Evening star., 1953-01-23

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Storm clouds gathered over the
National Football League meet
ing here today as the club
owners-finished with the player
draft after yesterdays 13-hour
session-prepared to take up
urgent business matters.
Commissioner Bert Bell. fac
ing criticism from several
sources. will be asked to give a
strict accounting Of funds spent
by his Office and he may take a
verbal padding before it is over.
Some owners believe Bell, who
has been calling for economy,
should practice what he breaches.
More trouble is brewing about
Baitimore's place in the league,
and the matter is far from
settled. George Marshall's state
ment that he'll agree to let the
reactivated Colts go into the
National Conference, or Western
group of clubs. in no wise settled
the matter. Money will be the
decisive factor. and opposition
to Baltimore's inclusion in the
Western division may come from
Chicago.
Rule Waived Each Year.
Under the present scheduling
program which is part of the
leagues bylaws, the Cardinals
and Bears ordinarily would meet
only once every three years. But
the rule has been waived from
year to year to permit the two
Chicago clubs to play a lucrative
home-and-home series each sea-
son.
The same rule, if applied to
Washington and Baltimore, would
mean only one game every three
years between them, but it
wouldn't hurt as much, finan-
cially, as the loss of the Bears
Cardinals series. It is doubtful
if either George Halas of the
Bears or Walter Wolfner, manag-
ing director of the Cardinals,
would let their second game be
tossed out without a vigorous
fight. That's where the fire.
works begin.
Marshall intends to call for
strict observance Of the present
constitution, which calls for
home-and-home games between
clubs in each division, with one
game at home and one away with
teams in the opposite division
The rule also has been waived in
the past to permit the Eastern
team travelling to the West Coast
to play two games on that trip tt
cut expenses. If the bylaws are
followed. this will be impossible
mat means more fireworks.
Bell in the Middle.
Marshall says he doesn't in.
tend to get involved in Balti-
more's problem, but it is nc
secret that he will not give ur
lucrative series with such ole
rivals as the New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles and Pitts
burgh SteelerS-plus a profitable
home game with the Cleveland
Browns.
Bell seems to be in the middle
Of the dispute and is expected
to call for a clear and permanent
policy in the matter of Schedul-
ing games. The present situa-
tion puts too much pressure on
the commissioner and it is plain
he doesn't like it. Most men,
bers want to decide the divisional
lineup of teams once and for all,
and if they insist on following
through. the owners could spend
several days on that one topic
alone. It's the hottest potato
they've juggled in several years.
Ten of the IL owners must
agree on any changes in the con-
stitution and bylaws. This in
dicates how easy it would be for
three members to prolong the
meeting.
Three Clubs in Red.
Although there have been
complaints about the handling
of finances in the league Office.
the NFL last year enjoyed the
greatest prosperity in it's his
tory. Nine teams either showed
a profit or balanced their books
last season. The defunct Dallas
Texans, Cardinals and Phila-
delphia Eagles are believed to
be the only teams who failed to
break even, at least.
Several owners are dissatis-
fed with the leagues publicity
Office. headed by Joe Labrum,
contending that it costs too
much and doesn't accomplish
enough But this appears to be
a tempest in a teapot, since it
is obvious the IL NIL owners
are rugged individuals who pre-
fer to dish out their own pub
licity and have the league Office
serve as a statistical bureau.
In all fairness to Bell, it must
be pointed out that he has peen