Evening journal., 1915-02-20
BASKETBALL MOST
POPULAR WINTERG CAME
More Thrills in Cage Con-
test Than in an Hour OF
a Boxing Match
is GROWING
IN POPULARITY

There are more thrills in Ave min
utes in basketball than there is in an
hour Of boxing. is the opinion Of
New York city critic who wonders
why the strenuous indoor game is
not more popular. The wise Gotham
critic says the game is only popular
in small college towns. He evidently
has never heard of the Eastern League
or the two other professional leagues
which are operating at the present
time. Professional basketball is
thriving in the west The Utica team
of the New York State League has
been playing in the western cities
since the latter organization disband-
ed. The team Travelled as far west as
Denver and drew big crowds at every
game. Besides the Utica team, three
other eastern clubs are travelling west-
ward and will 20 TO the coast TO play
The worlds championship basketball
series which is one OF the big events
on the sport program Of the Panama
Exposition.
Basketball is still in its infancy
and is bound TO become the most popu-
lar of all winter sports in every sec
ton of the country in a few years.
The Gotham sport critic pens the fol-
lowing about tho popular indoor game:
VIII someone please step forward
and tell us why basketball isn't more
popular with the rank and file o.
sport lovers?
II is a mystery to us-and TO many
thousands of Others-why there is
such little public interest i'm a game
that provides as many thrills as foot
ball. calls for more skill and prac-
tically as much endurance as prize
fighting and which is almost as fast
and furious as hockey.
Weaklings cannot play basketball
II is a game that calls for all there
is I'm the best conditioned athlete. n
is q game where nimbleness of foot
alcrtness of brain. quickness Of the
eye and thoroughbred gamcness arc
essential II is game for the red
hlooded lovers OF athletic contests. vet
they give il the go-by. Why is II?
Basketball is q pretty game TO watch
especially when the game is between
two evenly matched teams. And al
times Il becomes Il rough game. Bui
withal. it is clean
Basketball is a great winter favor
ito in small college towns. Tic at
tendance at the games is always good
But il two college teams staged I
game i'm some foreign city of met
ropolitan nature il wouldn't draw ever
at 80 cents head
I'm New York city and every Other
town where boxing bouts are allowed
the fans" will pay from 81 TO SO tC
watch a pair of pugs slam-or at
tempt TO slam--each other for 30 min
utos. but those same fellows wouldn't
pay so cents 10 see a crowd Of college
boys perform in a game that gives as
many thrills I'm five minutes as priz,
fighting docs in 60.
or course. in all the cities where
there arc Y. NJ. c. AS and similar
institutions. there are basketball
games between picked teams of those
institutions But the interest in tn,
games rarely extends beyond IN,
membership Cf the organization. TC
draw crowds even TO those games tn,
promoters usually have TO promise q
dance after the game as an additional
lure.
Probably the reason that basketball
is not popular is because so little pub.
licity is given TO the stars Of tho
game Basketball. as a game, has
been given a lot OF publicity i'm years
gone by, but little attention has beer
paid TO the individual stars of the
game.
Baseball is popular because such
men as Ty Cobb. Eddie Collins, Iris
Speaker. Larry Lajoie and Joe Jack
son have been Haunted before the
public eye so much that II developed
a desire TO sec these men perform
The individual prowess of Charles
Brickley. Eddie Mahon, Tacks Hard
wick, Harry Lc Cove, johnny Maui
beasch heralded in the papers acted
as the lure for football folks.
But who. outside Of the little college
towns, ever heard OF basketball star
or a man or men who rank in skill
in their games as highly as do tho
Cobbs in baseball and the Brickley's
in football. or the Packey McFarland's
in the ring game?