Women's Hoops Blog

Inane commentary on a game that deserves far better


Friday, February 29, 2008

Well, rats -- going to be in Chicago for the DePaul/UConn game this weekend, but now I'm sorta wishing I was travelling to Iowa. Why?

"More Than a Game: Six-on-Six Basketball in Iowa" debuts at 6:30 p.m. Sunday on Iowa Public Television. It will be rebroadcast at 8:15 p.m. March 7 and then again on March 16 at a time to be determined.

"The heart of six-on-six basketball was in the small towns in Iowa," said Laurel Bower Burgmaier, 34, who produced the 60-minute documentary. "Small towns played six-on-six basketball from the early 1900s to 1993. As I interviewed people for this project, I sensed that within an hour I could focus on the heart of the game: Small towns.

"Iowa broadcasting legend Jim Zabel appears on the program and tells the audience how entire communities will follow their girls' basketball team to Des Moines for the state tournament, for years dubbed "The Sweet Sixteen."


How totally cool is that?

You'll of course know, wise readers, that when lovely Lou Hoover and crew was sucessfully wiping out girls high school basketball across the country, Iowa said, "not a chance." In fact, the very famous quote goes:
"Gentlemen,if you attempt to do away with girls’ basketball in Iowa, you’ll be standing in the center of the track when the train runs you over."
John W. Agans, 1925