Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-02-22

The 1ntcrSchOlaStic League or
Texas. with headquarters at Aus
tin, and OF which Brownsville and
Valley schools are members OF. has
made itself, by its actions. unp0pu-
lar to a great extent with q large
high school following, football eS-
pecially, and prominently so.
The league. in itself, VIC believe,
is a fine thing; in fact IL has done
a great service, for football in the
high schools of the state. and can
not be overlooked, and for which
we certainly do not. However,
wrangies upon ciigibi,.ties and
ineligibiiities OF players. both by
the state and district committees
has become disgusting. and as
stated before, the writer believes
a joke.
There are bound to be disputes,
in any kind Of competitive sports.
and the interScholaStic league Is no
exception; but Still the rulings of
the committees does not make them
utterly blameleSs and not subject
TO criticism. However. there are
those who believe the league, as 1t
functions today Is all Ok, and among
them Is VIM. l.. Morrison. coach OF
the San Benito high school. and a
good and popular mentor. too. Mr..
Morrison writes us as follows:
Il have just read with much in
terest your lengthy quotation from
Boyce House, and your own per-
5onal comment regarding the dis
trict and state committees, as pub
liShed in a recent issue Of The Her
aid. 1t grieve5 me much to CLEAN
your dlStruSt IN these committees.
Coach Morrison states, and IN part
concludes:
THE seed you sew will find fer
tile lodging III the mind and hearts
Of many great boys II you sew
seed of district in our committees
you will reap a harvest OF distrust
in the whole organization OF our
interscholastic league. II you should
but sew seeds OF confidence In the
integrity, sincerity and ability OF
these committees to face all prob
lens squarely and TO render un-
biased decisions you would con-
tribute a great deal toward the har-
moniouS working OF our organization
which, ! think, Is one OF the best OF
its kind anywhere. There Is no rea-
son why you could not do this con-
ScientiouSly. / have never known
OF q committee, district or state. 10
rule a man ineligible who was not
so-judged by the letter and law OF
the constitution and rules OF the
lnterScholastic league OF TexaS-and
I do not believe that you have. II
there is any criticism TO make OF
these committees II seems TO me
that it is that they permit ineli-
glbleS TO participate IN i~nter-school
contests. But ever this IS not a
fault Of the committees. The re-
sponsibility OF the eligibility OF
football contestants has always
rested and still rests with the local
school authorities.
Il grant that local school men
may not he able TO ascertain whe-
ther or not q boy is q professional;
but barring this, any school who
places an ineligible contestant on
the field does SO because the Off
Gals are either negligent of their
duty or are Of questionable integ-
rity. Thus il seems 10 me that no
school or community has any right
whatsoever TO become disgruntled
with a just and legally constituted
committee for doing for them what
by a sense OF fair play they should
have done for themselves.
The InterschoIastic league OF
Texas al IL operates today Is q
result Of cyolution-a product Of
the best thought OF tho best school
men Of Texas. Its principles r
well grounded and will survive all
criticism. The opinion that the
1928 season was the worst yet for
protests Is ungrounded. feel
sure that II those of this opinion
would consult statistics filed at
league headquarters, IL indeed
such statistics are filed there,
they would find that other years
presented equally as many, II not
more protests than last year.
But why should there not be
protests in athletics? Do We not
all love 70 make the grand old an
alogy between football and life? Are
there not protests in the business
world about us? Business ethics to-
day require a man TO deal fairly
with his competitors. III he does
not do 50 other reputable firms will
stop his discount purchases. When
those Of his home town cut him off
he could continue his unethical
business practices by trading with
out of town firms but for protests
from similar establishments at
home. But in all we'll organized
businesses protests will be made
and the transgreSsor will suffer.
So after all ! wonder if protests in
athletics are so d~eplorable.
"The time is coming when there
will be fewer, but merely because
school authorities viii develop a
kcener sense OF fair play and
know better the eligibility status
Of their own contestants. But II,
for one, shall always favor the
protests within and beyond the
districts: beyond, because infor-
nation might be progressive.
Il presume that you are in SYM
patty with Mr.. Houses statements
or you would not have quoted them.
II seems ID me that the football
plan states specifically enough that
If the district makes a mistake they
cannot continue in the state race.
Therefore it seems to me that Gle
burne was fortunate in getting to
use Squyres in the district games;
that II any school needs III SYM
pathy it Is not Cleburne but rather
the other schools in her district.
Yet even they should have no CON-
plant. Each had its vote in Sc
its opportunity TO find the facts
upon which he was eventually ruled
ineligible
I'VE must all agree, Mr.. Clements,
that the league he's wrought won