Evening star., 1946-01-07
Big Three May Shape
Future for National
Pro Grid Circuit
By LEWIS F. ATCHISoN.


Another big Three" will meet
this week in conjunction with the
National Football Leagues mid
winter session at New York, not to
save the world from total destruc-
ton but merely their own small por-
ton Of it. The titanic trio of the pro
games oldest wheel are George
Marshall, Redskin prexy, George
Halas of the Chicago Bears, and
Curley Lambeau of the Green Bay
Packers. They're only a small seq
ment of the circuits 10-club voting
strength, but they could teach Con-
gress few tricks about logrolling.
The only argument they figure to
lose is the one brewing over the
free substitution rule. Certain
coaches swear the big three hood
winked their fellow owners on this
one to protect their top stars, Sammy
Baugh, Sid Luckman and Don Hut
son and it must go-since they have
no stars of comparable luster to
protect. But that, and that alone,
is the only issue of moment they
don't figure to win. Halas already
is on record favoring a change and
probably will persuade Marshall and
Lambeau to go along with him.
Marshall, Halas and Lambeau are
credited with selling the league its
two-division, championship play-of
idea. 1t was good one 1t sus-
talned interest throughout the
league to the end of the season when
it previously Jagged after one or
two outstanding teams secured a
stranglehold on the title. They led
the fight to put the goalposts back
on the goal-line, where they logically
belong, to raise the player limit to
33 men, and have put through a
number of lesser changes that
proved beneficial. Instead of gang
ing up on them the other owners
not only listen attentively when
they raise point, but actually look
to them for leadership.
Has Long Way to Go.
In their haste to welcome the new
All-America Conference, most sports
critics are prone to overlook the fact
that the National League still is in
the drivers seat. The All-America
may be here to stay, and football Is
ready for it, but it faces a period of
adjustment and readjustment that
may take five years or even longer.
before it can claim full parity with
the National. When the time comes
the older circuit will be willing to sit
down and discuss mutual problems
with the new, to talk about a foot
ball world series, to figure a way Of
distributing players equitably and
dispose of scores of minor disputes.
The National League privately
agrees the time is ripe, the field
large enough for rival organiza ton,
but it does not intend to shoulder
any responsibility for getting the
All-Amerca under way. Its biggest
worry is that the newcomer won't
be organized properly quickly enough.
| Certainly there are enough top
grade players for 10 teams in both
leagues. That would only require
$50 men, and there are many times
that number coming off college grid
irons each year. It is no secret the
National League would prefer to re-
duce its members to eight clubs, with
an equal number in the All-Amerce,
which would solve the schedule
puzzle, the biggest of all. This is one
item on the New York meeting
agenda.
Westward Move Blocked.
Cleveland long has cast envious
eyes toward the Pacific Coast, but
westward move has been blocked by
the big three on the ground that
it would make schedule making even
more difficult. Some members would
prefer to have the Chicago Cardi-
nails moved to another site, say
Cincinnati, and to have Pittsburgh
another weak sister, bolstered.
moved or even merged permanently.
But as long as these clubs remain
in the league they will be given a
helping hand to fight any All-Amer-
lea invasion by giving them players
and by trying to give them more
} attractive schedules.
j This weeks meeting is one of the
!, most important in National League
history and may be marked by some
of the most violent fireworks ever
witnessed, but the presence of the
Big Three" is an iron-clad guar
antee the league will emerge strong
!; er and in better position to battle
its new rival than ever before.