The Phoenix index., 1940-01-13
.IzazN
on GPORV u
Who Really Are Pro Basketball's
World Champions, Renaissance Or
Celtics? Figures Don't Lie Fast
MLUInS, MelanchozyJone5


B. T. Harvey and the column commenting the fact
that the sports editors Of the southern white daies
still headlning the Cetcs World Professional Basket
ball Champions.
The yearly tendency of these ncwspapermen to make
that mistake may be just for promOtOnal purposes,
but it would seem that in build-up publicity, they
would strive for authenticity. is unfair to the real cham
writer's to continue billing them under false coors.
Nearly every person who would fzl into the category
of Basketball fam knows that the World Professional
Basketball Champions the Renaissance squad OF New
York City, crack aggregation of Negro stars and not the
Cetcs who lost that distinction to the Rens exactly six
years ago So would appear plain audacty or gress g
setting up the said false standard.
For the benefit of those who reading The propaganda
which attention just been called may be under the
false impression of thinking the Ceics actually world
pro cage champions the column hasens to throw the cor
rect light on the matter
Last march 26-27-2S in Chicago the Rens won the
world professional basketball title by whipping the Oshkosh
Oilers 1926 red-hot final round The Oshkosh quintet
had eliminated the Celtcs in the previous round while the
semfna division of play The coveted triumph the
oued Oilers the Rens the $4,000 purse offered by
the Chicago Daily News, sponsor of the tournament for
the winner
That performance alone would give the Rens the
disputed claim world professional basketball supremacy
But that s only half of the story:
Prior the three-day tournament, the Rens and
tics had met six times The Celtcs the first game in
Gary Indiana 80 The Rens then five in row, 81
49, 5427 1887 $685. and 5136 at Indianapolis and Mum
Gle. Indiana; Columbus Ohio; Ft Wayne and Kokomo,
Indiana, respectively.
Significance added to the supremacy Of the Rens
the Cecs when is included that the Harlem Globe
Trotters the other outstanding Negro pro combination,
trimmed the said Cetcs 1924 fortnight before the pro
tournament The Rens had trouble with the Globe Trotters
in the pro meet, but beat them by points That
than the Celics able to accomplish AS matter
of fact the Globe Trotters had tied the Cetcs 1885, in
their only meeting the year before.
These facts would seem to present irrefutabe
that the Rens official World Professional
ketba Champions for 1889 anyway But again. that's not
all the story The Rens have been just great for
than half decade The record Of the Cetics against them
for the past six is better than any other pro rivals
but despite the implication of the statement that is
rather humble record indeed For example:
Rens winning nine and losing six; in 1885 the Rens won
eight out of 13; in 1886 the Rens took out of 12
IN 1871 the Rens captured 10 out Of l5 in 1888 the Rens
the meet the Rens bagged the Celtics five times in six
tries.
Thus, all told the Rens have whipped the Celtics SO
times in the last six years The Cecs being billed
World Pro Basketball Champions have won only 26 from
the Rens that space. The margin is virtually 2to1 in
favor of the Negro sensations.
Incidentally, Mr. Harvey. who books the Rens in this
sector annually announced the tentative itinerary fol-
lows: Feb. at S. c. State; Feb Columbia S. c.
Dad CrawfOrd's A-Stars; Feb at Warren in
Atlanta versus Atlanta Al-Stars (whe) Feb. Fort
Bennng; Feb at Tuskegee in afternoon and Bama
at night; Feb at Birmingham Macon Griffin; Feb
at City Auditorium against stars of Morehouse Morris
Brown and Clark Feb against Florida Feb 1O against
Xavier; and after that the Southwest sector against
Southern Ark State Wiley Bishop, Prairie View and 9th
An example of the class of the Rens is the fact that
last year. they met and defeated the Shamrock crack
white pros who had 76 and lost only six at the time,
twice in the day The 1885 and 41-34
The RenS not in the National Professional Basket
ball League Mr. Harvey explains for the simple
that if they they would be restricted to maximum
guarantees of $3.50 night the road whereas
lass, of the club freely admits he beat that by
a country mile year in and out.
AS far play against the teams that make up the
said pro league concerned the Rens pav them regularly
and maintain their usual margin of superiority They
feated the New York Yankees ranking team of the pro
league in the world pro tournament Chicago last March
by 1921 margin.
Speaking of basketball consistency, Clark is doing
badly herself the quiet and sOftspOken Mr. Ralph
Clarence (Hog Maugh Robinson Her victory Benedict
5638 last Saturday afternoon her 2Sth triumph her
last 33 starts The 10 and lost three in 1888
II and lost but two last
This record for consistency in all games is second only
to Xaviers The Gold Rush interestingly enough
ed the Clark twoyear record in 1889 alone For example,
last year. Ted Wrghts grafan "a and lost only
nnep prior to the tournament then added three vic
tories to the list in the STAG meet foI year pcfoI
nance Of 27 wins in % starts