Saturday, April 18,
1987
After a big
breakfast we left at 9:30 to drive to Springfield, MA. It was a miserable rainy
day, so it was just as well that we were going to the Basketball Hall of Fame,
where we managed to get Kyle and Erich in free as under 9 years of age. Kent
and I each had a 50 cent discount through AAA, so “only” paid $4.50 each!
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Basketball Hall of Fame brochure A |
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Basketball Hall of Fame brochure B |
In
the museum lobby was a memorial to Newton S Hillyard, the guy who developed the
playing surface coating for the basketball court. Thanks to him we have the
typical squeak, squeak of sneakers on the non-slip surface! There was also a
three-level basketball fountain that was not in operation.
We went upstairs
pass the Naismith Memorial with his bust and childhood memorabilia. Dr James
Naismith was a rugby player in high school. He developed the game of basketball
as an assignment when he worked at the YMCA and had to come up with an indoor
aerobic sport. It quickly became popular.
There was an exhibit
of art, including wooden sculpture by Bill Walton. Upstairs again to the third
level to see the exhibit on the new inductees, then we worked our way through
the “time tunnel.” The Early Game exhibit gave the history. Women were playing
the sport two years after it began in 1891. Saw the peach basket and the
evolution of the basket up to today, as well as of the ball (it started with a
soccer ball). From YMCAs, the sport spread to high schools and colleges, and
basketball dynasties over time were shown. TV monitors showed college
tournament highlights.
Through a sneaker
arch to the professional team exhibit, with sample uniforms and uniforms of
famous players. There were large backlit photos of the Hall of Fame members. We
turned back to walk through the actual Hall of Fame with pewter reliefs of the
players. There was a Maurice Stokes Memorial to a player paralyzed when he
received a head injury while playing NBA basketball.
Down on the second
level was “Play 52” where you stood in the middle of four screens and watched
the game take place all around you. Next was an area on international
basketball, and there was a video tape of the Harlem Globetrotters. We walked
down along a balcony of basketball art, which overlooked the “Shoot Out” area.
Went in a theater to watch part of “Hoopla,” a multi-media presentation on the
diversity of basketball.
Down to the first
level to “peek” inside the lockers of various star players, as well as Red
Auerbach’s with his cigars. There is now an Athletic Trainer of the Year Award!
Refs had one locker. Kyle and Erich went through “Shoot Out” where there is a
moving sidewalk past several baskets of varying heights and distances, with a
line of basketballs to take shots. There was also an area for jumping various
heights to hit hanging markers. There was a media exhibit, and a wall of
cartoons.
We checked out the
gift shop, then left to get on I-291 to find a place to eat. On US-20 we
stopped at Abdow’s Big Boy Restaurant. The boys had sodas and Kent and I had
iced teas. Erich and I had the Chicken Nuggets with fries, and I had barbecue
sauce, and Erich had sweet and sour sauce. Kent got the Brawny Lad Hamburger
with onion rings, and Kyle had the Little Boy Burger with fries. We had dessert,
too. Kyle had apple pie a la mode, with help from Kent, and Erich and I shared
a fudge-covered cake with ice cream. Left $15, and headed home, From the
Turnpike we took MA-122 in Millbury instead of MA-146. Drove through old mill
towns. In Uxbridge we got on MA-146 and continued home.
Sunday, April 19, 1987
Happy Easter!
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Kyle |
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Erich |
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Easter "basket" |
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Kyle's and Erich's Easter shoes |
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Erich and Kyle |
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Kent with Kyle |
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Kent with Erich |
Let's try outdoor photos...
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Tamiko (KSS) |
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Kyle, Erich, Kent |
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Kyle |
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Erich |
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