Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-05
CURRENT TALK IN -.
ATHLETIC CIRCLES
Work of the Intercollegiate
Association-A. A. U. Be-
coming Laughing Stock.
By Edward r. Bushnell.

Measured by it's inability to secure the
membership Of Yale, Princeton, Cornell
and Harvard. the newly formed Inter-
collegiate Athletic Association of the
United States may seem not to have
been the great success predicted for It,
At its second annual convention week
ago the association reported that the
membership had been about doubled, but
the University Of Pennsylvania is the
only member of the Big Five which has
Joined. But this is not fair test by
which to determine whether or not the
new body is a success. 1t is true that
| the refusal or failure of these institu-
| tons to be enrolled was a disappoint-
ment but the association is on the right
track and the universities which now
complacently ignore the 1. C. A. A. U. S.
will before many years be the seekers
| for membership instead of the sought.
| The association showed it's great
strength two years ago when it virtually
forced the old intercollegiate foot ball
4 rules committee to seek consolidation
and subsequently dictated the most i'm
citation still retains it's mastery of the
! foot ball rules situation and If it desired
| could practically force the big univer-
sites of the east into membership. But
| pOiltlC men are at ltS nSdQ ana Iney pre-
| fer rather to lead than to drive the re-
naming big universities into line.
AS a matter of fact, it is altogether
likely that Yale will join the association
within the coming year. The Ellis ath-
| letic authorities have expressed them
selves as in thorough sympathy with the
aims Of the association and have been
waiting only the return of President
Hadley from Europe before taking def
mite action Cornell is lowering between
| tu.n nrini hut trin Md tall Ioa
| taken into the fold. All the association
now wants is to secure the membership
of two more such institutions like Yale
and Cornell and then, with Pennsylva-
mia already a member, the association
will let any other colleges continue in
| their Indifference. With this strength
there would be no need for two foot ball
| committees, and probably the new body
would pay no attention to the remnants
| of the old committee. This course would
be drastic enough to bring practically the
entire Intercollegiate world into the one
body.
In addition to their virtual control of
! foot ball the new association is taking a
hand in basket ball, for which all col
lege faculties should be devoutly thank
| full AT this meeting arrangements were
perfected for making the rules committee
of the Intercollegiate Basket Ball Asso-
| citation the representative body of the
| |. G. A. A. u. S. All that remains now
! for completing this arrangement perma-
nenty is vote of approval by the Bas-
| ket Ball Association, and this is almost
| certain to result.
| A Laughing Stock.
! 1t is extremely unfortunate that this
year should see a recurrence of suspension
of college basket ball teams for playing
suspended or non-registered teams. To
date Princeton. Yale, George Washington
and Trinity College have been thus pun
ished by the A. A U. and all the teams
| they have played since their suspension
| are liable to the same penalty. President
James h. Sullivan, in recent interviews,
has accused the colleges of unfairness
| toward amateur athletics and to this at
| tributes the frequent suspension of col
| lege teams. AS matter of fact the COL
| lege men do not care a snap of The finger
for the A. A. u. disqualifications in basket
ball. And for this condition the A. A. U.
| has no one to blame but itself The A
a. U. is years behind the times in basket
| ball and does not begin to exercise the
control or good sense that characterizes it
in track and field athletics.
! The fact that the college men have been
obliged to discard the A. A. u game of
basket bah and substitute one of their
| own indicates why the A. A. U. is so I'M
| popular in basket ball. If the A. A. U.
| cannot or will not provide a suitable game
for those amateurs who want to play
basket ball it ought not to expect any sup
port from them. The collegians always
get into trouble with the A. A. u. during
| their preliminary season. when in order
| to make up a good schedule they play
some teams that are not registered with
| the A. A U. and the suspensions follow.
| There is no goodsreason for the lack of
| harmony that prevails between the A. A.
| T. and the colleges. The latter pay little
| Or no attention to the suspensions any
| low and the A. A. U. merely makes it
self q laughing stock. Now if this body
would enter into some sort of In agree
ment with the intercollegiate Basket Ball
| Association much of the trouble would be
obviated But if the two continue to move
along in parallel lines these troubles will
| only multiply.
The 1. c. A a. U. S. has made an eff
| fort to bring some sort of order out of
all this chaos by passing a resolution to
! the effect that all the colleges in the as
| ISOLATION observe the amateur rules and
| regulations of the A A. u. in their regu-
| lations. 1t is all very well to endeavor to
| bring about harmony, but the assoc 'ation
| should insist that the A. A. U. basket
| ball solons get. together and reform their
game so that the athletic clubs are not
| tempted to leave the A. A. U. for game
| which they can play. The A. A. U. by it's
| dictatorial attituue in basket ball matters
| is widening instead of closing the breach.
| If the difficulties are to be patched up at
all it is evident that the initiative must
1 l.