othe

Now, again, may I emphasize that I weuld net suggest the 12 feet
basket fer high scheel players because many of the gymmasia in the East
de have lew ceilings, but this is net true inthe West, and there is not
a college gymmasium in Ameriea or a large auditorium in the big cities that helds
any sizeable erewd but what could stad a 12 feet goal elevation
witheut amy difficulty. And by asking a raise te 12 feet this even keeps
the 7 foot 6 inch player sheeting fora goal aiid met dunking a goal. ‘This
height basket weuld fer all time seal the fate of the gangling, inept
players but for the geed, big, tall man - he would still be in the game
and he could pass and sheet aleng with the rest of them. The premium on
height would net amount te the great advantage that it dees at the present
time under the 10 feet basket.

There are seme conferences se umpregressive that they are still
using the “herse-and-buggy" four by six backboard rather than the new
stream=lined beard. Manbe seme of these fellews couldn't hit a stream-
 limed beard and they need that large area to step the ball from going out
-@f beumds. Amd the Jeke of it is that the beard was never put up for a
rebeund beard by Dr. Naismith, but rather it ws te keep the spectators
away from the basket. They would reach ever the baleony and kick or knock
the ball away from the basket, se they built a weeden barrier large eneugh
te keep the crowd away, which preved te be the feur by six backbeard. Any-
hew, the Big Tem and seme of the umpregressive conferences still need that
backbeard te keep their players from threwing the ball eut ef bounds.

Mueh of this baeckbeard is umfertile banking area and it ebstructs
the view of mere than fifty per eent of the peeple whe sit behind it.
Olsen say, “The worth ef the 12 fect basket has not been demonstrated in
Gennection with the tall ‘goon' preblem, and sueh a change would have
many disadvantages «= chiefly the expense ef changing the height ef baskets
all ever the ceumtry at a terrific tetal cest." As if this large backbeard
if not ebstructing the view ef many people in mamy ef the high seheels whe pay
their geod momey te see the game and yet sit behind this large ebstruct=
ing surface without anything being dome about it. Certainly the expendi-~-
ture ef the peeple whe pay te see a game and fail te see it far surmounts
the so-called terrifie tetal cost thet Mr, Olson speaks about eof rabsing
the basket; aud yet we are net asking that they raise the basket for high
seheel beyé but fer sellege mezzanine hurdlers. J de met call theso beys
“seons". I think it is an unfair mismomer. Some of the finest athletes that
I have seen have beem beys ever six feet six inches tall. “Mezzanine
Hurdlers" seems te me a more polite appellation.

Facetiously I might suggest that im yeur questiommaire yeu ask the
public, the spertseasters and the sperts editers hew many 12 feet baskets
they have ever seem. There are nome in the Smithsonian Institute, but we
have twe here in Rebinsom Gymnasium. Then if you want te get a thousand
per cent negative anser ask how many coaches have actually put up a 12
foet basket and played a game under these conditions.

it is interesting te note that im your questionmaire 52.14 per cent
ef the publie veted for a higher basket. Doubtless the spertseasters and