Latest news with #GamesWithNames'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Puka is dead'? Rams star's viral Instagram name finally explained and it's all his mom's fault
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Some NFL players have cool Instagram handles. Some keep it simple. And then there's Puka Nacua, whose IG username is… @pukaizded . If you've ever scrolled past it and wondered, 'Um, is he okay?' don't worry, it's not deep. In fact, it's hilariously petty mom energy, and we're absolutely here for it. Puka Nacua explains why his IG name is 'Puka is dead' and blames his mom During an interview on the 'Games With Names' podcast, Puka finally spilled the beans on why his Instagram sounds like a doom metal band. Turns out, back in eighth grade, Puka was sneaking around with a secret Instagram account. His mom, being the all-seeing parent she is, found it. But instead of just yelling at him, she did something way more savage: 'My mom, 8th-grade year, didn't know I had Instagram. My mom found my IG & changed it; she made it 'Puka is dead' to let me know I was in trouble.' Puka's mom changed his Instagram handle 💀 She literally renamed his account to tell him he was grounded. And the best part? He kept the username. Even now, as a rising NFL star, Puka still rolls with it, like a digital badge of childhood trauma and comedy. After the interview clip made the rounds on TikTok and Twitter/X, fans couldn't get enough. Comments poured in like: Honestly, the name makes way more sense now, and we kind of love him more for keeping it real. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo From being 'dead' on IG to killing it in the NFL Puka Nacua absolutely exploded in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams. He broke rookie receiving records, made every fantasy manager scream with joy, and became one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 season. And through it all? His Instagram still proudly reads: @pukaizded. Because some things, like your mom's sense of humour, stay with you forever. In a world where most athletes try to sound cool and mysterious online, Puka Nacua's handle is refreshingly real. He didn't just accept his mom's punishment, he made it his brand. Peak Gen Z energy. Peak NFL content. And peak internet gold. Also read - Cam Newton's floral BET Awards outfit has fans laughing and loving it: 'Bro need to come out that closet'
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bruins legend explains how winning Stanley Cup with different team broke Boston's championship curse
The Bruins traded Ray Bourque to the Colorado Avalanche in March 2000 in order to allow him to win a Stanley Cup before his career was over. He did just that a year later in 2001. But in doing so, he also helped the city of Boston break its championship curse. Advertisement During an appearance on Julian Edelman's 'Games With Names' podcast, Bourque revealed that the string of Boston teams winning titles came after he brought the Stanley Cup to Boston to celebrate with his former fanbase at City Hall. 'What happened after that — the Patriots win in New Orleans," he said. 'And then, from that point on, the Pats win two out of three (Super Bowls), the (86-year) curse is broken with the (Red Sox), the Celtics win, the Bruins win, the Patriots keep winning, the Red Sox win again. 'It all started after the Cup came back to Boston.' Bourque was hesitant to return to Boston — the city he spent 21 years of his career in. After the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, the late Mayor Thomas Menino's office called Bourque's agent to see if he wanted to celebrate at City Hall. Advertisement Bourque said no because he didn't want to embarrass the Bruins. But then-general manager Mike O'Connell was OK with it. The Celtics are the most recent men's Boston team to win a championship — having done so just last summer. Perhaps history will repeat itself this year for a former Bruins captain. The Bruins traded their captain, Brad Marchand, in March to the Florida Panthers so he could make another run at winning a Cup. The difference between Bourque — who was also Boston's captain at time of his trade — and Marchand, is that Marchand already a Cup to his name. The Panthers are looking to repeat as champs, whereas the Edmonton Oilers are looking to get revenge in a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Final that saw Florida hoist the Cup. More Bruins content Read the original article on MassLive.
