The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1917-12-12
WAR MAY CHANGE
COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Agitation in East for Putting
Sports on "Safe and
Sane" Basis.
OPINIONS QUOTED
"Overgrown Business of Sc
curing Receipts" Criticised
by University Head.

BN ASsOclattu FrcsS
NEW YORK, Dec. 12.-Sentiment
in favor of a reconstruction of col
lege athletics after the war upon
what has been termed a safe and
sane basis, is said to be increasing at
eastern educational institutions and
is likely to be the subject of consider
alton at the coming annual meeting
of the National Collegiate Athletic AS
sociation. An idea of the attitude in
this direction, as the result of what
might be considered experiments con-
Quoted during the football season just
closed, can be gained from two state
ments from prominent eastern uni
versities touching upon the subject.
President Faunce of Brown Uni
yersity in a recent address upon col
lege athletics at the Providence insti-
tuition, said:
We are well pleased with the re-
suit of keeping up intercollegiate
sports on a simple and inexpensive
basis in wartime Out of our last
years football squad of so men, 80
entered the service. This seems to
show that wholesome outdoor sports,
kept within bounds, are good prep
aration for the soldiers life. If our
camps cannot go without outdoor
games, our colleges need not fear to
encourage them.
Genuine Play the Ideal.
Let us hope that the enforced alb
sence of training tables in all our
colleges and huge expenditures and
fiaring publicity for individuals,
means the introduction of saner poll
cies when the war is ended, and that
the overgrown business of securing
gate receipts may give way to the
genuine play of college boys who,
through such play, become finer and
stronger men"
Almost simultaneously the Yale
Alumni Weekly. in reviewing the
football season at New Haven, printed
the following commentary:
"A look ahead suggests at least one
formidable need Football will be
resumed at Yale. as at Harvard and
Princeton, just as soon as conditions
at present beyond the control of any
individuals permit The Yale fresh
man football team, everyone of the
eleven and substitutes being members
OF the university training units and
subject to their exacting schedules,
gave an account of itself which
should not be overlooked. Good ma
terial but better spirit brought ii
through a season in which the score
boards told an interesting story and
in which the character of the team
and its training amounted TO an in
spiratiOn.
Will Yale Lead the Way?
will Yale. then, have the courage
to resume varsity football net year or
the year after. whenever it becomes
possibility upon a basis similar to
that which has proved so salutary for
the freshman team? Will Yale be
willing at least to help lead the way
to purer amateurism and less of the
spirit of professionalism. to more of
sensible economy in keeping with the
purposes of the university and less
of extravaganza smacking of COM
mercialism, to less of the trumped-up
public spectacle with its hero-worship
and other inevitable evils and more Of
the college sport for the sake of COL
lege sport as such?
I'VE cannot think too hard or too
often upon these things. To prove
blind to the opportunity would be a
lamentable thing To seize it and
carry intercollegiate athletics, foot
ball especially. far away from its
ancient abuses toward the clearly
suggested ideal will be splendid. Be-
lieving this and working for this now
will win half of the battle"