Jungle Boy
https://twitter.com/smartfootball/status/551531025067950080
Jungle Boy.
As the tweet above explains, “Jungle Boy” was used by long-time NFL referee Ed Hochuli during tonight’s Carolina Panthers-Arizona Cardinals game. The fact that Hochuli uttered the term during a national telecast had Twitter buzzing.
Let’s get #jungleboy trending
— Josh Coley (@joshcoley) January 3, 2015
Who or what is a Jungle Boy??#NFLWildcard #Hochuli
— Robert Flores (@RoFlo) January 3, 2015
Every fiber of my being hopes that the “jungle boy” nickname originated on the Cowboys’ party bus.
— Michael Schottey (@Schottey) January 4, 2015
Who is “Jungle Boy” you may ask? And why is an NFL referee using that term? Before things got out of control on Twitter (like the tweet above indicates), the NFL was quick to issue an explanation on, where else, Twitter:
For those asking Hochuli did make a reference to "Jungle Boy" in the 3rd Qtr. He was referring to Replay Official Tom Sifferman (cont.)
— Dean Blandino (@DeanBlandino) January 4, 2015
That is Sifferman's nickname on his crew. Hochuli mistakenly opened up his stadium mic, instead of his wireless mic to the other officials.
— Dean Blandino (@DeanBlandino) January 4, 2015
ProFootball Talk would go on to explain further:
RELATED: NFL Ref Czar on Cowboys Party Bus? (August 2014)
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Think and Listen
Not that long ago I wrote a post entitled “Sweat the Small Stuff in Social Media“. Every little move is analyzed and critiqued in today’s social media world. Twitter has become a landing spot for instant criticism. Waiting on context is an inconvenience in the 140-character Twitterverse. Group-think can become fact. As such, it is imperative for teams, leagues, brands, athletes to be acutely aware of what is being said on social media.
RELATED: Key Weapons for Fighting Social Media Wildfires
“Think before you tweet” used to be the best advice to give for those on social media, no matter how big the person or entity. Now, it is joined by one simple word: listen. Fans, customers, media are using social media to provide their opinions on even the simplest thing, like a tweet.
Or, an inadvertent comment on national television.
That’s where Dean Blandino excelled tonight.
Blandino, according to his Twitter account, is the Vice-President of Officiating with the NFL. Within minutes of Jungle Boy being mentioned on Twitter, Blandino was quick to clarify its meaning. A single opinion can gain a following on Twitter at warp speed. By addressing the issue head-on, Blandino and the NFL kept a potential PR storm at bay. And, it demonstrated that the NFL is listening.
Not every social media firestorm can be addressed. Sometimes there are no-win situations. When the NFL faced the release of the Ray Rice video by TMZ, there was simply no way to appease the masses with a social media response. But, with Jungle Boy a quick response was the best way to go.
Had it been left unchecked, surely this tweet would have proved prescient:
https://twitter.com/JRMarlow/status/551531565491056643
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CadChica Sports
Sunny, you are right on: we are quick to speak and slow to listen. This reminds me of a couple of firestorms we saw this week related to post-game celebration at a college bowl game. It prompted me to tweet: “Avoid making a big thing out of what is really a little thing propelled by social media. Keep Calm.” Thanks for the shout out and for keeping us current with what’s happening in the world of social media sports!