April 28

## 1920

**Syracuse Herald**- Basketball Fans Given Hearty Laugh As Crisp Discharges
“Big Three”

Tormey, Casey And Rafter Are “Fired” From All-Syracuse Team And Remnant
Aggregation Loses To Auburn

Basketball fans of Syracuse were given a real laugh yesterday afternoon
when announcement was made to the affect that Wilbur Crisp, manager of the
All-Syracuse quintet, had “fired” Willie Rafter, Jim Tormey and Jim Casey.
These three men, except for Crisp as a foul shooter, have been about the entire
team throughout the season and their discharge after the team had completed all
its home games and is simply “barnstorming” here and there wherever it can pick
up a little soft money, is about the biggest joke of the year. But if local
fans had a laugh yesterday afternoon, the few who followed Crisp and his new
team to Auburn last night had still more, in fact the Auburn performance was
more than a laugh, it was a roar of hilarity. Tormey, Rafter and Casey were in
the Auburn Armory, having the time of their lives and Auburn fans gave Crisp
some decidedly loud “raspberries” for his failure to put the real team on the
court. Incidentally Crisp’s team was defeated by a score of 33 to 26. Tormey,
Casey and Rafter do not lose any money as a result of being “fired,” as the
Auburn management, peeved at last night’s performance, booked a game for
Saturday night with the Tormey-Casey-Rafter All-Stars for the same guarantee
that the Crispites received last night. As far as can be learned the discharge
of Tormey, Casey and Rafter is the result of having played in Rochester last
Saturday night when Mr. Crisp said, “no.” Crisp would not go but Tormey, Casey
and Rafter decided to struggle along without him and they went to Rochester and
won by a score of 13 to 11. A week before with Crisp playing they won by a
score of 11 to 10. Yesterday afternoon the three players were greeted with the
statement by Crisp that All-Syracuse was to play in Auburn at night but that
they were no longer members of the team. Refusing to be slapped on the wrist
the trio went along to Auburn and although they did not play they are reported
as having had a remarkably good time. The game at Auburn was fairly close
during the first half, Auburn leading at the end of the period by a score of 14
to 11. But in the second half Auburn ran away with the locals. Crisp was hurt
with 15 seconds left to play in this period. No attempt was made to finish the
game. The “rumpus” of yesterday probably means the end of the All-Syracuse team
as it has played all season. Rafter, Tormey and Casey are inclined to laugh
over their discharge, but their close friends intimate they will not play
another season under Crisp and that they may back up on playing in the game
with him. This would indicate that either the trio will fade out of the
basketball, leaving Crisp in the limelight with a new team, or they will be
back in their old places with Crisp faded from view. The score of the contest
in Auburn follows:

AUBURN: Ogden, lf (3-3-9), Davis, rf
(6-0-12), Weltman, c (5-0-10), King, rg (0-0-0), Aubin, lg (1-0-2) TOTALS
(15-3-33). SYRACUSE: Barsha, rg (2-0-4), Simons, lg (1-0-2), Dexter, c (3-0-6),
Crisp, (1-10-12), Ortner, rf (1-0-2) TOTALS (8-10-26).

Wilbur Crisp Falls Before Hard Wallop

Bobby Davis, forward of the Canoe Club basketball team of this city
ended the Canoe Club-All-Syracuse game during the last half minute of play last
night when he knocked out and put to sleep Manager Wilbur Crisp of the
All-Syracuse five in a thrilling battle of short duration. The Canoeist team
was in the lead by a score of 33 to 26 when Davis took a sudden dislike to the
Syracuse player’s methods and put him away with a single wallop on the jaw.

**Syracuse Journal**- Crisp Is Put To Sleep By Punch On Jaw In
Fight

The summary:

CANOE CLUB: Ogden, lf (3-3-9), Davis, rf (6-0-12), Weltman, c (5-0-10),
King, rg (0-0-0), Aubin, lg (1-0-2) TOTALS (15-3-33). SYRACUSE: Barsha, rg
(2-0-4), Simons, lg (1-0-2), Dexter, c (3-0-6), Crisp, lf (1-10-12), Ortner, rf
(1-0-2) TOTALS (8-10-26).

Wilbur Crisp, manager of the All-Syracuse basketball team, will always
remember Tuesday, April 27, 1920. First of all Wilbur had a fight with Jim
Tormey, Billy Rafter and Jim Casey in Syracuse and the outcome was that Tormey,
Casey and Rafter said that they would never again play basketball on any team
which had Crisp for a member. The trouble was over money but the players would
not discuss it today. Then Crisp took a team to Auburn Tuesday night and in the
last few minutes of the game against the Owasco Canoe Club Crisp was rocked to
sleep by a right hand punch to the jaw, the blow being delivered by Bobby
Davis, star forward of the Auburn quintet. Crisp was down and out for some
time. The Canoeist team was in the lead, 33 to 26, when Davis took a sudden
dislike to the Syracuse player’s methods and put him away with a single wallop
on the jaw. The battle started on the edge of the court and the combatants
fought their way into the limelight when Davis started a wallop off the floor.
The Auburn team won, 33 to 26.