Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-17
YEAR'SPROF|TS
GO TO MANAGER
Georgetown University Basket
Ball Team Run as Personal
Financial Investment.
BLUE AND GRAY A. A.
DID NOT BACK SPORT
Only Ruled Regarding EIigibil-
ity of Players and Sanctioned
Playing of Games.
BY 81. C. BYRD.

The Georgetown University basket BAH
team was run during the past season as
a personal financial investment. Not
withstanding the fact that the team
ostensibly had the support of the uni
versity, 1T nevertheless is true that the
school was not responsible for one cents
worth of the debts contracted by the
manager. and whatever profits accrued
from the seasons play went into his
pockets
While as fas as the finances of the team
were concerned. Georgetown had abso-
lutely nothing to do with the five which
represented 1t during the past season, it
did exercise some jurisdiction over the
sport. The two matters which the uni
versity undertook to govern were the
sanctioning of games and the passing
on the eligibility of the players. No con-
test could take place without the sane
ton Of the school authorities, nor could
any man be member of the team unless
he came up to the requirements of the
other athletic organizations which rep
resent the institution.
Barring the things mentioned the
Georgetown Athletic Association proper,
nor any other authority at Georgetown.
had anything whatever to do with the
management of the five. Whatever was
profited or lost, financially as result OF
the season just ended, it was up to the
manager OF the team either to add the
proceeds to his private bank account OK
else meet the debts that were incurred,
Was Financial Success.
That the season just ended has been Q
financial success is certain. One who is
in a position to know just what has been
dnna al hot limo tha ofo
yesterday that he was absolutely sure
that much money had been cleared as a
result of the schedule that had been
played. It was stated that under the con-
tract that was maze with the manage
ment OF local amusement company ic
was impossible for the team to do other
than make money. \ guarantee for each
game sufficient to cover the cost OF the
expenses of the visiting team plus a fair
profit for the management, was assured,
and under such conditions 1t was i'm
possible to do other than make money on
the season.
OF course the situation may be looked
at in this WISE that basket ball has never
been able even to support itself at
Georgetown, let alone make money, and
that by placing it on a profitable basis a
benefit has been conferred on the school.
That is true. but there is another phase
to the matter. The profits, in this I'm
stance, did not go to the school but went
instead to an Individual For a manager
to place his sport on paying basis for
his school and let the school derive ben
efits therefrom is a very creditable thing
and is far different from having man in
charge of a sport and running It for the
sole purpose of personal gain.
In the first case mentioned. when a
school is deriving the financial benefits
of a successful sport. the press generally
devotes columns toward its advance
ment and welfare, and does so with
full appreciation of what the develop
ment of amateur athletics means, but
1t is very seldom that those columns are
lent for Advertising individual enter
prises.