December 29, 1934: The 1st Madison Square Garden Doubleheader

December 29, 1934: Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan hosts its 1st college basketball doubleheader. It was set up by Edward S. "Ned" Irish, then head of promotions for The Garden.

Irish, then 29 years old and a native of Brooklyn, had covered Manhattan College basketball games for the New York World-Telegram, and saw that their games, especially against other teams in New York City, had more demand than the seats had supply. So he quit his job to become promotions director for The Garden, whose current version, built in 1925, was between 49th and 50th Streets, and 8th and 9th Avenues.

Ned Irish

For the 1st doubleheader, each game featured a New York City-based team vs. one from outside the city. In the 1st game, New York University, of Manhattan, beat the University of Notre Dame, of South Bend, Indiana, 25-18. NYU would finish the 1934-35 season 19-1, and were recognized as National Champions. In the 2nd game, St. John's University, of Queens, lost to Westminster College, of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, 37-33.

If those scores seem low to you, consider the state of the sport at the time: It was almost all slow, skinny white guys; there was no shot clock; and, until 1938, there was a center jump after every basket. In other words, what would become known as the fast break was not only difficult, it was completely impractical.

A crowd of 16,138 attended, then the largest crowd ever to pay to see a basketball game, at any level, marking the experiment as a success. Another doubleheader was set up for a week later, on January 5, 1935. NYU beat Kentucky, 23-22, before a new record high, 16,539.

Though defeated, Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp liked the idea so much that he suggested that there should be a national college basketball tournament. That was such a good idea that, by the end of the decade, there were 2: The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) started in 1938, the 1st one won by Temple University of Philadelphia; and the NCAA Tournament started in 1939, the 1st one won by the University of Oregon.

After the 1934-35 season, being invited to play in a "Garden doubleheader" was a sign that a school had made the big time. Already known as "The Mecca of Boxing," The Garden became known as "The Mecca of Basketball."

But the point-shaving scandal of 1951 crippled New York City basketball, with only St. John's among the City's schools emerging unscathed. After that, the pro game became more popular, with Ned Irish becoming the founding owner of the New York Knicks. The event that opened the new Garden in 1968 was a doubleheader. Dave DeBusschere scored the new Garden's 1st basket -- not for the Knicks, but for the Detroit Pistons in the 1st game of the doubleheader.

In 1959, Irish sold the Knicks to Irving Felt, but remained team president. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1964. In 1968, he and Felt moved the Knicks into the current Madison Square Garden, between 31st and 33rd Streets, and 7th and 8th Avenues. He retired as team president in 1974, and died in 1982.

The event that opened the new Garden in 1968 was a doubleheader. Dave DeBusschere scored the new Garden's 1st basket -- not for the Knicks, but for the Detroit Pistons, in the 1st game of the doubleheader.

*

December 29, 1934 was a Saturday. ABC News reporter Tom Jarriel was born on this day.

The NBA hadn't been founded yet. Baseball was in the off-season. No college football games were played that day, as there were, as yet very few bowl games. The NFL season had ended 20 days earlier, with the New York Giants beating the Chicago Bears in the Championship Game.

There were 2 games played in the NHL: The New York Americans beat the Montreal Canadiens, 3-1 at the Montreal Forum. and the Montreal Maroons beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-2 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.

And in English soccer, Arsenal and Hampshire team Portsmouth played to a 1-1 draw at Highbury in North London.

November 11, 1938: The Truth of the Nazis' Gun Control Law

November 11, 1938: You may have heard, from American "gun rights" advocates, that the Nazis passed a gun control law. That is a lie: Here is the truth of the law passed on this date:

The 1938 German Weapons Act superseded a 1928 law. As under the 1928 law, citizens were required to have a permit to carry a firearm and a separate permit to acquire a firearm. But under the new law:

* Gun restriction laws applied only to handguns, not to long guns or ammunition. The 1938 revisions completely deregulated the acquisition and transfer of rifles and shotguns, and the possession of ammunition.

* The legal age at which guns could be purchased was lowered from 20 to 18.

* Permits were valid for three years, rather than one year.

* Holders of annual hunting permits, government workers, and NSDAP members (the National Socialist German Workers' Party, or "Nazis") were no longer subject to gun ownership restrictions. Prior to the 1938 law, only officials of the central government, the states, and employees of the German Reichsbahn Railways were exempted.

* The manufacture of arms and ammunition continued to require a permit, with the proviso that such permits would no longer be issued to any company even partly owned by Jews. Jews could not manufacture or deal in firearms or ammunition.

In other words, this law made it easier to get guns -- and it didn't prohibit Jews from owning them.

Also, if the Jews of Germany – or any other country – had guns, they would not have defeated the Nazis, as we saw when they fought back in Berlin in 1938, in Prague in 1942, and in Warsaw in 1944.

*

November 11, 1938 was a Friday. Baseball was out of season. The NBA hadn't been founded yet. The NHL season was underway, but no games were scheduled.

There were 9 college football games, but none was between 2 teams that would now be considered major. New York University (NYU) beat Colgate, 13-7 at Yankee Stadium. And Boston College beat Boston University, 21-14 at Fenway Park.