Sports Topic— WHY RATBAGS ?

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 June 1949, Page 3 (Supplement)

Sports Topic— WHY RATBAGS ?

Ail indoor sport which is making rapid progress in Greyijiouth and district is indoor basketball, and it appears that about the only limiting factor so far as players is concerned is the acute shortage of suitable halls in Greymouth. Public support is also forthcoming, but before the sponsors of this/new sport can expect the public to take them seriously, they themselves should reflect on whether they are taking themselves seriously in permitting and, apparently, encouraging teams to adopt such names as Ratbags, Dingbats, Bobcats, Kilroys and Hepcats. It may be suggested that team names are unimportant and that it is the personnel which counts, but at the risk of being termed ‘'old fashioned’ 1 one may wonder whether any player is really proud to say “I’m a Ratbag. This strange nomenclature probably springs from the American origin of the game, but, whereas the public of Neu) Zealand are prepared to accept an American game, and like it, it is extremely doubtful whether most people are prepared to accept such terms into every-day language. That' is what the Indoor Basketball Association is asking that people should talk about Ratbags, Dingbats, Bobcats and all the rest of the similarly named teams and thus place a a. blessing on the commonest slang. Again, can teams in search of halls to hire consider that the names which they have adopted are any recommendation? The game is American and it is a good, healthy game, but is there any reason why good English names should not be used? By all means, get away from the hackneyed team names of other sports, but use some discretion.