Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-26

city more than anything in rcccn,
years Many friends of the organiza-
ton are already antaSOniZed and il is
probable that there may be split IN
amateur circles on account Of it,
There is justice In the plea Of Tia.
suspended athletes that they are not
paid for athletic proWcss. but for cX-
ercising supervision over the play
grounds. Uhe supervisors are expected
to have executive ability. and must be
capable Of handling the heterogeneous
mass OF children. They care for the
equipment ana other city property and
see than order is maintained. Their
duties arc more Of a police nature than
athletic. The city. OF course wants
men familiar with sports and athletics.
as one not in sympathy would be of no
value. But to bar these boys making
a living in the summer. from partici-
pating in athletics with their friends.
Is little short of a crime. Three. AT
least. are bona hde students Of Rich
inOnd College. and. in spite Of their
that Institution In sports. and Richmond
College is just as anxious TO Keep pro-
tcssionalisn out Of its athletics as any
organization in this city.
1t would be an ideal situation If every
man could PLAY for the love OF sport,
and not for pccuniary gain. but it is
better not to have any rule at all than
one which works az harshly az the one
f! evoked here when carried out TO it's
7 logical extreme. The rule bars man
from making honorable and honest
! living. and AT the same time promotes
I Hypocrisy, by making others seek
way to evade it.
Those who professionalism themselves
by playing with a professional, may be
reinstated. and therefore many OF those
who Will become contaminated" by
: playing with Satterfeld. Mitchell or
/ Mac Cosby, at Richmond College may
I again enter the fold. 1t is doubtful,
! however, II they viii attempt TO do SO.
Naturally this means that scores of
good athletes turned out in colleges in
this vicinity, will he ineligible 10 enter
. local competitions.
1t would be much preferable If the
Richmond Amateur Athletic Union
/ would sit down and devise an cligi-
/ bility code OF its own aud adhere to ii
I To listen TO the dictates of an associa-
ton organized primarily 10 deal with
! conditions which never come up here.
- the height of folly.
President Ed Barrow is firm in his
/ stand against the merger of the Bunalo
: Feds and Buffalo Iuts. lie is right in
. his contention that the former club
forfeited its franchise in the indepen-
dent league. and is therefore out OF the
/ question entirely. Bunalo fans, too.
showed that they were for the Ints last
year and not the Feds. II they had
/ wanted the latter. they would have paid
their money in at the gates.
Jack Dunn seems to have stood out
for his rights like the fighter he is.
Dunnie wants TO be reimbursed for his
losses accustomed by the Fed invasion
OF Baltimore. and he is entitled TO
something for the fight he made against
the independents Barrow is behind
him in his contention.
Baltimore. by the way, will he closely
, allied To Richmond in sports next year.
4. The two cities will be In the Southern
Rowing Association. In the lnterna-
/ tional League nag rave they Will be
/ OF poncnts and even the amateurs will
get together in the tri-city series Ii
i prohA Bile, too. that Richmond Col
/ lcgc and Johns Hopkins Will meet on
the gridiron. as they certainly will 10
OF the cindcr track in the spring.
The Virginia League seems due To
drop by the wayside. unless the present
owners will consent 10 risk some o:
I their dollars. Richmond, notwithstand-
/ ing deuiaiS. was the backbone Of the cir
cult. Even the money derived through
the sale Of the local territory TO the
international League owners carried
the circuit through the past season.
NON that Richmond is known positive
~ to be a member Of the Int circuit
another season, the old standby Will
pr obahly go under.
The Virginia League, however, may
make fresh start, and il is not al all
/ unlikely that il would weather the sea
son. Hopewcll and Wilmington would
. he available 10 take the franchises OF
| Petersburg and suffolk, and, If New
port News backed out, some other Tar
! heel town could probably lie taken In,
and compact little circuit formed.
|, would be welcome innovation IL
/ Richmond had an Ice rink. There is no
doubt that skating is popular here, and
I such q venture probably would pay il
J the initial investment was not too
heavy. 1t would be well worth inves-
ltigating. however. for anyone with the
money to spare
! Concerted action to discourage the
efforts of pitchers to invent new freak
ball should be taken by the major
( leagues. There is no need to handicap
! the twirlerS by prohibiting the use of
any legitimate method Of increasing
! their skill. hut means whereby UNI
pires could cope with n pitcher taking
unfair advantage by some method not
| mentioned in the rules is Imperative
Freak deliveries tend to lengtlien the
time between pitches, which slows the
/ game.
f, Football rule members will get to-
! gether next week in New York. One
/. Of the things that Should he done is
t. pass rule making the numbering
Of players mandatory. This is one in
| ncvation that has proved helpful to tho
sport notwithstanding the fact that
some institutions do not favor 1t. The
plan has been tried here, and there is
no questioning the assertion that the
game was twice as interesting with the
| players identified. as without
| Frank Moran, according to Il New
| York dispatch, is to be substituted for
Fred Fulton as the first opponent OF
Jess Willard. The bout is to be staged
in New Orleans on March 4. Gunboat
Smith defeated Jess over the twenty
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