Extra Points

Jerry Brewer explains the thinking behind his columns and invites readers to express their views on the sports world.

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June 17, 2007 12:47 AM

More On 11-foot Hoops

Today's column was about Tom Newell and his 11-foot basketball game. I went to Edmundson Pavilion on Saturday mostly because there was little else going on locally in sports, and I figured it would be a good change-of-pace column. I wound up being far more intrigued than I expected.

This was a difficult column to write because, at first, I wrote more about how I missed the dunk. Then, about 500 words into the column, I decided to shift my focus. So I rewrote the piece because my opinion had changed. That happens about once every two weeks, or twice a a month, for me. Sometimes, it takes a lot of writing before you realize what you really think.

I really think raising the goal to 11-feet is a good idea that I'd like to see more of. Obviously, Saturday's game featured many players who are limited in ability. I want to see the LeBron Jameses and Kobe Bryants of the world play on 11-feet goals and then make up my mind.

Today's column did get to the heart of one matter: We must do something to fix basketball in the United States. And I'm open to radical measures. Whatever it takes to improve fundamentals and make this brand of basketball the best it can be, I'm all for.

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