meee, ee perpen mera eo . - oe Cie PRL re LTT GUERNSEY RRAR INTER FE CENT IT TET 3 November 24, 1944. Mr. Robert Fuoss, Managing Editor, The Saturday Evening Post, Philadelphia 5, Pa. Dear Mr. Fuoss: I think you have written a swell editorial, and I thank you for sending it to me in confidence. You certainly have given me more credit, perhaps, than I deserve, but I have been sincerely honest in endeavoring — to clean up athletics so that the coaches, as well-as the boys, can hold their heads up and say that they are participating in something that is on the up and up, rather than on the toboggan and on the slimy side of things. If the general public knew the whole story they would have more ‘sympathy for the people who are fearless enough to speak out — the thing that is subterranean. Certainly you are to be congratulated on doing the thing that you . are doing. Such powerful and clean influences are the only hope in + ane ing the ulcer to the curative sun rays of public opinion. I trust that you will pardon what might be construed as questionable modesty in telling you some of the activities that I have indulged in, with which you are perhaps unacquainted. I was the founder of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, serving as president for the first two years, 1928 and 1929. The Rules Committee had eliminated the dribble in April of 1928. I protested because the coaches had not been consulted. That day I received 160 telegrams from coaches supporting my stand, and at _ the Drake Relays in the latter part of April I called a meeting of the basketball coaches of the United States in conjuction with the Drake Relays, The first nucleus of the Coaches Association was formed there, but a meeting was called to be held in June in Chicago at the time of the National Collegiate A. A. track meet. At that time organization of the Coaches Association was perfected, and I was elected the president. The following year I was re-elected and we went forward in a constructive way. At no time since has a recommendation of the National Association of Basketball Coaches been refused by the Rules body. page 2 For thirteen years I was a member of the joint rules comnittee of the National Coaches Association of the United States and Canada. I served as chairman of the Research Committee for a great number of years of both the basketball rules body of the United States and Canada, and also as chairmanffor the Coaches Association. I have never recommended a change in the rules unless much research has been done for it. I have for years advocated a 12 foot basket for colleges to do away with the overcrowding and excessive fouléng in the congested area, and also to make a 7 foot man shoct for the basket the same as a 5 ft. 2 in. man. This rule will eventually come, as swre as death and texes, because now they have a discriminatory rule there. They permit the offensive man to dunk the ball in and even though he touches the rim in dunking it, the goal counts. If the ball is resting on the rim of the basket or near it, the offensive man may tap it in and the goal counts, while discrimination exists against the defensive man if he touches the ball on the rim, the goal counts, or if he interferes with the ball above the cylinder of the basket, the goal counts, or if the defensive man taps the ball in its downward descent in his shot toward the basket, a goal is awarddd. The 12 foot basket would do away with all of this and it would reduce more than fifty per cent of the fouls in the congested area due to the higher arc of dispersement on rebounds under the 12 foot basket. The guards would be forced to move further away from the basket to get the rebound, allowing the smaller men to cut in under and retrieve the ball, whereas now the big fellow uses his hip and crowds and forces the opponents out of his area. The shooter sii the sieloeiil of his eyes to height the same as he does to distance, and it would not be long until the shooter could hit a 12 foot basket nearly as easily as he could hit a 10 foot basket; but it would do away with the drive-in and lay-ups, and this is the very play that causes so many of the fouls and gives the referee too much author- ity in awarding the extra shot at the basket when a person is in the act of shooting. This play situation permits an offensive player to “draw” fouls. There would be no two-foul pot shooting because the fouls as attempted lay-ins would be eliminated. The fact that you have been a basketball player makes it plain to me that it will not be necessary to elaborate upon this, as I am sure you can visualize the situation. For more than fifteen years we have had two 12 foot _ ~page Se _ baskets installed in our gymnasium to teach the emphasis on the necessity of an arch shot. | I am sending you under s ate cover by first class mail the Helms athletic