The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-11
AMATEUR SPORTS
ARE CORRUPT.
Professionalism Charged in
Amateur Athletics in
Utah.
BY ELWooD S. BROWN.

ms PuNlic ol TINS state the real
Terence between the professional
ld amateur athlete as interpreted by
amateur Athletic union. 1 shall
$50 comment briefly on the various
rms of sport in the order of their
eedom from professionalism, and will
ate some of the abuses in these diff
rent lines of athletic activity.
III the hrst place it must be under
ood mat the Amateur Athletic union
an organization of international
7ope. 1t controls absolutely, with the
or various affiliated amateur
Pdies, the sport of the world. The
II amateur games at the various ex-
Rsltlons and at Athens were controlled
id conducted by this organization 1t
a1iled on this continent with the
Cnletlc League of Young Mems
PRESTON associations, the Canadian
nateur Athletic association, the In
[rcouegiate Association of Amateur
h4etes of America, the Military Ath-
TIC league. the North American Gym
lstlc union, Western intercollegiate
Enateur Athletic associations, the Ma
zPnaI 1nter-scholastic Amateur assoc
ation and the National Cycling asso-
*ation- 1t has articles of alliance
IN the amateur bodies of Europe 1t
iloWs that when an organization of
Is size and scope sets up rules for
e government of sport, which are
#cepted without question throughout
e world, these rules must be just and
Purpose of A. A. U.
The thing that the A. A. u. has to
mbat the most is the desire on the
|rt OF many athletes to turn their
hletic ability to account. The A. A
does not object to or interfere with
e recognized bona fide professional
hlete. Professionalism is absolutely
tlsfactory and legitimate if handled
II is in the big baseball leagues.
hat the A. A. U. does is to make a
EstinctiOn between the man who is in
zhletics for gain and the man who is
athletics for the pleasure he derives
pm friendly competition. The rule
ys a man is a professional if he
%akeS money out of his athletic abili-
even though that sum be as small
dollar or even less. This is lust
there can be no degree of profess
bnalism, and a man is either an anna
ur, having never taken any money,
he is a professional, having taken
me money or its equivalent.
!. Medals Highest Honor.
In the oIden days no higher honor
Uld come to an athlete than to win
e wreath of victory. The young
reciaH athletes competed for this
nor Hnd not for a consideration. We
We become a little more practical i'm
is age and endeavor to reward the
nnihg athlete now by bestowing
bon him a medal, a trophy cup, a
nnant or the like.
What destroys interest in athletics
bay, disgusts the spectator and
bakens the character of the man him
pr, is the athlete who pretends to be
amateur and is secretly taking
oney, or its equivalent, in small
hounts, all the time for athletic
prk. He is simply living a lie; he is
t honest enough to declare himself
out and out professional, for he
lows he is not good enough to hold
own with real professional ath-
les, and he knows that if he We're
admit that he is making money,
wever small the amount may be, he
build be cast from the ranks of anna
lrs.
Utah Worse Than other States.
In England and the continental cOun-
les this sort of thing is almost I'M
ard Of In the eastern states a little
it is done, about which 1 will speak
Ter: in the middle western states it
opens occasionally, but is being
pidly stamped out by the A. A. L.,
d in Utah it occurs all the time.
will now speak of the various
rms of athletics in their order Of
anIiness, beginning with the best
d going down the list, and will men,
m Some of the abuses that creep in
d some of the things the would-be
nateur must avoid if he wishes to re-
In his amateur standing.
College Athletics Clean.
roday college athletics are practical
free from the faint of professional
n A few years ago there were many
uses, but the recent purity agitation
s done much to wipe these things
- t: still there are pitfalls and minor
uses for the clean young man to
old. Over-enthusiastic football
aches try to lure good athletes away
BIN other colleges by giving them
ap Jobs, promising to get them into
desirable fraternity, securing free
orfng for them and various like I'M
rs means. They sometimes get a pro-
sstoTai pitcher to attend school long
ough to be eligible for some import
game. and sometimes they grant
due favors to attract men. But on
whole college athletics are clean.
e average college athlete is gem
man and will refuse offers if he sus-
cts that they are being made to him
cause of unusual athletic ability.
TENNIS, golf and swimming are sports
comparatively free from profession
SIN. although minor abuses creep in,
IA as side bets and free club MEM
rships.
Evil of Big Athletic Clubs.
The big athletic club comes next on
TT Abuses are frequent here be-
,se the average club endeavOrs to
We fn its membership the two classes
athlete, the amateur and the pro-
sioI5aL. Very frequently it happens
ht the amateur has greater ability
some particular line than the pro-
sionaI; he knows that in a match
&c or contest he could defeat the
OCCASIONAL, and he knows that if
chs q match were arranged he could
Ike some money, and when an anna
If athlete gets to thinking in these
annels, unless he is extraordinarily
m, he will step over the line either
emily, or secretly. Athletic clubs
II :, z x,fa offca Of Thriving NM