WILEY "BABY" BRIGGS -- A BROOKLYN LEGEND

2007 -

WILEY "BABY" BRIGGS, OF THE LEGENDARY & UNDEFEATED NEW YORK CITY CHAMPIONSHIP BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM OF 1960, PASSED AWAY RECENTLY - I AM NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATE .
WILEY PLAYED IN WHAT A GREAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD SAY WAS, THE GREATEST HIGH SCHOOL GAME OF ALL TIME - THE MARCH 1960, DUEL BETWEEN THE WINGATE GENERALS, LEAD BY ROGER BROWN AND THE KANGAROOS, LEAD BY CONNIE HAWKINS.
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In 1960, I was a 15 year old sophomore. I was " Wiley Briggs" in practice for that historic game. Coach Rosenstein had me play in the corners on offense so our defense could adjust to Briggs shooting from the baseline. Roger would laugh every time I made a J from the corner.
We all know what happened next. We let up when Hawkins fouled out. Wiley Briggs won that game, not the Hawk.
God Bless him.
Joel Barbanell - Wingate '62
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I was at that game. I was a sophomore @ Wingate sitting with some of my Boys High & Wingate friends.
Probably the most emotional game for me, that I ever attended.
Remember the great rides on the "A" train
UDEY WEBSTER - WINGATE ' 62
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I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO COACH SAM GLICKSMAN, FOR TAKING SEVERAL OF HIS DECATUR J.H.S. # 35 PLAYERS TO THAT GAME WITH TICKETS PROVIDED BY COACH HOWARD ROSENSTEIN OF WINGATE HIGH -- I CAN'T IMAGINE NOT HAVING SEEN THAT DRAMATIC GAME AND THE GREAT PERFORMANCE OF MISTER BRIGGS IN THAT PRESSURE COOKER CONTEST.
IT WAS A MAGIC AND ELECTRIC EXPERIENCE -- IT WAS FITTINGLY PLAYED IN THE REAL MADISON SQUARE GARDEN -- WITH THE NEDICKS HOT DOG STAND ATTACHED TO THE BUILDING.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WILEY HAD BEEN HAVING HEALTH ISSUES FOR SEVERAL YEARS, INCLUDING A COMA. HE MADE A FINE RECOVERY AND WAS DOING WELL, LAST I HEARD.
I CAN ONLY SAY, GOD BLESS HIM, HE WILL BE REMEMBERED AND MISSED.
TAKE CARE - CHIEF
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A NOTE FROM NEIL #5 FEUERSTEIN -- WINGATE '60
CHIEF,
How are you? Hope all is well.
Thank you for emailing the details of Wiley Briggs passing.
Although my entire experience with him was the game nearly 47 years ago, it was still a significant few hours in the history of our lives.
Especially since I, "The Defensive Specialist,” who , with help from Roger, did hold Billy Cuningham to 14 points, got a good old butt kicking from Mr. Briggs in the second half of The Game.
If I recall, painfully, he scored 25 points and was the major reason we did not run away in the last quarter, after Connie fouled out.
My memory wants to cry out that he was making shots from 60 feet out, but I am sure it was only half that distance.
In any event, I found myself compelled to pay my respects to his family and friends, and went to the wake yesterday afternoon.
I found his family to be very friendly and warm and got the feeling that he was a very well respected and cherished man.
His son and daughter were wonderful people and had smiles that lit up the room.
I met two brothers of Connie Hawkins, and had some brief, but very pleasant conversations with them and others. I was remembered as #5.
Thank you, again, for making me aware of his passing. I am still not quite sure why I went, but I am glad that I did.
All The Best, Neil
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NEIL a.k.a. # 5 -
I ADMIRE THE FACT THAT YOUR LIFE HAS NOT BEEN BUILT AROUND 32 MINUTES OF CLOCK TIME AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, WHEN ROBERT WAGNER WAS MAYOR AND EISENHOWER WAS PRESIDENT.
IF YOU DID NOT KNOW WHO YOU WERE AND WHAT WAS IMPORTANT IN LIFE, THAT GAME -- WHICH WAS THE GREATEST HIGH SCHOOL GAME EVER PLAYED AND I SAY THAT WITH UNDERSTATEMENT - COULD HAVE DOMINATED YOUR LIFE IN A VERY UNHEALTHY MANNER.
YOUR ATTITUDE, AS I SEE IT, HAS BEEN:
** IT WAS A GAME
** WE PLAYED IT
** IT WAS A MAGNIFICENT GAME
** IT IS OVER
** LET'S MOVE ON WITH OUR LIVES
THE WAY YOUR FAMILY CELEBRATED BOTH YOUR BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARY IN JUNE, WHILE YOUR WINGATE HIGH SCHOOL FELLOWS ALSO WANTED YOUR PRESENCE AT THEIR TEAM GATHERING, IS A CLEAR INDICATION THAT YOUR APPROACH WAS A WISE ONE AND HAS HELPED GET YOU TO THE POINT THAT FOLKS WANT TO BE AROUND YOU -- EVEN WHEN YOU ARE NOT BEING ASKED FOR A LOAN OR USE OF YOUR CAR.
IT IS ONLY NATURAL THAT FOLKS WERE GLAD TO SEE YOU AT THE FUNERAL SERVICE - YOU ARE # 5 -- YOU ARE A LINK TO THEIR YOUTH AND TO THE GLORIOUS PAST OF THEIR DEPARTED KINSMAN.
IT SPEAKS WELL OF WILEY BRIGGS, THAT YOU FELT THE NEED TO PERSONALLY PAY YOUR RESPECTS AND IT SPEAKS WELL OF YOU, THAT YOU RECOGNIZED BOTH THE IMPORTANCE AND THE FRAILTY OF THOSE 32 CLOCK MINUTES YOU SHARED WITH A MAN WHOM YOU WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE, IF YOU BUMPED INTO EACH OTHER ON THE STREET.
WE ARE NOT MEASURING WILEY, MARTELL WYNN, ROGER, TOMMY KUROWSKI, CONNIE, JIMMY MILLER, WALT DAVIS, STEVE S, FREDDY JONES, SAM PENCEAL, # 5, ET.AL., BY THE SCORE OF THE GAME OR HOW WELL THEY PLAYED --
A MAN'S LIFE IS A REFLECTION OF MANY ELEMENTS --