Foundation Collegiate ketball Record, prepared and issued by the Helms Athletic Foundation of 117 West 9th Street, Los Angeles, in February, 1943, with Paul H. Helms as sponsor. On page 15 of this publica- . tion they name ten of the greatest coaches of the country, and they were kind enough to name me in the number one spot. os eS from Jack Carberry's sport colum "The Second Guess", in the Denver Post of Wednesday, October 25. Mr. Carberry apparently used this same Helms Poundation report for his information in this colum. I am also sending you a clipping from the Ketchikan, Alaska, Chronicle of Tuesday, November 7, 1944, apparently written by one of my A.P. friends in New York. You may send these things back together with the others when you have finished with them. In addition, I am sending you a letter that I wrote Mr. Bus Ham of the Associated Press in Washing~- ton, D. Co, on May 1, 1943. For years I have been doing this agitating — against the gambler in college athletics, and this expression is no new thing, as some writers might make it appear. However, as you said in your editorial, many of these coaches are afraid to stick their necks out, and if they do the next question is asked of me, "How mich do you want for your job if you were a commissioner?" ‘I am not in the slightest way interested. I am not qualified for it, in the first place, and would not consider it in the second place. This position would require a man relatively young in years, past the forty year mark, vigorous, virile and with a proficient background of law, socio-- logy and the humanities. When professional baseball reached in and ob- tained Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis they engaged a Federal judge for life, @ man who was unafraid and who findd the Standard Oil Company fifty-two million dollars for violating a Federal law. We need such o man as this, and he could be found, of course. Naturally the American Association of University Presidents would have much to do with him, but I suggest that the President of the United States nominate such a man. This would give him added prestige and background, and if the college presidents elected him it would dignify his position in such a way that he could render a real service to young men in America who follow the athletio trail in their quest for educational leadership and knowledge. And in the case of his salary of perhaps fifty to seventy-five thousand, or a hundred thousand dollars, I do not want it to appear that I am attempting to set the page 4. commissioner's salary for the college presidents, but only to emphasize that this commissioner's job is perhaps one of the most important jobs in the United States so far as the welfare of the youth is concerned. _ Perhaps I should add that I was closely associated with Dr. James Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, from 1902 until the time of his death in 1939, which ocourred at Lawrence, Kansas. I succeeded Dr. Naismith as head of the Department of Physical Education in 1923, and he still remained as professor of Physical Bducation in the department until the time of his death. Naturally, through those long years of association, I came to learn much of his idealism and his desire that basketball should be kept clean, because this game is the only great game in the world that is the product of one man's brain. Very cordially yours, Director of Physical Rducation, FOA:A H Varsity Basketball Coach. Ens. EDITORIAL ROOMS THE SATURDAY EVENING POST BEN HIBBS FOUNDED BY THE CURTIS EDITOR Fy EL, ea PUBLISHING COMPANY PHILADELPHIA 5 November 20, 1944 Dear Dr. Allen: I am enclosing a carbon copy of the editorial I did based on the material you so kindly sent me. I will appreciate any suggestions you care to make. I'll return your material as soon as the editorial has been published. If you do wish to make any suggestions, I hope you will do so promptly because this piece ought to be scheduled as soon as possible. Sincerely, Soa ns Robert Fuoss Managing Editor Dr. Forrest C. Allen RF*gem November 24, 1944, Memo to Mr. Fuoss <= I em, of course, returning your copy of the editorial. Thank you \ so much for sending at to me. \ Off the record, I might tell you that the pressure from above of the N.C.A.A. has already worked. I very politely and quietly was asked by one of my superiors if I could be quite discreet in making charges such as I have made. I know the modus operandi. I have seen it work before, and it. comes from the gentleman that I mentioned in my other letter to you. He never appears in public, but always works behind the scene. That - is why I say that we have no forthright administration in intercolleg- iate athletics in the N.C.A.A. It is all done by wire-pulling pressure methods, and rewarding the lieutenants who are faithful to the trust of secrecy and not covenants