The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-29
Spnintng

There is every reason to believe that
there will be a rule enacted before
very long by the Amateur Athletic
union prohibiting men from competing
for colleges and athletic clubs at the
same time. The purpose of the rule
Will be to prevent a man from repre-
senting his college athletic team until
the end of the college term in June
and then turning Immediately to an
athletic club and competing in July,
august. and September. 1t is argued
that there should be no differentiation
between the man who shifts his al
ieglance from one athletic club to an
other and the man who transfers from
enc college to an athletic club and
back again. 1t is contended that the
legitimate athletic club contestant is
Disseminated against unduly.
When the proposal to enact such a
rule is put forth there will undoubt-
eddy be loud vail. The change will
be Immediately made that the move
is made to cripple the Irish-American
Athletic club, which is largely COM
posed of such men. In measure the
charge will be a true one, for it is
the lrish-American Athletic club that
has offended against the morale of
athletics by inducing college stars,
wherever possible, to run in its colors
until the practice has become as great
an evil as summer baseball. but that
partisanism will prompt it can be
readily denied. Clubs have permitted
the practice and many OF them have
encouraged it for years, but the abuse
has never been SO fragrant as at pres
ent. 1t has reached a stage now
where remedy is demanded.
One would naturally expect the COL
leges to take some action in the prem
ises. and 1t is not unlikely that they
VIII. 1t Is certain that Harvard has
frowned upon it, for when Kersburg,
the Harvard weight thrower and foot
ball man. allied himself with the New
York Athletic club he was informed
that he would jeopardize his chances
OF representing Harvard by wearing
the Winged Foot. There was nothing
in the rules Of either the Amateur
Athletic union or the intercollegiate
association to prevent it, but Harvard
felt that the class of men who were
competing for outside organizations
while IN college was such as to arouse
adverse criticism, and Harvard did not
care to cOuntenance the practice.
How soon Harvards stand will be fol-
lowed by other colleges is a question.
but 1t will certainly not take long.
Meantime there is only one reason
that can be advanced for the practice
This is that man cannot compete in
Metropolitan championships, for in
stance. unless he is member of a
club in the Metropolitan district But
ne can compete in open games in the
colors OF his college, and when the
rule is passed prohibiting him from
representing an athletic club until
three months after he has represented
his college. 1t will also be changed to
allow him to enter district CHAMPION
ships when his college is located in
the district This answers the last
objection to the change
Examining the list of men who have
been running for the Irish-American
Athletic club and for the New York
Athletic club who achieved distinction
in colleges before they were sought
for athletic club membership, it will
be found that there are today twenty
two prominent college men. some of
them Intercollegiate champions, who
arc eHIolIeu III the TWO cluDS ana ac-
tually competing for them. Not five
of these men are residents of New
York. when their club membership
would be natural, and the majority of.
them have come to New York and ac-
cepted the courtesies OF the clubs.
Every man who has left his home to
come here purely to race has laid him
self open to suspicion. 1t is time that
precautions were taken to prevent the
creation of more Arthur Duney's.