Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-06
A AREV|EW OF SPORTS.
Reasons Why Football Is Likely to
Become a Great Profess
sional Game.
COLLEGE CONTESTS AND BOXING.
latest Features of the Baseball Situation
and the Probabilities
of Peace
SUILIVASS LATE COSTLY SPREE
Local Billiard and Pool Contests-Genersl Puglistic
COLLEGE CONTESTS AND BOXING.
SULLTvASS LATE COSTLY SPREE
Local Billiard and Pool Contests-Geners Pugilistic
Events Of the Week

rests itself: What about its future? Will
the game be taken ur and carried on by
professionals? This question has often
been asked during the last few days and be-
cause OF lis importance L propose to discuss
the matter at some length to-day. But
whatever answer NAV be given to the ques-
ton it cannot be other than speculative, as
sn answer will he merely matter of opin-
ion. In nv way of thinking L cannot avoid
the conviction that football playing in this
country will be carried on by paid PLAYERS:
Ihat is by bona tide professionals. Whether
or not that is a confirmation deyoutly to
he wished l do not say at present, but every
thing tends 90 prove that football will just
be as much identified with professionalism
a. almost any other sport.
Why do l think SO? Why simply be-
cause the of money there is in 1t. Just as sure
a. the public fancy takes hold of foot
ball and public money in vast Sums is paid
20 see it Just, as sure will capital he invested
in the game and spectators will hire play
ers TO satisfy that public whim, fancy or
whatever it may De. This is as sure to nap
pen as darkness follows daylight. Exper-
Sence proves il 10 US beyond n doubt and no
SsA4Ei l'LtpA ASNA 'c SlNEil TIC IlsloiN
Of baseball Of course this professionalism
NAV uot come FOR some time but if football
continues to grow in popularity and if the
public want TO see plenty Of ii depend upon
j. paid teams viii come into existence simply
because amateurs will not have the time at
command nor as reaal mateurs have the money
either 20 ,ulltil the public requirements.
The development of football in England
goes 10 prove what l am saving. In that
L.. l.
Rtsd. which you viii, from q sport Of the
purest kind OF amateurism into one of the
greatest branches of professionalism i'm the
country. Football PLAYERS are there signed
ana receive salaries on the same principle as
30 baseball players here. Il has been
found that there IS moGey in il and it has
become a business.
viii 1t Iniure the Gamee
Well, then. the foregoing suggests another
question, viz. Will il he TO the advantage of
football il It gels into the hands of pro-
1sssionals? J fail Ia see why it will not
None of US can truthfully say that baseball
has not been immensely benefited by its
professional features. Why the ruth is
Jhsf almost all thai is now good in baseball
has heen put there by professionals. and hy
the latter I mean players and capitalists
|A-NtA4'%
attained in football? There is no reason
wnv. If football were to become a thor
ou-hlv professional came there is 10 reason
Why we should lot have better leans bv far
in the country than either Yale, Harvard
or Princeton. ard on this point L am san
guine enough 10 predict that if ever foot
hall in this country becomes professional
game there will be professional teams Just
s. much superior to the college teams as
professional baseball teams are superior TO
the baseball college teams of TODAY Were
5t necessary To state them. there are any
amount Of good reasons for this prediction,
and one strong enc is the fact that the
country Is bigger than anv college, and
therefore has Eore good PLAYERS, or ma
terial 70 make good PLAYERS. 10 offer. 1t is,
therefore, safe 10 say that II football play
sing becomes game for professionals the
quality Of the PLAYING viii he improved.
Now let Us say few words as to the
moral features or probabilities. l am quite
aware Of the very large number Of people
who are continually V irving to Jump on pro-
feSsioEalisla. Ii is blamed for almost all
The robheries and frauds that are committed
within its circles. and hence ii is natural TO
expect th&t those who so blame it see moth
ing but degradation in professional sport.
i Is quite true that there is an alarming
state Of rotgenness in professional sports of
today all over the civilized world, but
while this is true we must not forget the
racr that wherever 2 snort or paStime is
popular or anything like national, and
where there are vast sums OF money invested
IN it, Tne great object Of those interested is
10 make that sport as purely moral and
honest as possible. True, there are frauds
and many of them, in horse racing but
everything is being done that can be done
10 prevent them. just as efforts are contin-
Uallv being made TO prevent frauds and
Ewindles in amateur athletic sports. Who
can say that the morality of baseball has not
been put on q higher plane by its profess
sional development? If this we're not so
baseball would collapse in a season as a
great sport. And so it will be with foot
ball. If money is invested IN it because of
the public demand for it. that verv fact will
operate to It's moral advantage. because the
public would instantly drop it were it being
demoralized; therefore, self-interest would
make those who had money invested in it
see that everything was carried on in the
most honest and fair-dealing manner.
Another Good Adyant
We are talking longer about football than
Jexpected, but there is one more feature
shat must discuss and that is the very
rough nature OF football Were professional
teams to play the game am fully persuaded
that almost all of the very rough features
would disappear; not because professionals
would have less pluck to get into q scrim-
mage and pummel each other, but because
of the penalties that would be imposed on
the paid PLAYERS who insisted in acting as
-'slugCers" and rough and tumble fighters.
Professionals are just as ready in a contest
10 face probable injuries as the most enthus-
jsstic amateurs. We nave seen this in baseball
bat it is easier to enforce discipline and
systematic play among salaried players
than among players who are in the game for
pastime or fancy.
There may be q little depression in what
I'm going to say, but L want to point out
that there is a glaring inconsistency among
MANY people who are ardent patrons Of
what we know as college football During
the season in almost every game there are
hand-to-hand contests aud collisions that
border on the brutal, and the work is
cheered bv ladies snd gentlemen. But
these same people rail and clamor against
four-round boxing contest between two
men with six or seven-ounce gloves. This
is one of the strangest things that has come
20 nv notice in all nv 3 years experience
IN sporting matters. The inconsistency is
the most absurd on record. On
Thanksgiving Day L witnessed
game in which Brown, of the Media
team. had his face and head covered with q
mass OF bandages He was cut and bruised
and had a more battered head than many
men Tho have fought for an hour in prize
ring. Under the disadvantage his heroism
was remarkable, and he was cheered. In