The Detroit times., 1909-12-24

There Is no discounting the TACT
that the University OF Michigans
Board OF Control OF Athletics has set
e---e new record for
spL,rrxo eligibility observ-
HAIRS Ar ance by It's action
MICHIGAN In the case OF Cap
- tain-Elect JOY Mil
Ter who has been denuded of his
athletic awards and deposed as his
teams leader because. forsooth. he
failed TO go through with a minor act
OF mere enrolment routine-a matter
so Insignificant that the instructors
In the class rooms at which he was
regularly In attendance themselves
failed TO note the discrepancy through
virtually the entire opening term or
the college year.
They seem TO take the matter with
dreadful seriousness out at Ann Arbor.
Now that they have discovered the
heinous offense. they are going
through with II In impressive style.
The elaborate apologies TO Pennsyl-
vania. Minnesota and the rest who
played against this outrageous state
OF affairs hint at dire possibilities.
What II Penn--that played two NTH
year men against Michigan In 1908
and Minnesota-that unblushingly
showed a grade OF sportsmanship sew
eral years ago that has ever since
stood as the limit-should refuse 10
accept the AFFECT confession as ade-
quate explanation! Horrors!
Michigan's attitude Is that OF one
who stands mp SO straight that he
topples over backward.
Another feature OF the AFFAIR which
fails TO appeal at first sight TO any
one but Miller and his friends, Is the
implied disgrace brought upon a man
without whom Michigan would. In all
probability, have cut but sorry hg-
ure before the football world on the
basis OF her campaign OF 1909. JOY
may not have been AlhAmerica stun
but he was the one first-class end or
the Michigan team and quit the year
with a record OF blocking virtually
every forward pass attempted around
his end by an opposing team. Further
more. when Wasmund became tneii-
gible and II became necessary TO de-
velop a man to take his place for the
final game Of the year. Miller was the
man selected for the job. With only
a scant opportunity 10 become familiar
with the duties OF the most dimcuit
position on the eleven. JOY made the
switch and history has recorded how,
against the much-vaunted champions
OF the conference. he engineered Mich
ligan's attack in fawless manner ana
TO a victorious issue.
And this Is the man whom the
Board OF Control at Ann Arbor seems
to have elected as the sacrifice In
laborious effort to demonstrate TO the
world the straight-laced conditions
hedging about the men who comprise
her athletic teams
or course, there Is no denying that
Miller transgressed rule or the uni
yerstty. That he was enabled TO do
so-all unknowingly-the University
admits that Il Is itself TO blame. New
ertheless the unfortunate athlete is
made TO bear the blame alone and
with il. a stigma OF implied dishonesty
which does not seem to be made good
I'm the specific utterances on the mat
ter by the Board OF Control. Had
Miller secured his rating as a student
eligible to play, by some hocus-pocus
and then regarded his classroom work
in cavalier style. the conditions would
have been different. An examination
To discover the situation might have
been in order as punishment. But
unless there Is lot OF the story
which neither the authorities nor their
victim have told, the present retriou
ton seems away out Of proportion 70
the offense.
And wouldn't IL be awful II Michi'
gan should find out that Benbrook
name didn't appear on the Chicago
birth records? OF course such a con-
clusion would result in the certainty
that such a man didn't exist and there
fore didn't belong on the All-America
Also. will your honor kindly note
that. not once in the preceding article
was there the mention OF the name
OF a certain tutor OF football?
Those Ann Arbor authorities are
surely putting a back-Engiish on this
merry Christmas business In certain
parts.
PROMOTERS GET "CUSH."