openly arrived at. In this afternoon's mail I am sending you for your perusal a letter from James A. McParland, who knows a lot and cannot be fodled. I thought you might enjoy it. And too, it explains some of the special police work that the Garden brags about in keeping gamblers away. Sincerely yours, Director of Physical Education, Varsity Basketball coach. November 11, 1944. Mr. Robert Fuoss, Managing Mditor,. The Saturday Svening Post, Philadelphia 5, Pennsylvania. Dear lire Pucas: : _ Neturally the minds of many people wonder why the ine constituted athletic authorities of the National Collegiate Athletic Assoo- jation are not enthusiastic regarding an intercollegiate ozar the type of Judge Landig. : I am giving you this information confidentially. You may never want to touch upon it in any wey, but it will explain things to you, I believe, that will be helpful in Pethoing this situation. , | I have known Major John L. Griffith for thirty-five or more years. John Griffith was director of athletics and director of the Drake Relays, as well as the football and other sports coach when one man — coached all sports. This was long before World War I. He was a better then average coach and a great personality with organizing ability. Con- fidentially, he has had a phobia to be in the President's Cabinet for years as the educational athletic advisor of the nation, much after the manner of the Commissioner of Bducation. During World War I he was one of the athletio adminis tra- tors, being stationed at Camp Dodge, just out of Des Moines. In 1916 just before World War I, I wigned a contract with George Huff, direator of athleties at Tllinoks, to go to Illinois. ‘The war rumblings were then on and we postponed my going until after the war. After the war things had changed quite diane and Major John L. Griffith was then an appli- — cant for intramural director at Illinois and one of the administrators of ‘the four-year coaching school course. Some of my duties and some of Mejor Griffith's duties were overlapping. I went to Urbana to confer with Mr. Huff regarding the job. Just at thet time the possibilities opened here, and I chose the competitive side while Major Griffith, due to his war work, went into the intramural and administrative field. _ When a commissioner for the Big Ten was disoussed, Tom | Jones who was athletic direotor at Wisconsin, wrote me and asked if I was interested in the commissioners job. He said there were certain factions promoting Major Griffith of Illinois, and Wisconsin was not at that time page 2. very enthusiastio about him. I said I was not interested. Ohio State, Illinois, and some of the schools supported Major Griffith, and he was eiected. ; I am not endeavoring to hold myself out as a & date who might have had any chance at all, but lL am trying to show you the trend of things in the life of Major Griffith only as I see theme Le We. St. John’ of Ohio State University, the most adroit politician in the conference, formed a fast cleavage with Major Griffith, aud at the present time |. W. St. John and Major Griffith run, ~- literally run the N.C.A.A., her policies and her polities. Major Griffith has served am president of the N.C.A.A. and is now seoretary-treasurer. But I am getting a little ahead of the horse. With the Olympic Games coming on every four years, the N.C.A.A. found herself in the position of furnishing most of the athletes, while the A.A.U. of the United States named all the coaches of the different sports. Major Griffith, working behind the scenes, used General Douglas MaoArthur and Major General Palmer BH. Pearson in the N.C.A.A. to fight the A.A.U.'s _ domination of the United States Olympic team personnel and coaches. James E. Sullivan, the president of the A.A.U. in those days, was a powerful figure end he had the A.A.U. lined up then as Major Griffith and St.John control the N.C.AA. at present. Major Griffith stimlated and incited the fight by the colleges om the A.A.U. So far as I was concerned, I was strong for the N.C.A.A. exerting her rights because the A.A.U. did not om any equipment of any kind, nor did they develop the athletes or even the coaches. The colleges were in no position to dictate because the International Olympic Games Committee decreed that no athlete could ree present a country unless they were certified to by the Olympic Committee of that comtry. Frederick Rubion of New York, and James B. Sullivan, — the president, and Dan Ferris, secretary, had the control of the American Olympic Committee through their association with the A.A.U., and the colleges had no power. Alonzo Stagg took the first Olympic team to Athens, Greece, and the A.A.U., seeing an opportunity to get hold of the organization, took it early and the colleges were left out. In the early twenties Major Griffith started the fight on the A.A.U., contending