On a very cold night, Tuesday February 15th, 1978, four well known basketball players ( at least they were well known to themselves ), sat around one small round table. They had just finished their eight o'clock game and were freshly showered, each was smelling of a cologne of their own choosing. ( none of the colognes can match your's, Flloyd ). The place was The Pigs Ear Tavern, a drinking establishment which had been the traditional haunt of these and many other famous players from the Peterbough Y. M. C. A. Basketball League. On the table was a full tray of 25 cent draft waiting to be consumed by the tired and thirsty four. It was 9:30 PM., a time in November of 2000, that these four basketball players are tucked nicely away in their beds. The topic of those " damn young legs " that most of the other players in the league had, came up. " How can we four aged 31 years to ( just how old were you back them Ernie ) compete any more at basketball and still be included in the game?" Lets form our own basketball league and maybe we can be the youngest players and be standouts as we thought we were many years earlier.
We started this new league in November of 1978 and 22 years later, we are still at it. The only problem now is that we four are back to the old problem we had in February of 1978. Those " damn young legs " of the league are not letting us play with the ball as we have been used to.
Is it possible that the original four and some other 50 to 55 year olds and older, can again form another league so that we can own the basketball and still feel included in the game? That may still happen, but until it does, we will continue to whine about those " damn young legs " and have our traditional Sunday morning breakfast of " Hungry Man Specials " and coffee at the Stop-A-While with the 15 to 20 old and young guys that hobble in for breakfast, at 11:15, and sit around two large round tables talking about how great it and we used to be.
The original " Four " who are still active - or sort of - are: Clair Leahy - the last of the true set shooters in the game. Ernie Page - the clutch and grab specialist whose famous line was " I never touched him! ".
Bob Pilley - the most gentleman player in the league for all 22 years it has been in operation.
Bill White - simply known a " elbows "
The Commissioner
