You can't pick your own nickname. Sure, you can come up with your own, but it isn't really up to you what sticks. Alex Bowman is well aware of how it works, because he has been stuck with a nickname he hates since his ARCA days.
"Bowman the Showman" is the nickname he just can't shake, but at least he knows he can't do anything about it.
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"I think at this point I've just got to own it, right?" Bowman said during media availability. "I don't see it changing anytime soon. I'm not the biggest fan of it, but (it) kind of is what it is at this point."
So, how far is he willing to embrace it? Not enough to start using the nickname himself. When asked about T-shirts with "The Showman" on it, Bowman made it clear he wasn't on board via ESPN. "Oh man, I don't know," He said. "I'm not in charge of the T-shirt department. If they put that on a t-shirt, you won't see me wearing it, I can tell you that much."
Normally, a driver without a single win, or even a top 5 finish, wouldn't warrant a full on movement to find a suitable nickname, but not only is Bowman taking over for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the 88 car, but he also just won the pole for the Daytona 500. This is not a normal situation. If he has a breakout season as "The Showman" there would be no turning back. He is running out of time to get this straight.
But since he can't do anything about his own nickname, we will.
But before a movement to get the man a better nickname kicks off, we need to agree on what it should be.
Tell us in the comments what you think Bowman's new nickname should be and we will pick our favorites. Then, we will do our best to spread the new name to save the young man from being "The Showman" forever.