Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-05
Marshall Joins
Bell in Denying
Miller Charges
Pro Football Droft
Defended in Reply
To Representative

To Representative
Bert Bell. National Football
League commissioner, anc
George Marshall. president Of
the Redskins. are the first de.
tenders of pro football to jumr
in with answers to the question,
raised by Representative William
E. Miller. Republican of New
York.
Following last weeks Supreme
Court decision putting pro foot
ball under antitrust laws, Mil
Ter is calling for reforms in the
game. a congressional investiga-
ton and some Government con-
troll.
Bell defended the game in a
press conference yesterday in
Philadelphia: Marshall had his
say in a letter to Miller.
The Redskins president an
swered point-by-point the issues
raised by Miller in a letter he
sent Bell Sunday. Marshall par
ticularly defended the draft
system.
Players Uphold Draft
Marshall said it was the best
system ever devised for equal
distribution of playing talent
and that the players bargaining
position was enhanced by the
draft. He added that there have
been no complaints from the
players themselves, and that the
proposed players organization
even advocates that the draft be
continued.
The Redskins boss pointed Out
that Canadian teams also use
the draft system in selecting
players from the United States
and that lit is the only other
league now in existence which
has had any success"
The National Football League
he added, places no restrictions
on any player outside the league
Marshall also mentioned that
many attempts had been made
to form other leagues. including
the All-America Conference.
The fact that there are nc
other leagues Gin the United
States than ours" he concluded
from this. has been due to pub
lie acceptance. there being nc
compulsion in the matter OF
playing football"
I Marshall did raise some objec-
ton to recognition by club own
erS of a players association. He
said the association would inter-
fere with coaches. and contended
that the players already are pro-
itected adequately under the NFL
constitution when they have
complaints to make about man
agement.
AS for Washington. Marshall
said the Redskins were actually
giving more benefits than the
players themselves were asking
for"
Denies Any Freeze-Out
| In answering other points
raised by Miller, Marshall de-
clared that to his knowledge
there is no conspiracy of owners
to freeze out players, that play
ers are protected from loss on
account of injury. that a new
policy is going into effect this
season to pay players during
the training season and that
an increase in the number of
teams is not now economically
feasible.
I Bell also had much to say
defending the player draft and
option system. Without the
reserve clause and selection
system the rich clubs would get
richer and the others would go
out of business" he declared
The draft has made for greater
competition. and as result
player salaries have gone up
three times what they were in
1850"
The commissioner also said
that the owners might accept
the players union If the players
will take the thing step by
step and don't get to pushing
and showing"
Marshall also noted that the
net profits of all II National
Football League teams for last
year--the leagues best financial
year-Were less than a half mil
lion dollars. The gross. he said
including television receipts, was
less than 50 million. or less than
that Of small department stores
in any one of the many cities in
the limited States -