Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1948-09-30

tional and the All
Cran,,.nap;o. America confer
ence. can easily
lead to a financial debacle.
l don't believe more than one, pos
sibly two, Of the A. A. C. teams can
break even. At least four or FIVE
will take drubbing that runs from
$500, 900 to $500, 1000 in losses. Cleve-
land. San Francisco and New York
might break even, or make little.
In the National league, the
losses will be nothing like those
in some A. A. C. cities, but due
to much heavier payroll ex-
penses, there will be few profits.
The National league grabbed most
of the college stars of 1947-Lujack,
Conerly, Conner, Layne, Evans,
Gilmer, Minisi-on and on. The
A. A. C. passed up the stars, al
though Chappuis must be rated one
of them.
The Chicago Rockets, caught be-
tween the Bears and the Cardinals,
two great teams, may take the
heaviest financial seeking. Possibly
a $500,000 touch. The Brooklyn
Dodgers, opening to 10000 when
they needed $4,000 to break even
badly beaten in their opener-may
take the next dipping at $500, 900 or
$4,000
The National league is luckier
in having such teams as the
Giants, Bears, Redskins, Ea-
giles, Packers, Steelers, etc.,
established in cities where they
have been planted for years.
George Marshall of the Redskins
is sold out in advance each season,
although George and many football
writer's are not exactly on speaking
terms. AS long as Mr.. Marshall
doesn't care. why should anybody
else bother? He has monopoly
that also won't make much money
in this football war.
Tim Mara and George Halas have
had the two richest franchises.
They should have. They built up
pro football. They've been on the
job 27 years.
There is certainly place for
two big leagues. But in many
ways the new league was badly
arranged and badly directed as
Its A,O0O,00O losses prove.
What will happen. nobody knows.
But it may not be pleasant reading
for any stakeholder in either league.
The College Side
On the playing side. the pros will
have great season. But the col
leges will have an even greater
playing season plus a far more
cheerful financial side.
This should be one Of the top
years Of college football, no
matter what section you turn to.
The East faces one of its most
interesting campaigns-Penn State,
Army. Pennsylvania. Princeton, Co.
lumbia, Navy, Rutgers, Holy Cross,
Villanova, Yale. Harvard, Dart
mouth, Boston College-on and on.
Here Penn State is the team to beat.
Then move to the Midwest-look
at what they have to offer: Notre
Dame, Michigan, Purdue, Mime.
sofa and Northwestern. Now to the
Southwest: S. M. u, T. C. u, Texas
and Rice. The South presents such
teams as North Carolina, Georgia
Tech, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State.
Alabama. Georgia.
can give you over so col
Iege squads along high level
who will draw capacity crowds.
For example, Southern Califor-
MIA may win no title Of any sort.
But it will outdraw any pro team
at least two to one on the finan-
cial side. So will Notre Dame,
Michigan, Ohio State and Cali
fOrnia.
Under the new Sanity Code, the
colleges won't be involved in any
expenses involved in building up
their teams. This problem will be
put up to the alumni.
In the old days. some football
players would Idle for dear old
Rutgers" Now some rather wealthy
alumnus will go broke for his team,
whether 1t is in the Big Nine, the
South, the Southwest or the East.