The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-02-17
Qt Il e
! ofSport
by A~4S S.SAA7scs

! responsible for the poor showing OF
/ some OF the major league teams is Il
queer assertion. but it is the theory Of
President Baker OF the phils that the
| income tax is directly to blame.
One alibi is as good as another. but
| President Baker backs his assertion up
I with some plausible facts. He says that
! tho reason the poorer clubs Of the major
: leagues are unable to get the star play
/ ers Is that they are outbid by the richer
/ club owners. That. Of course. is true
! But Mr. Baker adds that the richer
! clubs have been delighted at the idea
! Of spending huge sums for ball players
| for the simple reason that such cX-
| pcndtures can be deducted from the in
, come tax.
! Perhaps. but the fact that this Is
REAL money that tho owners pay out,
not fictitious losses in the Stock Tx
| change Worse. it is an assertion that q
! championship may br bought outright
; by any club owner who is willing 10
! spend enough money. If quite as bad as
any player who accepts brides for
, stealing ball games. for the simple rea-
son that no club can buy unless an
/ other is willing To sell. and any club
which for mere money will sell player
| TO strengthen another club at the cN-
/ pense OF his own is selling games as
surely as n crooked player would do.
Value Of Football Trainers.
A Pennsylvania State friend writes
TO me TO make an interesting query. He
| wants TO know why writers of sport. cs-
pccially those who make n close study
of football, fail to give sufficient credit
to the trainers Of teams and heap praise
upon the coaches There is something
in his criticism. although some OF W.
have in the past recognized the fact that
trainer is almost as vital an element
in the construction of good football ma
| chimes as Is a coach. and that, unless
coach and trainer work together. tho
team Is liable to be shot to pieces.
believe that several times during
the recent months I have stepped aside
TO note tho fact that keene Fitzpat-
rick was as much responsible for
Princeton's victorious season as was
Bill Roper. and printed an interview
with Roper in which he gave Fitzpat-
rick even more credit than nc took for
, himself.
Take Yale. for instance. 1t has a
trainer who is ono OF the best in the
, business, yet | have serious doubts
whether Yale will turn out winning
teams with him IN charge. Why? BE-
cause 1au Jones Is i driving C"h|H'
almost certain to ovcrwork players.
The trainer has an idea that he should
bow TO Jones IN all things. Last fall
nc permitted Jones and his assistants
To drive tho team 10 death. Had nc
called a halt and said to the. coach.
This is enough for that fellow to-
day" no might have saycd the day
other trainers do II: l remember
seeing Harry Tuthill, when at West
Point. stop scrimmages and order tired
men of the field. 1t was his right and
he refused to permit coach. whose
eye was on team work rather than upon
the condition of individuals. to exhaust
a player. Therefore, his teams were IN
shape when they took the field.
The duty OF 4 trainer is 10 keep the
men In condition. and II nc permits
coach or any one else 10 break their
condition he is not doing hts job well.