to be him? Unfortunate enough for me!
I used to live in Virginia, near a plumber by the last name of “Tinkle”. And I remember an outdoor toilet company owned, in Baltimore, by a guy name of “Philpotz”.
I worked at the newspaper in Richmond, Va., across from a dentist named Dr. Puller…..
Referring to some ‘people’ names that others have mentioned above, when I was stationed aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter CHILULA {WMEC 153} in 1986 & 1987, there was a ‘member’ {no pun intented} of the crew whose name was “Harry Sword”. Seriously.
-Allan, aka Kite-Squatch