Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-07
HARD BLOW TO AMATEURS
ALL BLUES ATHLETES IN
MEET PROFESSIONALISM
H"hmohh Amateur Athletic Federation
Muht Take Action ON Competition
with PrOfessionnl, or Raise bars.

Here liz case for the Richmond
Amateur Athletic Federation to pvss
upon.
College. held 20 be :, professional attn
i"'c. ran on Saturday night in the
Richmond Blues lntercompany meet.
Not only did Mac run. but he hurdlcd
ana likewise he jumped.
Under the rules Of that holy Of
hoites. tho Amateur Athletic Union.
with which the Richmond Amateur
Athletic Federation is affiliated. one
"ho Knowingly participates in Il com
pct'uon with or against professional.
automatically disqualiiics himself.
That Cosby has been branded as "A
professional by the Richmond Amateur
Athletic Federation il public property.
In fact. the case was eXpounded daily
In all OF the local papers for several
weeks. Tho controversy was IL hot one.
but In spite OF heavy bombarduient, the
Richmond Amateur Athletic Federation
officials tightly scaled their ears TO
all pleas that the accused athletes he
given rchear!ng.
Tho crime against anatcurism which
Cosby is alleged to have committed
was to supervise tho innocent play of
several hundred tender children last
summer when he was connected with
the CITY Fairgrounds. No matter that
his employer stated that playground
supervisors were employed for cXccu-
tive and not athletic ability. the charge
"f professionalism Was sustained. In
fact DR.. William Burdicl: OF Baltimore.
registrar OF the South Atlantic D!
vision Of the Amateur Athletic Union,
personally passed on the matter.
Now, In view Of the fact that Cosby
is "a professional under its own ruling.
how can the Richmond Amateur Attn
lctc Federation fail 20 suspend every
man who participated in the meet on
Saturday night
There can bc no plea Of Ignorance
on the part Of those I'm tho race They
should have known tho rules governing
amateurism, just as playground sun.r-
visors should have known that they
were automatically putting themselves
outside the pale. Eesides Il prominent
member OF the Richmond Amateur Attn
letic Federation. Sheppard Crunp. was
present AZ the meet, and II IL his duty
to bring the matter before tht GOV
erning body.
FEDERATION CAME NEAR
MAKING EXAMPLE OF OTHERS
a, tho time the playground super
visors were supposed 10 have been
given a hearing, six other athletes were
M charge Of professionalism
They were charged with playing on q
team on which professional. Charlie
strain, had appeared for three innings.
accused youths suspended as an eN
ample. iic wanted thcm suspended
for at least a week before reinstatc-
mcrt, but this WAS voted down, and
they were rcinstatcd forthwith.
Now IL remains for tn" RiChmord
Amateur Athletic Federation to make
an example OF those who knowingly
participated in competition with one
who is barred under the following rule
OF the Amateur Athletic Union.
IA, q
pete in any athletic meeting. game or
entertainment given or sanctioned 10y
this union who has received or COM
petcd for compensation or reward in
any form for the display, exercise or
example of his skill or knowledge OF
any athletic exercise or fo- rendering
personal service OF any Kind to an attn
ietiC orEauiZution.
This is the identical ruling cited by
Dr Burdick in his decision against
cosby and tho other Fairgrounds SUI
pcrvisors.
There il no questioning the fact that
the Amateur Athletic Union is strong
for the ruie which prohibits an anna
tour playing with a professional The
ruling has been strongly condemned
from time 10 time. but as long as the
Richmond Amateur Athletic Fedora
ton is connected with the parent body
il should strictly enforce the rule. The
Richmond Blues is one of the organ
izers OF the local body. and its attn
lctc officers vii! probably he the first
TO insist that action be taken.
In event the Richmond Amateur
Athletic Federation refuses Ia take up
the matter. Richmond COLLEGE Viii be
highly pleased. rs there will thcu he
no objection to the Spider track squad
running Cosby. Mitchell and Satter-
field in the dual meet against the Blues
this month Coach pobson, although
Richmond college does not recognize
the a A. L., had not considered run
ming the disbarrcd men because he re-
spcctcd the athletic code OF the Blues.
which forbds competition between
urofc SIGNALS and amateurs, and the
trio had been professionalism for an
act forbidden by that code.
40 VALID REASON TO
BAR SPIDER RUNNERS
If, however, one OF these men can
lake part I'm one competition, there
certainly can be no objection TO him
being In another. Therefore there will
he no reason for Keeping them out OF
the meet. provided the Richmond ANA
teur Athletic Federation passes the
matter over without action.
or course tho Richmond Amateur
Athletic Federation need not take any
drastic, action Ii can merely meet and
quietly reinstate all Of the athletes who
participated In the meet on Saturday
night In fact, some of them have
been reinStatcd i'll the past Tor similar
offcnses One OF the men at least three
times has been brought back within
the fold after professionaiiZing him
self by playing baseball on team
with n prof"
Another effect Of the Richmond Anna
icur Athletic Federation taking no no.
ticc OF, the Saturday night affair will
be to permit local baseball players to
play on any amateur team in the city
This summer. In the past any player
under the protection of the Richmond
Amateur Baseball Commission was
profcs sionaliZcd. because the commits
sion refuses to bar former profession
ais who no longer receive compensa-
tion but play for sport II athletes,
however. can compete with profession
ais in track, there is no valid reason
why they should not do so in base
ball
The matter yesterday occasioncd