Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-01-07
1874 A RECORD
YEAR IN ATHLETIC
COMPETITIONS
Attendance at Amateur and Pro
fessiOnal Contests TOtaled
25,00O,00O Persons. One
Fourth of Population.

New York, Jan. 3.--That %, 900 go speCta-
tors witnessed amateur and professional
sports in this country during the past
twelve months Is sufficient foundation
Tor the oft-repeated statement that 1914
was q record year In american athletic
competitions. These fstouishing attend
ance figures, equal to approximately one
quarter of the total population of the
United states are not the result of
haphazard guessing. The attendance at
all forms Of sports contests was recently
the subject OF discussion among a group
of writer's and experts in this city and
after much comparison and conference
the foregoing figures were liked upon
rs being comparatively accurate and
conservative.
In the main these twenty-five million
represent paid admissions but not en-
trely since in certain sports the paid
attendance forms but n small percentage
of the total assemblaEc Of spectators. In
some cases the figures are official or
semi official while in others they are
the result of careful fluctuations gathered
from club secretaries, newspaper reports
and estimates by those qualified to guage
the size and number of large crowds
Baseball leads, as is natural and while
official counts are not avaa bic a total
of 100000 was the general estimate as
the attendance at all games played under
organized baseball control representing as
1T does iS leagues and almost 200 clubs.
Football comes next with G.292oo0 Parke
Davis member Of the rules committee
and expert football statistician. Is an
thority for this estimate together with
the additional information that 1872. Ooo
al
ing the season Of 10 weeks
100000 SAW RACES.
1t was the consseus of opinion that
approximately 1,o0000o persons witnessed
racing. trotting and pacing throughout
the country last year. Tennis and golf
proved hard problems since few accurate
records are kept The official figures
showed that close to 100 spectators paid
admission for the 10 days of Davis cup
tennis play and the eight days of cham
pionship play at Newport Another 800.
600 was fixed upon as the prot BILE attend
ance at all other sectional State and city
tennis title tournaments Golf galleries,
being without admission feature. were
not separately considered.
Automobile. motorcycle and bicycle
races We're allotted 10000 and track and
field sports a similar attention These
figures refer principally to paid admis-
sons and If they err they minimize
rather than exaggerate. The two inter-
national polo matches between the Uni
ted States and English teams drew IT, 600
spectators to Meadowbrook last spring
Probably 5000 more followed the play in
other tournaments about the country
giving a total Of 125HOO The two big
college regattas at Poughkeepsic and
New London attracted 10000 persons of
whom 10000 paid for observation train
or boat seats. Other dual and triangular
varsity races together with the national
and sectional regattas OF the National
Association of Amateur Oarsmen raised
the total to 425 900
BOXING DREW 1.5OoMo.
Boxing also found a prominent place
in the fluctuations. Using the reports
of the New York and Wisconsin State
athletic commissions it was estimated
that fully 100000 spectators attended
professional and amateur exhibitions and
championship bouts during 1914 In New
York State alone the gate receipts as re-
ported TO the commission was In round
figures $4,000 and the attendance 100000
No attempt was made to estimate the
attendance at golf and trap shooting
tournaments, whore admission fees are
either nominal or entirely dispensed with
Cricket hockey, Lacrosse and yachting
were placed in the Same category No
place was allotted to college, schoolhoy
pr ssemi-professional baseball, hut these
sports or classifications of sport were
used to bring the total up TO 100000
Ut was agreed that 80 cents per person
would be most reasonable admission
Estimate. but even this gave the startling
fotal Of sl25oo,0c In gate receipts in the
past Il months. They form impressive
testimonials to Americas place In the
world of sport, but a one man remarked
bs he viewed the tabulation and est-
mates for the Goth time II am inclined