The Detroit times., 1912-01-22
OF PROFESSIONALS ONE
KIND CAN Be TOLERATED.
OTHER MUST Be OOWNED
Man Who Earns Money During
0ut-of-Sehool Days Can
Be Accepted
SUMNER BASEBALL o. X.
Man Who Accepts Gratuities
While Playing With Amateurs
Ought To Be Squelched
SUMNER BASEBALL o. K.
BY RALPH |. YoNkeRs.

Professionalism In athletics Is both
ering the amateurs OF the country a
great deal just now in several lines
OF sport. The universities and col
leges OF the country are wrestling
with the summer baseball question,
the basketball teams OF this city are
in bitter snarl over professionalism
and even the Detroit hockey team is
pestered with the thorn.
While the Little Five. composed
OF the smaller colleges Of Illinois and
Wisconsin, and the VI. l. A. A. com
posed OF the still smaller colleges OF
Michigan have decided that II is use
less TO attempt 10 keep up the stand
ard OF amateurism which they have
tried and have decided 10 allow their
athletes 10 play baseball in summer
for money. the graduate committee OF
the Western Conference feels that no
step which tends toward professional
ism in athletics" should be taken by
the conference. In other words. Il
doesn't approve OF resembling the sum-
mer baseball rule, which Minnesota
wants to quash.
There are two kinds OF profession
alism, one Of whom Is being tolerated
more and more and deserves to be:
the other OF whom ought TO be
squelched The first is the profession
al who breaks his amateur standing by
using his athletic talents at some peri
cd OF his life for pay and then wishes
to enter a sport during his college
career He deserves TO be tolerated.
The other kind is the professional
who completes with bona-fide amateurs
and accepts pleasant gratuities for his
services He ought TO be squelched.
Now to the stickler for sport for
sports sake, this permitting summer
baseball is a bitter pill. II is an ad-
mission that college opinion, which
controls this matter, has decided that
Il is not a grievous error to play base
ball in summer for money and that
men who do so can still play with the
fellows who pitch hay during the sum
mer-for money. II Is practically the
breaking down of all college amateur
requirements as far as out or school
days are concerned for the only chanc
es for the college men TO break the
amateur requirements are on the
| Fourth of July when they can come In
! from the farm TO enter he track
events on Main-st. for prizes OF warm
mittens, leggins and other seasonablt
wares that the merchants generously
donate from the shelves OF the back
room.
To the men who know the inside Of
college athletic teams II is a relief
that the summer baseball farce has
been removed from some schools and
that the men can play like men AND
not like criminals under assumed
names II Is TO be hoped that the well
meaning alumni OF the conference vii
see that while strict amateur standing
during pre-scholastic days Is a very
nice thing to idealize about an attempt
10 enforce II makes. as Coach Hun
saws. liars instead OF amateurs.
| Less kincking about summer bal
and stricter enforcement OF the die
tates OF conscience about allowing Ger
tain athletes gratuities in the way o.
soft Jobs, room-rent and so on would
helm real amateurism Some OF these
college players are getting into The
way OF thinking that they aren't sup
nosed 10 attend classes at all. Thi:
~ course may pass with some, but
/ don't let the summer ball player who
"a bona.fde student play. oh, no!
AS far as the basketball situation
lis concerned the plan OF Dr. J. Is
Modesto, physical director OF the De
| troit Y. NJ. G. A, TO form loca,
federation such as has been touhG
successful in Chicago and several
other cities in the country, which
would take care OF the amateur ath.
letics OF the city seems TO be aOout
the best that has been brought TO no
tice.
The A. A. U. certainly has not prov.
ed itself competent TO handle the local
situation and anything that
can and will do so is welcome. The
plan OF the federation, as outlines
before. is TO control the local athletics
nv a local governing body. which will
determine the eligibility OF competi-
tors of both Detroit and outside teams
which they met II would peimit con-
tes,s between Detroit teams upon
some set amateur standing, which is
another boon.
And last in the realm of PROBES
sionalism. comes the trouble Detroit
hockey team has been having. One
feels inclined TO hand Manager Brown
of the Arena, little bouquet on the
way he has insisted that his men re-
tain their amateur standing. The can
collation. OF the Chatham game at the
last moment and substituting the Y.
NJ. G. A. team to oppose the Arena
seven. Saturday. naturally hurt the
box office receipts. The barring OF
Capt. Piett from further games be-
cause he was once with a seven, some
OF which received money for their
services. is similar.
OF course, IL is q business PROPOSE
ton. ALLOW professionalism; no more
O. ~. A. or Cleveland games" is the
utimatum of the Canadian authorities,
and the Arena management prefers
q. II. 4. games TO Piett and making
the rest OF the Detroit seven pro
fessioral players