Charlotte is Helped by an Act of Providence

Post date: Mar 13, 2013 11:45:43 PM

Charlotte Is Helped

By An

Act of Providence

The purpose of this writing is to help the fans of the Charlotte Bobcats not feel so bad about having the worst record in the NBA for the umpteenth year in a row and once again being assured of missing the playoffs. Not because suddenly there is light at the end of their dismal tunnel or because the tea leaves indicate that the 2013 NBA draft will set them free. Perhaps their loyal fans will feel better if they are reminded that while the grass can sometimes appear greener on the other side, if you look back in time it can also look much browner. Take comfort, Bobcats followers, in knowing that the 1947-48 Providence Steam Rollers had the brownest basketball grass of all time.

The Steam Rollers finished the second of their three seasons of existence with a record of (un-drum roll) 6-42. That’s six wins and forty-two defeats, for a winning percentage of exactly .125. There were seven other teams in the Basketball Association of America that year. The standings looked like this:

Eastern Division Western Division

Philadelphia Warriors 27-21 .563 St. Louis Bombers 29-19 .604

New York Knicks 26-22 .542 Baltimore Bullets 28-20 .583

Boston Celtics 20-28 .417 Chicago Stags 28-20 .583

Providence Steam Rollers 6-42 .125 Wash. Capitals 28-20 .583

{Baltimore took the title by besting Philadelphia, 4-2}

What’s fascinating about the league standings is how balanced all the teams- except for the Rhode Island franchise—are. Only nine games separate the Boston Celtics, who finished with the second-worst record, from the St. Louis Bombers, who finished with the best. If we take the 20-28 Celtics out of the standings, the entire league finished above .500! So while the Steam Rollers got little appreciation or respect from their Providence followers, fans in the rest of the league should have been eternally grateful they were as bad as they were.

To be fair, the Providence cagers were not without their season highlights. Point guard Ernie Calverley, the pride of the University of Rhode Island at 5’10” and 145 pounds, had 119 assists in 47 games, good enough for second in the league (behind the Warriors’ Howie Dallmar, who had 120). Pop Goodwin had a .704 free throw percentage. Swing guard Kenny Sailors and Giant George Nostrand added some geographic diversity to the roster by calling the University of Wyoming their alma mater. If anyone else has more highlights of Providence’s ’47-48 campaign, please email or telephone at your convenience. Just to prove the season was not a fluke, the Rollers rolled over and played dead at the end of the campaign, mailing it in on January 31, 1948, when they proceeded to lose 18 of their last 19 games. Has any other basketball team ever gone 0 for February and March? With a season ending like that, nobody worried whether they affixed enough postage.

So take heart, Bobcats followers. Sixty-five years ago, somebody had it worse than you do.

CNB