Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
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Imagine how stunned I was to return from vacation and learn that Pacman Jones no longer goes by Pacman Jones. He apparently thinks his lifelong nickname may carry a negative connotation, which seems so perceptive on his part.
"There's really just a lot of negativity behind it," Jones said. "It's just time for a change, man. I'm doing everything to make sure that I'm all right as a person, mentally and emotionally."
And that's why he's taken the step of going by his given name, Adam. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a man of great benevolence, has been honoring the name change for months. You can hear the satisfaction in his voice when he talks about the "Adam" we never knew.
Is it just me or is this the least newsworthy thing that's happened in years? If "Pacman" changed his first name to George to honor his legendary Nashville neighbor, The Possum, we'd have a story on our hands. But a man changing his name to his first name isn't exactly groundbreaking.
This is also a tough break for one of our country's finest guitarists, Adam Jones, who some of you might recognize from the heavy metal band Tool. Rolling Stone named him the 75th best guitar player of all time, but soon he'll have to hear lame jokes about the notorious cornerback. As someone whose name is close enough to a well-known former Redskins kicker, I've known the sting of forced laughter.
We should also note that Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, English auto racing driver Adam Jones and Wales rugby stalwart Adam Jones will also suffer.
In an effort not to confuse my readers more than usual, I will try to refer to "Pacman" as the football-playing Adam so he's not confused with the man who drives the No. 21 SEAT Leon in the British Touring Car Championship.
