Evening journal., 1892-11-07

tIie condition of amateur port lu4t t pres
eut is very critical The desire on thc pait
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 20 do things that are very unhccom
.ng and subvCr,ive of the best intcre.ls cf
amateur sport.
"The college men keep a Sharp lookout
on the preparatory schools, and frequently
when promising youugster rs scen n
duccments are offered for him TO go to Obi,
college or that, so as TO be q memherol the
baseball nine or football eleven, and ,n on
And so also the big city clubs keep au rse
on the collegians and on promising young
sters in the country, with the idea OF in.
ducing such as these TO join their clubs
and help them win points. Now as soon as
"A man accepts any yinducement-thutis is amy
material roward-he ceases TO be an ANA
teur or should cease
ANY one with eyes In his head and q
chance to look at the men forming the
teams Of the great clubs will see that the
majority ~ them are not amateurs Take
a young fellow without private means,
who travels all around devoting his whole
time 20 athletics. and who has good clothes
/
is one TO do but conclude that he is living
by sport, which is his profession9 This Is
not nearly the case to such great extent
with the colleges, but that it is practiccd
there somewhat makes the condition OF
amateur athletics an the more critical"
what remedy would you applyw
asked
"rhat Is rather difficult 90 say" Mr.
Whitney replied, rbut some remedy must
| be applied ut once else amateur athletes
will find that the public takes precious it,
tie interest in them. Take college football,
for instance II can't be that the great
crowds that 10 10 see these contests in New
York every Thanksgiving day go really be-
cause the people In these crowds are in
tensely interested in the sport as sport
i 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 yenrs past IL has been the
| swell thing 60 90 10 these matches. This
| great interest Is because the spectators be-
| lieve that they are seeing young fellows OF
/ their own kind struggle for supremacy.
Let them know or suspect that several of
these players ere hired, directly or iudi
rectly, and the interest will fan on 90 per
cent. 40 once.
"lhese football contests have drawn big
money, and amusement purvcyors have
been anxious TO control them, and have
done so 70 % certain extent Inst year and
The year before seats were sold 40 auction
and brought prices ns high as opera tickct..
This was all wrong, and so FAR as college
football is concerned 10 will be stopped
! The University Athletic club has been
formed In New York, aud this club viii
hereafter manage these games aud also
exert it's influence 20 prevent any forms oi
professionalism from entering into collee,
sport II college sport can Dee kept pure it
will naturally have an influence on the
sport as conducted 10y the clubs
a few ycnrs ago TN the ramcs cf tn0
clubs there were ten college mcn cHmrernl
TO- where there IS one now 10 tlccluI
make mp their teams entirely of profs
sionals then thc best elements now latia.
an interest ga athletics will lose chat lu.
est and Withdraw their support Tine tend
ency has unquestionablY been toward pro