Our precocious readers and faithful brethren were taken out of their pedigree and 18th century roles, while jogging the Brooklyn Heights promenade, overlooking the New York harborand Big Apple waterways.
Not that any of these revolutionaries could recognize the callingof famed Paul Revere…
“The British are coming. The British are coming”.
II
Many of the runners into their rhythm: aortas palpitating, stickto it iveness
and stamina, their veins and arteries pumping their lifeline, from the neurons to their blood gurgling ankle capillaries.
The fleet led by their sadistic Captain Bligh (a marketableCharles Laughton) his mind’s eye and retinas, scanning theisland of Manhattan Island ($24). Peter Stuyvesant, out wittingthe Governor Island Lenape Indians with sparkling gems…necklaces, slave bracelets and rings.
A shrewd bargain that would shaken cyber space, twitter and face book, no less Wall Street and free wheeling hedge fundnickel and dime bandits.
Captain Bligh had not anticipated Henry Fonda, Binnie Barnes,(Joe E. Brown’s daughter in law) Bruce Cabot’s “Last of the Mohicans” or Hudson Bay” Paul Muni, at the helm.
III
How could the telescoping British Captain know that his caper through the Colonial waters could trigger General GeorgeWashington ‘s offensive stratagem at his Montague Street headquarters in Brooklyn Heights, not that far from where Winston Churchill’s mother was born a hundred and seventyfive years “downstream”, off Montague and Court Streers. IV
Several miles away in the underbrush of Flatbush (E.16 and ‘K’)and the continental Dutch Van Nuys family, the Brooklyn College campus benefactors and 20th and 21st beneficiaries.(Brooklyn College Foundation, Alumni Association) was Wingate Field. (Midwood Field)
Here the basketball “next” was heard in gyms through out the 13 colonies: “Swishes” by the three man team, playing the reigning winners .
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And who may this indomitable holy unholy trio be.
Benjamin Franklin, the same “ Benjamin Franklin in Paris”, Alexander Hamilton ad Aaron Burr,(Hamilton’s retributivenemesis)
Could they accept the “Foul! You hacked me, Ben!” (akin to the subsequent Boston Tea Party)
Young Tom Jefferson, John Adams, Patrick Henry.(“Give me liberty or give me death”)
“You guys suck! We’re the champs”. Jefferson taking the ball at half court. Patrick Henry calling the weave, a pick, fast break,give and go .Behind the line. To the weak side.”Downtown”
Adams under the boards….”Dirty, dirty!”
“ You’re all tongue. We got guts.”
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All this activity and monkey business didn’t escape the spectators. Their hands clinging to the fences, surrounding the fast breaks and furious three man half court games by players whose glow and euphoria on the basketball court, would energize their Colonial legacy, perpetuating open mindedness, common sense, adverse to trapping cannibalism and self servingvitriolic. .
”The public be damned”.
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The ball movement and control by these disciplined patriots, wasn’t missed by the young men, clenching the fences. FutureMidwood High School Varsity. Captain Lenny Singer, Ira Schneider, “Honest” B ill Rosenblatt, Wally Kaplan , Shelly Fine, and the big man in the post…Lustgarden!
Buddy Solomon, Howie Weinglass, Stan Rubin, Norman ”Left”y Fisher, Gerry Ringleheim, Howie Goldman, Eddie Joachim, the “commish” Marv Glauberman, gathering splinters, sitting on coach Barney Cohen’s bench.
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“Awesome” shouted these optimistic 20th century Midwod High School varsity players, their roots stemming from these 18thcentury founding fathers into their roles, playing half court, as a tune up for the American Revolution, breaking away from King George and his monarchial England.
Who was to know that this band of sharpshooting pioneers would create a governing body, (nee Parliament) playing out areenergized Humanity.
‘The world is a progressively realized community of interpretation’
“SWISH”
May 16, 2014...the City that never sleeps.
