Evening star., 1933-01-04
STATUS IS HEALTHY,
SPORTS BOSS SAYS
asserts Financial Stringency
Will Curtail Only Minor
Activities.
BY MAI. JOHN L. GRIFFITH.


OHICAGO, January 4.-If any
group of men have been
~ discredited in the past few
years it Is those who as
cumed the role of prophets and
cny prophecy made now regard
ing college athletics in 1888 or
regarding anything else, in fact,
probably will appear ridiculous
Tear from now. There are GER
ain signs, however, which may
'}e followed as indicating what we
may expect this year.
While the attendance at college and
university foot ball games showed a
marked decrease last year over the at
endance in 1881, yet there are two
hings that stand out as important In
he study of the college foot ball situa-
Ion. First, almost none Of the thou
and institutions above high school rank
aound it necessary to abandon intercol-
egiate foot ball and, second, the re-
ceipts at the foot ball games were still
suficiently large to finance the foot
pail departments.
In other words, foot ball still is a
paying and self-supporting sport. The
receipts from foot ball, however, have
not been large enough to warrant the
continued support of the non-produc-
tive sports. This means that freshmen
and B teams generally have been dis
continued and the minor sports pro-
grams seriously curtailed.
THE foot ball rules changes made
J. last year with the idea of lessen
ing the hazards to the players
have for the most part proved satisfac-
tory. The coaches generally are salts
fed with the present game and are
hoping that the Rules Committee will
not make any further radical changes.
Some have suggested that the forward
passer be given more protection and
few of the Midwestern coaches are in
favor of a rule permitting a forward
pass from any place behind the line OF
scrimmage.
The colleges generally have sched-
uled games for next Fall with their
traditional rivals, and there is no indi-
cation that fewer games will be played
than heretofore. Some of the intersec-
tional games this past Fall were poorly
attended, and the indications are that
the tendency next season viii be not
to go too far afleld for games. In the
Big Ten Conference the coaches and
athletic directors already have COM
pleted their schedule for 1894. -Four
of the conference universities have
scheduled six conference games each
and the other six have scheduled five
conference games.
Basket ball, which always has been
the major Winter sport in the Middle
West, promises to maintain its popu-
larity In that section and, further, is
making progress In the South and on
the Pacific Coast. Ice hockey In the
East has resulted In decreasing popu-
larity of college basket ball.
The rules changes in basket ball al
ready have proven the wisdom Of the
committee which suggested the changes
with the idea of speeding up the game.
Penalties for violation of the 10-second
rule have been conspicuous for their
absence and stalling has become a
thing Of the past.
BASKET BALL throughout the
ID schools and colleges this year
should and undoubtedly will retain
1bS DODuldIlLy. Ll1CAC 114O4C bOyo
playing basket ball in the educational
Institutions than there are participants
in any other single sport. If golf has
the most followers in the nature Of
actual competitors, basket ball un-
doubtedly will rank either second or
third.
The schools and colleges have found
It rather difficult to maintain base ball
as an interinstitutional sport due to the
fact that bace ball is not a productive
activity; consequently large number
of institutions have discontinued base
ball fer the time being. When the
game is played, however, there appar-
emily is more interest than has been
noticeable for a number of years. With
the decline in the number of profess
sional base ball leagues there has been
a commensurate growth throughout the
country in amateur leagues. Hhis re-
Vival of interest In amateur base ball
will ultimately be reflected in renewed
interest in school and college base ball.
Last year saw more good college track
and field men than ever before In the
history of the sport in this country. All
of the points won by the American
track and field team in the Los Angeles
Olympics we're won by college men, with
the exception of three points that were
won by high school athlete. Thirty
nine Of the college men who won points
were undergraduates, while 81 had grad
uated very recently, mostly in 1881.
Nineteen Midwestern athletes scored
96.5 points; 19 freq the West scored 63
points; IS fronA the East scored At
points, and from the South 12.5 points.
TRACK and field athletics are not
i Self-supporting in sections other
than on the Pacific Coast, but are
popular with the competitors. and the
group Of young athletes for 1888 prom
ises TO be the equal OF those that per-
formed SO brilliantly in 1892.
The colleges throughout the United
States were enabled in the years of
prosperity to build adequate athletic
plants Some of these ere yet to be
paid for. On the whole however, they
were financed from game receipts in
the years when spectators attended
college events in large numbers. These
plants will be operated in 1888 as they
were in 1927 and 1928.
There are just as many athletes in
college today as therS were before the
break in the market - 1929. Many
of these boys are findin,: it a difficult
college, to carry the full scholastic
program and to practice with varsity
teams. The number Of candidates,
however, for the teams has not mate
rally decreased. On the other hand
the quality Of the athletes and their
performances has improved. College
athletics are here to stay and they will
be maintained If necessary by the
students themselves whether business