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Every sports fan loves a good nickname, and that’s especially the case when it’s a nickname that applies to an entire unit or a group of players. In the past, we’ve seen backfields with the all-too-appropriate nicknames of Thunder and Lightning (Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber), Smash and Dash (Lendale White and Chris Johnson) and WD40 (Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott). But now, the Detroit Lions have submitted a new entry into this club, and it’s one that every Millennial football fan will surely get behind it.
Going forward, the Detroit Lions duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have requested — no, demanded — that they be called ‘Sonic and Knuckles.’
“‘It’s official now, I’ve been warned that that’s what they want to be called,” Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said of this duo, per Benjamin Raven of Michigan Live. “‘Sonic and Knuckles’ are doing what we ask them to do. As you can see, if you watch David, he is a huge fan of cartoons and Disney channels and ‘Sonic and Knuckles.’ And speed and then also the brashness of Knuckles. They love it, so I’m gonna run with it.”
The Detroit Lions would be wise to continue running not only with the nickname, but also with their plan to utilize what is arguably the league’s best running back duo as much as possible. In splitting Montgomery and Gibbs’ touches as close to 50/50 as possible, Detroit is keeping a fresh back in the game at all times to run over and past defenders.
“We’re just reducing the mileage, and they look so fresh when they’re in the game,” Scottie Montgomery said. “It’s like, next guy comes in, there are no hands on the waist. There is nobody bending over. They have a look, they’ll look at each other and just look, and they know — ‘OK, I’m not 100% coming in. You be 100%.’ So, really appreciate that.”
Lions hope ‘Sonic and Knuckles’ can lead run to a Super Bowl
Just as is the case with the popular video game, where collecting gold rings is one of the primary objectives of players, the Lions are hoping they can ride their own ‘Sonic and Knuckles’ to a Super Bowl ring.
Since their partnership began at the start of last season, the Lions have wisely distributed touches between David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Thus far, the splits have been so even, it’s almost as if head coach Dan Campbell is making a conscious effort to ensure that both Sonic and Knuckles are getting the exact same amount of touches.
Montgomery – 320 touches, 1,577 total yards from scrimmage, 19 total touchdowns
Gibbs – 314 touches, 1,713 total yards from scrimmage, 15 total touchdowns
Combine Sonic and Knuckles with a quarterback playing better than he ever has (Jared Goff), a terrific wide receiver duo (Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams), a young tight end with star potential (Sam LaPorta) and a mad scientist serving as offensive coordinator (Ben Johnson), and voila, you have one of the league’s best offenses and a bonafide Super Bowl contender.
More must-reads:
- Five best NFL offseason value signings on offense: Bills get great deal with RB extension
- Dolphins humiliated by Lions at joint practice
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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Green Bay Packers 4th Round Rookie Heralded As Steal Of The Draft
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Former Lakers, Clippers Big Man Joins Phoenix Suns in New Career Path
One of the most lopsided trades of the last decade in the NBA was a "hallway" trade between the Lakers and Clippers. NBA veteran Mike Muscala was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Ivica Zubac, a young center at the time who needed development, along with Michael Beasley. In a win-now move for the Lakers in their first season with LeBron James, they gave up on a young center that showed promise, for a stretch big that the Lakers felt could help them get to the playoffs.
Phillies superstar may be building Hall of Fame case
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Bruins' top prospect makes decision on college that will shake up the scene
Boston Bruins top prospect James Hagens has announced he will return to Boston College for his sophomore season. In a brief interview with Scott McLaughlin of Boston’s WEEI 93.7, Hagens shared that he’s in no rush to advance to the next step, acknowledging that development is a, “marathon, not a sprint.” Hagens revealed the news while participating at the Bruins’ 14th annual back-to-school celebration, alongside current Bruins Mason Lohrei and John Beecher. Few announcements will shake the college scene as much as the news of Hagens’ return. He was among the best freshmen in college last season, tracking to 37 points in 37 games. That scoring earned him a unanimous selection to Hockey East’s All-Rookie team — an accolade he shared with teammate Teddy Stiga and Boston University rival Cole Hutson. Hagens reached those heights while filling an interesting role with the Eagles, stepping in between wingers Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard after the two spent their last three years centered by San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith. Each of Perreault, Leonard and Hagens scored fewer points than the Eagles’ top-line managed in 2023-24, but it seemed that was more the cause of a low-scoring year across Hockey East. The top unit recorded points on 36 percent of BC’s goals this season, an ever-so-slight improvement over the 34 percent contributed by Smith, Leonard and Perreault in 2024. But while Hagens faced questions of his scoring upside relative to other top draft-eligible talents in the NCAA, it was hard not to be impressed by his on-ice results. He’s long been a dynamo among his age group, with an innate ability to predict movement and put himself in position to make a play. Hagens is strong on the puck — with an ability to use finesse moves and bulky shoulders to force his way into the dangerous areas of the ice. More than that, he showed clear signs of improvement as the year went on — developing his physical presence and ability to make a difference even when he wasn’t the first man in on a play. Those signs of growth give Boston a prospect to be excited over. Hagens was lauded as the clear first overall talent in the 2025 draft class, prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 season. Much of that claim came from his command of the U.S. NTDP over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, where he served as the team’s top-line center and snappy playmaker next to electric goal-scorer Cole Eiserman. With Eiserman’s help, Hagens was able to become the fifth-highest scoring player in NTDP history, with 187 points in 118 games. He also set the scoring record at the World U17 Hockey Challenge in 2023, with 21 points in seven games, and the World U18 Championship in 2024, with 22 points in seven games. Hagens will be returning to a fresh-faced Boston College lineup next season. Both Leonard and Perreault signed their NHL entry-level contracts at the end of last season, leaving the Eagles with vacancies on both wings on their top-line. One of those spots will be occupied by Stiga, who has shown years of chemistry playing next to Hagens. The other spot will be closely contested, but could land in the hands of transfer forward Ryan Conmy or fellow Bruins draft pick William Moore. Hagens and Moore will be two of six Bruins prospects on next year’s Eagles squad, providing local fans with plenty of reasons to walk to Conte Forum when the puck drops.
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