Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-28
NO MORE TURKEY DAYB BATTLES
Question, However, Is to be Brought
Up at Next Meeting.
THANKSGIVING DAY GAMES PAY
Annual Foot Ball Contests Ht Kansas
city Have Helped Garry Ath-
Ietics at Both Missouri and
Kansas for Years.

Among the questions that win come up
for discussion at the meeting OF the repre-
sentauves OF the Missouri Valley confer
ence schools in Des Moines on January 8
will be one relative to the Thanksgiving day
foot ball contests. BY an edict OF the fac
ulty delegates at a meeting in Kansas city
last spring the Turkey day contests were
ordered off the menu after 1910, so none OF
the managers Of the conference schools are
scheduling games for next Thanksgiving.
Through this new ruling Kansas, Mis-
souri,. Ames, Drake and Nebraska all were
dealt severe blows. The Kansas City game
between Kansas and Missouri, has always
been the sustaining pole that has kept the
athletic departments Of those schools on
easy street. This game has each fall Melted
both schools large sums. and has given
them large profit in the treasury at the
end Of each athletic year.
Now. with the Turkey day game stricken
off the list. these schools must suffer
greatly. Columbia, where the University OF
Missouri is located, affords poor place
for a foot ball contest. It Is a small town,
difficult to reach by railroads, and not IA
vored as place for games by other schools
in the valley. Lawrence, the home of the
Jayhawkers, is much better located as re-
CARDS railroad facilities, but It also is a
small town, and would not produce a crowd
that could be compared favorably with the
masses that rushed to the games of the
two schools in the city on the Kaw.
Nebraska has always made several thou
sands off its Thanksgiving day contest
The last season was great success finan-
cially because Of the large crowd which
was in attendance at the game with the
Haskell Indians in Lincoln. Ames and
Drake, who have been playing in the
Stadium at Des Moines on Turkey day for
several years. have attracted large crowds
and they will be losers by several thou
sand dollars as a result Of the action OF
the faculty men.
Strong Protest Looked For.
Though strong protest will be registered
by both Kansas and Missouri at the con-
ference meeting, 1t is unlikely that the
rule will be rescinded. The faculty rep
resentatives made the law and it must
stand until they see lit to change IT, The
conference representatives might request
the faculty cohorts to change their mind,
but even among the conference delegates
there are some men who are opposed to
the Thanksgiving day contest and they
will fight change to the old regime.
1t was at the suggestion of Iowa, abetted
by Nebraska man, that the Thanksgiv-
Ing day game was abolished These same
delegates will be present at the Des Moines
meeting and can be relied upon to fight
against the proposed change.
Iowa, being a member of the Chicago.
or western, conference, is not permitted
to play on Thanksgiving. and It was in
strumental in getting the same regulation
affecting the Turkey day game showed
upon the Missouri valley schools. So long
as the Chicago conference schools are kept
from playing on Thanksgiving. Iowa Will
oppose rule which will allow the Mis-
souri, valley schools this privilege.
1t is certain, though. there will be a
warm discussion over the change to the
old rule, and the Des Molnes meeting will
probably bring out an acrimonious flow
Of words The Missouri and Kansas dele
gates will go to the Iowa city prined for
heated debate. Nebraska would like to
have its delegate make a fight, but for
the last two years the students have been
tied hands and feet by the letters OF a
delegate who is one of the staunchest of
the staunch purity men. He fights
against the broader things in athletics and
refuses to consent to any of the liberal
policies that made Missouri valley ath
letics powerful eight or nine years ago.
Since he came into a position of control
Cornhusker athletics have declined The
foot ball success OF this fall was an ex-
cepdon to the rule Of poor athletic teams
at Nebraska, but it was only ephemeral.
as the result Of the next few seasons will
doubtless show.