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" January 15, 1943. _

Mr. C. Be MeBride, a
Sports Editor,
Kansas City Star,
Kansas: —— _ .

Dear Mags

seth my phone conversation regarding Kelleher, etc.,
Mr. Kelleher states that I was endeavoring to drive a wedge between
the: east and the west. I told you over the phone that I was the ~
organizer of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This
came about when the Basketball Rules Committee deleted the dribble
from the rule beok. Dr. Meanwell, L. 8 St. vohn and the old guard -
were leer _— the rules cometh ten. ee

I was ‘nite afore the National Stonnttionn2 piatekten. in
Des Moines at the Drake field house along with Knute Rockne. Knute
Rockne spoke on "The Pedagogy of Football" and I spoke on “The Pedagogy
of. Basketball". ‘Two days prior to this meeting at the field house the
Basketball Rules Committee had abolished the dribble. In my speech on
“fhe Pedagogy of Basketball" I assailed the National Basketball Rules
Committee as autocratic and highehanded besause they had not checked
with any of the guaches of the country to determine their opinions;
but because Meanwell felt that the one bounce in the game would be
better than the dribble they followed his recommendation.

-I received about 160 telegrams from coaches over the comtry
stating that they desired the dribble retained, and for me to vice
their protest. My contention was that the dribble in basketball was
synonomous with the broken field run in football. (It was spectacular
and also it permitted a closely guarded player to break into the open
for a better pasa. It also permitted a player to carry the ball to
vantage points to set up a play. It added aparkle and color to the
geme and a clever dribbler was a cross between a fine hurdler and a
broken field rumer.

The Kansas Relays came on in about ten days and the Drake Relays
were a week after this, so I called for a meeting of all the basketball
SS ae be held at Des Moines at the time of the Drake :
Relays. We had a great turn out. and the coaches elected me chairman of ‘
that group. We protested to the rules body and set a meeting-for the
Coaches Association to formulate an organization at Chicago during the
time of the N.C.A.A. track meet. Before the N.C.A.A. track meet in Jume
the Rules Committee rescinded their rule regarding the dribble and left
the rules as they were. The deletion of the dribble took place in April
and the Rules Committee put the rule back in May.