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Puka Nacua wanted to change his jersey number last year but it would've been insanely expensive
Puka Nacua wanted to change his jersey number last year but it would've been insanely expensive Nacua didn't want to pay $500K to change numbers last year, so he waited until 2025 Puka Nacua changed his jersey number this offseason, switching from No. 17 to 12. Many believed it was because of Davante Adams' arrival, considering he's always worn No. 17 with the Packers, Raiders and Jets, but that had nothing to do with Nacua's decision. Nacua had already been planning to change his number to 12 before Adams even signed. In fact, the paperwork for the switch was filed way back in 2024. Because he already informed the league of his plans to change, Adams didn't have to pay a dime to get Nacua's old number. He talked about the move on 'Games With Names' and Julian Edelman couldn't believe Nacua didn't get anything from Adams for his number. 'I wish. He got it for the freeski,' Nacua told Edelman when he asked what he got from Adams. The only reason Nacua didn't switch to No. 12 last year is the cost. If he changed his number for the 2024 season, he would've had to buy out all the jerseys, which would've run him $500,000. As a former fifth-round pick, that would've been more than half his $915,000 salary in 2024. 'I was already planning to switch to 12, so you've got to file the paperwork, they've got to buy out your jerseys and stuff like that,' he explained. 'I was still a fifth-round pick and they were like, 'Uh, it would be $500,000 to switch your jersey.' And I'm like, 'I think you forgot when I got drafted. I don't have that type of money, bro. For a jersey number? No.' So you fill out the paperwork, had to wait a whole year so this year, I was getting ready – the springtime, once that official season switches over, I was going to be going to No. 12. And it was like, we signed Davante Adams and everybody is like, 'What are you about to do?' and I'm like, 'Man, if I would've waited like three more weeks!' 'Could've took the guys out. Now Davante's gotta do it. I'm gonna make sure I hold (him to that).' The number 12 means a lot to Nacua, having worn it in high school and college. It's also a number that's been worn by his siblings, so this change is a meaningful one. As good as he looked in No. 17, it won't take fans long to get used to seeing him in 12.
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
There's a hilarious story behind how Puka Nacua's Instagram username became 'pukaizded'
There's a hilarious story behind how Puka Nacua's Instagram username became 'pukaizded' Nacua's mom had to let him know he was in trouble for making an Instagram account in 8th grade If you follow Puka Nacua on Instagram, you might've noticed his username is 'pukaizded' and wondered where that came from or what it means. Good news: We finally have the answer. The username is exactly what it sounds like: 'Puka is dead.' And he has his mom to thank for that handle. Nacua shared the funny backstory on 'Games With Names' with Julian Edelman, revealing exactly how that Instagram username came to be. 'Funny story, my mom – maybe my 8th grade year – didn't know I had made an Instagram,' Nacua began. 'I make an Instagram and it's like, I don't know, something random. But it's not this. And my mom finds my Instagram and changes it, and she made it 'pukaizded' to let me know I was in trouble. I've never changed it after that because that's too funny. Just like how it's spelled. I-Z-D-E-D. That's exactly how she did it. And I was like, 'Oh my gosh, that is hilarious, mom.' Now every time, kids are always like, 'pukaizded,' and I'm like, 'That's me, man.'' Nacua and his mom have a very close relationship, which he's talked about several times. She was at Levi's Stadium in Week 18 of the 2023 season when he broke the single-season rookie receiving records, sharing a special moment together on the sideline. 'Pukaizded' may not be a conventional username by NFL standards but the backstory makes it awesome.
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Puka Nacua recalls first taste of Rams-49ers rivalry, getting booed at SoFi Stadium
Puka Nacua recalls first taste of Rams-49ers rivalry, getting booed at SoFi Stadium Every NFL team gets booed. Most of the time, those boos come on the road in enemy territory. But even some home games can feel like an away game when opposing fans take over the stadium. 49ers fans are known for invading SoFi Stadium when the Rams host their division rivals in Inglewood, which is something Puka Nacua was not prepared for in his first taste of Rams-49ers as a rookie in 2023. During the Rams' home opener against the 49ers that year, Nacua vividly remembers seeing a sea of red in the lower sections of SoFi Stadium and being booed during player introductions – something that caught him completely off guard. 'And when you come out to the pregame, everyone's wearing red,' Nacua told Julian Edelman on his 'Games With Names' show. 'Like, the lower bowl is already filled up and everybody in the stadium's wearing red. I'm like, 'Yo, this is supposed to be our first home game.' And everybody's like, 'Get used to it. When we play the Niners, everybody shows up wearing red.' Just a sea of red. It was crazy. Come out and do the intros and it's like, 'Are people cheering or is everybody booing?' It's just random noise and like, 'Boooo.' I'm like, 'What the heck? It doesn't feel right.' Because in high school, in college at BYU home games, you go to some crazy stadiums, but this is our home field. Everybody is wearing the opposite color of what we're supposed to be wearing. But the intro, I remember, took me for a whirlwind of being like, 'Yo, they just called my name and we just got booed.' Our whole intro, everybody got booed. 'This can't be real, right?'' Nacua was just a rookie coming off a historic first game against the Seahawks, riding high after a season-opening win. He didn't expect to be booed at his first home game, which is understandable. But that's what makes the Rams-49ers rivalry different, which he realizes now.
