The Washington herald., 1908-02-16
MATCHES TOO SHORT
Contests for Billiard Titles
Should Be 1900 Points.
LOVERS OF SPORT PROTEST
Contend that 800 Points Are Not
Sufficient to Decide Championships
and that Unless Changes Are Made
in Rules Professionals VIII Be
0vershadOwed by Amateurs.

! Unless some change is made in the rules
governing championship billiard matches
the professional branch Of the game will
| soon be overshadowed by interest in the
amateurs
Enthusiasts are becoming disguised
with the poor class Of play witnessed in
so-called championship matches between
professionals, in which the winner turns
out an average Of a good amateur or
| ''shortstop' might be ashamed
George Sutton and Ora Morningstar
played for the 1s.2 title The other night.
and the small but critical gathering Of
billiard lovers wouldn't have realized that
it was a championship match il the bills
and score cards had not set forth that
fact A much better contest can be seen
almost any night in the big Broadway
rooms. Many of the spectators did not
wait for the finish
Sutton and Morningstar ought to throw
OUT this game and get together again as
soon as possible. Both are great players,
but conditions handicapped them. Play
ing in cold ROOM they simply could not
do themselves justice. None Of the spec
tators felt that the match was decided
strictly on IFS merits. for under ordinary
conditions MOrningstar could triple the
average Sutton won with. A few nights
before the champion was averaging
around ~ in his match with George SlOs-
son. The game for the title was not an
exhibition Of what either can do.
Spectators Felt BuncOed.
q
their match for the 49, title in New York
with an average that made him blush.
On top OF that came the Joke" game
between Sutton and Morningstar. These
two title matches did the game no good.
Many spectators felt that they had been
"buncoed" and vowed never TO attend an
other title game.
When Willie Hoppe brought the Isl
title back TO this country two years ago
the game began 10 thrive in New York.
The lS2 tournament was wei attended.
and the title match between Slosson and
Hoppe at Grand Central Palace drew the
biggest house" IN the history of bill
lizards in any country The game began
TO boom all over the East and Middle
West. But in the last year there has
been a deplorable lack of class in cham
piouship matches. and attendance has
gradually declined. Nobody wants to
buy a ticket 10 see worlds masters play
Glass & billiards
The remedy is simple. Five hundred
points is too short a game 10 hang a
title on. Championship matches should
be divided into several nights OF play,
and the game should not be less sham
LEO points. If d player is in poor form
one night, he may come back" and thus
a match would be decided on its merits.
Many good player has been caught tenn
pOrarily out of form. but in a longer
game class viii nearly always tell. SUIT
ton declared the other night that he
would play no more title matches He
was disgusted with the game. No cham
pion likes 10 appear ordinary, especially
when the fault is not his own.
Hoppe Wants 1890 Points.
Willie Hoppe sounded the right note
when he declared for championship games
Of l,so0 points. Hoppe refused TO chal-
lenge for a title when he returned to this
country last fall He couldn't negotiate
special matches, and so he finally gave
in. Few Of the topnotchers like TO risk
their regulations and titles in a 5Q)-point
ScAAir. - il Mouiu seem tndL the proper
authorities should change the rules. Three
or four nights Of play in a big billiard
room where the players could do them
selves justice would repay the promoters
and players fully as well as one nights
play in some barn-like structure where
expenses run high. Attendance at these
matches IN New York have fallen off so
that the players claim they can make
nothing The other Dlau is favorad bs-
them and should be put in operation.