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Phog Allen Says Lexington
_ ds Biggest Gam bling Center

By HENRY HORNSBY
Leader Sports Editor

_ Phog Allen—Dr. Forrest ci
Allen — outspoken crusader
against gambling on college
sports; basketball coach at the
University of Kansas, the man
‘who gave Adolph Rupp his
training in hardwood science,
today stated in a long distance
telephone call from Lawrence,
Kansas, that “Lexington is
probably the biggest high
school and college gambling
center in the United States.”
Dr. Allen, long an advocate of
“cleaning out” gambling within col-
lege sports, made the assertion a
few days ago that Lexington was
the college gambling center of the
nation and repeated his charge in
_ the telephone conversation.
The Kansas coach said that head-
quarters for the wagering customers
_ ‘Was a room above the Mayfair bar,
lecated at 224 East Main street, and
that the telephone number was
3730. Dr Allen said that he did not
know whether there was any con-
nection between management of
the bar and the gambling joint.
_ “But I do know that a “gigantic

 

handbook agency is located above
the Mayfair,” the coach continued,
“and that the establishment, dur-
ing the period of racing, handled
considerable money on horse races,
end that on Saturdays during the
football season ,handled as much as
$500,000 on college football games.
The place has been doing a _ big
business in basketball gambling.
The joint has telephone lines to a
number of major cities,’ Dr. Allen
went-on, “and, with a monthly tele-
phor2 bill, of around $2,500, can put
calls through to. these cities in less
time than can an Army general.”
Predicted Scandals

Dr. Allen long has argued that
gambling on college sports was
choking the very life out of such
sports, and months ago predicted
that if college authorities didn’t
wake up they would be confronted
with scandals which would make
the White Sox World Series’ affair.
of 1919 seem tame by comparison.
His contentions were borne out to
a marked degree with the recent
disclosure of the Brooklyn College
“sell-out.”

Though primarily a “basketball”
man, Dr. Allen says that he is con-
cerned with the threat which other
sports face—football being endan-
gered most of all.

“Even track,’ he said, “has now

 

 

been invaded by the gamblers,
especially in the eastern cities and
in the midwest.” ;

The Kansas coach believes that
the only solution is the selection of
a “ezar’ who is empowered to
wield a heavy club in college ath-
letics much in the manner the late
Judge K. M. Landis did in base-
ball.

Dr. Allen said he has no qurrel
with tne subsidization of. college
athletes if it’s done in the right
way. But since there is little super-
vision of such tactics and since)
there is little that can be done to
schools violating agreements, he
believes that a commissioner of col-
lege sports is the only logical
answer.

“Subsidization is all right, but
doing it surreptiously—as it’s being
done—is very dangerous,” he as-
serted.

Deplores Proselyting

One of the most deplorable prac-
tices in college athletics, according
to Coach Allen, is that of prosely-
ting. “Coaches go after a boy, who)
already has settled at some school;
offer him a large amount of money
and take him away.” ;

But getting back to the question
of gambling, Dr. Allen stated that
‘athletic directors and not “long
bearded deans and_ professors’ |

 

 

should be im full charge of athletic
programs at educational centers.
“Athletic directors should be in
full charge of sports programs,” he
said. “They, and not faculty rep-
resentatives who know nothing
about the business, should deter-
mine policies and be answerable
for all criticisms.”
| qld continued that under. the
present set-up in most sections
coaches and athletic directors are
nothing more than business man-
agers. These two groups should be
mede fuli professors, Dr. Allen be-
lieves, with the powers and priv-
ileges and the respect accorded to
| professors. A ce
- And another thing. Dr. Allen
says the threat to college sports will
‘not be removed until gamblers,
who invade the sanctity of the
“campus, are jailed for offenses.
| “Those Brooklyn gamblers are
stili_laughing about the affair at
the coliege there. They’ve been
‘gambling on college — sports for
years, and they’ll keep on until the
law puts a stop to it. The Brook-
lyn College scandal was a_ small
thing by comparison to what goes
on. And as long as we have places
like the one there in Lexington the
threat to our colleges .and to our
‘college boys will continue.”

 

 

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