The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-06
OPPOSES
GQPAERs PLANS
+. II -
Thinks Minnesota Sugges-
tons Would Be Disgrace
: to the West

Chicago, Dec. 6-Abandonment Of
all intercollegiate athletics would be
preferable to the withdrawing Of the
conference amateur standards as pro-
posed by the University Of Minnesota,
according to the declaration of Coach
stagg Of Chicago. The Midway leader
yesterday levelled his guns at the
movement for open Professionalism
now raging in the big eight" and an
nounced that no college sports would
be better than the kind favored by
certain Of the western schools.
Stages reasons for making such a
sensational stand on the question of
professionalism and summer baseball
are founded on the belief that the
reign Of vacation ball and free permis-
sion to indulge in any sort OF athletic
practice in summer and before the
college course. would open intercol-
legiate sport to all the evils against
which the big eight" has fought for
fifteen years. He declared he would
regard lifting the lid" az a disgrace
to the west.
THE passage of a rule allowing all
students to play on college teams
providing only that their studies are
in good shape would destroy all the
best forces Of college and school
athletics" said the coach. Person
ally I would rather see all intercol-
legiate athletics abolished than to
adopt such a rule.
Il take this attitude because I be-
lieve a such as has been pro-
posed would mean the surrender of
all the ground which has been gained
In many years. Any one who says
that progress has not been made must
be blind to the facts. The u of
amateur sport is not dead by any
means. but Is steadily growing.
1T would be an absurd calamity to
introduce a rule that would undo all
the good work of the past and stop
the forward progress of the present
movement for purity in athletics. 1t
would mean the breaking down of the
ideals for which college athletics have
fought and sacrificed.
1.-THE passaSe Of this rule would
mean the return to a greater or less
extent Of conditions such as have ex-
listed almost everywhere some time in
the past, Of foul language on the
field, Of unfair tactics and Of brutal
ity. which are now generally frowned
upon. 1t would mean the cultivation
of what Is the distinctly professional
atmosphere.
Furthermore. it would result in a
condition where no one who did not
oCSOiSAO a Pko4OoSAOAAal III AAo lhSSillcSS
and in his practice would have much
of a. show for the college team, and
instead of a part of our students
spending the summer in working to-
ward their future professions they
would have to go into professional
athletic practices In order to hold
their places on the team"
The Maroon faculty members agree
with Stage that the theory of those
who want the summer ball rule passed
is open to criticism. The Midwayites
declared that they believed 1t better
to stick to a high ideal than to give
up everything. because 1t was believed
that the rules were not literally kept
in some colleges.
A member of the Midway board
stated that they had not conceded
success to the rule by any means. II
the three schools nov holding on,
continue to- resist summer baseball
there is no chance for the sport to
pass muster at the January meeting,
az a 6 ITO 2 vote will be required to
make 1t q success.