Evening star., 1922-04-22
Barring professionalism From Col.
lege Sports.


Such worrisome problems as sub
sides. control of fighting forces and
housecleaning for the good of the
service" rise up to veX other high
power intellects beside those on Cap
itol Hill. In slightly different guise
they are stalking collegiate halls.
where the "supergovernment" of ath-
letic associations. wealthy alumni or
ganizations and high salaried coaches
has struck fire from college presi-
dents. In consequence they have de-
clared a policy of self-determination
which proposes to establish whether
athletics are maintained for the col
lege or the college for athletics.
Princeton started the rumpus by re-
moving without stigma" eighteen
athletic giants. including the captain
of the base ball team and the cap
tain-elect of the foot ball team, who
were found to have been "subsidiZed"
by wealthy alumni because of their
prowess on diamond and gridiron.
So far as the barred men themselves
are concerned. while the action of the
faculty cannot but be unpleasant. it
must be emphasized, the Flint (Mich.)
Tribune insists. that there is no i'm
plication of dishonor. but for the
sake of better sportsmanship in the
university il was deemed best to
eliminate them" and they will find
compensation for their disappoint-
ment in the knowledge that it is in
the interest of cleaner sport"
The shadow of commercialism over
college sports lis really a matter for
which the alumni are responsible" ;"
the Albany IN. " Knick kerbocke er
Press declares. for. as the New York
Herald puts it. when an old grad
picks student to send to the alma
mater he picks him rather for breadth
of shoulder than breadth of forehead.
Sending a mere dig back to the dear
old college will not bring any great
glory to the alma mater. but Il good
drop kicker and line plunger certainly
will" hence, the Herald explains, the
alumni recruit Drawn rather than
brain" And from the Viewpoint of
the grad" it is the natural thing to
do, the Boston Globe ontends. for
since he graduated he has lost touch
with the intellectual and educational
ends of the institution: he is now in
business and was never very much in
terested in highbrow things anyway.
So when he decides to do something
for the college he does things to help
her sports. which, translated into
American, means to help her win
games"
However, while brilliant students
are subsidized in almost every uni
versity the country over" the Boston
Herald finds a delicate problem" in
determining Just how much or how
little fairly may be done to ease the
way through college of a man who
needs financial help. whose athletic
rrowess commands respect, and who
maintains good standards of conduct"
At bottom. the Herald. thinks. the
whole issue turns on defensible in
depreciation of the term amateur. I"
But when the subsidizing goes to the
extent of buying athletes" editorial
opinion holds that the borderland be-
been crossed and the practice lays
open to the charge of professionalism
such college teams. as include men
who are subsidized solely for their
physical skill. The action of the
Princeton faculty. supported by Yale
and Harvard, should have con-
siderable effect" the Brooklyn Eagle
believes, 'in ridding college sports Of
the taint of professionalism"
"Commercialism and professionalism
cannot be separated" the Columbia
(S C) State declares, and intercol-
legiate athletics are reaching a crisis,
which, according to the Roanoke
Times. will determine whether they
shall become commercialized gladia-
torial combats or organized as an in
tegral part of Students collegiate
education"
And while Harvard. Yale and
Princeton are skirting the surface of
the problem. the small New England
colleges. the Springfield Republican
tells us, "have taken steps to meet
the situation! This refers to the
movement by the presidents of eleven
Of the smaller colleges to put stop
to the practice of employing seasonal
coaches at enormous salaries by en-
ploying q coach as member of the
faculty. paid by the college and re-
sponsible to the college. and selected
in the same way as other members
of the faculty"
This "presages a movement to take
control of athletics entirely out of the
hands of alumni and athletic assocla-
tions," which the Indianapolis Star
thinks will meet with decided oppo-
sftion in alumni circles. But since
the abuses have been largely the
ietic councils" the Bangor (Me.) Com
mercial regards this new step as zone
in the right direction" 'The way to
eradicate commercialism from coll
iege athletics in the formula Of the
New York World, 'fs to eradicate it,
and putting college sports wholly un-
der faculty control "is the promising
heriuning," At least, the New York
HeraId thinks, ''it should end the
ridiculous practice of hiring profess
sional athletes at salaries higher
than the college presidents receive"
Teach Young idea to Shoot.