Way back on October 2, 2006, just several months after the Pats plucked Marion "The Barbarian" Barber's running mate at the University of Minnesota out of the '06 draft with the 21st overall pick (ahead of backs Joseph Addai and Maurice Jones-Drew, mind you), Laurence Maroney sat down for an interview in which he revealed himself to have a rather humorous nickname. Asked what it was, Maroney responded:

Kool-Aid. I don't like any of these new nicknames.

Most of us just went with it, never questioning how the name "Laurence Maroney" became synonymous with a sweet and sugary childhood beverage. Broadcasters and analysts alike never seemed to delve into the issue any further, so many Pats fans unquestioningly accepted it as fact rather than explore the circumstances around which the nickname was born. To right these past wrongs, we're here with a comprehensive history of the origin of the highly regarded "Kool-Aid" nickname.



The day started innocently enough: Laurence and some neighborhood friends were playing, as kids tend to do, in the Maroney family backyard in St. Louis. Suddenly, calamity struck as a small fire began to rage as the kids frantically pondered what to do. Quick to act, Laurence - showing off those running skills that would enamor him to the Patriots years later - sprinted inside and grabbed the first thing he saw: a pitcher of Kool-Aid.

Attempting to squash the blaze, Maroney doused the flames with the sweet-tasting treat, only to have the flame grow as a result of the beverage's high sugar content. Eventually, water was used to quench the conflagration, but ever since, Laurence Maroney has proudly embraced the nickname "Kool-Aid."

So the next time you hear your friends chanting "Kool-Aid! Kool-Aid! Kool-Aid!" in front of their TVs on Sunday, take the time to enlighten them as to the origin of such a splendid nickname. They, and you, will most certainly be all the better for it.