March 10

## 1920

**Syracuse Herald**- Frank Demands Series Of Games From Crisp For Basketball Title

Y.M.H.A. Manager Asks Action From All-Syracuse Management Regarding Offer Of Three Games For City Championship

Henry Frank, manager of the Y.M.H.A. basketball team, has started out on the trail of Wilbur Crisp, manager of the All-Syracuse aggregation, demanding a series to decide the championship of the city. And Crisp can hardly afford to overlook the demands of Frank unless he sees fit to take the loss of prestige which is bound to result for his club should he refuse to consider the claims of the clever Hebrew five. Strengthened by Johnny Barsha, the Syracuse University captain, and Joe Schwarzer, one of the best players that has ever appeared on a Syracuse court, the Y.M.H.A. quintet presents a strong front and on paper appears to be able to give the All-Syracusans a strong battle. Frank claims to have made arrangements for the use of a large court and is willing to book a series of games with the All-Syracusans with the understanding that the Y.M.H.A. team will play the first game on the Armory court without compensation and that the All-Syracuse team play a return game on the court he names without any guarantee. In the event of a third game being necessary, Frank proposes that it be played on a neutral court with the teams dividing the proceeds. The Y.M.H.A. club has defeated every team it has played this season. It has a lead in the city elimination contests and Frank insists that it has proved its right to play All-Syracuse. If the All-Syracuse team management is inclined to question his team’s right to first ranking, Frank offers to play any two clubs that Crisp may name on the same night. The only stipulation he makes in this regard is that a neutral court be secured for the two games. The basketball season is fast drawing to a close. The All-Syracusans have a hard schedule booked until March 29 when they play the fifth and deciding game of their series with the Buffalo Orioles. Only a few playing dates will be available after that date and if a city championship series is really to be played here, the same as in other cities, some action must be taken in a short time unless it is intended to play it on an outdoor court. Fans will support basketball as long as there is winter weather but once spring comes the interest in basketball will wane with a sudden thump. It appears to be up to Crisp to show his hand, either by naming dates for a series with the Y.M.H.A. team or by telling that quintet just what it will have to do before he will play the series. And with Schwarzer, Barsha, Weltman, Serlin, Simons and others on duty, it would appear that the Y.M.H.A. is capable of fulfilling any task Crisp may name.

## 1947

**Syracuse Herald Journal**- Royals Invade Syracuse Armory Court

3,200 Will See Rival Fives Clash; Armory ‘Sold Out’ For Crucial Test

Rochester’s champion Royals of the National Professional Basketball League face Syracuse’s playoff-aspiring Nats before a sell-out, capacity crowd at the W Jefferson Street Armory at 9 o’clock tonight. The game has been sold out for days. Three times this season the Rochesterians have turned back the Nats, who are eager to upset the Royals in their final schedule appearance in Syracuse. Again the champions will play before a limit crowd of 3,200, as they did in a previous game here. Syracuse is in the fourth and final Eastern Division playoff position today, thanks to Sheboygan’s 60-50 victory over Moline Sunday, but has its work cut out in trying to hold fourth place, in a bid to qualify for the playoffs. Prior to Sheboygan’s triumph, the Nats had been 1 percentage point behind Moline, after the Syracusans and Black Hawks had bowed in Saturday night contests. Rochester will rely on Al Cervi, the league’s leading scorer; Bob Davies, considered one of the smartest players in the circuit; Bill Holzman, former CCNY star; Andy Levane, ex-St John’s All-American; and George Glamack, erstwhile North Carolina ace. Syracuse manpower will be bolstered by the return of Bob Nugent to duty. He suffered a cold Saturday night and didn’t see action in the loss to Fort Wayne. Playing Coach Jerry Rizzo, Steve Sharkey, George Nelmark, John Chaney, John Gee and the rest of the Nats are primed for an all-out battle with the Royals.

