Evening star., 1934-02-27
SPREAD Of GAME
| SURE, SAYS CARR
League President Declares
Ethical Code Does Much
to Interest Public.
BY FRANCIS J. POWERS.

n
n Joe Carr believes profess
~ sional foot ball has per-.
manently caught tie
public fancy and will grow from
year to year until it achieves
major place among American
sports. Joe Carr is president of
the tional Professional
League, consequently he would
be of that opinion.
However, Carr has been connected
with sports of all sorts for many
years and is too level-headed to make
any rash statements. So am salts
fed to believe he Is right In his
estimate Of pro foot ball. Attendance
and interest in the professional games
last season would tend to verify his
beliefs.
Most of the 10 clubs in the Ma
tional League made money last sea-
son." relates Carr. Cincinnati, Pitts
burgh and Philadelphia were new in
the league and consequently had to
do some pioneering work. With Sun
day sports legalized in Pennsylvania,
both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia
should draw much better next year.
THE largest crowd Of 1888 was the
New York Brooklyn game, when the
turnstiles recorded more than 10000
paid customers.
Sees Future for Pro Game.
OARR has been president of the
professional league since its Or
ganization in 1920. The league
started with 81 members, but lack Of
population In some Of the cities, lack
of financial support and the general
depression caused more than so per
cent of the original membership to
| withdraw. Today the league Is
strongly organized and most of the
clubs are in a good financial con-
dition.
Carr Is certain that professional
foot ball will spread to all parts OF
the country. Il am constantly being
asked for information as to profes-
sional foot ball from all sections
believe that eventually we will have
organized professional foot ball in
the Southwest and on the Pacific
Coast.
In the Southwest the larger cities
Of Texas and Oklahoma have sufi-
cient population to support the game
and in California the Chicago Bears
did a splendid job of selling the game
to the people of that region. who are
the most foot bau-ninded Of any
place in the country.
Ethical Code Interesting.
"THE ethical code of professional
| foot ball has done much to
| interest the public in the game
We do not permit any tampering with
college players. Our rule is that no
college player can perform in the Ma
tional League until after his class
has graduated. Thus a college star
who drops out of school In his Junior
or senior year is not eligible to play
in the league until his class has I'm
ished. This also prevents q college
player from being signed in his senior
year at the finish of the collegiate
season.
II am a great supporter Of college
foot ball. That is where players and
fans are made. The college game has
the pageantry impossible in profes-
sional foot ball and we are not IN any
way its competitor. There Is ample
room for both professional and college
foot ball
"Our professional rules are slightly
different from the collegiate code and
I believe the professional rules, which
permit of unrestricted forward pass
ing, have done much to open up the
of1ense and stimulate spectator
interest.
There is no question in my mind
but that professional foot ball has
achieved permanency in the field of
sport and that it has a great future"
West Wants Loop Berths.
Carr came into professional foot ball
as manager of the old-time Columbus,
Ohio, Panhandles, the team which
was famous for the six Nesser brothers
who played in its colors for many
years. The Pennsylvania Railroad
shops were the Nessers' alma mater
and they were among the few non
collegians who ever achieved any great
fame in professional foot ball.
Pacific Coast foot ball enthusiasts
already are scheming to get fran
chise in the National Professional
League for Los Angeles. However, the
difficulties Of transportation may
operate against their success.
In that event a Pacific Coast sec
ton of the National League may be
organized, with teams in Los Angeles,
San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego,
Portland and Seattle, with the cham
pion Of that region meeting the win
ner of the Eastern and Midwest divi-
sions of the league for the national
championship.
Some such plan probably will be
worked out at the next meeting of