Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-27

foot ball? Possibly, but
~ what about scholastic foot
ball?
These two questions came into
the mind of Parke H. Davis, who
probably knows more about the
statistical side of the game than
any other man living, and he be-
gan an international in-cstiga-
ton, with some rather astonish-
ing results.
According to facts unearthed by Mr.
Davis, who by the way is himself a
former Princeton gridiron star, scho-
lastic foot ball is to college foot ball as
CULVER to Lilliputian. 1t draws just
as big crowds to a single game, it
draws in the aggregate far greater
crowds, and there are Just about 20
times the number of high and prep
school players as there are college men
playing the game.
But let Mr. Davis himself tell what
he learned after delvirg into records
and getting information from all Sec
lions OF the country, as he told it in a
letter received by the writer this morn
ing.
Makes Exhaustive Survey.
Il have recently completed a survey
Of scholastic foot ball throughout the
United States and find that it sur
passes college foot ball in every way by
at least 20 times. There are 500 col
lege teams and 10000 preparatory and
public school teams; there are $4,000
college players and 10000 scholastic
players and in the whole United States
100000 more persons in the aggregate
watch scholastic foot ball games than
ever see college games. And scholastic
loot ball in its total takes in more
money. All over the United States
high schools have better plants than
the colleges, and in many cities. the
seats Of college games, the high schools
outdraw the colleges. In San Francisco
the Lowell and Gallileo High Schools
annually draw to their game 10000
spectators.
The members of local school boards
feel that the scholastic sport gives the
school and the town a common attrac-
tive feature of interest that creates
school and civic spirit and extends into
all their public matters. These men do
not care rap for the controversies of
the collegians about overemphasis, gate
receipts, etc, because they live in q
totally different world Scholastic foot
ball has an organization in every State
in the Union except Nevada and ma
tional organization over all. The State
organization in Pennsylvania alone has
$50 members, nearly twice as many as
the entire membership of the National
Collegiate Athletic Association"
Figures Are Astonishing.
The results of MIR. Davis survey GER
tainly are astonishing One hears so
much about college foot ball that one is
inclined to think only in terms of that
but the facts as brought out in the above
statement certainly throw a new light
on certain aspects of the game. To tell
the truth, they throw such a light on
the situation that they undoubtedly
account in no small measure for the
great growth of interest in college foot
ball and are sufficient reason for
prediction that college foot ball will
grow even greater than it is now.
Ten years from now people probably
will remember talk about overemphasis
look back to the present, and wonder
what on earth could have been the
matter with people.
Eight Georgetown players leave to-
day for West Point, where they are to
meet the Army tomorrow in basket
ball. Morris. Bozek, King. MacZees,
Dillon, Leavey, Scalzi and Shea, with
Coach Johnny Colrick, make up the
Blue and Gray party.
Georgetown feels that it is about due
to bring home an important scalp. 1t
put up great game against New York
University last Saturday and, If it
plays as well against Army, figures it
will win.
If Catholic University's plans work
out as it hopes, boxing should yield
some revenue this Winter. The Brook
landers, instead of giving out a lot of
free cards to its bouts, plans to close
the bouts entirely to members and as
sociate members of its athletic associa-
ton and will sell associate member
ships that admit to all contests dur
ing the remainder of the year, boxing
included.
These associate memberships are to
cost only So, which is an average of
only 81 for each of the three boxing
matches to be held in the Brookland
gymnasium.