New Britain herald., 1928-01-12
(BY HENRY L. FARRELL)


 Comparison of the ability of pro- fessionals and amateurs in any given line of athletics is an easy way to get into | controversy, but it's not the getting in that counts 80 much as the getting out. Anyone can start a fight.
 Two divisions of sport are out of it, however. There is no doubt that a professional baseball team could beat an amateur team with less than the number of players the rules re- quire on q diamond. and 1t Is equal ly certain that an amateur fighter would be risking his health to en- gage in 8 real fight with . first class professional.
 There are other minor sports in which the superiority of the prefes- sionals is beyond dispute, but among the popular games that do bring differing expressions of opinion are football and basketball.
 Red Grange. Benny Friedman and Ernie Meyers, who graduated from the highest rank of the college stars into the professional class, insist that the football played by the hired athletes is . much harder game. much more advanced in technique and much harder to play against.
 These opinions however, might be taken as kind word from them for business that has been pretty good to them. They hardly would take slam at . pastime that has made for Grange a small fortune. for Friedman enough to start in busi- ness in Detroit without prostrating himself before g. banker, and for Meyers. whose private affairs have not been so publicized. at least enough to keep him away from the more laborious classes of labor.
 They do not hesitate to tell you that a first class pro football team could beat a first class college team because the pro players are more matured. more rugged. higher skilled and less foolish. By foolish. they mean that college boys will kill themselves on chances that are 100 to 1 against them and that | when the Right time comes for the break their power is spent. Fried man. one of the smartest quarter backs of all time, says he has found by experience that the chance for the break always comes eventually and when it comes you have to have the power to meet it.
 When 1t comes to basketball there isn't the slightest doubt of the superiority of the professional game in the opinion of Vic Hanson. three- sport star and captain at the Uni versity of Syracuse and later one oi the big stars of the American Bas. ketball league.
 I'm certain" Hanson said, "that a professional basketball team could beat any college team in the coun, try. For two reasons-the pro game is much more scientific and the teams are as nearly perfect ai possible in each position. You will find that the best of college team, have a weakness some place, but the pro teams have the means o, strengthening any position that ma, be weak.
 'The big difference between thu game as played by the professional, and the collegians is in the runninl attack. The college players TUT and dribble the ball all over thu floor to keep 1t in motion. The pro [ players move easily about the fool in organized formation. They will pass the ball around as if they wer, killing time until they find the righr angle and then they will charge into it. It is highly scientific game.
 3Another difference is that ther, is much more personal contact 1T the professional game and for tha reason . pro team might commit [ great number of fouls against col lege opponents. but even with tha' handicap I believe that the same re suit would happen. If the rule, were capitalized q college team wouldn't have . chance against | pro team"
 This opinion of Hapson's is not ar expression of love from an adopted child because Hanson left the Cleve