Highlighting the LIU Men's Basketball Team's Boycott of the 1936 Olympics
Ken Norton, Irv Torgoff, Art Hillhouse, Leo Merson and Ben Kramer helped LIU to an undefeated season in 1935-36.
8/12/2008 1:42:15 PM
Brooklyn, N.Y. - In an article published on August 8, the New Jersey Jewish Standard highlighted the decision of the entire Long Island University men's basketball team to boycott the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The Blackbirds were one of the top teams in the nation that year and among the favorites to represent the United States at the games. LIU boasted several of the top collegiate players and were in the midst of a 43-game win streak after posting a perfect 25-0 record during the 1935-36 season.
The story, written by Raphael Medoff, points out that LIU was one of the few teams to decline participating in the qualifying tryouts. With some Jewish players on the team, the entire squad boycotted the games and university President Tristram Metcalfe announced the Blackbirds "decided not to compete [in the tryouts] because the university would not under any circumstances be represented in the Olympic Games held in Germany."
The text of the entire article can be found by clicking here.