Evening star., 1941-02-04
Bidding for Invasion
OF Some Of Leading
Quints OF Country
Will Ask Georgetown
To Join CoIoniuIs in
Staging Twin Bills
BY LEWIS F. ATCHISON.

Washington may see the most at
tractive program of collegiate bas-
ket ball in history next winter If
the ambitious and well-thought-out
plans of George Washingtons Bill
Reinhart materialize.
Letters have been dispatched to
Southern California, Cornell Ohio
State, Indiana, Oklahoma Aggies and
Minnesota, sounding them out on
the idea of coming here to play the
Colonials. If successful in his nego-
tiations, the G. w. coach hopes to
stage double headers rivaling any
bargain bills offered in the East.
Reinhart, however, has no illu-
sions about scheduling all six. If
three are landed, he'll be salts
fed. If none, well, he'll just look
elsewhere and sign the best teams
available. His motive naturally, is
to bring big time basket ball to the
city and keep it here, permanently.
Sure Plans Will Succeed.
But scheduling games will leave
the task only half completed. He
hopes to interest Georgetown in the
idea. The HoyaS will be asked to
import two or three outstanding
rivals to complete the double
headers. To insure fair shake the
teams would alternate in the So
called feature spot. Nor does Rein
hart anticipate any difficulty in
financial arrangements.
The Colonial mentor realizes 1t
would be better to have at least two
winning teams in Washington and
more if possible. 1t would solve
many problems that arise in book
ing double-headers and would breed |
a strong, healthy intracity rivalry
that would put the game on a sound
financial basis
He reasons that you can't coax
fans away from warm flreslde on
a wintry night when they have a
pretty good idea the game will be
one-sided. But you can get them
out if they are reasonably certain
of seeing a close game which either
team can win. He predicts A SELL
out for the return engagement be-
tween G. w. and Georgetown next |
month simply because a lot of folks
think the HoyaS were lucky to take
the first and now-famous battle
Reinhart hopes to get the new
National Guard Armory for the
bargain bills. 1t will comfortably |
seat between $4,000 and 14,OOO-
enough to pay the freight on top /
notch teams from all sections of the /
country. George Washington will |
continue to play the majority of It's
home games at Riverside, which has
been most satisfactory, but place |
with a seating capacity like that |
of the armory is needed for the five
star attractions.
Would Keep Attractions Here.
Bill doesn't subscribe to the theory /
that District teams goals should be |
bids to the Madison Square Garden |
tournament sponsored by Ned Irish. |
He doesn't see why local talent /
should be exploited in New York |
when it should be performing be- |
fore hometown fans and building
up the game in Washington. More
over. he is convinced the city will
support worthwhile attractions.
Our games at Riverside have
proved that" he said. Why, this /
would be one of the hottest basket |
ball towns in the country if we had !
something to offer the fans and F.
think we can show them that /.
Georgetown and our team are as
good as the best of them. If We /
can get outstanding teams in here |.
and play them close games we won't /.
have to worry about the fans sup |,
port.
Naturally, you're going to lose a
few playing tough opponents week
in and week out. but that's to be
expected. I think we can hold our
own in fast company and if we lose
still make it interesting enough to !
satisfy the spectators"
Georgetown has not yet been ap- !
preached, but Reinhart expects to |
see Graduate Manager Gabe Murphy /.
within the next few days and it is /
generally believed Hilltop author |
tiles will be receptive to his idea.