Evening star., 1953-01-18
Player Draft Likely
To Start Thursday
In Philadelphia
By Lewis F. Atchison

National Football League club
owners, assembling for their an
nual pow-wow this week at
Philadelphia, will find the usual
hatful of problems awaiting
them, not the least of which is
locating the revived Baltimore
Colts in one division or the other.
But all discussions will be aimed
at the big headache that has
plagued pro football since it's
inception-how to make money.
The confab gets underway
Wednesday night when the
coaches advisory committee
meets with Commissioner Bert
Bell to recommend changes in
playing rules for 1858. The main
session begins the following
morning at 10 am. when the
owners meet, and No. l item on
the agenda is the annual draft
of college players. Six clubs,
which have not yet had a
bonus" choice, will draw for it
before the regular draft begins.
Bell Cites Problems.
Bell describes the meeting as
one of the most important in
many years. He believes a 12-
team circuit, in which only four
or five teams make a decent
profit while the rest struggle for
existence, needs some revising.
The commissioner recently said
most clubs had too many en-
ployeS in the business offices,
and he also is on record in favor
ing of cut in the player limit.
But it's doubtful if the
garrulous commissioner will put
over either of these economical
proposals. Most owners are be-
lieved ready to vote for con-
tinuation of the present 33-
player limit, but they want to
make it iron-clad. Teams are
now permitted to carry addi-
tional players en- an injured list,
hoiSting their rosters to 38 and
even 40 men.
Television will be hot topic,
of course, but nothing can be
done about it until after the
Governments monopoly suit
against the league is settled in
court. 1t comes up in Phila-
delphia January 26, and most
club owners believe their present
plan of televiSing road games in
territory where it does not reach
potential customers for a live"
game is equitable and just. No
club televises home games.
Active Role for Marshall.
"The pros have provided more
televised football than any other
organization" said George Mar
shall, president of the Redskins.
In fact. We have given more
TV entertainment than any
other sport, including baseball.
It's fair to the fans, who can
always see the home team"
Marshall usually plays a lead
ing role in important NFL policy
decisions and he is expected to
have one in the TV discussion.
After the player draft, the
owners will proceed to the
knotty problems of deciding on
definite" alignment of teams
and a permanent" policy of
scheduling games. They are
operating now on a five-year
plan suggested by Bell three
years ago, with variations. Mar
shall said he would fight to hold
on to the fundamental princi-
Pile" of home and home games
within each division, but said
he knows there must be some
variations because of Baltimore's
return, plus the existence of two
teams in Chicago
The Redskins boss feels Wash
ington and Baltimore should be
in the same conference. But one
of the conditions of the Colts
readmittance to the league was
that they would not have home
games on days the Redskins play
in Washington.
An effort also will be made to
put the preseason exhibition
games on a more orderly basis.
More lucrative preseason spots
want the Chicago Bears, Cleve-
land Browns and the reigning
league champions while the
weaker teams have to scramble
for engagements.
Will Discuss Guarantees.
Guarantees for visiting teams
also will come up, with one fac
ton favoring cut from $4,000
to $4,000 for games between
conference rivals. The old figure
would be retained in inter-con-
ference games. It also has been
suggested that the guarantee be
raised to a fiat $4,000 for all
games.
Some of the more important
rules changes proposed include
Sudden death" plan to decide
all ties, an official 10-second time
out when the ball changes hands.
and new and more explicit
definition of Intentionally
grounding a pass. Other pro-
posed changes would make it
optional to accept a f1ve-yard
penalty for encroachment by the
opposition. disqualify a player
for period of time as in hockey,
instead of for the entire game.
and declare a ball carrier down
if. after he has been in contact
with an opponent, any part of
his body other than hand
touches the ground. The coaches
also want to put a stop to feign-
ing injuries to stop the clock in
the last two minutes of play.
In New York John V. Mara.
president of the Giants football
team. said he will advocate a
schedule which would bring
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