Evening star., 1943-04-06
Action on Rocks
May Be Put Off
Until Thursday
League Playing Safe;
Plans Rule Changes
To Speed Up PIoy
BY DAVE HOFF.
Associated Press STAR Wrttlr

ASSOCIATED Press stan Writer.
CHICAGO, April 6.-Item No. !
on the National Football League
Conventions business program to-
day was the once-postponed draft
OF college players, but it was ex-
pected to meet the same fate this
time and be dropped to Thursday S
closing session.
AS owners and coaches opened
their three-day parley with Commis-
sioner Elmer Layden the theme was
one OF confidence regarding the 1943
season. However, the magnates
were just skeptical enough that they
wanted to delay the draft of last
years college seniors until it was
proved to them the league would
have sufficient personnel to operate
this year.
May Get Little Talent.
In all likelihood the pro loop will
uncork few. IF any, players from
the college draft, the selective service
program having priority on stall
wart males right now. However,
most Of the clubs planned to put
in their bids anyway as an invest
ment for the postwar days.
Layden said there were enough
S-A players available somewhere in
the country" to allow each club its
minimum of men for 1943. He said
that even under an accelerated Sc
lective service schedule not all
players necessarily would be taken
by fall.
He suggested there probably were
many relatively young former college
stars, married and fathers, who
might be available because coaching
jobs had disappeared as various
schools curtailed their athletic pro-
grams.
Baugh Is Among Farmers.
The league roster also shows sew
eral farmers and ranchers whose
rural activities would be ended by
fall. Lou Brock and Larry Craig of
the Green Bay Packers, Jim Lee
Howell Of the New York Giants,
Sammy Baugh OF the Washington
Redskins and Frank Ivy Of the Chi
cago Cardinals fall under this classi-
dcation.
The rules meeting tonight is ex-
pected to produce further changes
aimed at speeding up the game and
simplifying the coaches task of
keeping limited squads on the field.
The gathering also will check the
leagues financial report, scanned
yesterday by the Executive Commit
tee. and will hear policy recommen-
dations offered by this group.
Bergman Ready for Draft.
Arthur j. Dutch Bergman, coach
Of the Washington Redskins, was
ready for the draft session when
ever it might be held. He has a
carefully prepared list of youthful
football prospects, some of whom
may cavort at Griffith Stadium next
fall
Bergman's headache. however, is
that the Redskins. as champions of
the football universe, are at the
bottom of the list of teams with
bidding priorities. His carefully
arranged list of boys with shifty
hips, heft and football savvy may
be knocked into the middle of next
week by prior bids from clubs lower
down. in the final standings.
Under the rules. the low five fin
ishing clubs of 1912 have first crack
at the crack pigskin warriors of last
year. After these teams make their
choices. on the basis of one each,
they start at the bottom of the
league again, which brings the
champion Redskins into fifteenth
place.
Depending Upon "Sleepers."
Turk Edwards explains 1t this
way:
Unless we have some sleepers
the other teams know nothing about,
all the headlined stars will be gone
before we get chance to bid. I
figure We'll get fifteenth choice,
then thirtieth choice, then forty
NTH, and so on" The auction will
go on until each team gets 20
players"
Another Redskin headache was
the question as to whether to build
up as good a team as possible this
year. hinging it around the 13 known
regulars who are sure to return or
whether to do the best that can be
done and build for the future, basing
future prospects on a hasty end of
the war. The Skin moguls even talk
OF getting youngsters from George
Washington and Georgetown Uni
versities If those schools do not have
football next fall.