Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-11-30
CORRECT DOPE
ABOUT GAME
John II. AiuIchahsy Writes
Letter about Basketball
Contests In Auditorium.
Or SPECTATOR

Some interesting facts about
basketball are set forth in a letter
which was received from John Fl.
Mulchahey this morning. His idea
of how the game should be played is
correct as every true sport and good
basketball player win admit. His
letter follows:
Sporting Editor EVENING NEWS
= ! have been an interested specta-
tor at several of the basketball
games at the Auditorium. It's a
good game, fit for sturdy young men
to take part In; and to witness 1t is
a tonic for us older folks who have
to admit that for us the time for
such strenuous exercise is past.
But / have noticed two different
styles of playing the game. In the
case of the teams composing our
City League, at the start there was a
natural tendency to play with little
regard for the established rules, due
to tnexperience or lack of practice of
many of the players. as well as to
the fact that several of them had
played or yer playing football,
which of course is a different game
in many respects. AS the season has
advanced, however, these young ath-
letes have become more familiar
with the rules, and have shown the
true sporting desire to play accord
ing to them. The result is that the
play is clean, there is plenty OF ex-
element and display of splendid in
dividual and team work, and the
man who loves sport and athletic
prowess goes away from such games
with the comfortable feeling that
the country Is safe in the hands of
such young men.
But with some visiting teams it is
a different story. Hugging the ball,
advancing 1t in various ways CON.
trary to the rules, holding an oppo-
nent, wrestling with him, occasional
ly sparring with him, interfering
with a free DEMONSTRATIONS of a.
dozen perfectly plain rules of the
game are INDUCED in by both sides.
with very, very little attempt on the
part of any official to penalize them.
What would the boys think of a
baseball game where the PLAYERS
made it q practice to spike their OPP
ponents, to interfere with a runner
between bases, to break any rule of
the game on the chance that it would
escape the eye offthe umpire? And
what would they think of an umpire
who would say: "Oh, yes, he broke
the rule, all right; but both sides do
1t, so let 1t go2" How long would
baseball be the great national game
that 1t Is, If breaking the rules were
winked at, or practically disregard
ed?
OF course, In a large crowd of
spectators there VIII always be quite
a number of people who through ig-
norance Of the rules, Friendship for
a player or team, or Just plain love
of q SCRAP" will applaud any kind
of a mix-up. But in the end every
American wants fair play; and
breaking the rules of a game. from
croquet to a boxing bout, is foul
play.
There can hardly be any doubt
that the managers OF the Auditorium
have the power to insist that all
games shall be- played fair, and that
the rules shall be strictly and i'm
partially enforced. For their own
b~elt-IeSpSCI hey ought TO lHStSC upon
it. AS a business policy I believe 1t
is sure to be the best in the end.
There is plenty of excitement in a
clearly played game, and a manage.
ment which stands fairly at all times
for fair play by both sides Is sure to
get the respect and confidence of
players and public, which are abso-
necessary for final success.
November 20, 1910.
\ JOHN H. MULCHAHEY.