The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-20
ATHLETIC SYSTEM
IS DISCOVERED
Minnesota Alumni Weekly
Points Scathing Editorial
on the Conference.

on the Conference.
Renewing its charges of cxtrava-
gancc. commcrcialiZation and profess
sionalism in football at the University
of minnesota. tn" Alumni Weekly. the
official organ of TIL" University Alumni
association. this morning printed an
editorial reviewing the entire athletic
situation. The Weekly questions The
propriety of paying $4,000 for a single
football trip, $1,000 for the services of
football scouts and $4,000 cach year
AS a salary to - football coach who
devotes a few hours daily to his work
In the autumn months.
The Weekly hints at the. possibility
that intercollegiate athletics may have
to he abandoned. again advocates the
intramural system of athletics for all
students and renrws It's former stand
on the scholarship standard OF ~ligibil-
ity for those participating in intercol-
legiate contests.
The editorial in the Weekly follows:
FIRST, IN regard to the conference,
the Weekly has taken the attitude that
q conference is desirable, but, that il
the present conference is to accom-
Plish anything ii must change it's
whole point of view and cease lcgislat-
ing on minor matters and give attcn-
ton to solving the big problems OF in
tcrcollegiate athletics. Many of these
problems can only be solved by CO.
operation.
We have held that eligibility to
take part in Intercollegiate contests
should be based solely upon--
"The maintenance of a clean schol-
arship record. and
"Onc years residence, to cut out
ringers
We believe that the adoption of
this simple. easily-enforccd standard,
is the only logical and practicable
solution of the problem of eligibility,
and that legislation upon the thou
sand and n other things. upon
which the conference l%egislatcs, should
cease.
I'm. regard to intercollegiate foot
ball. VIC believe that there has grown
up around the game many evils; hat
these evils u either be eliminated
or tn" same abolished as an intercol-
legiate sport. These evils, as we have
|, pointed out, arc
That 1t has become a spectacle and
is no longer truly a sport.
Is Not. for General Student Body.
That its aim is; no longer the ply
steal betterment of tho student body.
: but victory-th" winning OF an intan-
eA'aG ikloiISIlIP. iuc game IO
, longer represents u friendly conflict Oh
rival student bodies, but the relative
) merits of the strategy of professional
' coaches.
That it has become too largely the
whole thing in college life-absorb-
= ing TO much of the time and energy
, of tho whole student body md is sct-
ting up false ideals of slro.
i That the immense gate receipts ar.
Y used e~Ntravasantly to add to the spec
$ tacle instead Of being used top remote
the interests of true sport. The larg.
9 salary paid the coach indicates false
, 1deas of the relative value If physical
and mental tanning. The professional.
y tone that has come to pervade the
: preparation Of the teams innames The
gambling instinct in the student body
: That football, as a spectacle. is in
Jurlng all, other sports. by .absorbins
every possible. facility that can be USED
, to perfect The team, and it is destroy.
= ing the game OF football us a sport
The intensity of the passion to win
leads to unseemly strife and feeling
hetween the student bodies of rival in.
situations. and stirs up bitter contro.
, ~versics that are absolutely foreign tc
the spirit of all true sport.
I'm short, intercollegiate football, as
: it exists today. is illogical in its rcla.
tons to true sport and is forcing to
Y ~'J W NIt A'oI II b'SllIIEllC plI
poses Of the university.
= THAT it exists at all. as it is today
=. is a matter of Sufferancc on the par
of those in authority.
! The plans outlined by Mr.. Wilson
and Mr.. Pierce suggest adequate rem.
edies. Both provide for Il system OF
athletics. primarily, for the student
body. These plans would not exclude
: intercollegiate contests nor the spec.
Laclc. under normal conditions.
z In such plans. intercollegiate sport.
. would be the natural elimination of a
system primarily intramural, con.
2 Quoted for the physical betterment OF
the student body not a few chosen
: students w'.o do not specially need
} such development. The teams chosen
l to represent the colleges in intercol.
legiate contests would he chosen as a
result OF intramural contests and they
. would represent the result of a process
OF natural selection.
I'm the sense in which that word Is
: used now. these teams would have nc
coaching-that is they would not he
5 taught to meet a certain attack or tic
+, overcome "A certain defense-the:
4, would be trained in h essentials OF
the sport and their attack and defense
would be largely the result of Their
l ability to meet any situation presented
in the course of the game.
Our present system is scientific but
it is not sportsmanlike. 1t is a test of
: strategy rather than g
> The spectacle would not attract the
gambling element. as tho present pro
f~essionally produced teams do. But i,
would attract all lovers Cf true sport
and would produce income sutiiricn,
for all legitimate expenses.
The objection raised to- this PROPOSE.
ton. is. that o must have the spec
| taclr to provide funds to support othe
branches of athletics.
!, T this il is To he said, thai a ques-
ton which has SO important IL bearing
upon the highest interests of the insti-
tuition. should be governed and rom
trolled solely by considerations of the
highes, good of the institution, and not
by gate receipts.
This ought to be an adequate an
swer, but there arc other conSidcra-
. tons that might be advocated. Nearly
~two-thirds the expense now incurred
i'll support of intercollegiate athletics
might be saved. n would be saved
IL athletics were conducted for the
physical well-being of the student
body and not for show-and n large
per cent could be saved ever under
present conditions.
Would Stop E~xtravagant Expenditures,
Under the proposed system we
should never spend $500 or 5000 to
send two men through the east to ex-
hibit their skill as tennis PLAYERS
proud as we all are OF their record.
We should not spend over $2,0 0 a
year to keep a small field in shape for
five or six lays use for exhibition pur