Generals Win! The Generals Win!

Last week I noted that the Washington Generals are hiring, which was occasion to relive some of the storied franchise's great moments: Red Klotz's invention of the barnstorming losers; their 6-13,000 record against the Harlem Globetrotters; and their final victory against the Globetrotters, in 1971. The last of which prompted this fantastic note from Wade Cook:

According to the Wikipedia reference, the last time the Washington Generals beat the Harlem Globetrotters was in 1971 in Martin, Tennessee. That is my hometown and I saw that game. I was 7 years old. My dad took my older brother and me. We watched the game in the University of Tennessee at Martin gymnasium, where the college team played ball. I was a little boy watching something magical; I remember talking about it for days afterwards.

I've always wondered how those six upsets transpired? Did the Globetrotters just miss some routine shots in the last minutes of the game? Or did the Generals come out looking to win? I asked Wade, who responded,

My impression has always been the latter--the Generals made a concerted

effort to win, for whatever reason.

But that is simply a child's impression and certainly not authoritative. My father is deceased so I can't ask him for his impression. I do clearly remember at the time that he impressed upon us that we had seen something extraordinary.