that the colleges furnished the participants, therefore they should have college coaches. The fight became so bitter when Avery Brundage was president of the A.A.J., : etl page 5. between the N.0.A.A. and the A.A.U, that there was verbal war. Major Palmer Pearson fought so bitterly and personalities were so strong that it was necessary for Major Pearson to resign his position as president of the N.C.Asde so that negotiations could be carried on by the A.A.U. In other words, Major Griffith was leading the fight by staying in the background. He did not get hurt, but the front men did. ‘Then Major Griffith negotiated with Avery Brundage and other people, and Major Griffith emerged the top man. Griffith arranged the deal with Brundage, saying, Give us control of naming the coaches for track and field, orew, swimaing and wrestling, and you oan have basketball and the other sports. In other words, the N.C.A.A. sold basketball dow the river after basket- ball had been recognized in the Olympic Games. But Major Griffith had made a ten-strike beoause it gave to him St. John and other powerful figures in the N.C.A.A. the naming of these Olympic coaches and their assistant coaches. : fm all the N.C.A.A. committees Major Griffith and his group have named coaches in the eight N.C.A.A. districts of the United States which gives him a powerful leverage. ) The Big Ten is considered the top conference in the United States, certainly by the Big Ten officials and many others. Major Griffith, having served as president and now as secretary-treasurer with Phil Badger of New York as president of the N.C.A.A., has a very keen insight in the athletic polities of the comtry. When a ozar is broached those people of the N.C.A.A. say, Of course we do not need a czar. ie have things well under control. Major Griffith, in his Pollyama attitude, says God is in His heaven and everything is all right with the world. Of course there are a few . isolated cases here and there, but by and large everything is o.k. : If @ osaxr were appointed the power of Major Griffith and the N.C.AA. officials would be lessened pereeptibly because this self- perpetuating body would not function the same as it does now, if a czar should come in. The A.A.U. was a self-perpetuating body in the sense that the N.C.A.A. is. They mame the people who work with them. The chairmen of committees, as you know, are men who are friendly to the organization. Therefore, that is why the authorities of the N.C.A.A. say there is no need for a czar. Everything is under control. I have often thought of Major Griffith as a fuse-pincher before the spark gets to the keg of powder. He never permits explosions if he oan help it - always softening the thing by some investigation and page 4. then reporting it in its most favorable terms. The whole N.C.A.A. set-up lacks power to enforce any mandate or edict, and this is equally true of the collegiate set-up. _ They hire coaches and fire them. ‘The faculty representatives make the laws. — ° it just happens. sien sink tame ind Vid abs es ata than there is no power like the Landis power to enforce rules against subsidiz- ing, proselyting or professionalism. Major Griffith's statement often mde to me ig that tne way to handle a school if they are subsidiz illegally recruited men is just to refuse to schedule games with then. case being as it is now regarding professionalism, there would be few aehools P each other or anyone slse. I have endeavored to show you in my sketchy way the reason why, in my opinion, the authorities of the N.C.A.A. are not on enthusiastic about @ ozar. Sincerely yours, Direetor of physical Education, FCA: AH Varsity Basketball Coach. November 10, 1944, Me's meer Daas i | tor, : on tea Evening Post, . Philadelphia 5, Pa. : Deay Mr. FPuoss: I will endeavor to give you fulsome information regarding my knowledge of the gambling situation in Ned Irish's cirouit. ha I am enclosing a letter from Sam Smith, United press sports editor in Kansas City, Moe Sam, a Missouri man, wrote me for a basketball yarn. I try to accommodate the boys when I can. On September 22 I dictated a letter rather hastily to give him some amwumition, | Mr. Fuoss, my primal in giving Smith this information was to arouse the university and co presidents of the United States to what i considered their duty in preventing a collegiate scandal that might rival or exeel the Black Sox seandal. Certainly I did not desire to take a crack Ned Irish, nor was I that "lone voice erying in the wilderness" endeavor- to purify college athletics by remote control. But rather, I wanted to give not only the college presidents, but the public, some startling facts regarding the gambling racketeering which I thought they did not lnow.e | : If the college presidents could get a czar like Judge Landis in intercollegiate athletics, - and it could be done, - then educational insti- _ tutions would regain the prestige they have lost through the proselyting, of Now, to the meat of the thing. My son, Robert & Allen, M.)