New Britain herald., 1927-12-03
Basketball Followers In- clined to Favor Their Pastime While the Old Timers are Loyal to the Rink Activities.


 One result Of the revival Of roller hockey in New Britain and a result which was probably unforeseen un- til the game actually became q reality after long absence from this locallty-is the development of a dispute among the legion of sports followers tor whom the Hardware City is noted anent the relative merits of basketball and hockey. In New Britain in the days Of the great basketball teams that brought capacity crowds 10 Hanna's armory on East Main street, the boys who Tipped the big ball into the net after dribbling it the length of the floor by nifty CO., ordination of the eye, the brain. the feet and hands and the delft use of many others parts of the anatomy were heroes the yeard round, be- cause they thrilled their followers and played the game whether they were losing or winning. Likewise. when roller polo was the attraction m the self same rInks. the flashy skaters and powerful drivers were r"CipinteS Of the great tributes which only the true sports bug is capable Of paying.
 A great many changes have been made in New Britain. however, in the past thirty years, not the least of which have made their effect felt in athletics. For several years, bas- ketball was not popular game here and several attempts to revive in terest in it were unsuccessful. Local leagues played out schedules at the Y. M. C. A., and. some fair players were developed, but it was not until Clarence Lanpher and Dave Ellison, local young men. placed the National Guards in the field and served up II tasty dish every week at the State \rmory that the game really eXper- icnced q revival. Since then. basket ball has been the feature attraction in this city and the winning of the state championship by the local five last season was the growing achieve mcnt of season that was successful from every point of view,
 Sweet Memories
 Meanwhile. the fans who longed for the taste of pumice and the roar of the revolving rollers against the floor as speeding skaters drove bull let like shots against the thick pads of the goal tenders, just sighed and existed on sweet memories. True, some of them took to basketball. but they complained that the rules cramped the individual prowess of the players and instead of the sight of fast men taking the ball from one end of the court to the other, passing the entire opposition as Bert Loomis did when in lis prime. the spectacle was marrcd and the thrill deadened by frequent held balls and the shrieking of the referees whistle on an average of several times a minute. That was their complaint and they did not hesitate to declare that until the game on roller skates came back the ideal entertainment for cold winter nights would not be avail able.
 Gradually, as the years passed, there grew up a generation of red blooded youths who turned to the basketball game for their amuse- ment and recreation along athletic lines. They liked it because 1t was speedy and exciting, and at times rough. and also because New Brit ain had a first class team and II was a treat to be on the sidelines watching the boys do battle against the Bristol Endees, the Meriden h. silcos and Endees, the New Haven Atlas and the others. Polo? What Kind of game was that? Their fathers could tell them. and un- muscular athletes in trunks and jersey tossing the inflated ball into the corded nct-that could not be bcat
 Their Dreams Come True
 This season. however, the dream 0. the dyod-in- -the-wool polo fans came true. The game that formerly packed Hanna's Armory night after tight in the days of Dutch" Schif- I,r, Warner. Fred Jean, Jack" Aiprler. "BiIl' Bannan, "SoNy' Ly- nns and score of other luminaries, i5 back again. True, it is roller Ochey' because the league officials gave it the name, but the old timers still talk about the polo game" and hey do not care what name ii has, ,,s long as it is played on roller skates. with curved sticks, hard rub Ter ball. shin pads, cages. and, Uon't forget, the pumice that takes tue shiny smoOthness off the floor, Back in the old Casino-it is the stanley Arena now-but it is on thurch street in the rear of th" "Beloin''--that. by the way. is the stanley now--and Fred Jean and Mercer and "Jigger" Higgins and Larry Saunders and Freddy liar kins and many other of the stars Of q decade ago arc back on the firing line.
 Hence. the dispute. Since the opening Of the season several hun drel men and women have seen the