The Washington times., 1921-02-09

| tHdt w. ~ AN-hSVs"
and Albert Lefevre did not resign
from the G. A. A. because Of any
| antagonism to these gentlemen or
| the policies they represent. Their
| designations were voluntary and not
| the result of any pressure from stu
| dents, alumni or any one else. Eligt-
bility rules are made by the faculty
committee on athletics, and not by
| the General Athletic Association. Ill
advised press reports indicate that
with the resignation of these two
men new athletic policy will
be adopted at Virginia.
1t is intimated in these unfortunate
articles that the summer baseball
rule will be abolished, that the rule
barring freshmen from the varsity
teams will be abrogated, and that
Virginia will abandon the high stand
ard of eligibility rules which have
given her an envious reputation in
the collegiate world.
NO CHANGE EXPECTED.
AS an old football player and as
an alumnus of this institution who
is interested in pure athletics at Vir-
| ginia, / journeyed to Charlottesville
and learned from various members of
| the faculty committee on athletics
that no change in the athletic policy
was contemplated, and that any at
tempt to change and cheaper the
moral standard of Virginia athletics
would be frowned upon, resented and
resisted to the utmost.
1 then ventured to obtain the ex-
preston of opinion from the athletic
alumni of the university. I have
talked to former football players.
baseball players, captains and
coaches, and almost without excep-
ton I have learned that the athletic
alumni are fairly and squarely in
accord with the code of athletic laws
now in force at Virginia
These athletes of the days that are
gone love Virginia and adore her
traditions. The athletes of today and
those Of former years are violently
opposed to the Inauguration of any
system that places the winning Of
games above the spirit of education
and amateurism now practiced BY
the leading universities of America
RULES ARE RIGID.
1t is alleged by a few that our
rules are too strict My information
Is that in many of the Northern and
Western colleges and universities the
eligibility rules are much more rigid
than those In force at Virginia
The day of commercialism OF col
lege athletics has long since passed,
and the Institutions that still cling to
the old easy wal ore not in good favor
with those institutions like Virginia,
which have higher and more noble
vision and insight INTO the real place
athletics have at an educational in
stitution.
find that the student body and
the athletic alumni are opposed to
playing contestant teams on neutral
grounds. II Is hard to understand the
criticism against this most just rule.
Many Northern universities saw the
wisdom of II years ago. and yet Vir-
ginia has but recently adopted II.
students as we'll as alumni have the
right to demand that they see their
teams perform in the crucial games.
The Carolina-Vir game IL not
played for the benefit the people
In any particular CT town, but
this game is played We benefit
OF the students and 4 of Caro-
ma and Virginia, and, 10. course, with
hat interest in view II Is only fair
hat these games should be played at
hapel Hill and at Charlottesville. A
tudy of what is fair and just makes
t clear that to abolish this rule
would be taking n step backward.