Washington Generals Player Calls For Investigation Into Globetrotter Games

Washington, D.C. (Nov. 11) - A member of the Washington Generals basketball team, calling his team's 565-game losing streak to the Harlem Globetrotters "suspicious", has called for an independent investigation into the matter.

"It just doesn't seem possible," forward Jerry Phelps said from his Georgetown home, "that one team could lose that many in a row to the same team."

Phelps cited certain concerns such as the Globetrotters' ball control "antics", intimidation of referees, and distractions like "fake buckets of water and such" that the team uses with crowd members.

"I don't want to sound like a sore loser, but they seem to not play all that fair," Phelps said as he popped in a videocassette for his visitor. On it was a clip of the Generals' latest loss to the Trotters, a 102-88 beating last week.

"See? That's what I'm talking about," Phelps said as he pointed to Trotters guard Slapsy Davis dribbling between Phelps's legs and then returning to bounce the ball off Phelps's head, deflecting it to Trotters teammate Rooster Pickens for an easy layup.

Phelps then zoomed thru the tape, stopping to show other examples of his concern, such as Davis's half court hook shots and a 45-second game of keepaway, in which no Generals player came close to even tipping the ball while the Trotter players yelled, chanted, and whooped as they gaily threw the ball amongst themselves while the song "Sweet Georgia Brown" played over the PA system.

"And what's with that song?," Phelps wondered aloud. "Every time they play that damn thing, I cringe."


Jerry Phelps, as a Westminster Warrior in 1999

Phelps was particularly shaken as the tape showed a play where Davis pulled Phelps's shorts down while a Trotter teammate stole the ball and led a fastbreak, which was finished by Trotter Gordie Honeysuckle's slam dunk -- made possible for the 5-foot-2 guard thanks to a conveniently located mini-trampoline placed just past the free throw line.

"I'm pretty sure that's against the rules," Phelps said about the trampoline, adding that the Generals never seem to be the beneficiaries of such amenities.

Phelps has played for the Generals since 2000, when he graduated from tiny Westminster College in the Baltimore area.

"They (the Generals) promised me a lot of playing time," Phelps said. "I thought it was strange that every game was against Harlem, but I was starting and playing a lot.

"But we haven't won -- and that's starting to be suspicious to me."

Phelps added that the crowds seem to always be against his Generals.

"The Globetrotters have fans all over, I'm finding out," he said. "Everywhere we play, it's like 90-10 in favor of them. That's getting old, too."

But it's the losses that eat at Phelps, and the manner in which they occur.

"A few months ago, we managed to stay in the game," he related about the Generals' 99-98 loss at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds. "But with a few seconds left, Slapsy heaved the ball from 3/4 court, and I swear a second ball appeared from nowhere and dropped thru the hoop."

Phelps lamented that he, unfortunately, has no tape of that controversial ending.

Despite his concerns, Phelps plans on being in uniform next Wednesday when the Generals face the Globetrotters in Amarillo, Texas.

"Every game I think, 'Maybe this will be the night we get a win'," Phelps says as he tries to twirl a basketball on his finger with no success whatsoever.

"But damn, they get all the breaks."