Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-01
By Joe Bean.

~ ASkETBALL seasons may come
X and go. but the season of 1913
1914 will be remembered by the
fans as one Of the most interesting
and exciting that has ever been wit
messed in and around Atlanta.
The mighty Columbus Y. NJ. c. A.
quintet started off in the same old
way. making all teams that they
played look like novices and rolling
up scores that had the others scared
before that team tackled them. The
prowess OF Peddy. Kilcrease, Massey,
Dozier and Newman was already
known, and their names were synony-
nous with victory. Shortly after the
season opened word was sent broad
cast that the Mobile Y, NJ. c. A. was
disbanded and would not be IN the
running This apparently narrowed
the fight for supremacy and the
Southern championship to Columbus,
Birmingham and Atlanta,
The Birmingham A. c. had visions
Of again winning the championship,
as they returned four of their vet
Grams, and then secured Thomas, who
had seen service under the Blue and
White few years before. 1t was the
boast of their supporters that they
had the best team in the history Of
the club, but their hopes were blasted
when they tackled Columbus and were
beaten, Of to 10.
The Atlanta Athletic Club returned
all the members of its team and was
10, ytv,ur 20 arl 20 Gaa gnT
{ accidents played a very important
part in knocking some of the props
out from under the team, for if there
is one thing that will raise havoc
with a basketball team it is accidents.
Nevertheless, it weathered the storm
| in real form, and what was beginning
to look like a DISASTROUS season was
! turned into a successful one by de-
| feating Columbus, AZ to %
Columbus Hits Tobogean.
| The Columbus team that had been
| putting all teams to rout suddenly nit
the slide in the form of a near-riot with
| Vanderbilt. On top of that, Georgia,
who had already defeated the Ath-
| letic Club, came along. and in like
manner defeated Columbus. This is
the team that changed the whole as
pect of things, and what was consd-
cred the big three was suddenly
changed to the big four. The Georgia
team played great ball and deserves
the place it occupies in the ranks OF
the South's foremost teams.
The sea son had now advanced
where return games in Birmingham
Atlanta and Athens were to be played
and the Southern champions got a
severe Jolt, for going to Birmingham
showed the Barons primed for the
occasion with their backs to the wal!
They made the fight of their lives
and came off victorious, 81 to 20.
The Atlanta Athletic Club was the
next stopping off place, and wha'
happened to the champions is nov
history. The fans have declared i
was the greatest and best game eVel
played in Atlanta and the cham
; pions went down to defeat, AZ to 20
The game that was to decide def
nitely the Southern championship wa!
played and Columbus, with defea
I staring them in the face, made las
stand and Georgia, with the cham
pionship almost tucked away and
with the players trained to the min
ute. went down to defeat to those
pastmasters of the game, who saw
the handwriting on the wall anC
nobly responded, winning by thu
score of SO to 81, and once more Geor-
gia's hope of a Southern champion
went glimmering.
} Through it all there has been the
best of feeling between the players
When such rivals as Birmingham
} and Atlanta meet after the game
/, shake hands and congratulate eacl
other on the game they played, 1t /:
a true sign that the days of knocl
: EN- down and drag em out are
passed, and basketball is assuming E
high standard.
Hard to Pick Southern.
To pick an all Southern team Is
by far the hardest task that has beer
placed before me for some time, anC
do justice to the many good play
ers that this season has produced
Not that they are new, but because
they have played better ball than for