Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-02-27
CPORTS

By BISHOP

Don't forget Inc heralQS tight
party" tonight. Starts at 8 p. m.
and the results Of the progress OF
the Stribling- Sharkey scrap will be
announced from in front Of the Of
flee, a la megaphone.
The InterScholaStlc league which
has done wonderful work for the
high school fraternity of the state,
is nevertheless subject to much crit
icism. not only by its rulings, but
by the rules 1t has made. Harbert
Davenport, member OF the Browns
vile school, an enthusiastic football
fan, and close student OF the game,
ana OF the InterScholaStiC league,
writes us as follows:
i read with much interest my
good friend Earl MorriSon's excep-
tiorally well written protest pub
liShed in your columns against the
renewed criticism OF the manage
ment of the Texas InterScholaStic
league IN its relation to high school
football
"The trouble with such Pro-
tests is that they do not meet
the real point at iIsue. The high
school purpose Of the Interscho-
lastice league, I'm so far as foot
ball Is concerned, Is 10 provide
and enforce q system of rules and
regulations whereby the high
school football championship Of
Texas can be decided fairly on the
playing field The criticism against
the league management Is not
that IL makes unfair Or erroneous
decisions on the eligibility cases
brought before II, which Is the
charge which Earl Morrison and
others are defending IL. but that
II has failed 10 provide and fairly
enforce proper regulations 10 in
sure fair play. Against this
charge, even such a capable and
willing advocate as Earl Morrison
cannot successfully defend II,
when. as a matter Of fact, ifs
championship games are being
decided.
(a) by her gambling, to wit:
The toss and call Of a coin;
tb) BY the utterly idiotic and
asinine 20 yard penetration rule,
the mere writing Of which into the
rule code is convincing evidence Of
the entire and complete incompe-
tence Of evryone having to do with
it.
Co BY a system of after the fact
eligibility decisions. which reverse
or render nugatory the result OF
games played on the field; and
place the victor'5 wreath on the
brow OF the coach vino employs the
best detective. instead or on him
who develops the best quarterback.
"Takc the flare up In 1925. for
example. Tha. year. our neigh
Dor. R~obstown, had probably tho
best country boy football team
ever turned out by a small Texas
city. IL was Robstown's n
chance for football glory. Robs-
town Won I'm southwest Texas;
Beaumont I'm southeast Texas. The
two teams met in the quarter fl
nails. Beaumont won, and RObS-
town naturaiiv broke training.
Beaumont also won It's semi-final
game the next week. but was then
disqualified by the TnterschoIaSlic
A&~4& " G,AAG aA 4Aath14 AAAIAA-
gl5se player. and RobSt0wn. two
weeks out of training. was direct
ed by the league 20 play Waco I'M
Beaumont's stead. OF course,
Robstown was out of condition and
could not play its game, and Wa
co won 80 20 o. Yet defnderS OF
the fnterschoiastic league could
never be made 20 see that the real
sufferer from the leagues belated
Eligibility ruling was RobStoEn. and
rot Beaumont. or rather that the
necessary effect Of such a decision
when made vas 20 make a travcsty
Of the whole championship sched-
ule.
The pressure of criticism after
this 1925 fiasco. however. compelled
a change in the system OF hearing
eligibility cases; which have since
been decided ordinarily by district
eligibility committees. But the cen
trail committee reserved the right
TO hear cases between teams playing
championship games with teams
from other districts. and the 1923
season has brought to a head all the
~absurditieS OF the new arrangement.
In the San Antonio district the
game degenerated into q scramble
70 prove the other teams players
ineligible-after. not before. the
games were played. Winning games
counted for little; disqualification OF
teams or players counted every
thing. Out OF this welter. Main
Avenue high. fortunately the best
team OF the lot emerged victor. But
Main Avenue lost its chance to adj
vance BY losing. not a football
game. but the toss Of a coin. Port
Arthur, n third rate football team.
but q champion coin toSSer. not
only out-gambled Main Avenue. but
likewise won also IT'S semi-final
game by calling another coin toss.
and so was permitted BY the benef-
icent and highly moral and intelli-
gent InterscholaStic league manage
ment 10 misrepreSent south Texas
in n sc-called Texas championship
gamc.
I'm the meantime. the Tyson
district developed rs usual. four
outstanding teams. Temple. Waco,
corslcana and Gieburne. either Of
which c~uid have beaten Port
irthur six touchdowns. and abb
irre. probably one or two. Gle
Surne. building IFS attack around
one Seaman Squyres. beat or tied
zach OF the others. Corsicana be-
lIeved Sauyres ineligible under
the league rules. and repeatedly
protested him. but the district
committee as often sustained
Squyrcs' eligibility.
He played therefore. against
Waco. Temple and Corsicana. and
his playing deprived each OF them.
tn turn. of the opportunity 70 heat
Abilene IN thn Ser,i-ffna1< Vet