PLAYERS LOSE OUT
CHSAA scares hoop stars into backing out of ‘Battle for City’
IN THE END, the CHSAA’S caution ultimately won out.
After a contentious week in which the city’s Catholic basketball league urged its players not to participate in the “Battle for the City” all-star games — organized and run by Funsport, Inc. founder and CEO Rickey Rivers, and promoted as a CHSAA vs. PSAL event — the games went on without the starstudded lineups Rivers had promised.
The first game to be played on Saturday at Baruch College, a freshmen versus sophomores matchup, did not feature a single player from the CHSAA. Instead, players from the PSAL were mixed up and went head-to-head.
“One or two wanted to (play),” Rivers said of the Catholic league players. “I told them not to.”
On Thursday, CHSAA officials urged league coaches to warn their players about taking part in the event, fearing that because it was unsanctioned it would jeopardize players’ eligibility. The league also has strict rules against underclassmen taking part in all-star games.
So with just a few CHSAA athletes willing to take part in the underclassmen game, Rivers told them to stay away and not go against their league’s wishes.
On his website, www.funsportinc.com, Rivers insisted that the game would not violate any rules, and also wrote that the CHSAA was merely spreading “propaganda” in order to keep its players from taking part in the games.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education did not warn the PSAL players against playing in the games, but it did make clear that it was not associated with the game.
In the varsity event, many of the CHSAA players listed as participants did not show up. To make sure there were enough players for both teams, five PSAL players moved over to play for the Catholic squad.
Xaverian sharpshooter Brian Bernardi was there, for the simplest of reasons.
“I just wanted to play basketball,” Bernardi said. “We’re here to have fun, to put on a show for the crowd.”
Bernardi said he hadn’t spoken his coach, Jack Alesi, about the game. Other coaches in the league, such as Holy Cross’ Paul Gilvary and Christ the King’s Joe Arbitello, warned their players not to play in the game.
St. Raymond coach Oliver Antigua was scheduled to coach the Catholic team but pulled out, according to Rivers, who said that the CHSAA had “banned” its coaches from taking part in the event. Ruth Lovelace, coach of the three-time defending PSAL champion Boys & Girls team, was on the PSAL bench but did not want to discuss the matter.
Two of Antigua’s players, Daniel Dingle and Nkereuwem Okoro, did play in the game.
“I’ve known Rickey since I was a kid and I trust him,” said Dingle. “I know he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize my eligibility or anything like that.
“All the talk (by the CHSAA) didn’t bother me at all,” Dingle added. “I spoke to my coach, and he told me that I’m a senior and he would leave it up to me.”
Rivers was defiant at the event and jabbed at the Catholic league, asking the crowd over the loudspeaker, “Is (CHSAA Brooklyn/queens president) Ray Nash in the house?”
Later, Rivers asked the fans to tweet about the game.
“You have to let them know they did not stop me,” Rivers said.