The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-01-23

criticism, but this criticism was also |
visited in less degree on all the big
colleges. All are equally at fault in
having permitted college sport to de-
generate into a sort of gladiatorial
contest such as made a Roman holi-
day in the times of Caesar. But the ,
Western colleges and the Southern
colleges and most of the Eastern col
leges looked to the Big Three to lead
the way in the matter of athletic de-
velopment. This leadership was right
ly a matter of pride for the students
and alumni of these three great
American institutions.
Thus, when the war broke out, the
mass of the American collegiate world
stopped and asked what the Big Three
were going to do. Led on by a feel
ing Of ultra-patriotism, if such there
can be in times such as this, and not
realizing the underlying reasons for
college athletics, the Big Three de-
clared that they would break off all
athletic relations of an intercollegiate
nature on the declaration of war.
Pennsylvania was very fortunate in
having as graduate manager, Major
Maylin Pickering, but recently re-
turned from the Mexican border,
where he had seen the actual neces-
sity for athletics for our soldiers, and
where he had noted the influence Of
athletic training in giving men great
er adaptability for military matters,
and a reader response to discipline.
| He at once got in touch with Ma
jorGeneral Leonard Wood, when
commanding the forces of the East,
and he also got in touch with Secre-
tary of War Baker and Secretary of
the Navy Daniels. All three of these,
without hesitation, gave it as their
opinion that college athletics should
be maintained, and if possible devel-
oped so that the entire student body
would be under some kind of athletic
training. Major Pickering then call
ed a meeting OF the Graduate Mana
gers Association in New York and the
letters from the heads of the army
and navy were read and discussed.
The Big Three managers held OUT
for their position, and they maintain
ed their attitude. To put themselves
right in the eyes of the public, they
intimated that the other colleges were
in a right conception of the needs of
the time. The inference that the Big
Three colleges were doing more in &C
tual war work than the other colleges
naturally got under the skin. It was
resented. Later on, it was seen that
Pennsylvania, Cornell, Chicago, Mis-
souri, and the other colleges had de-
; termined to go ahead with athletics
as best they could, were doing just as
much in a military way as any col
leges could possibly do. 1t was also
noted that the athletes from these
colleges had enlisted in just as high
a proportion as at any of the colleges
; where athletics had been stopped.
Speaking for Pennsylvania, merely
, because 1 know the conditions there
it is quite enough to state that every
!. member of the 1916 football team is
now in the national service. Other
J teams at Pennsylvania have suffered
just as keenly., In spite of this, Penn
, sylvania had a fine football team and
| promises to have a great basketball
team. The track team seems all shot
, to pieces, but Coach Robertson can
be depended on to make fair show
ing with whatever material develops.
The fact that the Big Three are
, now taking part in the winter sche-
, dule of sports and will most probably
, put baseball teams in the field indi-
Gates that they have seen the light
and that they now know that intercol-
/ legiate sport is a necessity to keep
general athletic activity up to the
) mark in any college. But the fact
that this view has reached them so
, late has taken from them that air of
: authority that was unquestionably
: theirs.
? 1t is most probable that this crown
t will not return to them, for the gen.
t eral collegiate public now look to the
} National Collegiate Association as the
5 one body really in a position to lead
/ the colleges of America in all ques-
! items of 4 national character. The
r writer hopes that the present situa-
/ iton will be of great benefit to col
t lege athletics in general and especial
/. 1y in the East, where there is symp-
. tom now and then of dry rot. The
f Eastern colleges might very well take
: q page from the book of the Western
colleges. On the Pacific slope there
n is a Pacific Slope Conference, the
: Southern Conference and there is the
= Western Conference, the big associa.
}. ton, the Missouri Conference an6
: others, It is about time that tbs
: Eastern colleges got together, la,
Il aside their fossilized jealousies ant
d lprejudices, and organize an Eastern
Conference which will govern all thu
t major sports. This is coming, ant
T with the faculties really in contro
l. from now on. it is more than a pos
: sibility after the war.-orton in Bos
'e ton Post