The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-11-30
Buck Saves
the Game

The Amateur Athletic Union has
just issued a proclamation to the eff
feet that basketball no longer will be
recognized. They advise us II is
impossible to control it. believe
they're right. ~tt
Way back in the Iron Age there
was basketball team that met it's
opponents in an Armory, charged 25
cents at the door, and two thousand
five hundred people attended. 1t was
an amateur team; the net was divid-
ed between seven players and the
manager. The seven players came
from seven different sections, and
we're invited to play on the team be-
cause they knew how to do one thing
exceedingly well-that is, to win! For
five years this combination went I'M
defeated. But to win, often required
as much brain effort on the part of
the strategy board as 1t did leg eff
fort on the part of the players. For
ways that were dark and for tricks
that strategy board was not only
peculiar, it was distinguished
Yale had a championship team one
year. that had gone through otner
college teams like a pebble down a
pipe.
Christmas holidays they made a
triumphant tour along the Atlantic
coast. From Boston TO Baltimore
they met all comerss, and 1t was just
win, win, win!
or course we scheduled them be-
fore they left home. That was one
thing our rooters required, that we
engage the hard ones.
When Yale licked the All New
Yorks we had chills; when they lick
ed the Crescents of Paterson, we
had chils and fever. We could see
our finish walking down the road
with its hand outstretched
Yale can afford to lose whenever 1t
pleases, but for an Amateur team
that was interested in the gate re-
ceipts, TO lose once or twice meant;
Goodby crowds! Ta-ta, Armoryl Fare
we'll income!
The strategy board met each other
going after each other. What to do
Fix the referee!-Yale would have
its own referee for half the game,
and besides there is limit to what
a home referee can hand a home
team. especially when the college
boys attract strange audience.
Everybody scratched mis- head. The
next night Yale was to play ten mi es
away. ard the night after that, five
miles away. The startegy board
agreed to attend both games, en- masse
Dick Shields. star baseball pitcher
half back for the Yale foctballers,
played forward on the basketball
team. We agreed that he was the
whole works. He shot the ball into
the basket, he lobbed 1t in, he toss
ed It in. he held his guard off with
one hand and caromed it in with tae
other. Dick was whiz. or course
the Yale rooters thought there were
FIVE men on the team and they-cheer
ed them all in turn when they lick
ed the Institutes that night, But the
strategy board knew more than the
Yale rooters. We knew that 1t was q
one man team and how to get that
one was the problem.
You have never heard of Buck
Mudge-one White Hope that did not
arrive. Buck held his left too low
exposing his jaw, and he was a leetle
slow on mis- pins. But just the same
he carried sleep, sweet sleep, round
in his right. When Buck punched, h'
needed to punch but once. Buck was
not a first class basketball payer, be
cause OF the heaviness in his heels
Yet the nigh. Yale arrived 1t caused
a deal of comment to find Buck in th'
Ironmen uniform.
Buck shook hands with Dicl
Shields and looked him over affec
tlonately. "Blessed is that man Wit
has found his work. "
Now, nothing raw!" We warne'
Buck. no matter what he says t.
you, make him hit you first. If yo'
bungle 1t and Ya'e leaves the hooi
nix on the cash; Wen beat you u
to boot"
When the whistle blew and the bal
was tossed, Buck hooked his finge
into Shields belt strap and let tn
Vale man drag him down the floor
II was short arm stuff and unde
cover. :! No referee can see it. Shield
protested and Buck grinned. The mex
play, Shields stood behind Buck AM
spoiled the fancy work But whel
the whistle blew again and the tw
jumped towards the play, Buck push
ed the point OF his elbow so far int
the Yale mans dinner that Shield