New Britain herald., 1926-02-18
PRO SPORT DRAWS
 MORE ATTENTION
Developing With LOngeE Strides
 Than Ever in Many Branches
py tue Associated rrest,

nY tue Associated fresh New York, Feb, lS--Whilc com lmorcialism in amateur sports has been furnishing q subject for discus sion and no little agitation, proies- sional sports, whose foundation |ayowcdly is commercialistic, have been developing with longer strides 1 than ever before,
 There has been more or less Of q general turnover in the athletic DOT spcctivc for the past few years, ob- servers feel but the past few months have witnessed developments which show marked increase in demand for professional competition, chiefly 1 in football, hockey wrestling and swimming,
 The significance of il all, however appears to thcsG critics not to be that amateur sports have lost any CT their appeal--tor in the instance or football the pro- sports success was due 10 the high tide ol an un- iprcccIented college season-but that professional sports have attracted greater interest.
 Toward tn" close of last year lt was the trend from amateur 10 pro fcssipnal ranks of numerous aiar performers that focused attention. Harvey SnodgrcSs of the tennis first ten" turned pro. Gertrude Ederle and Aileen Riggin. famous swim mers, followed the example of Helen Wainwright in accepting offers to capitalize fame. Red Grange raced off his last field of college victory to don q professional uniform and start q tranScontinental tour. He {, was followed by two of his All American backheld mates, George Wilson of Washington and Ernie Nevers of Stanford.
 Now the features of the situation, instead of being individual, revolve around the general development Of professional sports. Professional football, after somewhat stormy season, seems likely 10 branch out next fall with more effective re- sources and background. fight re- sembling in a way the battle between the major leagues of baseball Il guar
 ter of g. century ago looms with Grange and his manager, C. C. Pyle,
 sponsoring a circuit opposed to the present National league.
 The professional circuit which
 edged it's way into New York last fall and managed 10 garner expenses s here, is not very old and in reality T had not gained foothold when this " fight appeared. Grange applied tc that league for a franchise after leasing inc Yankee stadium for
 period of five years but was refused
 when Tim Mara. owner of the New
 York Giants objected. Now Grang' l. has formed circuit of his own
 The Pacific coast has q siX-club pro
 ject,
 Ice hockey perhaps has establish
 ed itself with more startling rapidit! W than any other professional sport Il W years. Instead Of going through al y eXperim cnt3l season. the game ha
 
 financial success in New York, a in well as, to q lesser degree, in Bost ol s, and Pit sburgh. where franchises ar it held, along with four Canadia' 1t teams, in the National league. Thi A. is the "big loague' of professiona pt hockey In the east. So optimistic ar le it's packers that another season ,n expected to see second club repre- TO senting New York. with Detroit an le Chicago also likely to obtain fran lg Chises.
 le Professional wrestling has stage SC something of q return from Elha
 SO much so, after q considerab' ill hiatus in popular favor here thf H. capacity crowds have "itnosso SC weekly cards. one Of them recent O. featuring the first championshi m match Now York has had in fol
 years.