The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-02
/ ALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, Sept. 2.-There are
4 ' some who are able to sense
the approach Of football by the
tang in the autumnal air, as I be-
heve the melodic phrase goes. But
the sports writer is able to fix the
event by 4 more material method.
When the mail bags grow heavier
ne can be sure that the boom of
the punt and the roar of the crowd
Is not far away.
For most OF this mail comes from the
colleges and IS the enthusiastic blurDing
OF the publicity departments. Reading he
learns that North Dakota Normal expects
banner season. that Long Island dental
faces stif schedule that Coach Charles
fBiR Chuck Knobhead fears Wesleyan.
that oregon State line looms large. .. e.c
etc
Personally ! always find this material
very exciting. although there are times
when the reading OF It causes me to
neglect the publicity sheets that come from
Jimmy (Bov Bandit) Johnston Madison
SQUARE Garden. the Queensborough Stadium
and Rldgewood Grove Next to the coll
iepes Of course the fight promoters fire
more publicity broadsides at the sport de-
partments than ANYBODY else.
To be sure. in recent years the fight
promoters have been badly outdistanced IN
the scramble for gratis space but this
was to be expected because there are
great MANY more colleges than tight pro-
motors and business is a whole lot bet
ter with them.
Give an energetic college press agent
fairly good game to work with and he'll
get YOU out a crowd Of co. 900 or 10000
people, provided the weather is all right
and the prices aren't too stiff.
At any rate. the college press agent Is
back on the Job with renewed industry.
and this must be a little disturbing to the
Carnegie Foundation people as we'll as 10
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler. The Car
negie people spent a barrel Of dough a
few years ago Investigating the evils Of
college sport and one Of the things they
frowned on was the college press agent.
A YEAR ago, DR.. Murray, in pro-
L N posing a sort of League Of Ma
tons to take over the conduct of
football, spoke feelingly of "preserv-
ing what is excellent in the game
while shutting out what is unbe-
coming and unworthy"
Among other things this was taken to
mean that Or. Murray failed to regard the
college press agent as exactly becoming
or worthy. since his primary purpose was
to publicize campus sports. and did not
this come under the head Of over
emphasis?
AS Z say 1t must be discouraging to an
organization like the Carnegie Foundation
and a gentleman of DR.. Buffers emil
nence to warn against vicious pitfalls and
snares and find their solemn warning I'M
needed. If not ignored.
Even DR. Buffers university which Is
Columbia. has made no attempt to con-
ceal the fact that the football squad be-
gins work today.
am reminded also that football at
Pennsylvania university was to be con-
Quoted this season on a plane less pre-
tentious and more in keeping with
academic ideals. and that the university
heads themselves would be in charge.
Yet the college press agent informs me
that squad Of 10. the largest in the
history of the university, is enrolled, and
that the coaching staff will number all Of
nine-another record. Plainly there has
been a slip up somewhere. Possibly the
university forgot to tell the press agent
about the new scheme Things like this
can happen in a great institution you
know. !