The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-04

ent is very critical. The desire on the mart
OF clubs to secure points in the games and
the anxiety on the part of colleges to over.
come their rivals have induced the man
ayers of both athletic clubs and college
clubs to do things that are very unbccom.
ing and subversive of the best interests of
amateur sport.
1.-THE college men keep a sharp lookout
on the preparatory schools, and frequently
when promising youngster is seen in
ducements are offered for him to go to this
college or that, so rs to be Il member of the
baseball nine or football eleven and so on.
And so also the big city clubs keep an eve
on the collcgians and on promising young
sters iii the country, with the idea of in
ducing such as these to join their clubs
and help them win points. Now as soon us
man accepts any inducemcnt-that is any
material rcward-he ceases to be an anna.
teur or should cease.
ANY one with eyes in his head and n
chance to look ut the men forming the
teams of the great clubs will see that tho
majority of them are not amateurs. Take
young fellow without private means.
who travels all around devoting his whole
time to athletics, and who has good clothes
on his back and money in his pocket, what
Is one to do but conclude that he is living
by sport, which is his profession? This is
not nearly the case to such great extent
with the colleges, but that it is practiced
there somewhat makes the condition of
amateur athletics all the more critical"
What remedy would you applys" !
asked
THAT IS rather difficult to saw" Mr..
whitney replied, but some remedy must
De applied Mt once, else amateur athletes
Will find that the public takes precious lit
N Tnl-. al. g..
for instance. 1t can't be that the great
crowds that 20 to see these contests in New
York every Thanksgiving day 20 really be-
cause the people in these crowds are in
tensely interested in the sport us snort.
That is not the reason, for these crowds
are composed of the best and most fashion
able people of the metropolitan district.
and for several years past it has been the
swell thing to go to these matches. This
great interest is because the spectators be.
lleve that they are seeing young fellows of
their own kind struggle for supremacy.
Let them know or suspect that several of
these players are hired, directly or indi.
rectly, and the interest will fall off so DER
cent. mt once.
"Thesc football contests have drawn big
money, and amusement purveyors have
been anxious to control them, and have
done so to II certain extent. Last year and
the year before seats were sold ut auction
and brought prices as high as opera tickets.
This was all wrong, and so far ms college
football is concerned it will be stopped.
The University Athletic club has been
formed in New York, and this club will
hereafter manage these games and also
exert its influence to prevent any forms of
professionalism from entering into college
sport. If college sport can be kept pure it
Will naturally have an influence OH the
sport as conducted by the clubs
"A few years ago in the games of the
clubs there were ten college men competing
to where there is one now. If the clubs
make up their teams entirely of profess
SIGNALS then the best elements now taking
an interest in athletics will lose that inter
est and Withdraw their support. The tend
ency has unquestionably been toward pro