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

4dA W a 6ACdb CAtCllL Will q III ~
high school following, football es-
pecially, and prominently SO.
The league. I'm itself, we believe,
is a fine thing: in fact IL has done
a great service, for football I'm the
high schools of the state, and can
not be overlooked, and for which
we certainly do not. However,
wranglcs upon eIigib.fi.ies and
ineiigibilities Of players, both by
the state and district committees
has become disgusting, and as
stated before, the writer believes
a joke.
There ire bound TO be disputes,
In any kind of competitive sports,
and the interScllolaStic 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 It
functions today is all ok. and among
them Is VIM. T.. Morrison, coach OF
the San Benito high school. and a
good and popular mentor. too. Mr..
Morrison writes us as follows:
II have Just read with much in
tereSt your lengthy quotation from
Boyce House, and your " per-
sonal comment regarding the dis
trict and state committees. as pub
liShed in a recent issue of The Her
aid. 1t grieveS me much TO CLEAN
your distrust in these committees"
Coach Morrison states. and IN part
concludes.
The seed you sew will find fer
tile lodging in the mind and hearts
of many great boys. II you sew
seed o. district III cur committees
YOU will reap a harvest Of diStrust
IN the whole organization Of our
interscholastic league. If you should
but sew seeds of confidence III the
integrity, sincerity and ability OF
these committees to face all prob
lens Squarely and 10 render I'M
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
It's kind anywhere. There is no rea-
son why you could not do this con-
g~cient4ouSly. l have never known
OF a committee, district or state, TO
rule q me- ineligible who was not
So-judged by the letter and law OF
the constitution and rules OF the
interScho.aStic league OF TexaS-and
I 90 not believe that you have. IL
there Is any criticism 10 make OF
these committees IL seems TO me
that 1t Is that they permit inell-
gibleS TO participate in inter-School
contests. But even this is not a
fault OF the committees. The re-
spOnSioility 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 be able TO ascertain whe-
Their or not o boy is a 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 to 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 Intcrscho!sstic league or
Texas as !. operates today Is a
result OF evolutiOn-a product OF
the best thought of the best school
men of Texas. Its principles are
we'll grounded and will survive all
criticism. The opinion that the
1928 season was the worst yet for
protests Is ungrounded. feel
sure that IL those OF this opinion
would consult statistics filed at
league headquarters, If indeed
such statistics arc filed there,
they would find that other years
presented equally as many, IL not
more protests than last year.
But why should there not be
protests in athletics? DO we not
all love to 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. II he does
not do so 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 al
home. But in all we'll organized
businesses protests will be made
and the tranSgreSsor will suffer
So after all j wonder IL protests IN
athletics r so deplorable.
"The time Is coming when there
will be fewer, but merely because
school authorities will develop a
keencr sense Of fair play and
know better the eligibility status
of their own contestants. But I,
for one, shall always favor the
protests within and beyond the
districts: beyond, because infor-
nation might be progressive.
Il presume that you r in SYM
pathy with Mr.. Houses statements
or you would not have quoted them
IL seems 10 me that the football
plan states specifically enough that
ii the district makes a mistake they
cannot continue in the state race
Therefore u seems TO me that Gle
burne was fortunate in getting Ia
use Squyres in the district games;
that IL any school needs our SYM
pathy 1t Is not Cleburne but rather
the other schools in her district
Yet even they should have no COM
plant. Each had its vote in Sc
Letting the district committee and
its opportunity to find the facts
upon which he was eventually ruled
ineligible
I'VE must all agree. Mr.. Clements
that the league has wrought won
derS for Texas high school athlet-
ics. IL IL an organization worthy
OF the unqualified support of every
person interested in sport. II Is q
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