The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-29
TAFT EXPRESSES
: Hts OPINIONS ON
COLLEGE SPORTS
Former President Talks Of
Summer Ball, PROSECUTING
and "Muckerisru."
OPPOSES w TALK
USED ON THE DIAMOND

FORMER ITShlucHt biid ~
dressed the National Collegiate Athletic
Association last night on the subject OF
college Athletics and expressed some
very positive views on the perplexing
subjects that are puzzlins the College
Legislators. Mr.. Taft spoke at the night
session Of the annual convention held IN
tte belvidere of the Hotel Astor. and as
Yale had been admitted TO the assocla-
ton only recently there was particular
interest in the remarks OF the distin-
rushed representative Of the youngest
msmber Of the association.
On the prevailing great question OF
summer baseball Mr.. Taft was temper
.4s. but he waxed severe when dealing
Weth che topic Of "muckerdsm" In college
mort. and rave an instance TO show tnat
sven though the trend Of the times 10
AGAINST rowdyism IL has not been aito-
,ather eliminated. His remarks against
proselyting Of tho schoolboy also were
strong and to the point and we're well
received by the delegates from colleges
from all parts Of the United States who
have organized to fight. for The standards
~ mort which Mr.. Taft favored.
Mr.. Taft put his audience In sood
sn,mor AFTER he had been by
Dean 10 Baron Briggs of Harvard as a
bona ide amateur by remarkins thai the
terms Of that statement were ambiguous
and might be taken 10 mean thai he was
an amateur statesman. He admitted that
ne could not qualify as an'athlete' though
he had been urged to Join the crew squad
while Al Yale. lie continued by saying
that, though the desire 10 win may DC.
come 40 strong as to lead to abuses ana
vicious extremes. he did not think that
either college or intercollcgc athletics
ought TO be given up.
More Temptation Now.
After touching on the great change
That had taken place In the character
and volume OF college athletics since ne
was acquainted with the subject forty
wears ago. he referred to the Increased
skiu of the athletes and the temptation
TO professionalism which has niade 'ns
rules of eligibility more important IN
order 10 keep the taint Of professionalism
out of college athletics. on the supJec'
Of summer ball he said
1--WE have the question OF summer bal
and of a previous history OF full pro-
fC~ssionalism as Il reason for excluding
men from college games. THOSE uucs'
,,ops are not free from difficulty. Wher
the question of summe ball first pre-
scented itself it seemed to the ordinars
observer that there was not any more
reason for excluding from a college team
a man who plays summer ball III order
to make money enough TO resume M
college course than for thus excluding
the man who for similar end waits upor
the table or who takes charge or gen
srai entertainments at a hotel. or goe'
about lecturing or teaching. or doe:
anything else for money.
But that does not quite answer thu
full objection. 1t may be that the mere
playing of n game for money has
tendency to introduce the spirit OF pro
fessionalism into college sport that ma!
he detrimental to its tone. and tina
though in individual instances 1t nigh
work no harm whatever. its genera
tendency requires a great strictness o
rule in this regard. The issue seem
rather to be one OF fact to be deter
mined by experiment rather than al
issue that can be settled a priori."
Suspicion a ThtHg of the Past.
Mr.. Taft said there wa. reason TO-
corsratulation that the spirit In whicl
those engaged in the regulation Of col
lese athletics approach this question Il
far better to-day h a 1t ever was be
fore. There il not now that spirit tina
did prevail n decade or more ago OF sus
plcion by the representatives OF eac'
college OF the other. One advanc.
pointed out was in regard TO the Length
Of time that a man could compete In col
lege sport. The speaker raised a laug'
nv the statement that in the old day
"a man could continue to win victorie
on the diamond or football field until h
had nearly passed the military age
Mr.. Taft spoke with feeling o.
what might III termed the subject o
muckerism when he said:
There are. however. certain abuse
that think the attention Of the Col
legiate Association may we'll be directe
20. Pud'nhead Wilson says that the dill
ference between "A cabbage and "A a u
flower is that the latter has a colleg
education. | think that II should be IN
ambition OF those regulating college attn
lctics 10 create q similar distinction nc
tween college and professional athletics
N there is any respect In which colleg
athletics should differ from professions
athletics it Is in the good manners b
edCn Sue IoWdTu 'TC VI '''' 'N'''
college men ought to teach them to b
gentleman and to to be self-respectin
and se~lf-res.raining.
81 attended a baseball game betwee
the Yale and Harvard teams last CON
mencement. The chattering and slang
phrases used by one team against III
other, in order to embarrass opponent
and encourage associates, were not edify
Ing. To hear the undergraduates on eN
hibition before 10. 900 people calling Or
to their associates Get his goat or 'Pr
out his eye was not ~elevating. Whe
the criticism was published the captain
Of the various college teams were intel
viewed, and they said it was necessar
TO give pep to their men. think TIL
Ia ridiculous. II 1t Is necessary TO il
spirc one side with courage through tn
cry of the captain, it certainly need M
be framed in language which can onl
be characterized as hat OF 'muckers.'
Relates Incident Of Old Days.
In referring to the viciousness OF owe
jealous alumni Offering inducements
schOolboys to come to their alma mate
for athletic purposes, Mr.. Taft said thu
he had received "A letter from son
college athlete in the West asking VIII
terms we would offer at Yale for a ma
who was a good shortstop.
In reply to a question by one of II
delegates Mr.. Taft admitted that col
ditions in college sport were In son
ways better than in his day, lie to
this story as an illustration
1--WE went to Princeton to play "A has
ball game and the Princeton men we
careless enough to appoint Joe Hawlc
known among us az enatov Hawley,
umpire. lie also was manager ~ nj