Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1913-10-11
AGAINST SPY SYSTEM
Scouting Practice Of Football
Coaches Called Unfair.
Dr. Cal Mecraeken, Former PsnnsyS
vanla orIdIron star, Would AboI.
lsh Secrecy and Declares
A0ainSt Locked Gates.

DR.. J, Cal McCracken, former grid.
iron star, in lecture before the Uni
versity Of Pennsylvania students, con.
demned coaches and schools for the
present spy system. Many schools
send scouts to spy out the style Of
games Of their opponents, he charged,
and declared against this practice as
unfair and unsportsmanlike
IT spying out practices are justi.
fable" said he, why not pay a play.
er to enter your opponents institu.
tion, make the team and keep you
fully informed?"
such player might secretly in.
stall distograph in the room where
blackboard talks are given, and so
be able to sell nightly records to all
his teams opponents"
THE members Of the faculty Of the
college or university should realize
that athletics are desirable and alb.
solutely necessary % the best devel.
opment Of the student and stu.
dent life. II each teacher were
fully In sympathy with athletics
and athletic contests there would be
greater sympathy between teacher
and student, less friction and better
work done by both. Rosters would
be made and examinations set on
dates which would less frequently
conflict with important athletic
events. Athletes would feel their
teachers were interested in their
success on the field and this thought
alone would do much toward making
the students wish to conduct them.
selves in manner worthy Of the ap.
proval Of their instructors.
"All regularly employed coaches
and athletic instructors should be re.
sponsible to the university and con.
sidered regular oflicers Of the insti.
tuition. This would give them greater
dignity and security and consequent.
ly better men could be obtained to
MI these positions. which are Of
great importance to each individual
student. II 90 engaged. an athletic
Instructors position would not de.
pend more largely upon the general
influence for good or bad which such
contests had exerted on the individ'
ual contestant.
Prof. r. Taft Mckenzie read be.
fore the National Collegiate Athletic
association a paper in which he men.
toned. as the most prominent, the
following four evils Of the present
day system Of athletics:
II. The standard Of all perform
ances is raised 20 high that the or.
dinary student, realizing that he ID
hopelessly outclassed, gives up play
Ing the game that he would otherwise
enjoy. and that should be kept with
IN his reach.
"2. The competitor Ii elevated and
separated in q special class apart
from his fellows requiring separate
quarters. special diet and consequent
privileges to make the drudgery lest
irksome.
%. The publicity that accompanies
the contests puts them into the clasi
Of public spectacles for which spec
tators pay to see. and 10 acquire Ger
tain rights over the players. who be
come mere performers. Pressure Il
thus brought to bear on athletic au
thorities and rules committees to con
slider the spectator rather than tn,
man for whom the game should b
designed.
"a. The winning OF the game be
comes more important than the oh
servance Of the spirit Of the law an,
the practice of fair play. II is tn
professional motive. which IL gain
replacing the amateur motive, whicl
is the thrill OF the contest"