Saga 1979

H oops Played on bright shiney floors or cement backyard courts What happens when you mix a round ball with an apple crate? The result is basketball or, commonly called today, hoop. Strangely enough when first played in the 1800's hoo p used crates as baskets and a ball that was barely round.

Basketball is played in every way, shape or form. It is played in the most luxurious places, with all the extras - glass backboards with super thin nets attached, and bright shiney hardwood floors. Or the same game can be seen at the nej � hborhood playground, complete wIth cement court and clanky chain nets.

But it's not where you play but how you play, that counts. What draws so many different people to this sport? It has been called a game for big people, yet short people play .

Although height seems 10 be ao ad ­ vantage of the game, il really doesn't matter how the ball gets through the hoop as long as it gets there. You can slam-dunk it if you are tall enough and draw oohs and aahs from the p eop le watching. Or if you can't get Insi d e, for fear of having the ball rammed down your throat by one of those 'big people,' you can play hot­ shot and pump it in from never-nev­ er land.

Employed in this crazy little game are some terms nearl y everyone is familiar with. Althoug h words have significant meaning to the hoop p rayer, they are easily misconstrued by those w h o could care less. Myself included.

The term man-Io-man defense will probably be changed to person­ to-person defense, so as not to be seXISt. After all women do play bas­ ketball. Don't they? The word 'key' used in conventional basketball lan­ guage to mean that square where one can wander for the long period of three seconds-in Frosty's terms would mean an important idea or concept-a key idea.

Hoop is an all purpose sport com­ binin g endurance with qUickness, spee d and touch. The reason most people play though, is for the chal­ l enge of seeing the ball drop throu g h the rim and two points score d.

It doesn't matter who you are, or how big, small, fat or skinny you may be; anyone can play, because hoops is everyones sport.

-Wayne Anthony