Basketball was pretty rough as well.

Read/Watch 'em In Order #99

The last story in the February 1949 issue of New Sports Magazine is "The Backward Forward," which dives down into the world of both pro and high school basketball.

I'm not as familar with the history of basketball as I am with the history of baseball, because... well, because its not baseball. I do know the NBA formed the same year this story was published when two rival leagues decided to merge.

But the main characters in this story, Duke Brandon and Red McGee, play for small towns in more localized pro leagues. I don't know how common such leagues were in 1949, As the tale opens, they are nearly broke and hitching a ride into the mill town of Ironton. Their last team folded after someone embezzled the league funds, so they hope to find a spot on the Ironton squad. Duke also plans to answer an ad for a coach at the local high school.

They seem to be in luck--there are two openings on the team. Duke and Red are good players, leading their new teammates to a hard-fought victory that night.

The author, William Heuman, does a great job of describing the action of the game with exciting and engrossing prose. And that action is rough. There's only one ref officiating the game, so shoving, pushing and tripping is common whenever he's not looking. In this regard, the story reminds me a lot of the rough, not-always-legal play that was described in this issue's baseball story.

The next day, Duke does get the coaching job. The kids at the school are rough around the edges, but he begins to identify their individual talents and soon has them playing winning ball.

To give them team spirit, he wants them to have uniforms. But the school can barely afford to pay his pittance of a salary, much less spring for uniforms. So Duke bets his pay for three pro games on his pro team to win. They do and the kids get uniforms.  And because a pro player betting on sports never ends badly. (Read that last sentence in a sarcastic tone, please.) Oh, well. At least he bet on his team to win.

Soon, Duke gets an offer to coach at a college, for more money and more opportunities for the future. Taking that job seems like a no-brainer. But here in Ironton, he's respected by the high school kids, who would just be hanging out in pool halls if they weren't playing ball. He's the star of the local pro team. He's starting night school to improve himself and there's a girl who likes him.

So the decision isn't such a no-brainer after all.

This brings our look at this issue of New Sports to an end. There has been a consistent theme of sports building community and character throughout all the stories--with the stories well-written enough to usually make this seem sincere rather than corny. I actually summarized this in my look at the previous story, which you can read here.

The entire issue is available HERE.

The next Read/Watch 'em in Order entry will be #100. Quite a milestone which will undoubtably have a lasting effect on civilization. I'll have to give careful thought on what to write about.