Gil Thorp by Henry Barajas and Rachel Merrill for January 04, 2016

First sensible thing we’ve heard from Max Achin’ to date.

(And to answer Starfish from yesterday, I used to follow the strip in the Springfield (MA) Union-News in the 1990s. I moved back to the Boston area in 2000, and followed it online thereafter. Possibly the Springfield paper still carries it — I’m now back in its distribution area — but I’ve no idea.)

Panel 3 would at least sort of make sense if one of those guys had a basketball.

Assuming that’s Max in P3, what doesn’t he get? Kenzie’s lack of appeal to Ken?

I think that guy who doesn’t get it is playing hopscotch. Please tell me he isn’t talking about placeberoids.

Ken and Kenzie? Gil’s already thinking about how many cool linemen those two might spawn. Of course Gil will be close to 100 by then.

Is that a rubber ducky in the shower in P2?

And in P3, I’m really not sure how standing on one foot while Ken does his own ball handling drill has anything to do with getting bigger and stronger.

Nice job on that floor Mop, it looks ready for opening night.

In all reality , P 3 nice warm up drill jump rope without a rope nice work Shorty ! Is Kinzi e Ken’s twin who was stolen from the hospital when they were born ?

Isn’t it obvious… Kenzie is gay.

Random thought to Bitsy: If the BB teams have a pep rally in the gym, a flash mob ensues, will Kenzie (Danny Zuko) break out in the hand jive baby?

Luhm has definitely outdone himself with that Zamboni finish on the floor. Did anyone else ever have to play in gyms that were so small the three point line (if we had one back then) would have run into the wall. I remember playing in a gym where a vertical support beam was actually on part of the corner of the court and they wrapped a wrestling mat around it so no one would get hurt if you ran into it.

@Gilfan79 – in the 50’s Warren E. Bow Elementary in Detroit’s gym doubled as a cafeteria (Murphy Bed type tables) You had to put your heels against the walls on the sides to ensure the 3 feet allowance to pass the ball back into play. You had to make lay ups from the side because there was only 5 feet of room from the rim to the front/back wall. It worked for youngsters learning to shoot at a ten foot high target but was dangerous beyond seventh/eighth grade.

P-1: Banana, fanna, foe, KenzieP-2: Sorry, I’m goin steady with Barbie. I gave her my pin last week.P-3: Really?

P-3: Legolas and the Ranger

I played in one gym where the center circle intersected the top of the key on both sides, and the walls were the out of bounds. Another one in a quanset building with a concrete floor.

P2 – Ken does his best Fon(zie) impression.

Well the 3-point line wasn’t a concern when I was in high school, it hadn’t been invented yet. In fact dunking was illegal until the year after I graduated. Not that I would have dunked in a game anyway. I did learn to dunk my senior year, but it was only if I got a running start from the free throw line and my success rate was about 50%. And speaking of 50%, I gave about 50% in making today’s Mopped Up Thorp. Sorry, tomorrow I’ll give 110%.

My HS gym had stairs about six feet past the end line. Get a little shove on a fast break and you could be in big trouble.

@MOP – You may save the Post Office if you keep mailing it in. Hit the Free Throw line. You can’t leave practice until you sink 3 out of 5.

No, you don’t get extra credit for converting fractions into percentages.

Mopman, nice job on the gym floor. I can darn near see my reflection in that shine

Nobody notice the escalator to the left of the stands?