The Washington times., 1933-02-02
LET EN- ALONE,
SAYS NJ 'GUG|N
Of GRID RULES
BY HARRY COSTELLO

BY HARRY COSTELLO
. Dan McGugin, starting his
thirtieth year as coach at Wander
bilt University, feels that the
rules committee can render the
game of football a great service.
can the committee has to
do" says Dan, sis let the rules
alone"
Dan is in Washington on busi-
ness, and we met him in the
corridor of the Capitol, yeSter
day, as he was crowding his way
into the Senate gallery.
Enforce Two Rules
football is a great game
rs it is" ventured Dan, who
should know. However, /
would like to see officials en-
force two rules now on the
books. The first is the rule
about use of hands by the de-
fenSe. This rule has not been
enforced. 1t should be. What's
the use Of having such a rule
uuACSS 10
THE other rule which has
not been enforced is the one
pertaining to tackling out of
bounds"
Dan, like Harry Kipke, who is
associated with Dams brother-in.
law, Fielding H. Yost, at Uni
VerSity of Michigan, believes that
a five-year moratorium on rules
changes is not a bad idea.
Fundamental changes are
not required" remarked Dan.
Regrets Dixie Split
That he regretted the split up
Of the Southern Conference, Dan
made quite clear.
81 felt rather badly about it,"
said Dan, as he explained that
he had many friends in the
northern portion of the old
Southern Conference. Perhaps
the splitup was for the best.
Time will tell"
Speaking of certain features of
the present-day intercollegiate
athletic problem, the great Van.
derbilt mentor indicated a de-
cided tendency to understand
the individual problems of the
various colleges and universities.
ut is always a good plan,
and a fair plan," he con-
tinued "tO set up definite
standards. But it is a better
plan for all institutions to OBJ
serve the rules and live to the
standards set UP.
DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND
81 am aware of the fact that
each school has problems which
IL is difficult for other schools
to understand. For instance,
in some States, due to second
ary SchOl curricula, State uni.
VerSitieS are called upon to ad-
just themselves, at least tenn
pOrarily, to conditions existing.
No doubt, in time the more or
less undesirable features of
these conditions will be elimi-
mated, but we must not expect
important changes to be COM
pleted in a day, or a month, or
q year. Time is an important
element in such matters"
Dan refuses to become eX-
cited about the evils said to sur
round intercollegiate competition.
PROBLEMS EVER PRESENT
Down through the years we
have had an intercollegiate
athletic problem" he observed.
"We had one 30 years ago,
and we have one now. 1 can
not recall when we did not
have one. What would life be
without a problem? Some see
only the dark spots in the
whole situation. Others Of us
refuse to become blind to the
fact that there are bright
spots.
"IntercOlIegiate athletics have
improved consistently over a
period of three decades. 1t is
only natural that they should
be imperfect in view of the
fact that just about everything
conceived, promoted and ad-
miniStered by man has its i'm
perfectiOnS. After all, a man is
. man and quite human.
II am not worried about the
intercollegiate athletic situa-
tiOn. Changes will be made in
the future as they have been
made in the past. That is only
natural, too. But America will
continue to believe that ath-
1eticS may be made into a
serviceable adjunct of education.
America knows, despite COM
plants to the contrary, that
the good in athletics far out
weighs the bad"