Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-19

shows a revival or interest
" in college base ball, 1t is
likely that another year
will see some drastic cuts in
schedules for this sport. Those in
charge of athletics in the univer-
stiles and colleges, especially in
the South Atlantic section, and in
other sections, where a good deal
of the play comes in competition
with the professional game, have
been in a quandary for two or
three years as to what the future
Of college base ball is going to be,
but if greater interest is not de-
veloped on many campuses be-
tween now and June, one action
that may be looked for is the
shortening of schedules.
One athletic director, interested many
years in college base ball as coach, who
was here recently, spoke frankly his
opinion about the situation as he
sees 1t:
'In my opinion the time is nearly
here when Spring programs in the col
leges will be largely intramural. For one
reason or another college students are
not taking much interest In any COM
petitive sports unless these sports have
in them the element of physical con-
tact. Foot ball and basket bali are more
popular than they have ever been, and
are growing, and boxing is jumping
ahead by leaps and bounds, but base
ball and track seem to me to be falling
by the wayside. The Southern Confer
ence schools in the South Atlantic Sec
ton are giving their base ball league
another trial this year, but If more in
tereSt is not shown in 1t then I think
this year Is likely to mark the end
for 1t. Spring sports are not at q very
high ebb, as far as intercollegiate COM
petition Is concerned, except for some
interest m lacrosse, and outside of the
State Of Maryland very little atten-
ton is paid to that. Some reorganiza-
ton Of Spring sports programs in the
colleges must take place, though am
not prepared to say what form that
reorganization is likely to take"
At one or two schools, the matter has
been discussed more or less formally by
athletic boards. but no definite conclu-
SionS reached. Some consideration has
been given to plan to organize a base
ball league composed of, say, 20 different
campus units, and play regular league
schedule during the months of March
and April, with about three games GO
ing on each day, and then about May
! pick an all-Star team from all the
teams making up the league and with
that all-star team play an intercol-
legiate schedule during May of about
eight or ten games. This idea got is
birth at the University of Maryland,
but whether or not it will ever be put
INTO effect Is not known.
Certainly, however, college base ball.
as well as some other Spring sports,
are due for an overhauling before much
more water goes under the bridge.
A MEXICAN UNIVERSITY Journeys
"A out to Catholic University tonight
for basket ball game. American
U. and Catholic u. have won the games
In which they appeared against local
opponents. the former beating Gallau-
Diet and the latter taking the measure
to begin at 8:15 and should develop a
good deal of partisan interest.
Announcement that Georgetown and
West Virginia University have finally
got together for their foot ball game
next year Is very gratifying to all those
who have watched the two elevens in
action here in former seasons. Some
differences between the two schools
over arrangements for the game pre-
vented an earlier announcement, but
these have been smoothed over. One
of Georgetown's concessions was in
agreeing to play at Morgantown in
1882.
Dutch" Bergman is taking hold Of
the situation at Catholic University in
q way that indicates he is not one to
temporize with an unsatisfactory situa-
ton. It has been known for years that
student politics have hurt Catholic u.
athletics in many ways, and one of the
chief sources of these difficulties has
been in the elections of captains Of the
various teams Bergman met that
very simply and effectively by stating
to the student body that thereafter
there will be no elections for captains
and that the captains will be appointed
by the head coach in each sport before
each game. Georgia Tech recently
took about the same attitude.
CEORGETOWN and Maryland took
" one on their collective nose Satur-
day night in losing, respectively, to
Washington and Lee by one point and
to Loyola by three points Both George
town and Maryland played good basket
ball, but fell down in certain particu-
lars. Georgetown's main difdculty was
locating the basket. Had 1t made good
the same percentage of its attempts
that Washington and Lee did 1t would
have won. Maryland can attribute its
failure to one thing in the main, its dis
inclination to follow up shots. AS soon
as some Maryland player took a pot at
the basket the rest of the team broke
back down the floor In defensive forma-
ton. Had the Marylanders left some
men around the basket, in proper posi-
ton, and had those men fought as hard
for the ball to score as they fought for
1t to keep 1t out Of their own basket
they would have whipped a more ex-
perienced team. They came near win
ming as 1t was.
Jess Neeley will be head coach of
foot ball and athletic director at Glenn
son College next year to succeed Josh
Cody. Neeley has been assistant at Ala
bama for three years. Cody, 1t is I'M
derstood, goes back TO Vanderbilt to be
right-hand man for Dan McGugin.
This change Is an indication of the
value which the average foot ball coach
pieces on the security Of his job, as the
writer happens TO know that the job at
Vanderbilt will pay Cody $4,000 less
than he would have received had he
remained at Clemson. Cody last Fall
had some dificulty with the athletic
director at Clemson, and resigned. In
the showdown, Cody was backed up and
placed at the head of athletics and i'm
portuned to remain. Early in December