Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-06

the wlseacres OF amateurlsm are now CON-
PEELED to face the question of professional
lsm in their ranks
Most of the prominent amateur athletes,
both in this country and in England, are
nothing more or less than thorough-going
professionals. The rulers OF the League of
American Wheelmen have finally dis
covered that most of their best wheelmen
are professionals simply because they are
making living BY their abilities as wheel
men. 1t has been found that these men
who do nothing else but ride bicycles from
one years end to years end, have a very
great advantage over the amuteurs of a
genuine stamp; those who are only in the
sport for the love of it and who do not wish
to make q cent out of it. 1t has also been
found that many of the leading bicyclists
are paid by bicycle manufacturing firms to
ride the particular kind of wheels made by
these firms.
rulers have not taken this question in
hand long before. One cannot for mo-
ment think that they were ignorant of the
facts of the case. 1t does seem that there
has been desire for long time to keep
the matter quiet, and that the paid ANA
teurs" have become so numerous that halt
had to be called at last. 1t really is inter-
esting to note that during recent seasons
some unfortunates, who now and again won
bicycle in competition and sold for
cash were suspended, while the star riders
of amateur ranks. those who were almost
daily upholding the glory and prestige of
amateurism, we're receiving good fat salaries
L.,
doomed. And when these matters have
been pointed out from time to time replies
have been confined to abuse and insult.
ALine Has to Be Drawn.
According to published reports there is
TO be line drawn between the amateur
who. is paid for doing his work and the
amateur who does not get pay and does not
want paw. To be sure, everybody will ex-
pect line to be drawn, but the strangest
feature OF the entire business is that both
classes are to be called and classified anna
teurs How this will improve the status of
amateurism fail to see, simply because
paid performers will still be in its ranks.
If line has to be drawn, why not draw a
courageous one and fair one? There can
be no halfway measure; amateurism is
either entirely free from the taint of paid
performers, or it is not amateurism at all
And the League of American Wheelmen
is not the only organization that has paid
performers in its ranks. Foryears what We
have known as leading amateur performers
have more or less been paid men. Some of
the most glaring cases can be found in the
ranks of English cricketers; but there are
Just as many instances IN this country.
Will ANYBODY explain to me how Donoghue,
the skater, was not paid man during his
visits to Europe? Quite true club may
have paid him and paid him in way to
come within the limits of amateur law, but
that does not affect my contention. l con-
tend that TO have amateurlsm at ell no man
should be paid. 1t is the shcerest nonsense
to talk about so and so being an amateur
when he does nothing else from January
until December but follow his particular
sport at the expense of other people The
truth is that many of our amateur athletes
have better and a more profitable time OF
It than the most successful professional that
ever lived.
There is still another very interesting
feature In this amateur matter Despite
the fact OF so many paid performers being
in existence. there has been the most de-
termined stand taken against cash prizes
This stand really is so Pecksniffian and in
consistent that one cannot refrain from
good laugh over it. More annoying still
the other dar Zimmerman, who has no
other visible means of making a living than
by bicycling for long time, very gravely
states that he was opposed to cash prizes
because it would injure the status of anna
teurism. What do you think OF that my
friends? Now if Mr.. Zimmerman or some
BODY else / know, would only tell US why
cash prizes would injure amateurism anv
more than cash paid to performers as salary,
we would probably take different view OF
the matter
If those gentlemen who have the rules of
amateurism in their making and keeping,
want to maintain, or L may say regain its
prestige, should not for moment hes
itate to purge amateur ranks of every paid
or salaried man. If this is not done then it
will be mere mockery to draw distinction
between professionals and amateurs.
The Leading Football Teams.
During the week just ended pages have
been written about the leading football
teams and their prospects for the champion
shin. There probably never was a time
when opinions regarding the respective
merits of these teams were so conflicting.
A Yale writer will tell us that Yale will be
all right and that Princeton and Harvard
will not Supporters of Harvard and
Princeton are Just as confident that Yale
WON'T be ''in it," and there we are. Al
ready there has been considerable betting
on the games, particularly on that which is
TO take place between Princeton and Yale
on Thanksgiving Day.
Judging from the playing of the various
teams the coming championship contests
are likely to be hard ones. Many people
are confident that the Princetons will show
cd much stronger than they did last year.
Their game with the Chicago team last
Wednesday may have modified this opinion
somewhat, but il must not be forgotten that
the Chicago team are really wonderful lot
of PLAYERS, and really would not have been
surprised If they had defeated the Prince
tons. 1t is quite probable that the Prince
tons are not as strong as many people be-
lieve them to be.
Yale so far has not shown up as strong a.
she was last year. Il will require week or
SO before ANYTHING like correct estimate
of Yale's strength can be formed She will
have a good team, and very likely WIN
ming one.
Harvard mas already good and reliable
lot Of players and the supporters of the
Cambridge men are already betting lively
OF their team defeating Yale.
Locally, interest in the winter sport is
getting stronger every day. Thousands CT
people are anticipating next Saturdays
contest between the Three A. and the 2.
4. C. team If the weather is fine there is
sure to be large crowd present and great
game will take place. If the contest is
conducted as centlemanly as was the last
between these two teams all will be we'll,
no matter what side is victorious. Both
teams are good ones and it is to be hoped
that both will get fairplay.
General situation of Baseball.