15
“DITOR! S. NOTES

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With the feclis aatimnalt by some. coaches, aie players ‘and -snorts
writers that the present game of basketball could. ‘stand improvenient , remedies
sugzested during the past month have been. the ‘removal’ of the back-boards, the
. elimination of wild shooting and forcing the nlayers to take sane shots.

Some are even eetshombat ¢ the retamning: to. the. cages” where whe REE: was praved
years ag0. E

_ We can first ‘reebens Tageiatlipes 's in 1 1899 when’ most Baste! had no back
eo The basket ras” put. upon a two-by-four. and an “tron rod: three feet long
held the rim in place, The net was tied at. the ‘dbottou and “the spectators knew
‘a basket had been -scored’when the ball drogned. into’ the net. At-first, a stick
“was used to poke the ball output later. Soine | Of; the . taller players were able

to push it up and out. :

In ‘those: ‘games ; every nee shah ai to. be: qande 5 with: ‘the’ feet + pititor
and skillful players arched: the ball. considerably. higher than is‘done now.
‘Since’ there were fewer diversions , players of the.old school" spent more. time
at nractice with the: wesubs. Aha exeehtony shooters. were: more. ae Ne —

the éxcention,

That is one of she reasous why. we. ola ‘timers "wouta: ae 5 “See the”
"hone! shot tekon out of the-game, That. congenial Irishman, Dave Macltillen
at Minnesota would laugh.with glee if the ‘boards were removed. So;,.+ think,
would Nat Holman and 1 am sure-it would help. my. teamsin winning more: gales.

Still we ust consider .the.gane for every. college end High school :player
and for every coach: and having. seen more. than a thousend games, I firmly -believe
that the game is better. withthe. poards, It. is the belief of some peaches that
the taller players would not nloy such a prominent part in‘the gakie: ‘and: his
undeniable value on rebound.shots and: tap-ins would be lessencd. Nevertheless
let us warn them that in the old’ by-gone days, every high school aud colisge
-. was: looking for the human circus man. and every, professional + am he El a centre

that stood at least’ five inches over six. feet,

How those big fellows could .work under the basket! The. big fellow” ‘is still
a definite threat around the back boards and if the back boards were oliminated,
he would still prove. valuable at converting the ‘nissod. ‘shots, With no boards
to break the progress, the missed. shots. ould be numerous. - -

The limited tine given to. practice 28 another item that rabies unfavorably
toward the removal of: the: bonrds,;-Coys, are still going to hizh school and college
for an education and wild, ineffectual. .shooting at a susnencsd rim would draw
“the ire of the svectators. lot only would the “players: feel the wrath of the fans
_ but’ the coaches. would also be definitely on ‘the. nan. Alumni: openieat als would
rise in arms if their.teams, gave. exhibitions. of ina recuracy.”

‘Scores, : too, would be decidedly lower and tealns ; nolding aticht leads
_ in the waning moments, would. be immossible to peat, A fer ndints would be

“protected by “effensive- stelling and the gene would be slowed wo considerably,

‘Now we must. ask ourselves whether or ‘not ve want to go back .to the
enclosed courts, In. the. old days, the courts were surrounded by a board
- enclosure three feet high and from. thereto the ‘ceiling was ‘a’net that'kept
- the babi continually.in »ley, Or do we want to 20 ‘back to the halls that were

- heated by a wood ‘stove in the, corner’. A fréoe ball: aror “nd SOE Beery was: ‘retrived

very carefully for reasons you can well ‘understind, ~~

The advocaters of a rougher. gane. should know that sib: the Hepietts,
basketball was a populer snort, Then, as trinping and’ pushing incrensed, its
‘interest waned, The situation reached. such, a degree that those connected with
it were determined : to. pe eh sntine ly unless. soucthirg was done 49. ea the
evils. te é " : : e