Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-01
College Athletics Need More Control

wrong Idea OF the relative Importance
or sport and study. Once in college
no lives in an athletic atmosphere that
Is commercializcd and professionalism.
Neither time nor expense is spared to
tit him to deliver. with professional
coaches. paid enormous salaries for n
seasons work with the high salaried
trainer and his rctinue: with famous
ola grad. thousand miles away sum
! inoned by telegraph, expenses paid
To show him how To lcngthcn his punt
Il couple OF yards; with scouts who
nave watched every game of opposing
teams throughout the season. returning
Tor the week prior to meeting this or
that opponent and coaching how to
meet the particular opponents play:
with trips involving three or four days
absence from classes: with a week
spent at the scashorc or mountains
away from thc classroom-wlth all OF
these things and countless others what
idea OF sport Is the student to get? Is
1t sport or il II business: pastime
or a profession? IL is more import
ant than studies or not?
That our student athletes carry
themselves as we'll rs they do under
these circumstances Is a tremendous
tributc>to the stuff OF which they are
made. That they are able to do any
thing with their studies is almost In
conceivable. yet here again thoy acquit
themselves surprisingly well.
Whole Program In Wrong.
Hut the whole program Is funda-
mentally wrong. Tho whole scheme IS
professionalism. Efficiency IL icvel-
oDed down 10 tho ,ninutest detail. no
captain or industry corporation
board of directors could map out
plan of campaign and carry 1T out with
greater efficiency The coaches and
tho managers in our great colleges
leave no stone unturned that victories
may result Money Is poured out like
water. The student players are mere
pawns. band OF picked men trained
and groomcd for the day OF the contest
| lhat the boys like this sortNcf thing
and that athletic honors are coveted
is neither here nor there. In spite 81
multitudinous rules of eligibility III
spite of gcntlcmen's agreements, id
spite of quasi-faculty control we stili
have insistcnt calls for rule revisionH,
we sim have men actually hired to
play football on college teams we
, stun have men competing four and Ave
years, we still have boys lying about
their amateur standing. we still have
charges made against the morality OF
intercollegiate sport.
All these things and countless 9TH
crs exist because of the system that
has gradually developed. Since the be-
ginning of intercollegiate football eacy,
institution has attempted to get ahead
OF its rival In preparedness for the
! game. The time for disarmament has
come. Athletic troubles will never
grow less, discussions over the deflni-
tion of an amateur never cease until
! there is n radical REIMBURSEMENT OF the
athletic system AT least as far as in
tercoliegiate football Is concerned
That the great universities will soon
change their methods Is doubtful but
reformation or revolution must come
! Schedules should be greatly cut down.
or different teams sent into different
games. In the great games the days
should he q holiday for both institu-
tiors. The one, both students and fac
ulty, should be guests of the other.
! Hospitality should be extended and re-
ceiSed. Most Of the troubles might be
eliminated if gate receipts were done
away with, and ATTENDANCE be by stu
dent tickets or invitation. There is
no reason why a sane athletic system
should not be supported by endowment,
and run on a carefully prepared budget.
The sport would then be running on n
strictly amateur basis, and most of the
evils would die a natural death. An
other suggestion would be to schedules,
intercollegiate meets between depart
ments or classes. If intercollegiate
games are good for twenty-five players
out of five thousand students, why no
good for hundred or five hundred
Doubtless many other and better sug
gcstions could be made.