The Wilmington morning star., 1945-02-02
GAMBLING OUTLET
HITS PROMOTERS
OF DOUBLE GAMES
Future May See College
Games Returned To
Campuses
BY LEO III. PETERSEN

growth of doubleheader basketball,
which has been gold mine to
promoters, was threatened tonight
by the increased activities of book
makers, who turned to the game
for a gambling Quilt when racing
was banned in the United States.
Demands that college basketball
teams return to campus gymna-
Sums followed the disclosure that
five Brooklyn college players had
accepted a bride to throw a game.
Those urging that return did SO on
the grounds that it would be hard
er for gamblers to approach play
ers and coaches if games were held
under college jurisdiction rather
than under the direction of pro-
fessional promoters.
The promoters, recognizing the
danger that gambling has brought
to one of their chief sources of
income, have done everything with
in their power to stamp out the bet
ting evil. They recognized that
gambling on the outside could not
be stopped-just like it cannot be
stopped on games played in the
college gyrns-but they acted to
curtail the activities of bookmakers
on the premises.
1t has become bigger and big
ger problem in New York, where
double-header basketball was in
troduced in Madison Square Gar
den by Ned Irish II years ago.
The sport has come long way
since then, and besides becoming
a money maker for Irish it be-
came an attraction for big name
teams. The success of the venture
here resulted in its spread to other
cities like Philadelphia, Chicago
Buffalo and Boston.
A number of schools, particular
ly In the midwest, has refused to
become a part Of this new basket
ball trend. In some cases it was
because the coaches did not care
to expose their boys to possible
approaches by gamblers while
other college officials said that the
financial returns were not great
enough to make the trip.
But their refusal did not keep
the venture from growing by leaps
and bounds. Thirteen doublehead-
ers have been played at the Gar
den thus far this season with at
tendance averaging approximately
$4,000. Five more are scheduled.
One reason the sport grew so in
the east was becasue many Of the
colleges and universities had small
field houses which limited atten-
dance. There are few field houses
in the east to compare with those
of the midwest schools, some Of
which can seat 10000 and more
persons. The average college field
house in the east seats few more.
than 1900
The Brooklyn College scandal
was believed caused of the small
crowd which turned out last night
at Boston, where the Brooklyn-Ak-
ron game was scheduled to have
been played. The contest was cam
celled byth e Boston promoter
when the bride was exposed.
The game would have been the
feature attraction. AS it was the
paid admissions totaled only 1874
compared with 7,4l4 fans who at
tended the previous doubleheader.
A game between two service teams
was substituted for the Akron
Brooklyn contest with st. Joseph's
Of Philadelphia defeating Syracuse
As to 81 in the other game. The
Akron players watched the two
games as they were entrout to Bos-
ton when the scandal broke.
An indication that the shift of
games back to the college gyms
would not entirely eliminate the
gambling evil came last night at
st. Johns in Brooklyn-the first
game since the bride
More than 300 persons watched
st. Johns, one of the country's
leading teams which has been
playing in the Garden regularly,
defeat Fordham II to IS.
Plain clothesmen dispatched by
the precinct police station were
among the spectators, the first
time in the history of the school
that men especially were assigned
to watch gambling activities in the
gym.