THEN & NOW

* I used to love high school basketball. I am talking 30 to 50 years ago. The games at Medina or Milan were great.

I can not remember if it cost 50 or 75 cents for admission. Makes no difference I did not pay anyway. I hung around so much they thought I was part of the show.

All I know is for a quarter I could get a sack full of popcorn & a bottle coke. I would park my little butt on the baseline & watch the action.

What action there was ! Cheerleaders who twirled around & showed their drawers, mighty racy in 1960. If today's Pom -Pom teams had preformed then there would not be enough medics to treat the heart attack & shock victims . Whole communities would suffer from PTSD.

Many of the adults wore a tie to the games but that didn't prevent them from being a part of some great brawls. The Medina - Milan fight in 62 was the best. They had to call the Highway Patrol to break it up. The Baptist preacher displayed a couple of Ju-jit-su moves he must have learned at Union.

The teams played a pretty style of basketball with great outside shooters & solid post play . There were a few teams who used man to man defense like the Dyer Eagles but most played a great zone defense. The Milan Bulldogs were known far & wide for their 1-2-2 match-up zone. Looking back I am not sure Medina played any defense. The Hornets looked to out score you which they seldom did.

OH & the Girls games were a bigger deal than the Boys . They played the old 3 on3 half court rules. It was hard to do much on defense with just 3 players so it was common to see players who averaged 30 PPG.

I do not enjoy the games much anymore. I can not stand the tempo & the style. These teams play like crackheads whose clothes are on fire.

Their thinking is if you foul every play the refs can't call all the fouls. I have wacthed Roller Derby with much less contact than basketball .

I bet you can not name 5 good post -up players. These guys don't take time for the post to position.

No one plays the clock . Just get out there & go like hell till the buzzer blows. Sounds like a battle plan not a game plan .

Zone defense gives you a chance to win when the other team is more athletic. Coaches will not play zone . Why ? Two of my final teams played zone because we were so slow . Those teams finished 50 & 6 . Can't win playing zone ? Bullsnot !

I am tired & my meds are wearing off .More on this later.