Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-01-21
REFORMS LIKELY
TO KILL SPORTS
Tennis and Golf Heads Would
Be Wise to Use Caution
and Care in Moves.
MAY DETRAcT INTEREST
By JACK VEIOCK.

New York, Jan. 20.-Some OF our
best little performers in athletics, golf
tennis, rowing and swimming arc
wondering how long it will be until
there will be no such animal as an am
ateur.
The movement started more than a
year ago by the United States Golf
association to remove all possibility
OF any professional faint among its
members has spread like wildhre to
other branches of amateur sports and
the sponsors in these sport bodies arc
fostering 1t in every possible way.
Some sport reforms are good. Any
branch OF sports can stand reforms
from time to time, but there is
question in the minds OF some as to
whether wide-sweeping reform in
various branches OF amateur athletics
and sports which will strip them OF
their stars would be for the best.
The strictest definition OF an anna
teur that has been placed before any
amateur association for consideration
is that OF the United States National
Lawn Tennis association In nut
shell the United States National Lawn
Tennis association considers the fol-
lowing items as violations OF ANA
teurism: f.
Playing with professionals.
Accepting money for playing
Accepting money for teaching
Accepting expense incurred In entering
4 meet. |
Permitting the use Of names In the com
mercial world for advcrtising/ purposes.
Accepting a position Offered on the |
strength Of athletic fame,
Playing exhibition matches for money.
Accepting gratis memberships In clubs.
Handling, buying or selling tennis goods
Converting trophies or prizes into money.
Spreading Rapidly.
These are the things which are gen
rally considered breaches OF anna
eurism' by the reformers today. The
iystcm Of reform as advocated by the
yolf and tennis bodies is rapidly
'preading and should it be adopted
~ all amateur associations the ranks
# such associations would lose doz-
ms OF the foremost performers OF the
&c in tennis, golf, swimming, row.
ne and athletics OF all branches.
There is mot the shadow OF doubt
n the mind Of any fair thinking per-
on that rules prohibiting athletes
rom accepting money for their serv-
,es or performances should be strict
, enforced in all amateur associa-
ions, for without such rules there
,ould be no such thing as amateur
i'm. But those who look at both
des Of the matter are inclined to
elicve the new rules should not be I
lade too far-rcaching. II
The lifting OF Francis Ouimet's
nateur standing by the United I
tates Golf association caused
lrore in golf circles at the time. Oui-
Jet had not been playing golf for n
oney, but he entered the sporting il
pods business, and because of his /
opularity as golfer his name con-
scted with firm could naturally be 4
Spected to prove valuable to him in 5
financial way. i
Yet Ouimet was not actually re-
living money for playing, though he
as commercializing his name. .
What Would Happenl d
What effect would the barring of i,
Ich stars as Chick Evans, Maurice
cLoughlin, Teddy Cam, Tom IL
ooney and others Of their ealiber q
the various fields OF sport have n
these sportsf ;,
Would the life OF the sport be en- !,
need by taking away the country's n
st performerss - U
Would there be as great an incen- :,
&c for the future greats" with y
csc stars out OF competition? Or o
ould the barring OF the topnotchers :,
mulate interest?
And what would the attitude of the ii
eat sport-loving public be? !.
There are dozens Of questions that =
n be asked on both sides, and :,
my arguments that can be made for j.
d against the stringent reforms 7,
At are being urged, Perhaps a gen :,
Al cleaning up Of all branches OF .,
lateur sports would be great =, ~
ing. VI
But i seems to man up a tree v.
At the various associations had best !.
slow in making reforms, lest they 70
tract from the interest OF the wv
public. Golf. tennis md u y
lletics have been growing BY leaps 81
d bounds. They have been brought N
the front by the stars who have q
altered records that have stood for Vi
hrs, and it appears that such per :,
mers arc entitled to some con- tn
Grafton. They should not be given or
cold shoulder without both sides tn
the question beingl thoroughly VI
ashed out. ca