The Wilmington morning star., 1947-11-16

Sometimes it's hard not getting impatient as the devil with
that element of people which continues to regard American sports
rs something Of minor importance in this world 80. something
to be taken with a grain of salt and in no instance to be taken
until more important things are out of the way.
1t will probably be another few years before the average
American will accept concrete evidence that a lot of this
nation is wrapped up in its amateur and professional sports,
and that these same pleasures and hours of relaxation have
rapidly been taking over the best share of the national scene.
Now America, even to the sophisticated snob, still means a
lot. It means a lot of things that have little to do with athletics,
to be sure. 1t means things like church and school, freplaces
and hamburgers, bobbie socks and ice cream. This life we talk
80 much about between the Atlantic and Pacific has some mighty
important aspects to it, and they don't all stem from Washington.
There is more than just history and politics and taxes and loans.
There are jokes by Hope and songs by Crosby and autumn
leaves and picnics, but the picture is never complete unless
sports are brought into focus.
It's a pretty safe bet that more people turn out each year
to watch baseball, football, basketball and other sports than turn
out to vote. Maybe it isn't anything to be too proud about since
the American vote is the greatest heritage we have, but facts are
facts.
Well bet it's a lot easier for Mr.. Average American to
recall that the Philadelphia Athletics won the American league
pennant in 1881, than to remember that Charles Curtis was
vice president that same year.
Next time you're in the mood to do a little proving, in case
you doubt this, just stop the first so persons you meet on the
avenue and ask them two questions. Ask them to explain the
Williams shift in detail and then ask them TO explain the Marshall
plan.
You'll see how much a part of the American life the
amateur and professional sport is 1t won't be hard to realize
that It may someday be a lot easier to add a few committees
to Congress or take away a few electoral votes, than it will
be to add or subtract a city from a baseball league.
We like to think that one of the biggest differences between
the United States and the other nations of the world is the all
round sports program that has taken SO much of the attention of
the youth of the country every week of every month of every
year. We think it's fine that dad is much more proud to show
his offspring the letter he won when he buckled down for Win
socki, on the gidron, than the medal he won when he opened
up for Uncle Sam at Verdun or Salerno.
Schools teach little of sports, other than the coaching
hired for a practical job with varsity aspirants. The boy or
girl who has neither the time to try to win a letter, nor the
ability to achieve that undergraduate honor, gets absolutely no
sports knowledge except for magazines and newspapers. He
or she will however, learn famous words of Napoleon, battles
by Washington, and the history of Hitler. That's essential, they
say.
Schools, for all their willingness to admit the necessity of a
larger sports program each year, have not yet given athletics the
full reign they deserve. Sports programs are widened at the
American school today through a desire to add a little lettuce to
a faculty bankron, which may be okeh, but it's time that the
lessons OF football basketball and baseball took their place be-
side some OF the advanced stuff that follows the first three RS.
Sounds crazy? Sports aren't that important, you say?
Don't FOOL yourself a bit. The professional athlete today is no
TOOL. His profession is beginning more and more to be a-
cepteo with other more diginified pursuits.
But, professional or amateur, it doesn't matter. So long as
American boys are interested in the score of a ball game and not
the sum of the loot, and so long as a football uniform isn't SUD-
planted by a different kind of uniform, and SO long as the losing
participant still gets asked for his autograph, as well as the winner
they can kick their mess around in Washington all thew want and
We don't have to worry too much.
The sports" will straighten things out.