The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-04
Here and There in the World of Sport--Winter Season Gossip
Jim Thorpe's Case Brings Up
Summer Baseball Question Again

Philadelphia. Feb. Without
doubt the biggest sensation of recent
years in college, amateur or olympic
athletics was the confession of profess
siOnalism wrung from James Thorpe,
the Carlisle Indian school athlete. win
ner of the Pcntathlon and Derathlon
contests at the olympic anne and
championship and record. The conse-
qucnccs of Thorpe's acts are far
reaching. Primarily. his acts COM
PEELED the American Olympic commit
tee to send an apology through the
International Olympic council to- the
Other eompetins nations. to return all
of his Olympic prizes and to rcdistri-
butte as far as they ran the prizes in
all Of tho a. \. L. events in which
Thorpe competed. II is likewise up
to the authorities of tho Indian school
to return all the prizes Thorpe has
Won I'm college meets since 1909. when
he first played professional baseball.
This is the first time in the history
of Olympic athletics that tn. ..meri-
an apology of this ! d. and IT IS ex-
tremely humiliating to them. Because
of the unplcasantness which Develop
ed at London in 1908 over the 400 me-
tcrs' run and the Marathon. the
American officials last summer went
to extreme lengths to see that there
should be no friction for which they
could be held in any way responsible.
likewise that there should be no un-
they had succeeded and they arc con-
sequently much embarrassed over
Thorpe's confession.
The returning of Thorpe's prizes and
the deduction of the points which he
won will not seriously affect the score
of the United States. Second place
in the PentathlOn was won by Bic. of
Norway. He now becomes the winner
of the Pcntathlon. Weislander Of
Sweden. finished second t. Thorpe in
the Decathlon, and he now becomes
the champion in this event. Thorpe's
disqualification takes. six points off
Americas score. but since Donahue of
Los Angeles. who was third in the
Pentathlon. now moves up to second
place. Thorpe's loss means the SUBJ
traction of only five points.
now keenly Interested in the com
lnent of European officials. They
know that there has been a DISPOSE
ton. particularly in England. to crit
icize American athletic methods, and
it is reasonable to expect that som
of them will take advantage of this
incident to renew their attacks. The
Swedish officials in an unofficial capa-
city have expressed their admiration
for the firm stand the American com.
mittee has taken, and some have even
gone to the trouble to say that in thei,
opinion Thorpe should be allowed tc
keep the prizes. That. of course
would not be tolerated in this country
Possibly far more reaching conse.
uuences will lresult from the invcsti.
cation which Thorpe's confession will
start to clear up the semi-profession'
al baseball muddle in intercollegiate
circles. In the course of his confes
sion Thorpe charged thai he wa:
merely doing what other college play.
ers were doing in the league. the onl!
difference being that he played under
his right name. they under assumed
names. On account of the knowledge
that many college players really d.
play professional baseball during. til,
summer and masquerade as amateur!
certain amount of sympathy fol
Thorpe. His case has stirred up tn,
comment it has because of his srea
prominence in athletics and the inter
national consequences to follow.
Illuminating as have been the con
sequences. it may be that the exposure
of Thorpe will result in some goo.
to amateur athletics. The summer
baseball problem has been the grea
unsolvable problem in college ath
lletics. Various institutions. individu
ally and collectively. have devised
ways and means to root. on the evil
ciscly where they began. and excl