The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-22
SAYS WEST IS
BETTER THAN EAST
Magazine Writer Paints Black
Picture of Athletics in
East.
Big Nine Conference Action
Said to Be Distinct Steps
Forward.

eastern writers, pointed in citation OF
comparison at western athletes. as to
their amateur standing, there now
arises voice in the land Of the rising
sun which proclaims that the west is the
leader in pure athletics today and that
the eastern schools might profit by fol
lowing the action of the "Big Nine"
conference.
H. B. Needham, writing under the
heading of "The College Athlete" in
the Mcclure IS Magazine for July, says
that summer baseball and other ten
fessionalizing the athletic undergradu-
ate and destroying the spirit Of fair
play in college sport. All of his cita-
lions of rule evasions are picked from
the big schools Of the east. He de-
scribes just how the eastern athletes
evade the rules by trickery which, while
it is legal, must be bad on the con-
science Of the offender.
West in Lead.
The middle west Is awarded the palm
of leading in reform. The writer cites
the rule adopted year ago by the
conference relative to summer baseball,
and says that if this rule was in vogue
in the east that a majority of the east
ern college baseball players would be
debarred from further participation in
athletics
Under the new rule Of the conference
by which !" common report can be
taken as a basis for action by the ath-
| letic authorities, the action may be ar
bitrary, but the writer Of the Mcclure
article says that summer baseball has
become such menace that it demands
heroic treatment.
stadium, pointing out that it was in
| tended primarily for bootball. While
! it is not cited, Minnesota g athletic
field is in marked contrast. Northrop
field has it's gridiron, running track,
baseball field, tennis courts and allotted
space for the weight throwers and gym
nasts and athletes Of every kind.
Professional Coaching.
On the question Of professional coach
ing as compared with amateur, the
writer admits that he is treading on
debatable ground. He says that pro-
fessional coach of good moral charae-
ter, one who plays no favorites and
Evil do the e Young athletes no o0 HARM
| The writer is evidently too much blind
ed by his prejudice to admit that such
a man may be Of great benefit to the
athletes, as in the case at Minnesota.
On the other hand, he takes fling at
amateur coaches such as have in the
| pdSC COHp0lloQ Cl61T DOdTQS Ol COuLIOA
to pay wine and cigar bills.
The new one-year rule Of the Big
Nine conference is pointed to as. a good
thing for the elimination of semiprofes-
SIGNALS from college sport, and advises
the eastern schools, if they cannot purl.-
fly their athletics, to follow the west
in it's rules. The writer concludes with
letics have been worse than they are
today, but that there is still room for
! Improvement. w..
| Gull1ble Professors.
An amusing feature of the story is
the sidelights on the ignorance OF some
of the eastern faculty supervisors OF
athletics in their various schools. These
stories are worth reading, and the read,
er cannot but smile when he attempts
to imagine such men as Jones of Min,
nesota, Stage Of Chicago, Pettingill OF
, Michigan and others of the big, nine
making such breaks as these way
l down east' professors are said to have
done.
Taken. as q whole, the article is
: pared with the east. While no one as
sumes to say that the west is spotless
there is less Of the evasion and trickery
ist in the east. Taken by this writer :
standards, Minnesota seems to be ia
vored in every way. Her athletic di
rector, DR.. +: L.. Williams is a MAJ ma !
Of high standing in the MEDICAL world
capable Of Judging for himself Just how
much athletic work each candidate il
} capable of taking and not iniuring him
2 self. His private life is that Of practii
toner of splendid CHARACTER ana suci
| to the young men who come under hi
care. Dean Jones, the faculty represen
tative in athletic, affairs, is a natura
I lover of sports and a stick1er for purl
. ty in athletics. He is possessed Of
I greater degree of iberality than, i
usually encountered il the man ~ who Rnd ha
;. every hook and crook of. the athleti
Q game and can spot "ringer" with
Y Out trouble. All Of these things, i
I addition to the testimony Of the east
: ern writer, should &C. far to remove attn
e letics in the varsity from the oc:casiona
Y attacks Of sensation seekers, rising fror
little knowledge and still less thinking