The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-02-27

mote institution and the old heads OF
the game began shifting, TO speah
figuratively of their inquiries. They
discovered that one of the stars OF
this team, a lineman, conducted 4
grocery store in a small town, 90O
miles removed from the university;
that he had a wife and two children
and that he never missed a day at
his store from the last of November
until the first day of the following
September. This team had an cleo
ton of captain in December and not
half the squad was in college when
the time for election arrived. 1t was
necessary to hold a Geographic vote
upon the next seasons team leader.
Many competent football players
are fitted up with lucrative jobs. A
few seriously work at these. Some
have the agency for neckwear, hos
cry, underwear, and various things
that the college student needs. Dur
ing vacation they are given many
opportunities to earn what may be
regarded as big" money. The pay
is often SO large hat they are en-
abled to hire a capable substitute fol
a small part of their income and
spend the vacation period in havin.
an excellent time. Many of the jobs
do not demand any more than draw
ing a salary.
This practice is not universal
There are many football players who
remain untainted but the NUMBER ap.
pears to be growing smaller 'eac!
season. Competition is keen anc
crack material, the kind needed flo,
winning ~elevens, is not overabunGant
The demand for material grows great
er and greater annually. If one uni
versity will not pay another will am
that is that.
Too Much COmmercialism
College athletes are showing :
growing tendency toward commercial
ism. Many educators are alarmed
over the condition. They are giving
public expression to their fears. They
are discussing many and varied rem
edies and agree that something mus
be done about the matter.
Conditions in college sports hav;
not improved in recent years. Th'
path has led downward, rather tina,
upward. The lure of gold has be
come greater and the spirit of sporr
has been losing ground.
Each football a there are n
merous charges of professionalism
The finger of guilt is pointed In al
directions. The accusations frequent
ly reach the public ear. The college
baseball season is a repetition of the
football season. Here, again, com,
the charges of professionalism.
The time for reform is here. This
structure of college athletics is sway.
ing and unless action is taken there
will be a collapse. Year after yeal
has come an avalanche of words up.
on the subject, but words will nc
longer suffice. Action, long delayed
Is needed.
If there is to be a reform in col
lcge athletics, and it is certain that
. che must come, then the reform can.
rot arrive in new laws, rules anc
! regulations, as so many suggest, BIT
i the abandonment or moderation Of
! some of those that exist.
Legislation viii not stamp QUE the
professional tendency in collegt
sports. Some OF the gentlemen i
| charge of the situation believe tat
the only solution lies in stricter laws
but one of the chief faults of the
present system is an overabundance
| of rules, excessive legislation. What
Is needed more than prohibition Is
temperance.
Those high in the councils OF col
legiate pastimes have suffered from
what is more or less of a national