The Washington times., 1934-01-04
ROW WAKES
BITTERLY
DAILY
By HARRY COSTELLO

racket?
Once again the question crops
up as one of more than passing
interest and Importance.
Henry A. Wallace. Secretary Of
Agriculture, says football is a
racket.
Major John L. Griffith, presi-
dent of the National Intercollegi-
ate Athletic Association, says foot
ball is not racket.
Bitterness marks the contro-
versy, and it's a free-for-all.
If, as the secretary says, foot
ball is a racket, then the
racketeers are not difficult to
find: they are the presidents.
faculties and boards Of trustees
Of our American colleges and uni
versities. Why? Because re-
sponsibility for intercollegiate
football resides with those groups.
Government Officials
#, as the Secretary says, foot
bal is racket, then the racketeers
are those Government officials
who permit this country's two
academies, West Point and
Annapolis, to practice the racket
of football. Why? Because re-
sponsibility for everything involv-
ing the two academies resides
with those Government officials.
#. as the Secretary says, foot
ball is racket, then the pathetic
incapacity of those in control Of
our two Government academies
and our colleges and universities
is obvious.
The long-range verbal battle be-
tween the Secretary and the
Major is not understandable to
those who know the true story of
intercollegiate football. Why do
not these two champions get right
down to the whole truth?
Both the Secretary and the
Major should know. from this
nations own experience, that in
football, as in industry and fl
nance and business and politics,
competition and publication are
diametrically opposed forces with
nothing in common between them.
Realists know that no college
will voluntarily surrender for
publication purposes any Of the
advantages it has over a com.
petitor, in football or in the
Big Bushes Of Education.
If, as some college and univer-
sity presidents say, football is a
racket, why do not these respon-
Sible educational officials do
something about it?
Proxies Can't Take It
For some years now. college and
university presidents, faculties
and boards of trustees have per-
mitted the notion to spread
abroad that football coaches are
the racketeers. Is it true that
these academic groups with
whom reside responsibility and
power) have surrendered power
and responsibility to football
coaches? Not SO that you can
notice it!
Contrary to what the peda-
gogues say, there is not now in
existence competent governing
body for intercollegiate athletics.
Only recently the public was
treated to proof of this assertion,
when the famous Adam Leroy
Jones committee of the Middle
Atlantic States Association of Col
leges and Secondary Schools per-
mitted the year 1888 to die with
out bringing one single member of
the association to time for VIOLA
tion of the socalled athletic
scholarship" regulation which
'forbids" aid to athletes because
taey are athletes.
Contrary to what the peda-
gogues say, there is not now in
existence competent policy
forming body for the colleges
and universities participating in
intercollegiate athletics.
Contrary to what pedagogues
say, there is not now in existence
any body of educators whose de-
examinations are a reflection Of
academic opinion upon all points
of either intercollegiate sport or
education. It is well-known
and well-publicized fact that
educators themselves cannet agree
on the very definition of educa-
ton!
Education a Racket
Not a few people in this coun-
try feel that education, as now
conducted, is somewhat of a
racket. Intelligent people recog-
nize that responsibility for inter-
collegiate athletics rests upon
trustees Of our colleges aad uni
versities. and, through delegation,
upon college and university presi-
dents and faculties. One phase
Of the racket" as the Secretary
Of Agriculture labels it. is the
passing of the buck by response
BILE heads to professional coaches.
The game of football per Sc
never has been questioned. What
college football needs is honest,
sincere and intelligent boards of
trustees, presidents and faculties
in our educational institutions.
Conforming to the binding
law" Of education itself Is not at
present a noticeable virtue Of
educational institutions.
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