., graduated from the University of Pemsylvania Medical school this past year. page 2. He took his A.B, degree at the University of Kansas. He played three years on the varsity basketball teem, and was mentioned by some authorities as All-American for 1940, when Kansas defeated Southern California for the Western N.C.A.A. championship and lost to the ‘University of Indiana for the national title, Your publication carried a story the following winter on "Give The Ball to Junior", which alludes to him. Bob received a good deal — of attention from the basketball clientele at the University of Pennsylvania. He and a group of his colleagues won the intramural championship a couple of years back there. Ho leven the gum and played £% on 6 conditioner to affeet his long hours of medical omy In 1942 while Bob was at Penn, Kaneus played St, Joseph's College, winning 65 to 58. The play of the Kansas team that night was highly praised by sport writers and as a result of this game Bob got to kmow many more basketball fans in Philadelphia. ra Fe ee oe ae penned tg Nig lenge ol leas ite I be on though it was raining badly, we drew the largest crowd that has ever attended a basketball game in Philadelphia. Ray Evans and Charlie Black, two of our All-American boys, played phenomenal ball. Stan Novak was « ster on the Temple team of the ; last year, 1945-'44, as a Y=12 student he starred at Penn, very close friends, Bob says that Novak was outstanding, as were Musi, Katz and Snyder, on the 1940-'41 team. Stan Novak and Bob were disoussing what happened to a boy named Albie Ingerman. Ingerman was the outstanding set shot of the east. Novak told Bob, confidentially, that Albie Ingerman was investigated for accepting a bribe from the gamblers and Josh Cody kicked him and two other ov hage aft squad, It was just after this affair that OS come Nigh ochiaes Haye Ce inteh his playing copy of Ned Irish's wi re and my reply to him, statement, I received an unsigned letter dated October 24th which I am send- ing to you. I will ask only that you return the original copies of the oe a Iam enclosing. You may make copies of any of the originals Janes I am also sending you a letter ) Island, New York. From every place, those in on the know substantiate these statements. : . page Se you @ copy on October 24th, and i am sending Saak. Hy Gol in his "Sports in The News" colwm of the Newark News, t is much easier to “fix" the basketball outcome than it is in any tie ii i lit di agree with him, He writes as follows; it il te geri | : jie fi. *. vial lip, = # lial ouse, N. Yo, Reds, professional had told him of their alleged cooper- ege games fit the gambling ork Daily Mirror, and Bob eoll New ¥ : ee ee ting on the term “cooperation” used Considine wrote ketball games, have centered around the curious way in which Sob eas iB aula lite diets liane pil ig! geiapatily sieasseul: Se spite i Oe ia it 3; aes pal 2 te i: i537! iL aba ; page 4. yted as saying that a basketball czar been q | the le by Lawton Carver, an artic also sending you agdths a ‘ a 2 : E ii fay af Hisitiagatt aa i ti Wat aed lai unten 7 ualtists fe! ah ved is ait aaa lay He a etal elegy ie ileal Heel A eee Hlity tell yoy ee # gigeaeon's 238 323 iy a” sipeaes : ini ta "4 2882) Hl 23 br haz i oH 4 #3 li i'3 i dahil 38xs88esd thousand. SIME NIT ty page 5. g 4%. Sih rT 2 fs. ais aed a a ais g3 meseas’ . supe by li eeaytehis oR agli ely; erliaiss op ftde : +3 a5 ‘. wpiti vee li a iid untee Gia ae reall eh bi fe : il i eth lays His : ate: i 33 He iti ih bap ge EMRE HIT Heri: Hie if ‘yeas ge iid Snail mable information that to give to these gamblers the | wal the gamblers are not con- page 6. es Mies a fy 2 2.84. iia] Ip ging. a3; tae Rs , tates ies i svlis 4958 aah; 2, il pate au at Pedas 33 U3 saeat bgddaye a ued ‘ud fy: a i at Ha rl att statement that Mr. Iowa | as wei gh he . 2 the 4d arri to knocked * eoaches in attendance, and the page Te his first arrival in New i However, if there is anything further that you wish opy of for There is a mss of additional information with which I will be very dust today I and Art Morrow thie 7 ji i Rd Po T am 9 I hesita to ask glad to supply you with the best information possible. Very sincerely yours, — Director of Physical Education, Varsity Basketball Coach. FCA :AH mel, ae aoe ie 25 ae hee ise ete he tant eet cc SS Soe aed na eSB RR RS October 30, 1944. Mr. Robert Fuoss, Managing Editor, The Saturday Evening Post, Phladelphia 5, Pa. Dear Mr. Fuoss: I nod not toll you that T was Smmensely pleased to have your letter of the 25th instant. | Your diagnosia of the situation was exactly correct. Already Ned has sugar-coated the proposition so far as he