New Britain herald., 1930-02-17

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 of Sports
 A story is going the rounds that N Us foolish as it is untrue, II is to ,Nc effect that the cause of the dc- id@ or the Maspeth Lithuanian bas- hc'oail team In arriving at the @Vdhley Arena Saturday night. was because the team stopped off in New. Haven to play game before it came 10 this city. We know where the fuinor started and we can safely state that the story is only poor and second rate guess.
 The team was stranded with T broken down automobile. q pinion gear out Of working ortlcr-aI,to me- 'hanics know what this is--and ,he team had to get another ear in order to come here.
 Despite the ur2ings Of many Of he fans to Manager Clarence L.lDhcr not to pay the visiting team q cent ana to send them home. the local pilot decided that as long as the team got here, he would play the game whether there were l5 or 50 fans in the hall Despite a rcport in morning paper that only 70 fans were present, there were at least -VO rootcrs in the hall while the 1 game was in progress.
 We believe that the game will bc good ono for Believe It Or Not" For instancc--;l basketball game was started in New Britain on Saturday and ended on Sunday. It lasted only 40 minutes of actual play and there were no extraordinary times taken out.
 Unless VIC stand corrected. this was the first midnight game Of bas- Eotbal' on record in this country and, therefore, in the world. We have been out on New Years parties past midnight and other times we have heard the hour of 12 strike on the old town clock, but we had our first experience of scoring q midnight court struggle Saturday night and Sunday morning.
 Policeman Benny Huck, the most popular and most efficient super rumerary officer ever to be stationed i at the Stanley Arena, covered his duty we'll when he telephoned into i headquarters as the game was about l 10 get underway and received special i. permission for Manager Lanpher to i continue the game into Sunday . morning.
 We cnjoye,. the experience i'm ! mcnsely despite the fact that we got l stuck for gasoline on the way home | about 1:l5 a. m. Sunday morning. | However, we would not urge basket i ball promoters to adopt the hour for regular games.
 We don't know how the fans of !. tho city feel anout it, but we do fig !. urc that Manager Clarence Lanphcr's | decision to go through with the i game, satisfy those fans who wanted | 10 sec the two teams play and then l pay the visitors, was one of the finest ! acts of sportsmanship we have seen. i On the part of the visitors, also, we can say that they went on the floor , not even knowing if they were going 1 10 get money enough for coffee and ! crullcrs. The two managers came to l an amicablc agreement after the . game was over.
 New Britain and Merlden arc still . in the thick of the Roller Hockey l League race for the second half 1 championship. Both teams won ycs- to-day afternoon, New Britain beat | ing tho Amsterdam Hurricanes and . Mcriden defeating Albany. The . league playing season ends Thurs. day night. Albany comes here for the final game of the year. l
 Whatever team wins the second . half title, will meet Albany in the | playoft series. Albany won the first half championship and although the | team hasn't been going very good for the second half, it will be in the playoff.
 The New Britain Blues roller hoe key team has hurled q queer but . absolutely defiant challenge at the Nutmcgs. The Blues, adding 10 their challenge of a few days ago, now come out with the following:
 We will play the Nutmcgs q ser les Of two out of three games. For either the series or each separate game, we will agree to play on the basis Of winner take all of what the manager gives the two teams. Then We will put up any amount of money that the NutmcGs wish a.S a side bet and on top of this, will put up all Of our equipment. including skates, pads. sticks. jerseys and even under wear. The winning team can have everything.
 I've will even agree to beat the NutmcGs the first game and let them win the second and then VIC will trim them in the third. We can beat them anytime and anywhere and if they have any '@uts' they will accept our challenge. Eddie Hayes is spokesman for the Blues
 
 This appears 10 us to be an excel lcnt attraction or series of attractions for the prelimnaries to the playoff