[no image in epub file]
Copyright 2011 by Pete Hines
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote short passages for review.
First Edition
Hines, Pete
Loving the Game
An Intriguing Blend of Basketball,
A Clever Computer and A Renovated Gym
ISBN: 978-1-4507-7066-8
Printed in the United States of America
Lightning Source Publishing
Heil Quaker Blvd
LaVergne, TN 37086
Acknowledgments
Loving the Game started on a trip to the local library about 12 years ago. I went to the sports section on the second floor and found an old encyclopedia on basketball. It was called The NBA’s Official Encyclopedia of Pro Basketball. When I opened it, I saw an advertisement for the very first basketball hoop. It was then that I got the idea to write a story about the history of basketball.
I would like to thank the following people who helped me take my idea and turn it into a book.
Dr. Joyce H. Winfield of Writing Resources,
editor and proofreader
Sally Cobau, creative writer
Linda Heibel, writing and proofreading assistant
James Catlett, cover design
Carol Ruzicka, illustrations
Dr. Alcyone Scott, college freshman English professor
Loving the Game
An Intriguing Blend of Basketball
A Clever Computer
and A Renovated Gym
Pete Hines
Foreword
Loving the Game was written for those who love the game of basketball. Whether you are a player, coach, fan, or sports enthusiast, this book will provide you with insight into how the modern game of basketball evolved.
The resources for this book are listed on the page of references. All facts were checked for accuracy, and any errors were unintentional.
The purpose for writing Loving the Game was to highlight the challenges the early players faced. This included arduous traveling all night to get to the next game. There were unruly and angry fans and they threw anything from nails to tomatoes at the traveling team. Referees made calls that seemed to favor the home team. They played in gyms with slick floors and poor lighting. Players worked all week at their jobs and then played on the weekends for minimal pay. Then they would have to rush home to make it to work on Monday morning, usually deprived of sleep.
Ralph is the main character throughout the story. He is a thinking computer developed by Ted, who used Alan Turing’s theories to formulate the ever-evolving Ralph. If Turing had lived longer, I am confident computers would have advanced 20 years beyond today’s technology. With Turing’s genius mind, I am sure we would have a thinking computer today.
My love for sports kept me going in my endeavor to write a book that any sports enthusiast should thoroughly enjoy.
Prologue: Trenton, New Jersey
Nov. 7, 1896
On a brisk November night in 1896, 700 fans were making their way up the cement steps to the Masonic Temple to watch a basketball game. In bold letters out front, the billboard announced the home team – Trenton, New Jersey – would be playing the Brooklyn YMCA basketball team. Fans could cheer on the hometown favorites for 25 cents a seat, while standing room went for 15 cents.
The Masonic Temple in Trenton, with its three floors, served many functions for the community. The first floor was occupied by a variety of stores. The second floor was where the Masonic offices were located, and the third floor was a large social hall designed for dances and banquets. It also served as a basketball gym. Each side of the gym had portable baskets that were removed for the dance after the game. The gym floor that was encased in a large 12-foot high wire cage caused problems for the players because the floor was waxed for dances. The players would cut themselves on the cage when they rammed into it. Sometimes after a game, the floor would be covered in blood.
Fred Padderatz, the part-time manager of the Trenton team, was a carpenter by trade. He built the first cage out of chicken wire. After several injuries from the wire cage, team captain Fred Cooper made a cage out of steel mesh. The baskets, which were made out of braided cord, didn’t have holes at the bottom. So, the referee had to remove the ball with a long pole after each basket was made. The ball itself was lumpy and pumpkin-shaped and hard to dribble and shoot. It was made of leather with a rubber bladder inside. There wasn’t a backboard.
The team players wore the uniform that was typical of their time – high-top shoes constructed of soft leather with eight eyelets for the laces, sleeveless jerseys, and wool knee socks. The bottoms of the shoes had large dime-sized divots taken out for better traction. In fact, it looked as if someone had taken an ice cream dipper and cut out the divots. The holes were about a half-inch apart. A.G. Spalding and Brothers made a top-of-the-line shoe for $4, whereas cheaper shoes cost $1. (A couple of years later players were using a shoe known as the tennis sneaker; it was designed specifically for basketball. It was a high top made out of canvas with a sole made out of rubber with holes put in for better traction.) A top-of-the-line uniform in the A.G. Spalding catalogue went for $14.95.
The rules of the game were complicated since different sets of rules were used at different games, but the fans were eager to watch the teams compete. The screaming fans cheered on the players during a frenzied, brutal game filled with broken bones, bloody noses, and players attacking the refs. The lumpy ball, the odd uniforms, the courts that were really dance halls – these were the first days of basketball!
Discovering the Gym
New York City, 1995
Charles’ Porsche weaved down 96th Street on his way to Mickey’s Diner where he had an appointment. Ralph asked the 40-year-old Charles, “What kind of music do you want to hear?” He replied, “My favorite, of course. ‘Monday, Monday’ by the Mamas and Papas.” Ralph didn’t have to change channels; in fact, he didn’t have to do anything. Ralph did everything but sing the songs. You see, Ralph was a computer created by Charles’ half-crazy, genius friend, Ted. Ralph knew everything, including things he probably shouldn’t know. Sometimes Charles considered Ralph as a best friend.
Charles had something that looked like a radar detector sitting on the dash of his car. Actually, it was an electronic device that let Ralph see what was going on down the road. He could talk through the radio speakers and also let Charles know when he was speeding. Ralph could pop open the sunroof and stick his “head” out when he wanted a clearer view of the world. Charles had installed a movie cam that rested on top of an electronic arm nestled between the car seats. This arrangement let Ralph view the world from a variety of different angles.
As Charles was turning the last corner before arriving at the diner, two policemen in their cruiser pulled up about a block away. They didn’t see many Porsches in the neighborhood and thought they should investigate. After Charles parked just outside the diner and started getting out of his Porsche, the policemen were already walking toward Charles.
“What’s going on?” one of them asked Charles, as they sauntered over to him.
“I have a business meeting at the diner,” answered Charles. As the policemen exchanged glances, Charles said he had an appointment with a contractor.
After taking his license and calling it in, they told Charles to be careful in this neighborhood.
“I