Nats Need 3 Of 4 For Berth In Playoffs

Chicago- With the four playoff berths in the Western Division of the National Basketball League fairly certain, Syracuse will lead a battle in the Eastern bracket this week to try to reach the post-season action. Only 1½ games separate the third, fourth and fifth teams in the Eastern section as the team enter the windup week. Tri-Cities, in fifth place, a step out of a playoff berth, has only one game- against Fort Wayne, Ind., at Moline, Ill., Saturday before closing its season. Syracuse has four to play this week, and must win at least three of them to be assured of a playoff spot. Toledo, in third place, needs only one victory in its final two contests to make the grade. Syracuse begins its test tonight by entertaining Rochester, overall leader of the league. Syracuse goes to Detroit tomorrow night to face the Hapless Gems who have won only four games this season and is host to Sheboygan Wednesday and Thursday. Toledo is at home to Indianapolis tonight and entertains Oshkosh Thursday. Other games this week: Tonight- Detroit at Anderson; Tuesday- Sheboygan, Wis., at Youngstown, Oh.; Oshkosh, Wis., at Rochester in a meeting between the two divisional leaders; Fort Wayne at Indianapolis; Thursday- Indianapolis at Anderson, Ind.; Saturday- Anderson at Oshkosh, and possibly Chicago at Rochester. The Chicago-Rochester game will be replayed on a recent “no contest” protest by Chicago of the original game if it is necessary to determine a playoff position. Oshkosh, Indianapolis, Sheboygan and Chicago now hold the first four spots in the Western Division and appear almost certain of being the playoff teams. Anderson, however, stands a mathematical chance of tying Sheboygan or Indianapolis for the fourth place berth if the Packers win all their three games this week and the Redskins and Kautskys lose their last three encounters. The Chicago Gears clinched a playoff position last night by beating Fort Wayne 69-62 in a 25-point last quarter spree led by Max Morris and Bob Calihan. Sheboygan strengthened its claim to a playoff spot by romping over Tri-Cities 60-50 to gain its 19th victory at home in 21 games- best home record in the league.

## 1955

**Syracuse Herald Journal**- Nats Meeting Minneapolis In New York Twin Bill

Win Streak Is Squelched In Rochester; Nats Play Tonight After 100-97
Loss

The Syracuse Nats will try to regain winning form tonight against
Minneapolis in the first game of a Madison Square Garden double bill after
bowing to the Royals in Rochester, 100-97, last night. The Boston Celtics and
New York Knicks will clash in the second contest of the double-header here.
After suffering their first setback in five road games and seeing a string of
seven straight victories snapped in Kodakville, Coach Al Cervi’s boys tonight
will try to protect their overall lead of a half-game over Fort Wayne in the
National Basketball Association. While the Nats winning streak ended, Rochester
achieved its first triumph in five games to highlight the celebration of the
club’s 10th anniversary in the professional circuit. Despite the
reversal, the Syracusans, Eastern Division champions of the loop, hold a 7-2
season margin over the Royals. The contest with the Lakers tonight will close
the road campaign of the Cervimen for the schedule season in a battle against
the only team with an edge over them, the Lakers having a 5-3 advantage. The
Nats have been returned victors in seven of nine starts in the Garden in the
current season and had won 17 of their last 20 games on various courts until
they fell before the Royals. Dolph Schayes and Paul Seymour bagged 24 points
each in the Nats downfall, but their combination was unable to cope with a
Rochester attack in which seven Royals collected double figures in scoring
before 2,200 fans. Fort Wayne, Western Division champion, will be the Nats foe
Saturday afternoon in Syracuse, and Milwaukee will be a final schedule opponent
the following day on the home court of the Cervimen.

ROCHESTER: Coleman (6-2-14), Spears
(4-4-12), Christensen (2-1-5), Henriksen (5-0-10), Risen (4-2-10), Spoelstra (5-1-11),
Davies (4-1-9), Wanzer (5-1-11), McMahon (1-0-2), Marshall (6-4-16) TOTALS
(42-16-100). SYRACUSE: Schayes (6-12-24), Rocha (5-0-10), Lloyd (3-2-8),
Osterkorn (0-0-0), Kerr (2-1-5), Seymour (10-4-24), King (4-4-12), Kenville
(2-1-5), Farley (4-1-9) TOTALS (36-25-97).

Nats Launch Post-Season Play On 22nd

Dates for the Syracuse Nats best three-of-five semi-final series in the National Basketball Association playoffs at the War Memorial have been set for
March 22, 24 and 25. Champions of the division, the Nats are a standby for
their sector’s best-of-three opening round, in which Boston will be New York’s
rival next week, assuming Philadelphia doesn’t tie for a berth in the playoffs.
Fort Wayne, the west section title-winner, will stand by while Rochester and
Minneapolis battle. As standby teams, the sectional rulers will receive $2,500.
The opening game of the Nats in the league semi-finals will depend on the
result of the first round since a national television date March 19 is
involved. If a third game is played in the Western series it would be televised
instead. In the event there is no TV commitment, the Eastern semi-final will be
conducted on this schedule: Tuesday, March 22, at Syracuse; Wednesday, March
23, away; Thursday, March 24, at Syracuse; Saturday, March 26, away; Sunday,
March 27, at Syracuse, an afternoon contest. Should the Nats play in a TV game
March 19, the other games will follow this way: March 22 at Syracuse; March 24,
here, March 26 away and March 27 at Syracuse. The keep the Nats on edge for the
playoffs, plans are being made for an exhibition game in Washington, D.C. next
week. Rules of the N.B.A. ban more than one exhibition contest before the
semi-final playoffs.