Evening star., 1939-11-05
Poor Man. varsih'
Had Meager Start
During 1895
Gronee's Record Crowd
Of $4,000 in 1925
Led Way to Boom
BY JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

boys at a Worlds Fair football dem
onstration startled a celebrated COL
lege coach the other day by acclaim
ing New York's professional gridiron
Giants their favorite team.
1t is great surprise to lot of
people that pro football at last has
come of age, although 1900 900
spectators saw the IS games of the
National League last fall and the
leaders of the sport assiduously
have cultivated public affection for
many years.
The incident of the boys who were
expected to indorse one of the COL
legiate football powers and didn't
was of little importance in itself,
but showed the deep-rooted grasp
the poor mans varsity" has OBJ
tanned on the popular imagination.
The idea of playing for pay came
to some one in the little mining
hamlet of Latrobe, Pa, in 1895
and resulted lin hiring a team to
play another combination from
nearby Jeanette.
After that the game just "growed"
like Topsy. Far from the clustered
culture Of the Big Three and the
nesting spot of collegiate football
the founding found a ready If rough
existence in the lush industrial
communities of the Midwest.
The Canton (OhiO Bull Dogs,
the Massilon (Ohio) Tigers and
other pioneers of less enduring fame
were civic causes backed by Y. M.
G. AS merchants and the men on
the street-and street corners.
League Stabilizes Game.
The game was migratory and un-
stable until it began to take SEM
blance of its present form with
formation of the National League in
1921. Even then franchises con-
stantly were shifting and as many
as 20 teams would operate under
the league banner in a single season
The late Joe Car of Columbus,
Ohio. was the leagues president
from the beginning until last year,
and his vision guided the circuit
past many pitfalls.
But the person responsible for
converting the game from a small
towns recreation to a big towns
business was Red Grange. who was
q national hero when he emerged
from the University of Illinois and
turned pro in 1925.
His first appearance in New York
with the Chicago Bears against the
Giants lured $4,000 curious custom
ers for what still is the record at
tendance in professional football.
This one turnout didn't establish
pro football on its present stable
basis, but quickly convinced a lot
OF smart people that this was no
plaything for amateurs.
Values Giants at Half Million,
Franchises which originally sold
Tor $50 jumped to $1,000, and now
are $4,000. This is the leagues
value on letting in an outsider, not
transferring going business. Tim
Mara. who paid $500 to start his
Giants Is years ago, now SAYS he
wouldn't take half million dollars
for them.
When the value of developing their
holdings became apparent, the club
owners with rare foresight hit upon
the scheme of combining sporting
ana entertainment principles.
The formula of their success has
been exciting competition at reason
able prices.
In the Transformation they kept
the mass appeal of the early
games-a football alma mater for.
all the millworkers, clerks. truck
drivers and others-and played on
sundays and at nights when the
largest number of persons was free
to attend.
The biggest pro football spectacle
OF the season thus far was the
Giants Chicago Bears fracas, which
sold out the Polo Grounds for a
crowd OF about $1,000. The biggest
coileglate classic in New York was
tne Army-Notre Dame game, which
packed Yankee Stadium with some
10000 fans.
But it was possible for a man to
take his wife and two children to
the Giants game for less than it
would cost him for his ticket alone
to the Notre Dame appearance.
That's why they call it the poor
mans varsity. Tops for pro games
In the metropolis is 50 80 and seats
are scaled down to 40 cents for
students. In contrast. the Armv-
Notre Dame scale ranged from Sc go
to $3.50.
Pros Specialize in Thrills.
However, the ultimate explanation
for the increase in favor of the
professional brand in recent years
has been that the salaried stars
invariably have provided swell
show-sometimes called run for
your money.
Not all of the spectacles have ap-
preached that 1887 playoff between
the Washington Redskins and the
Giants, which Washington won, 40
to IA, in manner still spoken of
IN awe hereabouts, but on the other
hand, there was not a single score
less tie In the entire schedule last
year.
Studious efforts have gone into
shaping the pro game to give the
customers the thrills. The goal posts
are on the goal line, players of both
teams are allowed to run with re-
covered fumbles and passes may be
thrown from anywhere back of the
line of scrimmage-all in contrast
TO the collegiate rules.
The pros play to win-and never
doubt it, for that's how they make
their money.
AS one observer has put it, the
pros do on Sunday what the college
boys ought to have done on Satur-
day.