New-York tribune., 1911-02-27
COMMENT ON SPORTS
Need for League OF Leading
College Baseball Teams.
THE COST OF ATHLETICS
News and Views on Live Topics
of the Day, Both Amateur
and Professional.

and PROFESSIONAL,
r-ve-v wear about this time. when the
davs begin 10 grow long and the lure OF
TIE great outdoors begins 10 take fresh
hold. the thought comes 10 me that addeH
interest would be lent to the college base
hall season Il the leading mines were organ
tied into a league that would make the
winning OF the championship something
more than an idle boast Of one two ana
sometimes three universities or colleges
Some DAYS ago 1 was talking with W. w.
Cbetter known as Bid Roper athletic d.
rector al Princeton. and vas grained 20
End that he was strongly ~ favor OF an
intercollegiate league. He expressed him-
self in no uncertain way on the SUBJECT
and said that II any effort along such
lines were made ne would b. glad 70
give fl his full support THIS no dono'
means the support Of Princeton, Whlc4
should carry much weight. Tie traoltohdi
rivalry which exists between Yale ana
Harvard Is no doubt the one thing which
stands IN the way. As II happens the
undergraduates and graduates OF THESE TWO
institutions think more Of beating each
other. 1t would seem. than OF defeating all
the other teams In the East put together'
An exception NAV he made so far as fale
sna Princeton are concerned but otherwise
the statement Is not far wrong. Unoer 'ne
circumstances Yale and Harvard would
have 10 be OF one mind on the subject ou'
n one or both would take .ho initiative
league could 5c formed I'm short orner'
4 discussion Of the subjeC. az this une
,,sv anraar ont OF place. tor the reason
E,..-,, .r1lr
the spproaching season. and It is too late
N even consider a league series but a.
matter Of fact. the time is ripe for the or
rauization of an association, a. 1t would
take all OF six or eight months 10 perfect
.bo details and open the way for the max
Ing NJ schedule which would accomplish
lis purpose IN determining their Tlsn'lui
champion. s league made up Of eight or
even ten college mines would not be 100
,,nU-ieldy. and there is no question IN my
mind of its feasibility The league could
fe made 10 Of Vale Harvard. Princeton
pennsylvania. Cornell. Dartmouth. Brown
and Columbia while Williams and Am
herst might we'll be added II ten teams
we're not considered TOO many. With eight
colleges interested. each nine could play
every other nine two games. and, II neces-
sarv. the teams to finish first and second
-ould play of Il series OF three games
although this in my opinion. would be un-
necessary The schedule could be So ar
ranged that Yale and Harvard could meet
st about the same time they do now, so
as not 70 rob the graduates Of their com
07ercewent Gay struggle. IN case Of a tie
between these two particular rivals a third
came could be- arranged on the side, apart
from t1c regular league games. Methinks
this is.s dream. and much 100 good % come
true hu- if the reference here opens the
v-av 10 a controversy on the subject the
rnace has not been wasted. II may be said
IN passinG that Columbia tried 70 interest
ne other colleges in 3 league Of this sort
several years ago. but TO no avail Ii might
he well 70 try again. however, now that
Bill Roper has declared in its favor.
II Is not surprising that Dean Briggs. OF
Harvard. chairman Of the committee on
regulation Of athletic sports. felt called
upon to say ia his annual report that th9
cost Of organized athletics at Cambridge Is
"slr,ost scardalous." 1t Is surprising,
rather. that the lavish expenditures IN the
training and coaching Of teams in the
major sports have been allowed TO 20 uh-
Questioned so long There IS such q vast
difference fu the cost OF building football
eleven al Brown. Dartmouth and even Cor
nell. as compared to the cost at Harvard,
Vale and Princeton. that il is hard 70 recon
Gle the two, more particularly as the three
first named get practically the same results,
20 far g. turning out strong and well bal
auced teams IS concerned. It is an expensive
luxury To- entertain and pay the expenses OF
tie many graduate coaches who 20 TO Cam
bridge. New Haven or Princeton each fall
- lend their help in the development OF
.be elevens In a sense tho mo1ey is well
suent. too. If it can be- afforded as it brings
many Of the older men back for more o.
less close association with the uudergradu-
ste--a condition that makes for good IL
more WAYS than one The trouble IS, how
ever as Dean Briggs says, the eXtrava-
rances 90 not begin or end there, with the
result that ",he captains, managers and
coaches tend 20 encourage and eXaggerate
lfastidiousness IN hotel accommodations. In
food and in clothing 70 a point which
makes FOR commercialisn IN almost its
worst form.
According to synopsis o. the report Of
the graduate treasurer Of athletics at Har-
ward for the year ended July 90. 1910, il cost
ss1 .o7S 81 TO maintain the football eleven.
si5.4sO Is 70 put the crews on the water and
81 II q 10 support the baseball nine. At
Yale 10 was much the same thing. For the
wear ended July I. 1910, football cost $4,000,
in round numbers; baseball $1,000, and
rowing siiC00 II is hard 10 understand
why IL should cost nearly three times as