Evening star., 1947-01-14
Nofre Dame President
AssaiIs Prejudiced
Athletic Boycotts
By Jerry Lisko
Associated Press Sports Writer


Notre Dame. perenially a football
powerhouse, today was pledged to
any practical athletic standards
adopted by major schools, but de-
manded that the Irish not be frozen
out of big-time competition.
Obviously weighing the purity
code" adopted last week by the Ma
tional Collegiate Athletic Associa-
tion, Notre Danes president, the
Rev. John j. Cavanaugh, C. S. c.,
last night hit at "so-called re-
formers" in the intercollegiate pic
ture at a banquet honoring the 1916
Fighting Irish" mythical National
football champions.
Father Cavanaugh scorned "the
mere publishing of noble, high
sounding codes which are often
hypocritically eyaded in actual prac-
tice," but definitely showed concern
over schedule sanctions which may
evolve from the N. C. A. AS pro-
posed de-emphasis program.
Wants No Prejudice.
IF the great institutions of this
country agree on practical standards
| for athletics and decide not to
schedule other institutions that will
not observe these Standards" he
declared, "Notre Dame will go along.
providing the decent corollary of
such policy is put into effect. that
no institution observing these stand
ards will be excluded from COM
petition"
In still another portion of his
address, Father Cavanaugh empha-
sized that any new. collegiate code
must be honestly conceived without
prejudice to any institution and it
must ne faithfully carried out by
those who subscribe to it."
In some quarters, the break-off
of the Army series after this sea-
son and the absence of neighborli-
ness on the gridiron between such
big nine kingpins as Michigan, Ohio
State, Minnesota, and most recently
Illinois, are regarded as a tip-off |
on what Father Cayanaugh had in
mind in his plea for future gridiron
sociability among great educational
institutions"
Army-Irish Rupture.
About the Army rupture, Father
Cavanaugh only commented that
"the danger of gamblers getting to
Notre Dame or Army players had
nothing to do with the break Which
previously was attributed by both
schools to the fact the big game
was getting out of institutional |
control.
The footnote to the severence ap-
parently was appended in the wake
of the attempted bribery of two New
York Giant professionals in the
National Football League playoff at
New York last month.
Father Cavanaugh's address. in
effect, stressed there was nothing
in the projected NCAA house-clean-
ing which would cause mis-step
in Notre Danes consistent victory
march.
He indicated that if there was
any evil in college athletics it was
alumni aid to budding stars which
he implied was absent at Notre
Dame. The abundance of great
athletes" at Notre Dame. he said,
was no mystery.
Cites Schools Advantages.
TN every town of any size In
every State of the Union" Father
Cavanaugh asserted. boys who hear
of Notre Dame spirit and of the
educational advantages here, who
listen to Notre Dame games, plan
to come when they are old enough,
providing they can meet the high
standards and disciplinary stand
ards that are held up for athletes
and nonathletes ="
Implying that Notre Danes con-
slant triumphs were heckled by
rumors of "unethical practices" and
instructions to play dirty football,
Father Cavanaugh said, 1.-The Amer
lean people, who worship winner
SO long as he wins honestly ac-I
cording to the rules, are not easily
misled by such accusations.
We at Notre Dame make. no apol-
ogies about wanting winners. We
want our students to go out and
win in debates, on the basket ball
floor, in track, in baseball and in
the much more important battles
of life"
Father Cavanaugh lauded Coach
Frank Leahy, whose 1916 Irish won
eight and played Army to a score |
less tie as admittedly the most |
ahle coarh in America -