PSAL CHAMP GAME 2007

Well it all started in an anxious and much anticipated day Sunday March 18, 2007, the” New York City High School Chip “! It doesn’t get much better than this when we compare it to any other city Chip Finals, except perhaps Philly and Chi- town (Chicago). As I waited for one of the coaches (Will Glover) who works in the Harlem community, teaching basketball & providing recreation at the Union Settlement organization. I observed the line of students, coaches, basketball heads like myself, wrapped around the entire MSG waiting to be searched and pass through metal detectors. It had more of an “I’m getting ready to go visit my delinquent and felon cousin at Rikers Island rather than attending a school sponsored public sport for the enjoyment of all. I shrugged it off and continued to stomp my feet to stay warm while waiting for Will who was having problems on the number 3 line trying to get here. It was about 30 below and I waited for over an hour but in my mind I just knew it was going to be worth it.

Will finally shows up and I give him a pound and now where on our way to the end of the line that wrapped around the MSG to wait some more so we could be patted down as well. We finally get inside and the Mary Bergtraum vs Kennedy (PSAL 2007 Girls Chip) game was already under way. We head to our elite seats near the front; these seats come at a higher price than the regular student seat prices for good reasons, there GOOD SEATS! We check our ticket stubs and match up the area and numbers and fins out there is a row of goons sitting in our section. Will being Mr. Diplomatic decides to sit else where in order not to create a ruckus and he tells me to join him. I do so just for the simple fact that I wanted to watch the game and at times there are going to be free seats available in the front because nobody actually wants to pay for them except for people like us (Basketball Heads).

We sit down and Mary Bergtraum has the lead and they are looking good! They have taken the city championship for the last 6 years and this year was no different, they are a New York power house with out a doubt. I start to get into the game and all of a sudden it’s over with a lay up and Mary Bergtraum has yet another City Championship under their belt and well deserved at that!

Twenty minutes later after both girls team take their pictures for the press and get interviewed by plenty of columnists that were there, the many different newspapers and web site correspondents to include myself representing NYDLBALL.COM. The Boys & Girls High school Basketball Team run into the court and get a thunderous applause by the whole stadium it seems. Not hard to predict who is the favorite by odds, it seems most of the tickets were purchased by B&G’s entire high school and family members. I guess they were really backing up Coach Lovelace of the Boys & Girls High school debut as the only female coach in New York to make it to the show this year. What ever the case the Garden was rocking and Dj Enuff from Hot 97 had the crowd nodding their heads as the Lincoln High School basketball team entered the court to boos & hisses but with a swagger and Tiny Morton in a suit to boot as the sounds of Jay-Z’s Brooklyn ballin fill the Garden. It didn’t sound strange to me, I’ve been a Lincoln fan for a long time but a lot of people in New York are tired of seeing them shine, they probably would like another school to take it but you have to earn it. The only thing that was free at this game was the Hatorade coming out of the unruly crowd from the upper tears in the stadium. Boos or no boos these kids were the city champs for the last 4 years with a long list of thorough bred that have been carrying the torch and the phenom Lance Stephenson would be no different, it was his opportunity to become apart of that history.

B&G got the opening tip off and quickly attack the basket aggressive but aren’t able to score. Lincoln receives the ball and gets a good start as Lance Stephenson starts the game by hitting a 3 point jumper that was all net. He dropped 8 points in the first quarter with little retaliation from the B&G defense but he quickly picked up 2 fouls as well and soon found himself on the bench listening to coach Tiny Morton telling him to calm down.B&G quickly exploited the fact that Lance was on the bench and with Lincoln not having too many leaders and experience at the helm, Kendall Walter ( B&G PG ) fade away jump shot brought the Kangaroos to with in one point of taking the Rail-splitters lead in the game. Lance Stephenson was brought back in but it was too late, a Clayton Sterling jump shot gave the Kangaroos the lead followed by two more possessions with out the Rail-splitters scoring and now coach Tiny Morton is calling a time out as the Kangaroos have the lead for the first time in the game. Lincoln gets back out on the court with a minute left to end the first half, coach Tiny Morton takes of his suit jacket and is now yelling at Brandon Walter to drive to the basket which he does scoring and getting fouled at the same time.

Brandon Walters makes the pair of free throws as Lincoln re-gains the lead before the half is over by 1 point and B&G is not able to counter back with their last possession. They go into the locker rooms to work on their strategy and it’s turning into one heck of game and I can’t wait until the half is over. As I’m writing some key notes on my portable journal that I brought with me to the game so I can report the game and the high lights a student approaches me and asks me if I’m a reporter. I tell her that I’m doing an article for my friend’s website at NYDLBALL.COM and she asks me if they are taking any interns. She is studying journalism I guess and I pass on Lahh Woods information to her. As I gave her the info a fight breaks out on the upper tear above me of about 20 to 30 kids. The other kids around the fight were cheering them on and the Police Officers respond was futile trying to get through the mob of people just walking around the Garden show boating their gear like they were apart of BET’s Rip the Run Way.

Needless to say they finally got it under control and I thought that was the end of it. WRONG! The second half started and so did WWF Unleashed at the other side of the stadium from where I was standing. As Lance Stephenson started to bring back the Rail-splitters up by 4 points with a couple of buckets, the upper tears were in chaos with now several groups fighting giving a new meaning to the definition “nose bleed seats”. As I watched the game I continuously kept getting interrupted by the mayhem above me and across from me. I didn’t know whether to continue to write as I follow the game or use my pen as a weapon and fight for my life while I headed towards the EXIT! Finally the NYPD and School Safety Officers arrived but it was well out of their control. I decided to stay while they were behind me so I can finish watching the game and writing my report. My friend Will Glover decided to leave and said I’m not staying for this second half this is getting buck wild and gave me a pound and headed towards the exit. I decided to stay, I don’t know whether it was the fact that I am a former Marine or the fact that I felt that I had the right to be able to watch a basketball game with out all this non-sense going on, what ever the case I stayed! WRONG!

The score was Lincoln - 53 to B&G - 37 when I decided I had enough of this non-sense and I wasn’t the only one at that. DJ Enuff from HOT 97 had enough as I was putting on my leather jacket I heard him yelling on the microphone “what the F is wrong with ya’ll? “ We were having a good time right? We came to watch basketball so stop this nonsense! To no avail as the crowd just ooohed and ahhhhed as they kicked the crap out of somebody’s kids in the upper tears, in what was suppose to be New York’s High School Basketball at it’s best. What a shame! I left and I said good-bye to the young student Casandra that approached me about the internship job and I told her to be safe. I pick the New York Post this morning to look at the final score and sure enough Lincoln won the game. It’s just tragic that I had to find out from a news paper instead of in person due to the apparent attraction that our youth have with random violence. As I read the paper there was a column that read 15 busted at Garden Hoops riot.

It read “shots were fired on the street, but no one was hit, a source said. Hundreds of cops were needed to restore order inside and outside of the arena. Several fans were taken to St.Vincents Hospital with cuts and bruises. One officer fell off his horse during the melee but was not hurt.” All I could think about as I read this was the young student Casandra and I’m hoping she got out of there unhurt. I have 3 daughters and a son; I could not picture my kids in there while this was going on. It’s always the good kids that suffer the consequences or end up lying in their own pool of blood. New York Youth, we have to change this cycle of violence that is eating away and eroding our reason to be. I heard somebody say “It’s too much Brooklyn in here that’s why?” I responded, it’s just too much stupidity in here young brother, not Brooklyn or any other borrow, be a leader not a follower. As he shrugged his shoulders and started to head towards the mayhem, I left and placed it in God’s capable hands and said walk with me.