The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-28
AMATEUR STATUS IS IMPORTANT ISSUE IN SUCCESS OF SPORTS
Mclaughlin and Bundy May Be Rated As Profession als for Opening Sport
 ing Goods Store

New York, January 27.-The oues-
 tion of the amateur status of former
 golf and tennis champions, who have
 announced their intention of opening
 sporting goods stores in their home
 cities is likely to develop into a thorn
 in the flesh of the governing bodies
 of these sports. Matters would be
 simplified if they were through with
 active competition as amateurs but
 such is not the case. Mclaughlin and
 Bundy expect to play in sectional and
 national tennis tournaments during the coming season and the same holds good
 of Francis Ouimet in golf.
 Coming at time when a concerted
 effort is being made by the leading sport governing bodies of the country
 to raise the standard and spirit of amateurism in all games, the projects
 of these tennis and golf stars is se- were problem for their associations to handle. Many of the leading officials of these. organizations are of the opin- ion that the present rules would ap- pear to bar these prospective proprie-
 tors of a sporting goods store from further competition in amateur tourna-
 nents but careful reading of the rules does not bear out this belief The
 bylaws of the United States National Lawn Tennis association contain the following paragraph:
 An amateur is one who is not con- nected with the sale of tennis goods, nor with firm manufacturing or sell ing tennis goods, except when such connection shall be of a general nature in a firm manufacturing or selling general athletic goods and the person so connected has to do with tennis goods to no greater extent than any other line of goods"
 The latest code of the United States Golf association shows that the execu-
 tive committee of the association has
 ruled that among other violations of the amateur golf rule is the following
 Lending ones name or likeness for
 the advertisement or sale of anything except as a dealer, manufacturer or in
 ventor thereof in the usual course of
 business"
 These are the regulations which
 come nearest to covering what some are inclined to consider a violation of
 the amateur golf and tennis rules in
 both cases it would appear to the lay man that the except" and the words following thereafter prevent the rules
 as whole from being applied to the PIopElclOTS Ol StOTeS SuCn as Mc- Loughlin, Bundy and Ouimet propose to open.
 Reports from the middle west credit Johnny Evers with expressing the wish that he might be permitted to return to Chicago and play on the reorganized Cubs under the management of Joe 1 Tinker. He is quoted as saying: Nothing would please me more than to be back at the old station and, be- lieve me, being under Joe's manage ment would not make any difference to me. I am not that kind, and If he could play again himself I am sure it would bring the old town on it's feet
 once more if we could be seen playing at the old sack again.
 q am near home in Boston. come home every Saturday night, and I am in fine with the people there and would hate to leave; but at the same time for the good of the league I love Out which doesn't love mel I would sacri- flee all this if it could be arranged, and remember I have a contract that prevents my removal without my con- sent"
 Evidently Evers does not enjoy the prospects of working under the iron hand of Messrs. Haughton and Stallings in Boston during the coming season. Baseball prophets are free with their preQlct1OnS that the lf1O Will not know the meaning of the word harmony by the Fourth of July. Certain it is that the old axiom. Politics makes strange bedfellows," can be applied in this case with the substitution of the word "basebalP' for politics"
 An example of the present day sportsmanship in the schools and col leges is shown in the sending of a souvenir gold football to Captain Gull yer of the Detroit Central High school by the Everett High school of Everett, Mass Early in December elevens from these two high schools met at Detroit in game for the interscholas- tic championship. The contest result ed in a scoreless tie but Captain Gull yer insisted that the Everett team be awarded the ball in view of its fine showing. At the banquet given to the Everett eleven gold football watch charms were presented to all membe bers of the team and an extra one sent to Captain Culver in Detroit for his sportsmanlil<e act in insisting that the honors of the game go to Eveertt. -----.s.-----------
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