Basketball fans far and wide have had a mixed and somewhat bemused reaction to the name of the newest NBL franchise, to be established in Tasmania – the Jack Jumpers.
The nickname pipped Tridents after a shortlist of five was whittled down to two after an initial public callout for name suggestions.
“The Jack Jumpers logo covers all corners of the state and embodies Tasmania’s challenger spirit and passion,” CEO Simon Brookhouse said.
“Our green and gold colours pay homage to Tasmania’s rich history and landscape.”
The state has not had a team in the National Basketball League since the Hobart Devils folded after the 1996 competition. Tasmania will enter the league for the 2021-22 season and play largely out of Hobart’s Derwent Entertainment Centre.
The club in August appointed former Hobart Chargers president and Golf Australia operations boss Simon Brookhouse as CEO.
The Tigers and Devils weren’t taken into consideration due to their trademarking by the state’s cricket team and potential AFL franchise.
While there is plenty of excitement over Tasmania rejoining the national competition, Australian basketball representatives Andrew Bogut and Chris Anstey were scratching their heads over the Jack Jumpers nickname.
“The NBL takes a great step back into Tasmania, then calls them the Jack Jumpers? My goodness,” Anstey posted on Twitter.
Former NBA star Bogut was equally bemused.
“Joking yeah? Good one. Got me good,” he replied to Anstey.
The fan reviews were also somewhat mixed, with some finding it hard to take the name seriously. One comment to Tasmanian Times described the logo as Green Lantern meets Strange Insect. “And upside down it’s a classically phallic rocket ship.”
Tasmania’s new NBL team is called the Jack Jumpers due to, I can only assume, every other name in the world being taken.
— Titus O'Reily (@TitusOReily) September 30, 2020
Can anyone fill me in with What does Jack Jumpers mean?
— Brendan Joyce (@Brendan_Joyce12) September 30, 2020
The Tasmania ‘Jack Jumpers’ is good, but they have a while to go before they’re better than the Scottsdale ‘Fighting Artichokes’ pic.twitter.com/GaCI4yHf7Q
— Ned Balme (@NedBalmeLives) September 30, 2020
However, journalist Angus Livingston also used Twitter to dispel a few myths about the insect’s ferociousness.
“If you’ve never been bitten by a Jack Jumper then you are a mainlander, sorry,” he wrote. “Jack Jumpers are brutal and actually deadly to a small percentage of the population, and yes they literally jump really high.”
You can find out more about the team at their new website, www.jackjumpers.com.au/
Premier Gutwein and Minister Howlett try the new @JackJumpers jersey on… @WINNews_Tas pic.twitter.com/gdEbBXfzBA
— Brent Costelloe (@brentcostelloe) October 1, 2020
BOOHOO: NBL Name Selection Narrowing in on Absolute Worst.
