Basketball History

The Greatest Basketball Team You’ve Never Heard Of | The Goodyear Akron Wingfoots
This ad, or something like it, played during the game last night between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets. The winged foot comes from the Roman god Mercury and was the trademark of the Goodyear tire & rubber company before their basketball team got started. It's a sure fit for the basketball team. The Akron Wingfoots disbanded during WW2 due to the shortage of men.

The Blazers won last nights game, though it took FOUR overtime periods to get there, something that hasn't happened in the NBA since 1953. The game started at 7:40 and didn't end till 11:10, which means it lasted three and a half hours. Both teams are getting pretty beat up with falls and collisions resulting in bruises, strains and sprains. Several players clocked a full hour of playing time which has got to be exhausting given that the average time on the floor is more like 20 or 30 minutes.