Tasmania’s NBL team name revealed as the Jack Jumpers
The official unveiling of Tasmania’s NBL team nickname will be made tomorrow, but it appears the cat is out of the bag.
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THE redeveloped Derwent Entertainment Centre will transform into the “anthill” with Tasmania’s NBL team set to be revealed as the Jack Jumpers.
While the official unveiling will take place tomorrow, it is believed Jack Jumpers has beaten out the Tridents in the countdown for the moniker of the state’s side.
The two options were the last standing from a short list of five, and speculation has been swirling for the past week that Jack Jumpers had won the race.
Last Thursday previously unseen Jack Jumpers branding surfaced on what appeared to be the team’s website development page, before being pulled down a short time later.
Today a page on social media site Twitter featuring the same branding also surfaced.
An NBL spokeperson refused to confirm or deny whether Jack Jumpers was Tasmania’s team name when contacted by the Mercury.
Hobart Chargers coach Anthony Stewart — a big advocate for the Jack Jumpers — said although there would be plenty of scepticism around the choice, it was the only name resinating with kids at his basketball clinics.
“I go into several schools a week, whether it be through the NBL1 community program or the college athlete development programs,” Stewart said.
“The one thing I have been doing is exploring what name the kids like and for me, it has been overwhelmingly the Jack Jumpers that has shone for the young kids right across the community.
“That’s your market, they are the people who are going to buy the tickets.”
Popular suggestions Devils and Tigers were not considered by the NBL given the association with AFL and cricket in the state.
However despite Tasmania’s Rugby Union side being called the Jack Jumpers since 2000, it had not been trademarked.
TRU president Ebony Altimira conceded she was disappointed the association had not been consulted during the NBL naming process, but is hopeful they will still be able to use the nickname.
“Unfortunately we don’t have the naming rights, when they [the NBL] first looked into it they jumped onto it straight away,” Altimira said.
“Being the volunteer organisation we are, it was something that was overlooked over the years.
“We have it as a registered business name but hadn’t patented it.
“We were hopeful we might be able to negotiate or discuss with them but haven’t been able to.
“It is disappointing, but we still hope that conversation can be had so we can work out a way to both use the name.”
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