Evening star., 1935-03-06
SOME DANGEROUS
FEATURESFEARED
Authorities Cognizant Of
Problems and Likely to
Solve Them.
BY III. c. BYRD.

II W hAAAd AR uAA ChOCPbAOAANAy
Il successful season. is getting
a good deal more criticism
among the inner circles that control
athletics in the various universities
than generally would even be thought
possible.
Considerable concern has been ex-
pressed over certain aspects Of boxing,
and. while not making any great fam
fare over it, not the least doubt exists
that serious efforts are being made to
preserve the sport and maintain 1t on
a high plane.
One of the serious objections In the
colleges IS that some colleges seem
to be getting an unusual number Of
boxers who have had a good deal Of
experience in amateur fight rings.
This creates a situation where the
college that does not get such good
material must either not meet the
one that does or subject its men TO
unfair competition.
Another thing, the college boxers
apparently are willing to throw eau
tion to the winds and fight with a
good deal more abandon than the
professionals. thus running greater
risk of more injury.
The third criticism mentioned rather
frequently, but which is never spoken
aloud. is that the college bouts are
beginning to draw regular fight
crowd. which is very difficult to con-
troll. from a standpoint of behavior
while a bout is in progress.
1t is not known publicly as yet, but
at least one university in the Southern
Conference territory, Washington and
Lee, has about decided to drop boxing.
At the recent conference meeting, at
which schedules for all sports were
arranged, the Generals made no at
tempt to effect boxing meets for next
Winter, and said that their Faculty
and Athletic Committee were against
boxing, but that the students favored it.
Graduate Manager of Athletics Dick
Smith said, I'm not authorized to
schedule any meets and the way 1t
seems now We shall not have team"
Service Teams Never Meet.
TT IS rather significant that the
Army and Navy never meet in
boxing, about the only sport in
which they do not compete. No spe-
cial reason has been given for this
failure to arrange boxing meets. And
none ever will be given publicly, but
both Army and Navy people say it
would not be intelligent to send Cadets
and Midshipmen into the ring against
one another, not with the high state
of rivalry between the two schools.
II boxing is to survive as q college
sport, criticisms as mentioned herein
must be considered seriously and
measures taken to meet them. How
ever. the very fact that those RESPONSE
BILE for college sports are cognizant
of the situation and already are work.
ing among themselves to prevent any
untoward occurrences is a sign Of a
rather healthy state of affairs in COL
lege athletics generally.
In other words, the athletic direc-
| tors themselves are realizing more
and more with each passing year that
the keeping of intercollegiate athletics
on high plane is their job and their
responsibility. AS this feeling of re-
sponsibility grows the caliber Of inter-
collegiate sports will be raised ac-
cordingly.
DnLY CAvANAUGH, Army boxing
I'D coach, has no superior anywhere
/ rrk So h,,fI
aggressive spirit among his boxers.
There was never moment in the meet
Saturday night at Maryland when
the Army men were not carrying the
fight to their opponents to the best
Of their ability. Even when hit hard
and beaten back, they still bored In.
Cavanaugh is a fine type of coach.
The fact that he is looked upon with
real love by all his former team mem
bers, and by present charges as well.
is sufficient to prove that.
Coach Harmony of Maryland fought
for three years at West Point under
Cavanaugh, and when the Army men
visited here last week the major part
of Harmony's interest was in II want
to see Billy" which is a real tribute
| to his old coach.
EOOT BALL players are tramping
the practice fields all over the
South right now and will con-
tinue until they have worked out GER
tain principles and mechanical neces-
sites for next season. In the Far
South most of the squads are about
ready to quit, but from North Carolina
on up the coast the work is Just get
ting under way.
In the great majority Of schools all
other sports are giving way to the
gridiron, and in some men who could
make varsity teams in other sports are
being kept at Spring practice for next
Falls teams.
THE passing Of Jimmie De Hart as
the result Of an operation takes
from Southern foot ball one Of
its most colorful figures. De Hart, OF
the field as fine chap as one would
care to know, on the field he threw
his whole heart and soul into the
game and was hard to get along with.
De Hart was a good coach. q splendid
fellow. and the game will miss him
q good deal. -'