"Jungle ball" "Calypso footy" etc etc

[Izz]

Its only by applying it correctly that it loses its racist undertones.

Except he's not applying it correctly.

The whole thing is just PC nonsense, and really only highlights the underlying racism in people who hear this term and automatically assume its derogatory.

This is just plain lolworthy.

 

[Danish]

Except he's not applying it correctly.

How so?

The term is about selfish, glory-hounding play. Many would argue that blokes like Mateo always looking for the miracle ball, pushing the offload and trying to lay on a try every tackle is quite selfish play in rugby league (which only a blind fool could deny the warriors are prone to doing)

Suits jungle ball quite nicely I think.

 

[Izz]

How so?

The article quoted near the beginning of the thread isn't the only time the term's been used recently.

The original title of this article was 'Jungle Ball pays off for Warriors,' but has since been changed (though if you google the original title you'll still see all the headline-bot links). The article talks about how the Warriors were clinical and aggressive in beating Souths. Which is pretty much the opposite of what the term means. Could it be that the media doesn't actually know what the term means and are using it in another way?

The term is about selfish, glory-hounding play. Many would argue that blokes like Mateo always looking for the miracle ball, pushing the offload and trying to lay on a try every tackle is quite selfish play in rugby league (which only a blind fool could deny the warriors are prone to doing)

Suits jungle ball quite nicely I think.

Yes, the Warriors sometimes look for miracle balls (though their problem this season hasn't been that at all, but rather poor fringe defense and dropsies--and Mateo, both last season and this season, has been far more conservative with his offloads then before he became a Warrior). However, every team in the NRL is guilty of doing that, but the Warriors are the only team to which the term 'jungle-ball' is applied.

As a side-note, i find the implication that anybody who disagrees with you is a blind fool interesting.

 

[hutch]

I'm just wondering why no other team plays jungle ball.

 

[Danish]

The article quoted near the beginning of the thread isn't the only time the term's been used recently.

The original title of this article was 'Jungle Ball pays off for Warriors,' but has since been changed (though if you google the original title you'll still see all the headline-bot links). The article talks about how the Warriors were clinical and aggressive in beating Souths. Which is pretty much the opposite of what the term means. Could it be that the media doesn't actually know what the term means and are using it in another way?

Fair enough then in that case. Jungle ball in proper usage certainly is not to talk about clinical displays.

If it were used as a headline for such an article then yes, either the headline writer used it in an incorrect and potentially racist way, or (I would say more likely) they simply slapped on a stock headline for how they assume a warriors win went. Not unlike any roosters win involving us crowing, or a dragons win always referred to as a grind regardless of how many tries they score.

Yes, the Warriors sometimes look for miracle balls (though their problem this season hasn't been that at all, but rather poor fringe defense and dropsies--and Mateo, both last season and this season, has been far more conservative with his offloads then before he became a Warrior). However, every team in the NRL is guilty of doing that, but the Warriors are the only team to which the term 'jungle-ball' is applied.

As a side-note, i find the implication that anybody who disagrees with you is a blind fool interesting.

I would say the Warriors and Tigers are by far the biggest proponents of it. Both teams enjoy throwing the ball around and more to the point, both are successful at it. Warriors have curbed it somewhat over the last few years but reputations stick (see the aforementioned dragons and their "grinding" reputation which they'll have for the next 5 years)

Tigers don't get referred to in this way because they are media darlings so they get the more positive "entertainers" tagline when they do it.

 

[beave]

Oh my god!!! Blocker just used the term 'jungle ball' on the Game Plan!!!..........

 

[carlosthedwarf]

I cringed when I heard it too. Can't believe it's spreading

 

[hutch]

Oh my god!!! Blocker just used the term 'jungle ball' on the Game Plan!!!..........

That would be the second week in a row then! What a tool!

 

[Izz]

Oh my god!!! Blocker just used the term 'jungle ball' on the Game Plan!!!..........

Do you remember the context? Was he referring to selfish, me-first play, or free-flowing footy, or something else?

 

[gUt]

Probably he was burning a cross and doing a Nazi salute at the time.

 

[beave]

^this.

 

[Izz]

Or perhaps he was running around in a gorilla suit thumping his chest and chucking bananas all over the set?

Of course, the majority of racial stereotyping and profiling is far less obvious and far more subconscious. Just because someone doesn't preface their comments with 'btw, i'm a-gonna be totally racist right now' doesn't mean that their isn't a subconscious bias in their comments (whether due to cultural, popular media, family, or other influences).

Which is why i was interested in the context. Because so far the only real defense of the term in this thread is that it's being used in the same way as it's used in basketball circles (and no, playing the old 'you all get offended too easily' card is not a defense--it's a tired, overused way of deflecting conversation from potentially difficult topics), but personally i'm not so sure it is.

 

[Packy]

Just in: Websters removing jungle from dictionary.

 

[gUt]

Or perhaps he was running around in a gorilla suit thumping his chest and chucking bananas all over the set?

Of course, the majority of racial stereotyping and profiling is far less obvious and far more subconscious. Just because someone doesn't preface their comments with 'btw, i'm a-gonna be totally racist right now' doesn't mean that their isn't a subconscious bias in their comments (whether due to cultural, popular media, family, or other influences).

Which is why i was interested in the context. Because so far the only real defense of the term in this thread is that it's being used in the same way as it's used in basketball circles (and no, playing the old 'you all get offended too easily' card is not a defense--it's a tired, overused way of deflecting conversation from potentially difficult topics), but personally i'm not so sure it is.

I'll keep saying it. To explain this stupid turn of phrase - all of them - you need look no further than the lack of imagination and rampant parrot genes among the league commentators and writers. The only reason any of them say stuff like "jungle ball" is because they heard someone else say it. No context required.

 

[Izz]

I'll keep saying it. To explain this stupid turn of phrase - all of them - you need look no further than the lack of imagination and rampant parrot genes among the league commentators and writers. The only reason any of them say stuff like "jungle ball" is because they heard someone else say it. No context required.

I don't disagree. That probably explains why they use the term. But it doesn't explain what they think it means. Even if they're just parroting it, they must have a thought process in doing so, even if it's just 'oh yeah, that sounds like it fits, i'll use that'.

The only way we'd really find that out is to ask each journo/commentator who uses it what their definition of the term is. Not going to happen, of course, but i reckon it'd be an interesting exercise.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Warriors 2012 - 12th in offloads.

Commentators are idiots. Stereotypes are just easier for them. Harmless, but dumb.

 

[hitman82]

We have two new ones from the Titans vs Warriors on Saturday night:

"Reggae Footy"

and

"Rainbow Ball"

I forget who said them.

 

[Jason Maher]

It was Ben Ikin.

None of this is half as offensive as every man and his dog saying the Dragons are boring chokers and Jamie Soward can't tackle... :sarcasm:

 

[Packy]

I believe there was a few armchair commentators referring to the Tigers last play option as "spastic merkin ball"

 

[hitman82]

It was Ben Ikin.

None of this is half as offensive as every man and his dog saying the Dragons are boring chokers and Jamie Soward can't tackle... :sarcasm:

:lol: oh I don't find it offensive at all - just hilarious. "Rainbow ball" really sealed it for me.