BUT THE GAME TAKES ON ADDED MEANING,
BECAUSE IT WAS A PUBLIC DISPLAY THAT
ALLOWED / INVITED
18,600 PEOPLE TO WATCH AND CAST JUDGMENT ON
OTHERWISE PRIVATE PERSONS – FAIRLY OR UNFAIRLY
WE ARE WRONG TO MAKE TOO MUCH OF THOSE 32 CLOCK MINUTES, BUT SOMETIMES THAT IS THE ONLY INFORMATION WE HAVE AND WE RUN WITH IT - LEAVING OUT THE DETAILS OF WHAT KIND OF SON, HUSBAND, FATHER, CO-WORKER, NEIGHBOR, FRIEND, ETC, THE PERSON WAS IN THE MANY YEARS THAT CAME BEFORE AND AFTER THE GAME.
THOSE SMILES AND KIND WORDS YOU EXPERIENCED AT THE SERVICE, TELLS MORE ABOUT WILEY, THAN THE GAME EVER DID -- THOSE FOLKS WERE LOOKING BACK OVER HIS 60+ YEARS AND GIVING THEIR APPROVAL TO A WHOLE LIFETIME.
YOUR BEING THERE WAS PART OF THAT POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE.
YOUR WARM RECEPTION WAS AN UNSPOKEN APPRECIATION FOR YOU MAKING THE STATEMENT, BY YOUR ATTENDANCE, THAT WILEY WAS MORE THAN JUST A GUY WHO PLAYED WELL IN A 32 MINUTE CLOCK TIME GAME, 47 YEARS AGO.
IT WAS A NICE TOUCH TO HAVE YOU, MISTER LOW KEYED, REFER TO IT AS, THE GAME.
TAKE CARE - CHIEF