The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-10-26
THE STORY OF THE WEEK
Football Irony

Bates Il not 10 play against the L.
Of Missouri Whyf Because. and only
because, Bates is eolored- Just what
color has to do with football game.
that i, the result, can't say for there
Il hardly q way 10 measure the result
unless, perehanee, the young man In
question has such unusual ability that
he assures his team Of victory. Last
Saturday, y. I. Z. played and lost a
thrilling game 70 Holy Cross and BATES
played 30. and from all accounts Of the
game be did alright for himself but il
Just wasn't the New Workers day.
But the g. Of Missouri has another
way Of looking at it. They just don't
feel as though their athletes should
undergo the mental strain and stress Of
playing against q member Of another
race. What has that to do with foot
ball nothing, except that II Is con
trary to its principles. Some few years
ago your humble scribe sat in an ethics
class discussing with the Prof. and the
rest Of the class the true values Of ath-
letics. We were aware Of the fact.
believe, that all the things hoped for
and dreamed Of IN sport are not too
evidently true in practice but there
wasn't one Of Us who didn't believe
that athletics and the things il teaches
could be the greatest Interpreter Of true
democracy. But It had to be. neces-
sarily administered wisely and Justly.
Today, IN face Of the latest disgrace
ful decision in the athletic world. nv
mind goes back to that time and I won
der just what sportsmanship is and
who are the sports. For sure, We. as
a race, can't be expected 10 hold onto
some sort Of theology which the rest Of
the country has evidently discarded. All
around Us We see new trend in sports.
Whereas once education was the only
thought Of an institution. today we
find that athletics, and football in par
tlcular, are the greatest concern Of too
many halls Of higher learning. There
are some great and honorable places
Of learning that are able to keep their
doors open only 30 far as the gate re-
ceipts Of their football games will
allow. That may sound exaggerated
some but you will find that a good
many Of our educational institutions
are really up against it, financially.
and as a means to an end they have
TO put their Ok. On commercialized
athletic teams. That's the only argu-
ment for all this wholesale subsidiza-
ton, proselyting, or call it what YOU
may. A good football team adds to the
Golfers Of the college and, Of course. to
the prestige.
WHAT PRICE SPORT
But what price sports have to paw
through all Of this. The goodwill and
better understanding which was once
making such fine progress is now
forced to mark time for there is def
nitely new order. Some Of the greats
Of yesteryear, such as the Matthews,
the Lewises, the Bullocks, the Gourdins,
the Pollards, the Robersong and the
Hubbards, to name few Of intercol-
legiate fame, must pueker their lips
and shake their heads in a well meaning
mo, this is not what we stroye for"
For sure, sports for sports is fast be-
coming thing Of the past an ideal
ism which has never been thoroughly
tested. Commercialism has taken over
and just as iron-clad as it rules against
certain racial groups in every day life,
it has carried its same rules into its
new endeavor.