Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-05
SOUTH AMbOY
SPORT PROTES7
Events Not Encouraged by
Support Big Revival OF
Interest is Urged

SOUTH AMBOY, Dec. 5.-where
are the sport fans of yesterday and
what Is wrang with sports In South
Amboy?
These two questions, yet unanswer-
ed, have been hurled through the
length and breadth of South Amboy
by those directly interested in clean
active sport. Why the questions
have been raised probably most in
terests the majority of readers.
The fact that sports in this city
does not a those who promote
them is the basic foundation for the
question. Not that those men who
foster various sport events want any
thing themselves. It is because the
clubs of promoters cannot even make
the expenses incurred.
To an Evening News representative
recently, a man who for many years
has been an outstanding figure in
sports both in this city, as well as
throughout the county, asked the oft
time repeated question, and almost
in the same breath answered them
himself. He said:
at is because the majority of the
people do not interest themselves
in the clean sports of today"
fOE VdTiOu9 icdSOuS llS PSioou IA
question asked that his name be
eliminated in the publicity. He
seemed anxious to see a change in
the sport world of the city. He
dwelt on the support or ~non-support
given the local basketball team this
as we'll as the past years of its x
|istence. He said:
'The game of basketball. with jts
season the entire winter ana a good
part of the fall, enjoys almost as
lengthy q period as does baseball.
Week in and week out you see the
same faces at the various encoun-
tiers. Note if you will, Just how many
of the old timers in. attendance.
Very few are there, and those that
are, became interested in the sport
because a son, OF a relative OF theirs
is playing or perhaps some one con-
nected with the family is running
the affair. OF course, we will have
to admit there are a few h step
ped i n for curiosity, and thereby re-
ceived an insight into the game. The
majority of those in attendance. are
young men, young women and schooi
children"
Continuing the speaker said:
1.-THE sooner we get the fathers OF
| those who attend interested, the
| sooner we get on a running basis.
| The great reason for the non-attend-
| ance is in my belief, ignorance OF
! the game. The soone the men and
/ women of the city understand the
game, then the sooner is the game
| going to be q paying one. And
when they do interest themselves
instead Of seeing the school children
dropping in alone, you will see the
parents going with them. as they do
to theatres and the like"
Cites Expense OF Contests
The speaker then illustrated with
conservative figures just what the
| management of a basketball team is
up against when they book games
| with representative teams. Starting
| with the expense of the hall, the
speaker said it cost SIS for one night.
| The average team that visits this
| city demands 1t the very least $40.
The music for four pieces at the
union scale is $40 for-the leader and
SIS each for the other players is SIS.
| The total is $50.
1.-THE expense runs to a greater
| figure if a preliminary game is play
| ed. The admission price at 80 cents
makes it necessary for at least 235
| admissions to be received at the door.
Sometimes not more than SO persons
are in attendance, giving the people
| interested an idea of the loss mann
| tanned by the promoters. How long
would a business man stay in bus.-
ness at losses suffered at frequent
| intervals like this, with no bright
prospect for an improvement in the
| line. I dare say n day., added the
speaker.
Best Talent Obtainable in s. A.
To illustrate and to offset the ar
| gument that high class contests are
| not staged in this city, the speaker
referred to the local representative
basketball team, the Junior Order OF
United American Mechanics who in
| every instance tkjs year through its
manager, Lester Stratton, brought to
| this city some of the best combina-
lions of players ever in South Am-
boy. Still, the games are not patron
lied. go,
To give those not familiar with
conditions that surround the basket
ball games, the speaker touched On
the price Of admission. The general
admission is IS cents. For that sum
at least one, and sometimes Two all.
star games are played on the local
court.
'The lack Of spirit in the basket
ball world IN none less manifested
in other sports propogated within
the confines OF u fair city. Base
ball, football. and other sports are
gFeetde In the same unfnterested
way. The managers and promoters
in order to keep q team playing tbs
entire season must necessarily dia
down and dig deep In order to pay
the expenses, the speaker said.
Realizing the condition in the
lsport field, it is understood hat q
fcommittee Of interested promoters
will in the near future. visit every
business man in the city, as well al
the residents at large, in an efforl
to promote a better feeling In al
lines of sport. This committee, ac-
cording to rumors, will in the early
spring bring together all recognized
good ball players and will select ar
all Amboy team to represent Soutf
Amboy in all lines of sport.
The plans as laid will be OF a
broad nature, and include the erec-
ton of a ball park, suitable fol
baseball, and football.
Those who have had the plani
outlined to them, seem to feel the
move Is q long felt one, ana one
which al only be for the best IN
terest of South Amboy as well as the
sport circles.