Evening star., 1943-06-14
Associated Press CpOrtS Writer

hN
Associated Press Sports Writer.
ATLANTA. June 14-The deer
South gives you: Cotton, corn anc
complete confusion.
The confusion, in this case, be.
clouds intercollegiate athletics-and
there's been nothing like it since
the time the tornado hit Aun'
Mandy's chickens.
This is the country that produce!
bowl teams in Observation-Disclosures
like Alabama, Georgia, Georgia
Tech, Tennessee and Mississippi
State. Out of its l2-team South
eastern Conference come also the
toughies like Louisiana State, Au-
burn, Tulane and Vanderbilt, who
annually knock the pegs from UNI
der interSectional rivals.
This year there are no bowl cam
didates. Indeed. there may be
scarcely any football teams. -Four
conference teams already have sus-
pended varsity football operations
for the duration and the fate of
some others may be decided here
June IS at special meeting Of the
Conference Executive Committee
called by Dr. w. D. Funkhouser of
Kentucky, conference secretary, for
the purpose of discussing and de-
Gliding very important matters per-
tanning to athletics during the COM
ing year
Tennessee Is PessimiStic.
Florida. buffeted by fate and
more powerful neighbors in the
past two seasons. suspended all
competition for the duration last
March. Mississippi and Mississippi
State were added to the list not
long ago when the State Board of
Control voted the suspension of all
intercollegiate athletics at State
controlled colleges and recently
Vanderbilt suspended varsity foot
hall because of lack of material
and the Arny's ban on competition
for traineeS.
Georgia, the 1a43 Rose Bowl
champion, has not man left from
the great team which Frankie Sink
Wicr led to fame.
Alabama. victor in the Orange
Bowl expects to be in like posi-
ton by midsummer.
Tennessee. whose tough Volun-
teers went to the Sugar Bowl, Is
asking soberly if there II be enough
boys next fall to field team.
Dr.. H. L. Donovan, football-con-
scious president of Kentucky, said :
Il think the outlook for football for
the coming season is about as opt-
mistic as Mussolini's outlook for
winning the fall campaign in italy.
Two Leaders Hopeful.
Il do not believe the Army cadets
vii: be made available, and if they
were made available, their schedule
Of study would have to be altered
very greatly to use them as football
players
AS for freshmen expected at Ken
tUCky, DR.. Donovan commented: ::
The Lord only knows" adding, Il
don't think it would be advisable to
continue football using only fr esh-
men under is years of age
Two notes of confidence were
struck by Dr.. NJ L. Britain. septua-
Eenarian president of Georgia Tech.
and Tulane's president, Rufus C.
Harris. head Of the Southeastern
Conference
We shall be able to play foot
ball" said Dr, Britain. we expect
300 freshmen to matriculate next
term. II Army cadets are not avail
able. think it advisable to continue
football. using freshmen under 18
years of age and others who might
be permitted to participate. In my
opinion tie general outlook is good. y
Dr. Brlttalns optimism may be
influenced by the fact that Navy
cadets at Tech already have per-
mission to play football Tech and
Tulane are the only schools in the
conference so fortunate in man.
power.
Harris rphoids Game.
I'VE expect to play amateur foot
ball. Harris said. IF ever there was
validity to the assertion that the
game nlulGS men pnNSlCallN, II
should be proved now Some of the
Cry-babV coaches who care primar-
ilv for their records as winners are
chiefly the ones who want to Quit
in this period. Those who are in
torested in the GOOD the game does
for boys feel differently,
1T seems probable to me that
Army cadets will be permitted to
play if they want to do so. on the
same restrictions that the Navy i'm
poses. In my opinion the general
outlook is all right l like it. 1t will
compel a return to football sanity
Maybe that is too much to hope for
but I Will hope for it anyway
Auburn and Louisiana State. like
Alabama and Georgia. are nom
commlttal.
Oddity of the whole situation is
little Sewanee-ofhCiallv known as
the University Of the South. Once
a football power, and later a grid
iron dOor-mat, the little school
withdrew from the Southeastern
Conference in 1910 and discontinued
football the following year. Now.
bolstered by approximately 300
naval cadets. Sewanee is reported
considering a return to the gridlron
Wars-posslbly III a revival of its
eiant-killing role Of the peg-top