The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-12-21
\TIRRIN'
I The DOPE
By vEDDER G ARD

threats have been made In
the past to take the final high
school basketball tournament away
from Indianapolis. The plans
worked out in a meeting Of the
I. III. s. A. A. board of control on
Saturday will do away with the
big meet that In recent years has
been held at the State Playground
in March.
Although this city will hate to
lose the tournament, there is no
denying the fact the III. s. board
has listed many good reasons for
its action. The State board of
agriculture boosted the rent this
year on the Exposition building
at the Playground to $4,000, plus
all other expenses, such as light,
heat, etc.
There are many big gyms around
the State, and with four addi-
tional seminal Journeys, prob
ably as many people will see the
games as attended here when 1t
was all in one big net carnival.
But the biggest argument in
favor Of the new idea is that 1t
will do away with the physical
grind of the two days play. What
ever may be said against taking
the tourney away from this city
Aone can deny that if the strain
~ the players has been lessened,
the board has done something
worth while.
1t is a misfortune Indianapolis
does not have real high school
gym. If the city had a struc-
ture worthy of the name it would
have an opportunity to stage the
final battles.
The capital of this basket
bali State is one of the
most backward in providing fa-
cilities for the greatest HoOsier
sport. Maybe, now, some will
begin to realize it.
me hears a lot about in
tolerance these days. 1t is
III favorite expression, but
did you ever hear 1t used in
reference to sport? 1t applies to
athletics as well as anything else.
Why is it that we must go to ex-
treines on all questions? Why not
strike a middle ground somewhere?
The opponents OF college football
will not be satisfied unless the
game is abolished. The opponents
of professional football would wipe
it off the sport map.
Even Major Griffith, Big Ten
athletic commissioner, gets a bit
excited while talking about the
menace Of the pro game and pre-
diets that golf Or polo will take
footballs place if the grid sport
becomes commercialized.
There seems to be a place for
Ahe collegiate sport. although it
ght be modified bit. 1t may
DB given too much prominence in
some schools.
But there is also place for the
professional. Let's be sensible and
think straight. Very seldom is
anything all bad or all good. Only
in the movies are Williams abso-
lutely wicked and the hero and
heroine the embodiments Of every
virtue.
So on the sport stage even the
referee may be right some times
and the college football hero may
have his faults. Just be calm,
folks. Don't let your own likes
and dislikes warp your judgment.
There is something to say on
both sides-always It is so easy
to be intolerant in the realm OF
sports.
INDIANA is overrun with
good high school basketball
centers. Any direction in
which one looks there looms a
youth Of above the ordinary ability
who stands in the little ring IN the
middle Of the court as the, game
starts.
And I'm spite Of all this great
array of pivot men, in our mind,
there Is one outstanding star
RIGHT af fhic TINA Tho ,vnuAy,,c