The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-01-27
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
Real Sport.

To the Editor of The Republican.
We have just returned from the
basket ball game with the Altoona Y.
M. c. A. played on the Oakland floor.
Those who were so fortunate as to
witness that game saw one of the
fastest games ever played on the local
floor. Our enthusiasm is unbounded and
we wish to write while memory is fresh.
Tonight, especially, we feel that we
can heartily commend the Oakland
Collegians to the local lovers of sport.
We have not always been able to do
this, for many games have been marred
with surplus of unpleasant roughness
and undetermined work. None of those
ugly elements were visible in the game
tonight. The game was fast and rough,
rough because it was fast, but it was
not an unpleasant roughness. 1t was not
intentional roughness as we observed it,
but it was that kind of a whole souled
game that is Joy to the spectators and
developer of true craftsmanship to the
players themselves. The team work of
the local players was superb and their
tioorwork was joy to the beholder,
and if ever a team deserved to WIN the
Collegians deserved this game. We
believe they out-did the visitors in every
department of the game and were only
out-done by the visitors when it came
to roughness.
The visitors were in a way handi-
capped because of lack of knowledge
of the amateur athletic rules which
caused them to foul more than they
would otherwise have done.
We hope that there will be many
more games OF this kind to be seen on
the local floor. We attribute the
winning of this game to one out-stand-
ing predominating element which has
won many game that would otherwise
have been lost, and that is this: the
team attended strictly to the business
of winning the game. There was none
of that ill-feeling between the teams
which often causes a player to spend
much of his time trying to get even
with the other chap. When a game de-
generates to this it doesn't deserve the
honored name of sport.
We would find it difficult to mention
one player above another, because they
worked together as we'll oiled machine
each doing his part with victory as the
result.
We would like to name one player in
particular, not because his work has
been better than the others, not
because he shoots more goals, but be-
cause he has learned to do that which
he found well-nigh impossible to do
year ago. We are thinking of Walter
Sanner. He has learned to control
himself under high pressure. and that
is victory worth more than any game
ever won. A year ago he was the most
consistent fouler on the team. He
bAOhS iOOoS WIN iilo LOuBH WOTh often
without the slightest excuse, and the
referee was in constant dread of a
necessary disqualification. But for
most of the games of this season, and
especially the last few, and more par
ticularly this game, he has played an
exceptionally clean and satisfactory
game.
This is what basket ball should do
and will do for that player who goes in
to the game for the joy of the sport,
the development of quick eye and
steady arm, and above all who consist
emily tries to conquer self.
The work of the referee is at best an
unpleasant and difficult, plus a thank
less, task. although we have no com.
plant against the public, but we would
like very much to see a few of these
games from the spectators point of
view.
The REFEREE.
Oakland, Thursday, Jan. 20, 1916.