The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-27
FLANAGAN OFF
FOR CANTON TO
TALK FOOTBALL
Members of Professional League
Gather in Annual Meeting
Tomorrow.
BY ]. L. HUGHES.

! last night on the first lap OF MS
| journey to Canton, c., where to-
morrow he will sit with representa-
tives of other clubs of the Ameri-
can Professional Football associa-
ton in annual meeting. Walters
d; plans called for a stopover in Chi
cago today for a conference with
Jimmy Councilman, captain of the
1921 Independents. He will leave
| Chicago tonight for Canton.
The Independents chief has sew
eral matters to bring before the
meeting, among those being sal
airy limit, Standardization of gate
prices, maximum guarantees above
expenses and stronger contracts
between clubs, calling for forfcits
in event the home team is unable
to meet the entire guarantee. There
are other things of more or less
Importance calling for expression
The question of expelling Green
Bay for violation of the rules pro-
hibiting use of players eligible for
college competition, will be an i'm
fportant one before the convention.
Flanagan declared he will do every
thing in his power to bring about
the expulsion, for, he contends,
Green Bays action is responsible
for all the recent agitation again5t
professional football.
Walter is a firm believer in tn .
matter of limiting the salaries and
he is confident several other fran
chise holders share his ideas. If
the game is to continue to thrive,
some steps must be taken to cur
tail the unreasonable amounts
some players have been receiving
for one game each week. Too, a
limit would tend to equaliZe the
competition and make the league
better and stronger for it.
Flanagan thinks a uniform price
should be charged for all games
within the association. There
could be no protest against accept
ing a percentage of the gate re-
ceipts then by any team, he claims
The question of guarantees is
doubly important. Flanagan will
seek to have a limit placed on the
amount any team may demand for
playing away from home, above the
expenses of travel. Obviously it
would not be fair to limit to the
amount to include travelling ex-
penses, but it would be equitable
to say how much each club should
have above the outlay of the trip.
Walters 1921 experience with
contract guarantees was not pleas
ant. At Detroit he had no othe
recourse than to accept a big re-
duction in guarantee. If he re-
fused to let his team play, he would
have been at total loss f. the
trip. Again, at Chicago, the indie
pendents bucked into Indictment
weather for the second Staley con-
test, and Flanagan had to accept
less or nothing at all. He believes
some action is necessary to prevent
such losses as these to the visiting
club.
Promoters of professional foot
ball don't like the filings that a
number of the leading coaches are
taking at the pro" game.
Those who foster professional
football insist the college brand and
the pro" variety haven't a single |
thing in common.
They insist a lot of football |
coaches who condemn the PRO"
game are going off half-cocked and
know not whereof they speak.
The case Of the Notre Dame play
ers who were enticed to take part |
in pro- game at Green Bay, is a |
rare exception, they say.
Promoters of the professional
game in the east and middle west
say they have no intention of ever
raiding the college ranks for star
players. They claim there are
plenty of experienced stars who |
have graduated, who, are willing |
and anxious to accept their terms. |
Two years ago at Canton, say the |
professional promoters, it was
agreed that no team should tanner |
with players still in college. 1t is |
further claimed that the rule has
not since been violated with the ex-
ception of the incident which in
yolved the Notre Dame stars.
The promoters claim there should |
be no worry on the part of the COL
lege coaches, if the pros" stick to
their resolution to refrain from
tampering with stars in college.
They claim the game has prospered !
much since that rule was adopted /
1t is also argued that the pro"
game, while it lacks the color.
and spirit of the college
sport, is bound to succeed because
of the appeal made through the
high standard of play. The con-
tention is made that after three
years of careful coaching, the aver
age athlete is just at the top of
his game.