is — concerned. And there will be sporadic backer-uppers in the form of sports writers who will say that God is still in His Heaven and all is right with the world. I can appreciate your position regarding an article. _ However, I think an editorial could be mich stronger than an article because it would show that the Post has taken a stand and the influence wielded by your publication would be many times stronger than an article. Certainly an editorial on the - subject for publication around Christmas time would be climactic. It will be several days before I can get you the full gist of the stuff I desire to send you. But I will mke it fulsome . and informative enough for you to give them plenty. My kindest regards to Ben Hibbs. We have always been in- tensely fond of hin. Sincerely yours, Director of Physical Education, FCA :AH Varsity Basketball Coach. EDITORIAL ROOMS THE SATURDAY EVENING POST BEN HIBBS : FOUNDED BY THE CURTIS EDITOR Pe PUBLISHING COMPANY PHILADELPHIA 5 October 25, 1944 Dr. Forrest Allen Kansas University Lawrence, Kansas Dear Dr. Allen: As an ex-basketball-player of more enthusiasm than ability, and as a current spectator, I have been very much interested in the ruckus you stirred up by your charges that the gamblers have moved in on basketball. My own observation, after seeing a good many of last winter's games, both in Philadelphia's Convention Hall and in the Garden, is that, if anything, you have understated the case. I doubt that I could make my beliefs stand up in court but I am personally convinced, nevertheless, that there were a lot of strange doings on the big-time basketball circuit last winter. After reading the papers here, I suspect that your colleagues, including Ned Irish, are going to sugar over your statement in the hope that the public will forget the whole thing before the season begins. I feel, as you do, that it would be a mistake to pretend that gamblers haven't gotten next to some of the boys, and I am wondering if there isn't something the Post can do to keep the issue alive. Obviously, we can't print an article on the subject because such a piece would have to be libel=proof and, aside from the specific case you've mentioned, I doubt that we could get together: enough evidence to make an article stick. On the other hand, I am wondering what you would think of our doing a brief editorial on the subject for publica- tion around Christmas time? The season will then be in full swing and the editorial might, at least, let the boys know that the issue is by no means dead. If you think well of this notion, I'd appreciate any tidbits of new information you can give me. I have a little ammunition of my own, but not enough to do the job I have in mind. Sincerely, Robert Fuoss RF*gm Managing Editor PeS.- Ben Hibbs sends his regards. 2 KNOCK OUT THE GAMBLING MOB” REALISM IN COLLEGE ATHLETICS Nv It is now high time for our college presidents of America to drop their . c ; academic mantle and face realism in cdllege athletics. At the present time it ie Uda Cae fWrn ed, is definitely kmown that on several uses eS SEMPUSSS = The gamblers are a eae 2. member of the football squad to give them confidential information on the esprit de corps and the physical condition of the players on the Fore team; 2e -The gamblers are hiring, clare uate sports editors or writers ¢ on college papers to give them additional valuable inside information; Se The gamblers have now a central clearing house working through professional apents or. dope collectors. They issue weekly form sheets which are noe with race forms. They set prices on wholesale satoenauuen on sports events throughout, the nation. 4, With the race tracks of America noty closed Signe will be thousands - of gamblers hoses Por @ new racket, and our college sports will be the next Ka ¥ coo over. To offset this gambling menacé to our college sports, it is thinkable that a courageous, farsighted band of college and university presidents could ¢ ’ assemble and give unlimited power to a High Commissioner of college sport. ~ Baseball gave unlimited power to Judge Kenesaw lountain Landis and | he built confidence in a sport that had received a knock-out by the gamblers. Certainly this is a job with dignity that could attract a Supren toll urt justice or a personality the type of Maezar noover C * e 4 Cae }lome- aythority should be gifen this man to devise a workable system whereby all of the better colleges of America could be brought in to a scheme that would ee ‘ 8 prove a mighty force in striking out sintioletestoaet nd rank profes “0 wat nea dam jie tipsy a fare alism in college sport. The salary, such a man, @hould b “- --— | LAH | a LOM WAM 4S AAV I al WT ft shgt jar s } s = s were violated, sanctions would be enforced against coaches, athletic managers, % PAayers, or those individuals who broke the laws.