The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-05
WITH FaE COIIEGE LTHLEYES
DOINGS IN THE FIELD or SPORT
IN EAST AND WEST.
TrOdbled Ttmes ~ NIscoaaln Once More
Grew Attacked as Usual When Cru
SADIE Against Athiealcs Is On-LAwp
Tennis work In Universities Active.

- S9A1 tAN 49,
Sade Against Athieilcs IL On-LAWp
Tennis work In Universities Active.
Some one o~omnSantlng on the rise In the
price OF elephants wound w his remarks by
saying, III II isn't one thing. it's another
That p q very apt Comment on the present
situation in the University Of Wisconsin,
where soune OF the regents are now about
to attempt TO pull down the fabric Of the ath-
letio organisation there. II has been figured
out by these men that athletic sports cost
too much for a State university to maintain.
This, however, Il not the greatest objection.
The contention y made that intercollegiate
sport is q bad thing. The idea that Presi-
dent Butler has put forth at Columbia, that
intrauniversity and not iptekuniversity attn
letics lie to bedesired is the same feeling that
the Wisconsin regents express.
The Wisconsin dificulty 10 an unfortunate
thing; II appeals TO many men. One OF the
first things aimed at by the regents hostile
TO athletics 10 the Wisconsin navy. The crew
men nave been the storm centre Ia the Mad
ison institution for years. They have .
double fight to make. For n thing,
weather conditions are strongly against
them and money Ii scarce. Crews cost
money, q great deal Of money. When Wis
cohsin by pinching and ecraping manages
10 get enough 10 send a crew to the Hudson
II involves greater aacrihceS than the wealth.
Ter colleges have to make. In fact 1t Is q
situation little understood here In the East
10 make-mattSFs worse the Wisconsin men
have the nature Of the ~springtime in Wis
consin 10 fight against. Late spring and
- AAAt~ wAA.kt4D
But WORSE than all that Ia the strong
feeling among the regents, oil at least q
small number Of the regents, that there
should not be q Wisconsin crew. Every
beating adds to the strength Of their argu-
mept, they believe, for the objeoton are
Of the kind whose belief il that the only
sort Of athletic team to be supported 10 the
winning variety. That spirit IL well known
in some colleges in the East, too, II may be
explained. What with the expense, the
defeats and tho fact that few Wisconsin
men ever zee their crews In races, tine oars-
men have q hard row TO hoe. no pun being
intended. So 1t Ia that they are the first
to be attacked when 4 spasm Of athletic
reform strikes the Badger university. It
be mentioned as greatly to thu credit
Of the Westerners that they have never
failed TO send a crew 10 the Hudton regatta
since they began their trips East many
years ago.
What strikes the average college man
most unfortunate in the latest agitation
at Wisconsin is that it 10 not 90 long since
the athletic organization there had q radng
over. Last fall Was Q very troubled time
at Wisconsin. 1t took at least three months
Of heartbreaking waiting for the regents
to decide the fate Of intercollegiate sport
Maditon. There was first talk OF wiping
all suoh competitions. The baseball
team dlsbanded last spring In the face Of
the u~nfavorabls movement. The track
team wss composed Of about three men,
and ONE Of them was disqualified unfairly,
it ives commanded, on the eve Of the con-
meet. The football coach withdrew
in the spring, chiefly, 1t must be believed,
because he q positive that there would
be no team for him to coach when the next
season began for the other colleges. 1t
known, too, that 1t was Andrew 0'Dea's
last season as Grew oosch, and the fact that
he was going to leave. coupled with the
knowledge that il was hard, u not i'm
to get anything like a good new
coach, put rowing in a precarious state
Tor the nth time.
Owing to the attitude Of President Van
Hise the situation was saved. Some college
presidents have come out OF less troubled
situations with decidedly less credit. He
xept his head and did not yield to what
may be called popular olamor. He analyzed
The whole state Of affairs and when he had
at a decision he made IL clear that
he university might continue toSupport
teams and not 20 absolutely to
corruption, so called, that had been made
lust before the agitation, aud he looked at
he whole range OF battle with q calm eye,
Az a result, when the university opened
n the fall there was a football team. In
he winter there was q basketball team
In. The basketball team went lite
way through the season and the track ath-
etes are working. The Grew is doing we'll
ind is expected to do better. In fact II is
OF note that since last fall h % Wis
teams have been rather more sue
than in past seasons. Perhaps
here 10 something after all in having the
ceiling that the president of ones uni
lie with the athletes and not against
II is encouraging TO those who want
o see ATHLETIC sports In the colleges nan
whose faces have been set against the game
ire In a minority,
While on the subject Of Western sport 1t
worth while to pay come attention
the complications that have arisen in the
conference association. After Michigan
ZONES Nebraska. The Wolverines having
been read ont OF the conference, the Corn
now are taking q turn at kicking
oyer the traces. To test the matter OF their
they have announced that they
cut loose from Minnesota in the sched-
game OF football, II seems now that
he conference 10 about TO have o great
for existence. The movement
by Michigan has had great results.
Those who simply put in their time berating
he Wolverines for drawing out now have
something like reL work 70 do to hold to-
,ether the once Big Nine.
II was said whom Michigan began the
oackslidlng that the Wolverines were suf-
ering from an exaggerated idea OF their
Importance. LET them CO. was the
GENERAL expression. They'll be glad 10 DO
AIKEN back pretty SOON By this time.
however, il has been realized that this In not
he case. Michigan except In q few minor
Ways ie morS or less sufiotent 10 iteelf.
men are able to get enough football
,ames, and good ones. outside the eon-
colleges. As for baseball. perhaps
he 4 ames that can be played will not count
or championships. but the z treat delight OF
he middle Western oolleget ia 70 figure
tiles on comparative scores. in track
athletics, what with dual meets which may
20 ARRANGED against the combined State
,enSN.s go fkX DNnnhyIyaoia rAIay naRnan |