Morning journal and courier., 1888-07-19
POLO.
Will the League Go To Pieces:-The
 Latest News.

Will the League Go 10 Pieces:-The Latest News.
 The latest news in polo is that Bridgeport will probably have no team during the com ing season. The team has never made any money, but on the contrary it's management has laid out 8 good deal of cash. Much money was expended last winter in removing the rink down to it's present location. The Bridgeport management have 8 chance to rent the rink for the entire season, and it is quite likely that the chance will be accepted.
 Waterbury will in all probability be out of the league, for if the team sticks a new rink will have to be built. It is hardly probable that with polo on the wane the directors will expend any more money.
 It has not been decided whether polo will be played in New Haven or not Part of the directors are in favor of having team, while the others are not. So matters stand. When the time comes to settle the matter the ma jority will of course rule. Nobody knows yet which side has the majority. If there is no team, it will mean the disruption of the Connecticut league.
 Polo could probably live while longer, but it is doubtful if more than two years more. It had become an interesting sport and there were great many patrons of the game. There was no reason why the game could not have been kept up for years, but the prospect. The public in these days of prosperity is not to be fooled and no one in- terested directly in the sport can resort to all kinds of tricks without the pub lie getting disgusted. Last season there was any amount of sluggipg amongst the players. People did not go to see a prize fight or a bull contest in the amphitheater, !, uhokk khoNy Ral fo times last season. The players whacked each other Intentionally and their disposition for fstic encounters would crop out so much that they would oftentimes elinch and pound each other in the head. The referee would generally fine the combatants and then there
 would come 8 kick from the management. The referee can kill or make the game of polo. But, with managers against him, what could he do! It was demoralizing to him and to the public. He didn't dare do what he thought was strictly right in all cases because he was afraid he would be bounced. The head men of polo were not far-sighted enough to see that by such &C., tion they were killing polo and robbing their own pockets; it was only for the mo- ment that they thought. There would be no question now as to there being polo during the coming season if the referees had
 been rightfully supported last season. The manager of the Meridens would see his team play, and no matter if they played the dir- tiest kind of polo and sluRged to their hearts, content, yet if beaten he would write about half column of abuse the next day relative to the referees work against his team. The directors of the teams would heap abuse on the referees if their favorites were beaten, and what would be more natural than for the public to take up the same cry.
 In base ball the day has passed when the loss of every game is attributed to the um- pire. Nine games out of ten are lost because of inferior playing. The umpires are backed up by the league and this gives them conf dence.
 This, in fact, is the one thing more than anything else which has caused decreasing interest in polo.
 have team it is not known who will be manager. Last year much fault was found with the management It is hard to tell who was most at fault. Both sides had griev- ance, and both seemed plausible enough. Yet there is no doubt that there was lack of discipline of the players by the manager. They were too easily handled. A manager to be successful wants to be amongst the players.
 Take Manager Spence of the Indianapolis base ing at frst-class hotel, while the players were at hotel near the ball grounds. They were playing indifferently and losing games, notwithstanding they liked Spence. Lately the latter has gone to board in the same house with the players, and there is great difference in their playing. Then again, ,sev- eral base ball managers have been released because they were too easy with the players.
 From all of which it should be learned that if New Haven has polo team man. ager should be selected who can mingle with the players, and also have their respect, yet at the same time have courage enough to dis cipline the players if necessary.