The Washington herald., 1922-03-18

hold the keen interest of the gen.
eral public during the wintry
months. The floor game from an
amateur and scmi-professional
standpoint, enjoyed its most pros
porous season In Washington.
But "prosperous' season in the
floor game means little or nothing
In, Washington to the teams. Take
the Yankees for instance. Here ID
club that with, more work against
sitter competition would rank with
the best of them. especially in this
section Of the country.
Granting that the club is one OF
the best, what does II mean to the
team or players SO far as prestige
or financial remuneration are con-
cerned? Practically nothing Ex-
cepting in Baltimore, Richmond and
perhaps several other nearby cities.
the Yankees are unknown. whyf
The answer is simple. Basket
ball has outErown almost every
hall In the District and eanHet
hope to expand until the city
keeps In step with the narrh Of
the game. ..,-. ...r...
Even the high schools were
cramped for space during the past
season. For the first time in the
history Of the floor sport, the Inter
high School series had to shift its
schedule to accommodate the youth
full spectators. ..s ,. d. v. 49,.
1t Is not our intention. to take a
slam at Washington in saying the
city Is several years behind in bas-
ketball. Not in the caliber of the
playing. but in providing regulation
halls. instead Of, forcing the floor
athletes TO risk life and limb In ev-
cry game by playing in Cigar bog
size courts.
RYAN GYM NOT BIG ENOUGH.
THURSDAY night the Yankees and
A/Aiorsians played at Ryan gym,
Georgetown, In a game to decide
the basketball championship OF the
District. What happened? Only
about one-tenth the number of floor
fans who wanted to see the game
werel Accommodated. Not that any
were turned away from the door,
but hundreds never even made the
trip to Georgetown as they realized
the gym was not roomy enough to
hold the throng.
As the result. there were 531 paid
admissions. according to one Of the
managers. Granting that at least
fifty crashed the gate. which Is quite
popular pastime here, the crowd
at the most was 500. y
Is Il fair to the loyal support-
ers of the club. who follow the
team game after game. to be
robbed of seeing the biggest
tilt OF the seasons IL r. not .
question of money. The players
are In the game mainly for the
sport Of Il. hut they would much
rather perform before . big
Eang than before . mere hand
full.
The night before the Yank-
Aloysian game. there was n cage
fuss in Camden. N. J.. a town about
one-fourth the size of Washington
1t was a league game, but no cham
pionship hinged on the result. More
than 5000 cash customers passed
through the turnstiles. Not so bad
for a town Of that size!
TEAMS SHOWED SPORTsMANsHIP
GETTING back to the Aloysian-
~ Yankee game. 1t would he un-
fair to the young huskies NOT to
say something nice about their
sportsmanship. Though II was one
of the hardest fought floor. battles
ever witnessed in the District, the
group of battling athletes never for
get their sportsmanship.
On the basketball floor. the teams
are enemies. but the minute the
whistle sounded at the end of the
game. all rivalry was forgotten. 1t
was hard to believe that they were
the same bunch who a few minutes
before had been scrapping for the
victory.
The Aloysians were the first TO
congratulate their conquerors with
the warning, wait till next year.
wILFRED REID HAS GOOD REB.
THE Indian Spring Golf Club is
L to be congratulated on acquir-
irg the services of wilfred Reid. the
Wilmington Country Club pro. for
the coming season. Aside from be-
ing a capable player. Reid Is known
as one of the most. effective and
thorough teachers in the game. and
one who-is willing to give his pu-
pills all the instruction possible.
even at the expense of his own
game. .-s
When the contract for Reid's
services was signed. he made II
known that he would be a genuine
home pro-" and that he did not in
tend to foresake the club for long
periods in the effort TO pick up extra
change in tournaments elsewhere.
as Barnes. Hutchison and some Of
the more famous professionals are
given to doing.
Reid will be a contender in the
North and South open at Pinehurst
on March 81 and April l., and is
expected to report in Washington
shortly after.
LOCAL RIFLEMEN SHOW WELL
DIFLE shooting, a sport which
N has attracted comparatively lit
tie attention heretofore in the Dis
trict. has been coming to the front
rapidly as an intercollegiate sport
here. Both Georgetown and Uni
versity of Maryland are fostering
the sport and the teams they have
turned out rank with any college
aggregations in the country.
In q field of nineteen, colleges,
In the contest Of the rife squads
: Of the Third Army Area r. o.
r. G. completed last week, the
College Parkers nnished In Sec
ond place, while the.HfIItoppers
took nfth honors. ::
Penn State finished on top with
an average of 93.43. .Maryland's