Hi!
Consider the following POD. Dr. Naismith is at the Springfrield YMCA in 1903 trying to think up a sport for some boys. He toys with the idea of throwing balls into a peach basket but he has trouble finding a peach basket. So he shrugs his shoulders and sends the boys ice skating or something like that. He eventually forgets about his game with the peach basket.
Basketball, as you know, plays an important role nowadays. It is one of the few American sports which requires very little personal investment (just a ball), so people who aren't rich can play it. Losing basketball will probably cause leisure activities to change in the inner city.
There are probably many more high schools which have basketball teams than soccer, football, or baseball teams. My high school had a basketball team and that was it --and I went to a private school.
In principle, you can even shoot baskets by yourself if there's a communal net up. Contrast with baseball, where you need two teams even if there is a communal ballfield. You can't bat balls by yourself easily, and you can't paly football by yourself.
So -- what happens if Naismith never invents basketball?
Thanks in advance,
ACG
Consider the following POD. Dr. Naismith is at the Springfrield YMCA in 1903 trying to think up a sport for some boys. He toys with the idea of throwing balls into a peach basket but he has trouble finding a peach basket. So he shrugs his shoulders and sends the boys ice skating or something like that. He eventually forgets about his game with the peach basket.
Basketball, as you know, plays an important role nowadays. It is one of the few American sports which requires very little personal investment (just a ball), so people who aren't rich can play it. Losing basketball will probably cause leisure activities to change in the inner city.
There are probably many more high schools which have basketball teams than soccer, football, or baseball teams. My high school had a basketball team and that was it --and I went to a private school.
In principle, you can even shoot baskets by yourself if there's a communal net up. Contrast with baseball, where you need two teams even if there is a communal ballfield. You can't bat balls by yourself easily, and you can't paly football by yourself.
So -- what happens if Naismith never invents basketball?
Thanks in advance,
ACG