Evening star., 1933-12-12

N Jew 4O4trA, OcCClIlpC1 1S.-
M The rumblings that have
i been heard intermittently
in the Eastern athletic
chancellories within the past year
seem about to assume the pro-
portions of full-throated roar
of demand for sweeping changes
in the college foot ball Set-up.
The latest developments, including
demands for a new coaching deal at
Yale, agitation at both Yale and Har-
ward for removal of the September Is
practice restrictions and non-scouting
agreements, similar unrest following the
purifying" of New York University's
athletics and alumni attacks on the So
called gates plan restrictions at the
University of Pennsylvania, all empha-
size the trend.
They seem to mark the end Of foot
balls reform wave, which gathered force
with the publication of the Carnegie
Foundations famous bulletin 23 in Oc-
tober, 1929, and rode along the college
athletic trail quite Unexpectedly with
the depression as a companion.
Never designed to be allies, these two
factors have finally parted company.
The moves to shake of the less desir-
able and self-imposed restrictions OF the
reform era are simultaneous with the
reports of rising attendance and box Of
fee receipts for 1888.
Remedy Worse Than Ailment.
FAT THE time when it was popular
~ to debunk and de-emphasize COL
lege sports, when Yale, Cornell,
Illinois, Tulane, Chicago and Army were
among the 81 United States institutions
listed as the "lily whites" by the Car
negie report, there was no need for con-
cern or worry about filling the athletic
treasures. The big foot ball games all
were sell-outs.
Early-season breather contests could
be played with full confidence that the
slack would be well taken up by the
traditional games. All college sports
iourished on the gridiron receipts. Sal
aries and ambitions scared. Navy broke
with Army over a dispute on the high
ground of eligibility.
Most college leaders felt that under
such circumstances foot ball was riding
inevitably for the big tumble it finally
took. Likewise, they hailed the elimina-
ton of widespread evils in subsidizirfg
and recruiting, They feel now, however,
that in some respects the remedies were
ments and that. in effect, there is
middle ground Of operations which they
hope to reach and sustain.
Demand for Winning Teams.
THE current Eastern college trend,
therefore, is toward restoration Of
earlier Fall practice, training
camps on a modified basis, with ac-
companylng training tables, and per-
haps the formation of an Eastern big
eight or big ten, designed to bring about
more uniformity and control At the
same time the rivalry for better coach
ing production has been developed by
the accomplishments of such effective
organizers as Lou Little Of Columbia
and Fritz Crisler of Princeton.
Some of the high-pressure methods
have undoubtedly been eliminated from
the sport, salaries reduced and old Bit
ternesses removed, but the demand for
winning results remains conspicuous
factor, all Official statements and
speeches to the contrary. AS one old
grad put 1t: THE sportsman, in or
out of college, should know how to lose
gracefully, but he should also have q
no less keen desire to win"
The big college schedules for the
next few years already reflect the pur-
pose of playing foot ball within their
own class. Old and almost forgotten
rivalries have been renewed or feuds,
such as the Harvard Princeton affair.
ended for the purposes Of competition
in 1884.
The developments Of the next few
weeks may show further and far-reach-
ing effects in the resurgent and in
slrgent program.