The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-02-25
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
Basket Ball and Some Interpretation
OF the Rules of The Game.
To the Editor of The Resublican.

asked by friends to write an article on
basket ball, to which we now reply.
As an athletic sport we believe
basket ball to qualify among the first.
1t has all those qualities that tests the
real mental and moral as well as the
physical strength of the player. We
have all had occasion, if we are interest
ed in basket ball, to see the behavior of
the various players upon the floor. The
man who has properly disciplined him
self will have himself under such per-
feet control that he will allow absolutely
nothing to disturb his mental poise. 1t
requires all his faculties to play his
part in the game without the handicap
of having his energy consumed by use
less anger. We have all seen teams
go to pieces, as it were, because an ap-
parently unfair decision had been rem
dered. Not until that decision was for
gotten did they play their usual game.
One man on the team may spoil the
game for the other four. With one man
angry the team cannot be the well
ordered machine that makes it a con-
sistent winner. Every manager and
captain should demand of each individual
player that he allow nothing to anger
him in the game. If this request goes
unheeded he should be disciplined.
We have seen games where the five
men worked together in such perfect
harmony that it seemed that the muscle
of the five was responding to the mental
processes of a single brain. We have
seen other games where every man was
trying to be an individual star, throwing
team work to the winds in order to
make spectacular plays Such a player
cares nothing for the final decision OF
the game if he has succeeded in cover
ing himself with personal glory. We
have seen guards vie with the forward
in shooting goals when it was his busl-
ness to guard his man. We have seen
other guards so busy with his particular
work If the game that not a single
goal was registered to his credit, but be
it said to his credit that there was none
registered to the credit of the opposing
forward. 1t is the business of the
guard to guard. If ne keeps the other
man from scoring ne has played a star
game even though he did not shoot a
goal. 1t is the business of the forward
to manage IN some way to delude his
guard and be near his basket the mo-
ment the ball is in his team mate
hands. We confess that this is not
always an easy task, but somehow it
must be accomplished if games are to
won. The center has by far the most
latitude of any man on the team After
the ball has been tossed at center he is a
free lance to do what seems best. If
he is good at shooting goals and he finds
that the opposing center is not, he may
leave him and play the position of for
ward. This part IS often played by Mr..
Sanner Of the Oakland Collegians. His
position on the team is center, but few
of his opponents are equal to him in
shooting goals, consequently he often
leaves his man in order to be free to
aid the forwards. If on the other hand
the center finds that his opponent is
better at throwing goals than himself
he must play the part of guard.
We have nothing but words of praise
for the Oakland Collegians. We be-
lieve they have made wonderful i'm
provement since the opening of the
season. We also believe that they
deserve to rank among the first of
the teams in this section of the
country. They have shown Won
derful capacity for coming back" in
the second half when they had been
nearly ''swamped" in the first. This
happened in both the Grafton and
Mount Savage games, which were two
of the fastest games of the season. We
believe that with strict adherence to
the rules of training the Oakland Col
legians could be champions of this state
the coming season. The boys are fast,
strong and use their heads, three es-
sentials to winning game.
The game with Grafton was hard
and fast game. 1t was rough because
the teams were so equally matched
There was very little intentional rough
ness. On one occasion however the
two centers almost came to blows
which resulted in the expulsion of the
Grafton player. He being the chief
offender there was nothing for the
referee to do but enforce the rules.
The game with Mount Savage was
probably the toughest game of the
season. We are convinced that the
visiting team was Intentionally rough.
They have that reputation and they
certainly maintained it on the Oakland
floor. They were greatly displeased
with the decisions of the referee and
blamed him for their defeat We main
tain, however, that all this is pure cant.
They were beaten, and beaten fairly.
Seventeen fouls were called on the
visiting team against fourteen on the
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