Gridders, spikers, cagers, grapplers, harriers and other slang

In a spinoff of the JV, jayvee, junior varsity thread ...

OK, how does everyone here feel about using those words anywhere in the section?

"Bumblefuck spikers sweep"
"Podunk South gridders pound Podunk North"

Personally, I frickin' hate any and all but see them from time to time especially in headlines. Please tell me it's never acceptable to use "spikers" for volleyball or any other slang nickname for any other team.

 

I always wondered what the hell a cager was.

 

I always fancied "thinclads" for track.

 

I never realized until now how much those sound like slang for drug dealers. You could basically substitute them for hoppers, slingers, bangers and jugglers.

 

Worked with a guy who used to love throwing in old-school words in hoops stories - to be fair he was about 85 himself and probably watched Naismith's first game.

"Johnsonville was led by Mark Smith. The senior cager meshed 14 points to go along with 12 caroms."

 

I think "cager" stems from the fact that basketball courts originally had nets around them.

And "thinclads" always makes me giggle for some reason.

 

If it were 50 years ago ... and it was a small, weekly newspaper in the middle of nowhere ... and you had too much to drink ... maybe.

Otherwise, NO.

 

Spnited didn't play in cage, he just covered the teams.

 

Signal-caller, anyone?

 

I'm with Fish. Might go to 40 years and just tipsy, though.

 

cager.