Evening star., 1948-01-18
|Capitos Ring Up Easy 1852 Victory Over Knicks
NFL Turns Down
Common Draft
With Rival A.A
Player Limit Roised.
Bell Given Task Of
Drawing Schedule
By Lewis F. Atchison
stor Staff Correspondent

By Lewis F. Atehison
Stor Sfaff Correspondent
NEW YORK, Jan. 17-National
Football League club owners ad-
journed their annual midwinter
meeting tonight after ignoring the
Philadelphia story about the bene-
fits of a common player draft with
the All-America Conference. A truce
with the rival circuit seemed further
away than ever as the NFL lead
ers completed their plans for the
1948 season.
The club owners listened politely
while General Manager AL Ennis of
the Eagles explained the views of
owner Alexis Thompson, then
quickly plunged into the business Of
putting their own house In order.
They approved the rules revisions
recommended by the coaches, add
ing one Of their own, and approved
a number Of changes in the consti-
tuition and bylaws.
Proposal Unsupported.
Thompson's proposal for a COM
mon draft, first expressed by him at
a luncheon meeting OF the New York
Football sWriters' Association last
autumn, when 1t was hailed as the
first crack in the NILS cast-iron
attitudA toward the newcomer, was
not seconded. Ennis made 1t clear,
however, that he did not propose to
collaborate with the all-America on
any other matter but the draft, and
then only for economic reasons.
Commissioner Bert Bell was asked
how long 1t took owners to dispose
of the matter and Jack Mara of
the New York Giants replied from
off stage: About as long as 1t takes
Thompson to slide down an alp on
his bobsled."
Thompson is in Switzerland on
vacation.
President George Marshall of the
Washington Redskins later told the
press a common draft was only a
minor item in any plan for bringing
the rival leagues into harmonious
cooperation. Territorial rights would
be the major stumbling block, he
said, pointing to New York, Chicago
and Los Angeles as potential
trouble spots.
"They would argue forever about
it," Marshall said.
Bell to Draft Schedule.
Bell, said the meeting was one
OF the most harmonious IN recent
years, even though the drawing up
of the .1s48 schedule was placed IN
his hands after the owners wrangled
two days over Is. or 80 combina-
tions of games without agreement
In brief, here is a summary OF
matters approved today:
I'd Increased player limit from "a
TO IS. with a minimum requirement
of Is.
az Restored payment of guaran-
tees to visiting teams and increased
the sum from $4,000 to $4,000.
80 Agreed that in event OF a
divisional play-of only players
eligible for last two regular games
would be eligible.
(4) Abolished practice OF giving
two extra draft selections to teams
winning less than four games
season.
(5) Prohibited postponement of
games except for an act OF God or
on the ruling of constituted author
Iity. Previously the mutual consent
of the two club owners and permis-
sion of the commissioner was sut1i-
cient to postpone a game.
White Ball to Be Used.
90 Voted for use of white ball In
all night games and banned use OF
any other white equipment in such
games, jersey numbers excepted.
Cd Voted to start all league games
no later than pm. or as near that
time as State or city ordinances per-
nit.
(8) Gave each club owner the right
to bargain independently IN 1948
for the television rights to his home
games, but this permission Is good
only for next season.
(9) Delegated Hugh L. Ray, tech
nical adviser on rules, to draw up
a regulation aimed at preventing
unnecessary roughness in pile-ups
when a defensive player tries to
steal the ball. Stealing the ball still
is permissible in the open. The
owners further agreed to accept the
rule as written by Ray when pre-
sented.
The owners went into executive
session early today and barred re-
porters even from the room outside
their council chamber, thus giving
rise to the belief that matters per-
tanning to an accoSd with the ALL
America Conference were to be dis
cussed. Bell denied this, although
he agreed some points of business
necessarily touched on the rivalry.
Earlier Draft Discussed.
While there was no announcement
about it, the idea of holding the
player draft the week end of the
championship playoff-earlier than
usual-is believed to have been dis
cussed. 1t was reported that the
NFL may 60 after the most widely
publicized stars earlier than usual,
in which event there would have
to be a preliminary draft, probably
by mail.
The only deal announced today
was between the Chicago Bears and
| poSfo,, vonkacs The peorS uyfn
obtained Mike Jarmoluk in trade
with Detroit two years ago, turned
him over to Boston in exchange for
the, draft rights to George Conner
Of Notre Dame. Both are tackles,
but Conner also has been drafted
by the Cleveland Browns Of the
All-America Conference.
IHockev nst Niohf