Evening star., 1936-02-26
BOOM |N|NTEREST
IS SEEN FOR 1886
Influx of Material Likely
to Raise Standard of
Play, Says HaIas.
BY FRANCIS J. POWERS.

~HIcAGo. February ga
brilliant class of recruits will
be mustered into professional
~ foot ball next Fall. George
Halas, owner-coach of the Chicago
Bears, tells me that many OF those
who received All America mention
last year have signified their inten-
ton to take a whirl at the profes-
sional game.
And why not? Young bachelors OF
the arts and sciences find 1t rather
difficult to land good paying jobs in
these times and the professional grid
iron offers an excellent wage for
those with ability.
Among those who are expected to
toin up with the professionals are
such stars as Riley Smith of Alabama.
Bobby Wilson, Spain and Orr OF
Southern Methodist; Conner Jones,
the Ohio State captain and center
of '35; Dick Crayne, the Iowa full
back, and several members of the
champion Minnesota team. One even
hears that some of the Princeton boys
nave llSLGllSu Will dttCllVloA w SAAS
offers of professional clubs.
Berwanger Has Other Ambitions.
John JACOB BERWANGER. Chi
- cago University's all-America back.
has made no definite decision concern
ing professional foot ball and its in
ducements Halas talked with Ber-
wanger some weeks ago. but at that
time the Maroon was too busy with
his class work and ambitions to win
place on the Olympic track team
to bother with foot ball.
Chances are Berwanger will play
pro foot ball and with the Chicago
Bears. But not at $1,000 per game.
Such salaries are not paid by the pro-
fessionals and certainly not by Mr..
George Halas. Professional gates do
not yet warrant any such StipendS.
Five hundred dollars per game is
about the top for the greatest stars
in the professional game, and while
Berwanger is good. he's not that good,
according to the club owners method
of bookkeeping. Red" Grange pull
ed down more money from profess
sional foot ball than any star ever
in the business, but any one getting
a grand per game would be second.
Another League in Prospect.
HALAS believes that the influx Of
new material into the National
Professional League will speed up the
caliber of play to a new level this
year. And with the weaker clubs
OF the league having first call on the
outstanding graduates of the 1885
collegiate field, the National will have
better balance and stage much neat
er race. Owners of the professional
clubs also believe that 1886 will see
tremendous increase in public inter-
est in their commodity. Weather
conditions are more vital to the pro-
fessionals than the collegians, since
the latter have no pay roll to meet,
but that Is gamble the pros must
take, with their season running into
December.
Since there is little inclination on
the part of the National Professional
League to increase its membership,
the increasing popularity of the game
eventually will result in the organiza-
tion of another major league. The
National, of course, will object strenu-
ously to any such move, but several
men identified with the sport believe
another league is sure to come Not
all OF the National League clubs made
money last year, but the losses are
becoming smaller from season to sea-
son and, since all of the clubs are
well financed, the organization has
no serious problems ahead.
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